public health graduate admissions essay

Sample Personal Statement Public Health (MPH)

by Talha Omer, M.Eng., Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

In this article, I will be providing a sample grad school personal statement in the field of public health. It is written by an applicant who got accepted to Masters’s program in Public Health (MPH). Variations of this personal statement got accepted at the University of North Carolina, Columbia University, and Emory University. This example aims to show how prospective applicants like you can seamlessly weave your passion, skills, and relevant experiences into a compelling narrative.

In writing this personal statement, the applicant has drawn upon key insights from a number of my previous writings on personal statements. You are also welcome to use my previous writings to help you write your personal statement. 

In those posts I’ve discussed the  art of constructing a captivating personal statement for grad school , and I’ve highlighted the  pitfalls to avoid  to ensure your statement leaves a positive impression.

I’ve also shared valuable tips on  structuring your personal statement for clarity and readability, not to mention  how to create a powerful opening  that grabs attention from the start. And let’s not forget about maintaining brevity while effectively telling your story, as well as offering a vast range of  personal statement examples  from different fields for reference.

And yes, do not forget to explore my  8-point framework  that anyone can use to self-evaluate their personal statement. Complementing this, I’ve also created a  7-point guide  to help you steer clear of potential traps and missteps in your personal statement.

I encourage you to explore these topics in depth, as they will be useful while we explore the sample personal statement for public health.

In this Article

1) Research the Program:

2) outline your mph personal statement:, 3) start with a compelling introduction:, 4) showcase your public health achievements and interests:, 5) unveil your public health motivations:, 6) highlight unique qualities for public health:, 7) addressing potential weaknesses or gaps:, 8) write a persuasive conclusion:, sample personal statement for public health masters (mph), my feedback on this sample.

• My In-depth Feedback on this Sample 

What do you Write in a Personal Statement for MPH?  

Writing a personal statement for a Master of Public Health (MPH) program requires careful consideration of your career aspirations, an organized outline, and a compelling introduction. The steps below will guide you to create a well-structured and captivating narrative that effectively presents your unique journey towards public health.

Before applying to an MPH program, conduct a thorough examination of its specifics. Explore the program’s website, paying attention to its mission, curriculum, faculty expertise, and unique opportunities such as fieldwork experiences or community partnerships. Tailor your personal statement to emphasize relevant qualifications and match the admission requirements.

Attend informational sessions, connect with current students or alumni, and familiarize yourself with faculty research. Reflect on how the program aligns with your career goals in public health and infuse this understanding into your personal statement to showcase your commitment and compatibility.

Organize your content for a well-structured personal statement. Begin with a captivating anecdote or statement about public health, followed by your academic achievements and related work experience. Highlight projects, skills, and honors that underscore your commitment to public health.

Express your motivations for pursuing advanced studies in public health and articulate your long-term goals. Highlight unique strengths like leadership, analytical, or community engagement skills. Address any potential issues honestly, explaining the situation and remedial actions.

End by reaffirming your passion and qualifications for public health and your eagerness to join the program. This structured approach ensures a compelling, coherent narrative.

Grab your reader’s attention with an engaging opening. A significant experience, a compelling quote, or a statement about your passion for public health can effectively hook the reader.

For instance: “When I volunteered at a local health clinic, I saw first-hand the impact of social determinants on health.”

Introduce the core theme of your personal statement, possibly your drive for public health, reasons for pursuing advanced studies, or the unique skills you bring.

Example: “This experience solidified my desire to delve deeper into public health through graduate studies.”

Detail academic and professional accomplishments that demonstrate your readiness for the program.

For instance: “During my internship at a local health department, I contributed significantly to a community vaccination campaign, enhancing my understanding of health promotion.”

Discuss key achievements such as successful projects, publications, or recognitions. Explain how these experiences have prepared you for advanced studies and influenced your public health interests, showcasing your passion and expertise.

Articulate your motivation for pursuing an MPH program.

You might share: “My interest in public health was sparked when I worked on a project addressing childhood obesity in my hometown. Since then, my focus on public health studies and relevant internships have deepened my resolve to improve community health.”

Outline your goals, such as aspiring to influence health policy or public health practice, and discuss how the program aligns with these goals.

Strengthen your personal statement by emphasizing personal qualities suited to an MPH program. Highlight traits like leadership, problem-solving abilities, or a commitment to social justice, providing concrete examples:

“For example, as a health promotion volunteer, I led a team to implement a successful community nutrition program, demonstrating my leadership and community engagement skills.”

Confront any weaknesses or gaps in your application honestly. If you had a period of low grades due to personal issues, briefly mention it, emphasizing what you learned from the experience.

“Despite a challenging semester, my subsequent performance in advanced public health courses and my successful community project at my recent internship prove my dedication and capacity for this program.”

Summarize key points in your conclusion, such as your strong interest in public health, the skills you’ve honed, and your career aspirations.

For example: “My academic experiences, internships, and ongoing commitment to public health have equipped me well for this program.”

Express your enthusiasm to contribute to the field, stating, “I am excited to bring my passion and expertise to your program, working towards creating healthier communities.”

Reaffirm your alignment with the program, highlighting its distinct features that attract you, concluding with a confident statement of your readiness to excel in their program.

The countryside is said to be beautiful, with the melodious chirping and tweeter of birds, seas of high clouds in the palatial sky, and a feeling of a cool-tempered breeze dancing through tall swaying trees and flowing streams with evergreen meadows. Still, my village was quite the contrary. The beauty of nature was polluted with weapons of warfare.

I opened my eyes in a town that was rife with internecine disputes. The first voice I heard was the heart-wrenching cacophonic sound of machine guns and missiles. Despite living amid meadows, I saw decapitated human heads and torn skulls. My relatives were illiterate and fought over trivial issues. For example, generational wars ensued if the enemy tribe’s donkey came grazing in another tribe’s fields. Villagers believed “two eyes for an eye and thirty-two teeth for a tooth”.

It is well said, “As the company, so the colour”. As a result, I also craved power and became a part of that barbaric culture. I always wanted to join the military, the most privileged post in our community. On the contrary, my father, who was literate in our village, saw our bleak future in the town. Subsequently, on his orders, we migrated from country to city life. Relocating to a cosmopolitan city transformed me from a power-hungry person to the saviour of humanity. I reformed my mindset from a tribal savage to a civilized individual.

One day while roaming the city, a powerful blast ripped through the massively crowded, killing indiscriminately. I swiftly moved towards safety, and on the way, I encountered many people running for their lives. Sirens of ambulances and police vehicles echoed in my ears. I was deeply shocked at the nightmarish scenes. How gruesome and heart-wrenching it was. I saw pools of blood peeping out of the bodies of the injured. Scattered body parts were scattered everywhere, and human flesh was pasted on the walls. I saw screaming mothers and frantic relatives searching for their beloved. So many innocent people were killed by the wild beasts cloaked in human skin, far worse than my uncivilized villagers. Ambulances carried the critically injured to the hospital. Yet, many survived because of the endless endeavours of “Doctors, the saviours of humanity”.

In those brutal circumstances, a doctor made all the difference. The lives of seriously wounded depended on the skills of emergency surgeons and physicians. The absence of doctors simply meant death. Since that very day, I have developed a deep love for this profession. Only doctors, not bureaucrats, politicians, military officers, or engineers, could save lives. From there on, I strived hard to qualify for a prestigious medical college and became a doctor.

Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Similarly, my life has been a story of exemplary philanthropy. During my 8th grade, I taught underprivileged students. Nowadays, I treat indigent patients in my I.C.U. Ward. At college, I loved serving the sick and needy while I was serving as the Chairman of the Patients’ Welfare Organization. This association of students worked day and night under pitiful conditions in underdeveloped government hospitals.

Moreover, being a committed health activist, I worked during national disasters such as floods, earthquakes etc. I implemented various community strategies to engage volunteers at flood camps during these times. Due to these tactics, I successfully provided 90% coverage to children under five against nine deadly diseases, including Polio.

Furthermore, during my senior year, I organized a relief camp for the Rehabilitation of the victims of drought in the Sahara. I secured $1.7 million in aid, including edibles and emergency medicine. My team of senior doctors and I treated over 700 children suffering from Pediatrics diseases. During this time, I was exposed to people who lived in extreme poverty. I saw women and children with multiple infectious diseases. I saw the unhygienic environments in our hospital wards, where patients were prone to many hospital-acquired disorders.

I also saw levels of extreme malnutrition in children. The kind you have seen in the scenes of B.B.C. documentaries on African countries. It was heartbreaking that 824 children died from preventable diseases. 

Considering all the public health-related problems and the associated mortalities, I felt a need for time to become a public health professional to help people stay alive and increase life expectancy. Using health awareness, I want to reduce child mortality through continuous vaccination programs and family planning. In addition, I desire to eradicate infectious diseases that spread through the air, water, and unhygienic hospital environment.

It was well written on the wall of our research institute that medicine aims to prevent disease and prolong life. The ideal of medicine is to eliminate the need for a physician. In this journey in the medical field, being an active health professional, I also proved myself to be a social reformer. I opened a library with the assistance of my family and friends in our war-torn village. The library was a torch bearer for many inquisitive villagers who started sending their children to schools. Though at a snail’s pace but our literacy is perpetually increasing. 

I am an extrovert, and it’s exciting to move to a different country and meet people from different backgrounds. I aim to get professional and technical knowledge about various public health layers, such as program management, health research and disease surveillance. Using this skill set, I will serve in my country, nipping diseases in the bud at their primary occurrence level.

Moreover, I believe in good global philosophy and eradicating children’s malnutrition from my society. Similarly, providing universal healthcare saves everyone, and one of the best aspects of healthcare reform is to start emphasizing prevention. Martin Luther King Jr once said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

• Hook and Introduction (4/5): The imagery you used to describe the harsh realities of your village effectively captures the reader’s attention and sets the stage for your transformational journey.
• Background and Motivation (4.5/5): Your personal history is very impactful and your motivation to transform from a person with a violent mindset to a saviour of humanity is convincingly presented. However, the transition could be slightly more detailed to clearly convey this change in you.
• Relevance and Competency (4/5): Your work in various challenging environments and your dedication towards community service underline your competencies and your commitment to public health. However, make sure to highlight academic achievements and theoretical knowledge that you’ve gained and how it supports your practical work.
• Passion and Personal Drive (5/5): Your passion for public health is well demonstrated through the various initiatives and projects you’ve been a part of, as well as the life-changing events you’ve witnessed. The depth of your experiences and your commitment to improving health conditions in your community is compelling.
• Program Fit and Future Goals (4/5): Your future goals are well-aligned with the field of public health. It might be beneficial to specifically mention how this MPH program fits into your plan and how you intend to use the knowledge gained from this program to further your goals.
• Conclusion (4/5): Your conclusion effectively ties your story together. However, adding a final, focused statement on your immediate goal of joining the MPH program and your long-term vision of improving public health in your home country could be more impactful.

Overall, I’d rate your personal statement as 4.3/5. It is compelling and emotionally charged, highlighting your dedication to public health. However, it would benefit from more specific connections between your past experiences, your present aspirations, and the MPH program you’re applying to. Remember to articulate what unique qualities or perspectives you can bring to the program and how the program will help you achieve your long-term goals.

My In-depth Feedback on this Sample  

• Introduction: Your opening paragraph effectively sets the scene by illustrating the contrasting landscape and realities of your village. However, this part of the introduction is somewhat lengthy, and it may be more impactful to move sooner into the realities of warfare and conflict that were part of your upbringing. This would provide a more immediate hook for readers.
• Background and Challenges: You’ve described the challenges of your early life, including tribal conflicts and violence. You present a clear picture of a tough upbringing and the motivation that led you to seek a different path. The section could be improved by highlighting a few defining moments or experiences that influenced your decision to migrate and pursue education.
• Transferable Skills: Your transformative journey from a conflict-ridden region to becoming a doctor demonstrates perseverance, adaptability, and resilience. While these are valuable transferable skills, it would be beneficial to also include the academic and professional skills you’ve gained that are directly relevant to the field of public health.
• Passion and Goals: The story about the bombing incident and how it influenced your decision to become a doctor is very powerful and effectively shows your passion. However, you should also clarify how these experiences led to your specific interest in public health, not just medicine.
• Relevant Experiences: You’ve done an excellent job describing your various experiences working with underserved communities, disaster relief, and even establishing a library in your village. Each of these experiences speaks to your commitment to public health. However, you could strengthen this section by detailing some of the skills and knowledge you gained from these experiences and how they’ve prepared you for an advanced degree in public health.
• Program Fit and Future Aspirations: You clearly articulate your future aspirations in public health. However, there’s a lack of specificity about the program to which you’re applying. Detailing how this particular program will help you meet your goals would make your case more compelling.
• Conclusion: Your conclusion nicely ties together your past experiences, current motivations, and future goals. However, a more direct statement about your desire to join the program you’re applying to and a reflection on the benefits you anticipate from it would make the conclusion stronger.

Overall, your personal statement is strong and paints a vivid picture of your journey. However, adding more concrete examples of skills you’ve acquired, highlighting the influence of specific events on your career choice, and a clearer connection between your experiences and the program you’re applying to could make your statement even more powerful.

If you want me to review, critique, and give detailed feedback on your personal statement, then please share your email with us [email protected]

WANT MORE AMAZING ARTICLES ON GRAD SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENTS?

• 100+ Outstanding Examples of Personal Statements
• The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Winning Personal Statement
• Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Personal Statement
• Writing a Killer Opening Paragraph for Your Personal Statement
• Ideal Length for a Graduate School Personal Statement
• 100 Inspiring Quotes to Jumpstart Your Personal Statement

Sample Personal Statement for Masters in International Business

Sample Personal Statement for Masters in International Business My journey began amidst the kaleidoscope of Qatar's landscapes, setting the stage for a life attuned to cultural nuances. Transitioning to Riyadh in my teens, I absorbed a mosaic of traditions, sparking a...

Sample Personal Statement for Family Medicine Residency

Personal Statement Prompt: A personal letter is required. We are looking for mature, enthusiastic physicians who bring with them a broad range of life experiences, are committed to providing excellent patient care, and can embrace the depth and breadth of experiences...

[2024] 4 Law School Personal Statement Examples from Top Programs

In this article, I will discuss 4 law school personal statement samples. These statements have been written by successful applicants who gained admission to prestigious US Law schools like Yale, Harvard, and Stanford. The purpose of these examples is to demonstrate...

Sample Personal Statement Cybersecurity

In this article, I will be providing a sample grad school personal statement in the field of cybersecurity. This sample was written by an applicant who got admitted into George Mason, Northeastern and Arizona State University. This example aims to show how prospective...

100+ Grad School Personal Statement Examples

Introduction Importance of a Strong Personal Statement A personal statement is essential in the graduate school application process, as it plays a significant role in shaping the admissions committee's perception of you. In fact, a survey conducted by the Council of...

WANT AMAZING ARTICLES ON GRAD SCHOOL PERSONAL STATEMENTS?

• 100+ Personal Statement Templates

• Skip to content
• Skip to search
• Accessibility Policy
• Report an Accessibility Issue

Steps to Apply for an MPH or MHSA

All MPH and MHSA applications must be submitted to the online centralized application service SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Services). SOPHAS allows students to apply to multiple accredited institutions using one application.

Please note that during peak times, SOPHAS applications can take 4-6 weeks after submission to reach verified status. We do not receive applications until they are verified. We highly recommend ensuring you leave time for the verification process and monitor your application’s status after submitting.

MPH and MHSA applications must include all of the following in order to be considered:

• Online SOPHAS application
• Official Transcripts
• SOPHAS Statement of Purpose and Objectives (if applying for more that one program, prepare a separate statement for each)

Reflective Essay

Quantitative Experiences Statement

• Resume or CV
• Letters of Recommendations
• Language Proficiency Requirements (only for applicants whose native language is not English)

More information on each component can be found below.

*Michigan Public Health does not require and does not review GRE or other standardized test scores for admission to any master’s or doctoral programs. 

Your Application Checklist

1. confirm your eligibility.

This step only applies to students interested in the Online MPH in Population and Health Sciences or the hybrid Executive Master’s Program in Health Management and Policy.

At this time the Online MPH is only open to admitted United States citizens and residents. 

Due to the hybrid format of the Executive MHSA program, non-US applicants are strongly encouraged to consider their ability to meet in-person requirements before applying. Executive Master's students must be able to attend 3 required weekend-long in-person sessions throughout the two-year degree program. If you believe your circumstances would not prevent you from fully participating in the in-person program requirements and you are interested in pursuing the hybrid program, we encourage you to reach out to an advisor at [email protected] to discuss further and explore your options.

2. Plan your application timeline

Deadlines for MPH and MHSA Residential Programs

• December 1, 2024: Priority deadline
• January 15, 2025: Final deadline for international applicants
• May 15, 2025: Final deadline for domestic applicants

Deadlines for MPH and MHSA Online and Hybrid Programs

• February 1, 2025: Priority deadline
• May 15, 2025: Final deadline
• June 30, 2025: Late Submission deadline
• June 1, 2025: Final deadline

We encourage applicants from all programs to submit their application prior to the priority deadline to ensure scholarship consideration. Those who submit afterward are not guaranteed scholarship consideration. An additional application is not required for scholarship consideration.

Time management is a crucial skill for graduate schooling. It will be important to consider the deadline you are applying for and plan your personal timeline for ordering transcripts, preparing your materials, reaching out to individuals for your letters of recommendation, and finalizing your application - ideally allowing extra time for your application to reach verified status and any unforeseen slowdowns. Remember that during peak times, SOPHAS applications can take 4-6 weeks after submission to reach verified status. We do not receive your application until it is verified. 

3. Order your transcripts

The University of Michigan School of Public Health requires official transcripts for SOPHAS applications. This means that transcripts must be original documents sent to SOPHAS directly from the institution, and cannot be photocopied, faxed, or forwarded through email if they were originally sent to anyone except SOPHAS.

Transcripts from US and English-Canadian institutions may be sent by U.S. Postal Service or electronically. Electronic transcripts are only accepted from Parchment and the National Student Clearinghouse. For many institutions, you may request electronic transcripts directly through your SOPHAS application portal.

If your school doesn’t participate in these services your transcript must be sent by the U.S. Postal Service. The address to where your transcript should be mailed can be found on the Transcript Request Form in your SOPHAS portal.

Transcripts from foreign institutions such as non-US, non-English Canadian, and Caribbean should be sent electronically to [email protected] .

Transcripts must be provided for all of the colleges listed in your application, including any study abroad institutions. Your application cannot be processed without receiving all of your transcripts.

Read more about sending Official Transcripts to SOPHAS.

4. Update your resume or CV

5. prepare your essays.

Statement of Purpose and Objectives   Your narrative should be an original personal essay about your educational and professional (if applicable) background and your reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in public health. This piece should be unique to the academic department/program you are applying to. This is your chance to speak directly to the faculty reviewing your application. 

Your statement should address the following questions:

• What motivated you to apply to the University of Michigan School of Public Health and your academic department/program of interest?
• How will a Master of Public Health/Master in Health Services Administration fit into your career plans?
• What experiences have you had that will allow you to contribute to the school community and profession?
• Are there any faculty you would like to work with and/or research areas of particular interest?

Length : Maximum 1,000 words

If you feel that there is important information that you would like to share with faculty application reviewers that has not been discussed in the rest of the application, you may include it here. This essay is optional and should not be the same as your Statement of Purpose .

The following examples are general ideas of what you may want to include:

• Discuss and explain any unusual patterns or anomalies in your academic or professional record (for example, gaps in work or education or a poor semester performance).  
• Describe any particular life circumstances, including, but not limited to, your cultural background and overcoming adversity (e.g., being raised in a single-parent home, socioeconomic status of your family, first generation attending college, resident of an underserved area or an area with a health professions shortage, race and ethnicity, and cultural background).  

Length : Maximum 250 words

Standard Quantitative Experiences Statement

We require a statement for all graduate-level applicants as part of the application process to better understand their abilities. Quantitative ability is an essential skill for many graduate programs in public health. 

Note : The Standard Quantitative Experiences Statement is required for all graduate programs except Health Behavior and Health Equity. 

Length : Maximum 500 words

This short essay asks you to summarize the strength of your analytical and quantitative skills by addressing the following (if applicable):

• Discuss specific details and examples of relevant research, work, volunteer, or professional experiences that involved analytical and/or quantitative skills and tasks. You may also incorporate instances where you worked with data.
• If you have experience with quantitative or qualitative data, describe how you used it to solve a complex problem and include how you shared your findings. 

The information provided will contribute to our holistic review process . If you have a limited background in analytics or quantitative work, we encourage you to contact our Recruitment and Admissions Team at [email protected] or the Program Coordinator in the department you're applying to. Our staff are happy to help you determine a way to demonstrate your quantitative history and provide recommendations regarding appropriate next steps.

6. Reach out to Recommenders

Three letters of recommendation are required as part of the application process. You should select recommenders who can discuss your ability to academically succeed and contribute to the public health profession. Depending on your background and specific situation, consider the following references:

• Faculty from your undergraduate institution in your major of study
• An employer or supervisor
• Academic advisor
• Professional mentor from a relevant volunteer or professional experience
• A friend or relative is not an appropriate selection for a graduate school recommendation.

Tips for high impact letters of recommendation:

• You may have interacted with many people in academic or professional settings who could speak to your abilities. Carefully consider who can best communicate why you are a strong candidate. Together, these letters should paint a clear picture of your abilities from a variety of perspectives. Be sure to have a back up plan if one of your recommenders is not able to contribute.
• Make the process easy for your recommenders by providing ample time to write and submit (3-4 weeks), clear instructions, a deadline, and even a list of suggested items you would like referenced in your letter.
• Schedule 20-30 minutes to meet with your recommender and/or provide drafts of your resume and Statement of Purpose so that they can more clearly understand your specific goals and motivations for attending Michigan Public Health.
• Ask recommenders to use official letterhead along with a full signature including the writer’s company or professional affiliation, job title, and contact information.

Be sure to make your recommenders aware that they will be required to submit evaluations directly into SOPHAS. You will be responsible for inputting your recommender's contact information into your SOPHAS application. SOPHAS then initiates contacting your recommender with instructions to provide their letter of recommendation.

More information about recommendations can be found here.

7. Complete Language Proficiency Requirements (if applicable)

Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in English language as measured by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For more detailed information, please review our International Applicants page.

8. Pay your application fee or apply for a fee waiver

There is a cost associated with your SOPHAS application. The $145 ‘vendor fee’ for the first program you apply to and $55 ‘designation fee’ for each additional program.

Fee Waivers Each cycle, SOPHAS awards a limited number of waivers to qualified applicants for the $145 vendor fee. If you are eligible, it is recommended that you apply in the Fall, as waivers are issued on a first-come, first-serve basis. You may request a fee waiver as soon as you create an application. Once approved, you are required to submit your application within 14 days. Learn more about the SOPHAS fee assistance program and eligibility here.

In addition, the University of Michigan School of Public Health Office of Student Affairs offers a waiver for the $55 designation fee required by SOPHAS if students are applying to more than one program. This opportunity is only for MPH and MHSA applicants applying through SOPHAS.

9. Submit and monitor your application status!

Before submitting, please double check each part of your application. After submitting, you can only make limited changes to your application and materials, so it’s important that your application is accurate and complete before pressing submit.

Upon submission, you’ll receive a confirmation email.

During peak times, SOPHAS applications can take 4-6 weeks after submission to reach verified status. Please monitor your application’s status and reach out to our Recruitment and Admissions team at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.

We look forward to reviewing your application and understanding your unique interests and goals at Michigan Public Health!

Information For

• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Alumni and Donors
• Community Partners and Employers
• Prospective Faculty (M-PACT)
• About Public Health
• How Do I Apply?
• Departments
• Findings magazine

Student Resources

• Career Development
• Certificates
• Internships
• The Heights Intranet
• Update Contact Info
• Report Website Feedback

Which program are you applying to?

Grad school personal statement examples.

Get accepted to your top choice graduate school with your compelling personal statement.

You are a thoughtful, intelligent, and unique individual. You already know that – now you just need to convince top grad school adcoms that you’re a cut above the rest.

By reading the sample graduate school essays provided above, you should get a clear idea of how to translate your qualifications, passions, and individual experiences into words. You will see that the samples here employ a creative voice, use detailed examples, and draw the reader in with a clear writing style. Most importantly, these personal statements are compelling – each one does a fine job of convincing you that the author of the essay is a human being worth getting to know, or better yet, worth having in your next top grad school class. Grad school statement of purpose sample essays should be engaging and attention grabbing.

Here are the 5 things to include in a grad school personal statement:

• Engaging opening
• Consistent use of opening imagery
• A clear theme that ties the essay together
• Solid structure
• Good use of transitions

Grad school essay example #1: The environmental studies student

Two scenes stand out in my mind from my visit to Brazil’s Wetland: Forests burning before seed planting and trees as hedgerows. Before the planting season, I could see the leafless remnants of burnt trees still standing.  READ MORE>>>

• Attention-grabbing opening: The author immediately grabs your attention by placing them in the midst of the scene and vividly conveying what the author saw.
• Vivid, visual opening: You can almost smell the burnt trees and see the ranches and farms thriving behind their protective forests.
• A clear theme that ties the essay together: The writer clearly states an interest in the clash between economic and environmental concerns throughout the essay. Discussion of coursework taken and how it influenced the author’s decision to pursue both master’s and PhD in Environmental Studies also flows through the essay.
• Solid structure: Thanks to the continued theme of the clash between economic and environmental concerns, this is a very easy essay to read. Mentions of different courses that piqued the writer’s interest also help to hold this essay together.
• Good use of transitions: Transitions help your reader move from one topic to the next as you connect the topic in the preceding paragraph to the topic in the next. They can consist of a few words or a phrase or simply the repetition of the topic by name as opposed to using a pronoun.  The writer used the terminology connecting economics and the environment at the end of the first paragraph, and uses the same words at the beginning of the second one.

Grad school essay example #2: The engineering student

A simple bridge truss was the first structure I ever analyzed. The simple combination of beams that could hold cars, trains, and trucks over long spans of water fascinated me. Having the tools to analyze the loads on the truss further increased my interest in structures.  READ MORE>>>

• Attention-grabbing opening: This writer immediately shared his fascination with bridge truss designs and makes the reader want to learn more about structural engineering.
• Consistent use of opening imagery: The writer begins his essay with the image of the first structure he ever analyzed – a simple bridge truss. This bridge truss becomes the basis for all of his future study of structural engineering and design. Toward the end of the essay, he states that design structure has fascinated him since he saw that first image of a bridge truss for his first engineering class.
• A clear theme that ties the essay together: The theme of structural design runs throughout the essay. It is mentioned right at the beginning of the essay, in following paragraphs and in the final paragraph as well. Toward the end of the essay, the writer discusses how a grad degree in engineering will help him reach both his short- and long-term goals. 
• Solid structure: Since the theme of structural design and engineering are so strong throughout the essay, it is easy to follow along as the writer talks about different classes he has taken, an internship he did, and even an experience as a student volunteer. 
• Good use of transitions: The author ends his first paragraph talking about the textbook for his first engineering class, and continues on this theme in the next paragraph. He then transitioned from classes he took to student volunteer research he participated in. When discussing what he plans to study in grad school, the same terminology is used again, joining the whole essay into one cohesive whole. 

Grad school essay example #3: The public health student

What if people lived healthier lives, practiced preventive medicine, and took precautions against illness and disease? My days in the physical therapy department often made me think about the prevention of injuries as well as the injuries themselves. I was already doubting my future career choice as a physical therapist.  READ MORE>>>

• Attention-grabbing opening: The author of this essay makes an early case for why he wants to leave the field of physical therapy and move to the public health arena. You can almost feel the writer’s frustration with physical therapy and their need to find a way to reach a broader population, provide primary care to them, while challenging and motivating the writer to improve.
• Consistent use of opening imagery: The idea of providing primary care to large populations and the benefits the population could get from this care are woven through the whole essay. Finding ways to improve the health of underprivileged populations is also found throughout the essay.
• A clear theme that ties the essay together: Provision of primary care to large communities is a theme that runs throughout the essay. The author’s work at a county health clinic cemented this idea and led to him choosing to pursue an education and career in public health.
• Solid structure: The theme of providing primary care to large underprivileged populations is a theme that ties this personal statement together.
• Good use of transitions: The words “public health” occur in every paragraph. The author ends the second paragraph talking about work in the field, and begins the next paragraph by mentioning field experience. This makes it easy to follow the flow of the essay.

Grad school essay example #4: The physician assistant student

I was nine years old and in the middle of Mrs. Russell’s third grade class when my stomach began to itch uncontrollably. I remember thinking to myself, “Did I get bitten by a bug?” Completely distracted by the incessant itching, I asked Mrs. Russell if I could go to the nurse’s office. When the nurse lifted my shirt, I saw the biggest “bug bites” I had ever seen covering the majority of my stomach.  READ MORE>>>

Note:  The character limit for the CASPA PS is 5,000 characters with spaces. You need to keep this limit in mind as you write your personal statement.

• Attention-grabbing opening and consistent use of opening imagery: The writer of this essay immediately grabs the reader’s attention by making them feel her fear and frustration of having an undiagnosed medical condition. You can also feel her relief when she is finally diagnosed – and treated – by a PA.
• Vivid, visual opening and consistent use of opening imagery: Your heart beats a little faster as you read how a 9-year-old girl’s medical condition couldn’t be diagnosed until a visit with a PA who helped her discover her passion. She continues to illustrate her love of all things medical throughout the essay.
• A clear theme that ties the essay together: Her essay has a clear theme – her interest in medicine and healthcare, and her connection with PAs. This theme is touched upon in every paragraph of her personal statement. Whether discussing her love of learning or the skills learned through sports, the ultimate goal of becoming a PA comes through. 
• Solid structure: The author’s themes of love of learning and medicine, and the desire to become a PA to help others flow through this essay. They make it cohesive, readable, and interesting. 
• Good use of transition: The writer shows how her interest in being a PA grows throughout her life through a series of events – her illness, attending a youth leadership forum where she first saw infected human organs, and finally her mother’s own illness and the care given by the same PA who diagnosed the author at the age of 9. The imagery of the “itchy little” girl from the first paragraph appears again in the last paragraph, pulling the entire personal statement together.

5 FATAL FLAWS TO AVOID

In your grad school statement of purpose, get expert help with your graduate school application.

Our world-class team helps you stand out from the competition and get accepted.

APPLICATION STRATEGY / PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ESSAY REVIEW / INTERVIEW PREP

TOP 10 GRADUATE SCHOOLS

HAVE AN ACCEPTANCE RATE OF UNDER 20% 

AN OUTSTANDING GRADUATE SCHOOL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE IS CRITICAL IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS

You want to get accepted to a top school, but you need to show you're more qualified than other applicants. U.S. News reports the average graduate school acceptance rate is 20% for the top 10 engineering programs and 15% for the top 10 education programs, but our grad school clients enjoy an  85% ACCEPTANCE RATE.  How can you best your competition? By writing an excellent statement of purpose.

Accepted has been helping graduate school applicants gain acceptance to top programs since 1994.

Get accepted speak with an admissions expert today.

Testimonials

Free Resources

PrepScholar GRE Prep

Gre prep online guides and tips, 3 successful graduate school personal statement examples.

Looking for grad school personal statement examples? Look no further! In this total guide to graduate school personal statement examples, we’ll discuss why you need a personal statement for grad school and what makes a good one. Then we’ll provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. After that, we’ll do a deep dive on one of our personal statement for graduate school examples. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a list of other grad school personal statements you can find online.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a chance for admissions committees to get to know you: your goals and passions, what you’ll bring to the program, and what you’re hoping to get out of the program.  You need to sell the admissions committee on what makes you a worthwhile applicant. The personal statement is a good chance to highlight significant things about you that don’t appear elsewhere on your application.

A personal statement is slightly different from a statement of purpose (also known as a letter of intent). A statement of purpose/letter of intent tends to be more tightly focused on your academic or professional credentials and your future research and/or professional interests.

While a personal statement also addresses your academic experiences and goals, you have more leeway to be a little more, well, personal. In a personal statement, it’s often appropriate to include information on significant life experiences or challenges that aren’t necessarily directly relevant to your field of interest.

Some programs ask for both a personal statement and a statement of purpose/letter of intent. In this case, the personal statement is likely to be much more tightly focused on your life experience and personality assets while the statement of purpose will focus in much more on your academic/research experiences and goals.

However, there’s not always a hard-and-fast demarcation between a personal statement and a statement of purpose. The two statement types should address a lot of the same themes, especially as relates to your future goals and the valuable assets you bring to the program. Some programs will ask for a personal statement but the prompt will be focused primarily on your research and professional experiences and interests. Some will ask for a statement of purpose but the prompt will be more focused on your general life experiences.

When in doubt, give the program what they are asking for in the prompt and don’t get too hung up on whether they call it a personal statement or statement of purpose. You can always call the admissions office to get more clarification on what they want you to address in your admissions essay.

Quick side note: we've created the world's leading online GRE prep program that adapts to you and your strengths and weaknesses. Not sure what to study? Confused by how to improve your score? We give you minute by minute guide.

You don't NEED a prep program to get a great GRE score. But we believe PrepScholar is the best GRE prep program available right now , especially if you find it hard to organize your study schedule and don't know what to study .

Click here to learn how you can improve your GRE score by 7 points, guaranteed .

What Makes a Good Grad School Personal Statement?

A great graduate school personal statement can come in many forms and styles. However, strong grad school personal statement examples all share the same following elements:

A Clear Narrative

Above all, a good personal statement communicates clear messages about what makes you a strong applicant who is likely to have success in graduate school. So to that extent, think about a couple of key points that you want to communicate about yourself and then drill down on how you can best communicate those points. (Your key points should of course be related to what you can bring to the field and to the program specifically).

You can also decide whether to address things like setbacks or gaps in your application as part of your narrative. Have a low GPA for a couple semesters due to a health issue? Been out of a job for a while taking care of a family member? If you do decide to explain an issue like this, make sure that the overall arc is more about demonstrating positive qualities like resilience and diligence than about providing excuses.

Specific Examples

A great statement of purpose uses specific examples to illustrate its key messages. This can include anecdotes that demonstrate particular traits or even references to scholars and works that have influenced your academic trajectory to show that you are familiar and insightful about the relevant literature in your field.

Just saying “I love plants,” is pretty vague. Describing how you worked in a plant lab during undergrad and then went home and carefully cultivated your own greenhouse where you cross-bred new flower colors by hand is much more specific and vivid, which makes for better evidence.

A strong personal statement will describe why you are a good fit for the program, and why the program is a good fit for you. It’s important to identify specific things about the program that appeal to you, and how you’ll take advantage of those opportunities. It’s also a good idea to talk about specific professors you might be interested in working with. This shows that you are informed about and genuinely invested in the program.

Strong Writing

Even quantitative and science disciplines typically require some writing, so it’s important that your personal statement shows strong writing skills. Make sure that you are communicating clearly and that you don’t have any grammar and spelling errors. It’s helpful to get other people to read your statement and provide feedback. Plan on going through multiple drafts.

Another important thing here is to avoid cliches and gimmicks. Don’t deploy overused phrases and openings like “ever since I was a child.” Don’t structure your statement in a gimmicky way (i.e., writing a faux legal brief about yourself for a law school statement of purpose). The first will make your writing banal; the second is likely to make you stand out in a bad way.

Appropriate Boundaries

While you can be more personal in a personal statement than in a statement of purpose, it’s important to maintain appropriate boundaries in your writing. Don’t overshare anything too personal about relationships, bodily functions, or illegal activities. Similarly, don’t share anything that makes it seem like you may be out of control, unstable, or an otherwise risky investment. The personal statement is not a confessional booth. If you share inappropriately, you may seem like you have bad judgment, which is a huge red flag to admissions committees.

You should also be careful with how you deploy humor and jokes. Your statement doesn’t have to be totally joyless and serious, but bear in mind that the person reading the statement may not have the same sense of humor as you do. When in doubt, err towards the side of being as inoffensive as possible.

Just as being too intimate in your statement can hurt you, it’s also important not to be overly formal or staid. You should be professional, but conversational.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Our graduate school experts have been kind enough to provide some successful grad school personal statement examples. We’ll provide three examples here, along with brief analysis of what makes each one successful.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 1

PDF of Sample Personal Statement 1 – Japanese Studies

For this Japanese Studies master’s degree, the applicant had to provide a statement of purpose outlining her academic goals and experience with Japanese and a separate personal statement describing her personal relationship with Japanese Studies and what led her to pursue a master’s degree.

Here’s what’s successful about this personal statement:

• An attention-grabbing beginning: The applicant begins with the statement that Japanese has never come easily to her and that it’s a brutal language to learn. Seeing as how this is an application for a Japanese Studies program, this is an intriguing beginning that makes the reader want to keep going.
• A compelling narrative: From this attention-grabbing beginning, the applicant builds a well-structured and dramatic narrative tracking her engagement with the Japanese language over time. The clear turning point is her experience studying abroad, leading to a resolution in which she has clarity about her plans. Seeing as how the applicant wants to be a translator of Japanese literature, the tight narrative structure here is a great way to show her writing skills.
• Specific examples that show important traits: The applicant clearly communicates both a deep passion for Japanese through examples of her continued engagement with Japanese and her determination and work ethic by highlighting the challenges she’s faced (and overcome) in her study of the language. This gives the impression that she is an engaged and dedicated student.

Overall, this is a very strong statement both in terms of style and content. It flows well, is memorable, and communicates that the applicant would make the most of the graduate school experience.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 2

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 2 – Musical Composition

This personal statement for a Music Composition master’s degree discusses the factors that motivate the applicant to pursue graduate study.

Here’s what works well in this statement:

• The applicant provides two clear reasons motivating the student to pursue graduate study: her experiences with music growing up, and her family’s musical history. She then supports those two reasons with examples and analysis.
• The description of her ancestors’ engagement with music is very compelling and memorable. The applicant paints her own involvement with music as almost inevitable based on her family’s long history with musical pursuits.
• The applicant gives thoughtful analysis of the advantages she has been afforded that have allowed her to study music so extensively. We get the sense that she is insightful and empathetic—qualities that would add greatly to any academic community.

This is a strong, serviceable personal statement. And in truth, given that this for a masters in music composition, other elements of the application (like work samples) are probably the most important.  However, here are two small changes I would make to improve it:

• I would probably to split the massive second paragraph into 2-3 separate paragraphs. I might use one paragraph to orient the reader to the family’s musical history, one paragraph to discuss Giacomo and Antonio, and one paragraph to discuss how the family has influenced the applicant. As it stands, it’s a little unwieldy and the second paragraph doesn’t have a super-clear focus even though it’s all loosely related to the applicant’s family history with music.
• I would also slightly shorten the anecdote about the applicant’s ancestors and expand more on how this family history has motivated the applicant’s interest in music. In what specific ways has her ancestors’ perseverance inspired her? Did she think about them during hard practice sessions? Is she interested in composing music in a style they might have played? More specific examples here would lend greater depth and clarity to the statement.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 3

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 3 – Public Health

This is my successful personal statement for Columbia’s Master’s program in Public Health. We’ll do a deep dive on this statement paragraph-by-paragraph in the next section, but I’ll highlight a couple of things that work in this statement here:

Want to improve your GRE score by 7 points?  We have the industry's leading GRE prep program. Built by world-class instructors with 99th percentile GRE scores , the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through machine learning data science, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible.

Try our 5-day full access trial for free:

• This statement is clearly organized. Almost every paragraph has a distinct focus and message, and when I move on to a new idea, I move on to a new paragraph with a logical transitions.
• This statement covers a lot of ground in a pretty short space. I discuss my family history, my goals, my educational background, and my professional background. But because the paragraphs are organized and I use specific examples, it doesn’t feel too vague or scattered.
• In addition to including information about my personal motivations, like my family, I also include some analysis about tailoring health interventions with my example of the Zande. This is a good way to show off what kinds of insights I might bring to the program based on my academic background.

Grad School Personal Statement Example: Deep Dive

Now let’s do a deep dive, paragraph-by-paragraph, on one of these sample graduate school personal statements. We’ll use my personal statement that I used when I applied to Columbia’s public health program.

Paragraph One: For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a Veterinarian and an Epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crises, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

This is an attention-grabbing opening anecdote that avoids most of the usual cliches about childhood dreams and proclivities. This story also subtly shows that I have a sense of public health history, given the significance of the AIDs crisis for public health as a field.

It’s good that I connect this family history to my own interests. However, if I were to revise this paragraph again, I might cut down on some of the detail because when it comes down to it, this story isn’t really about me. It’s important that even (sparingly used) anecdotes about other people ultimately reveal something about you in a personal statement.

Paragraph Two: Recent years have cemented that interest. In January 2012, my parents adopted my little brother Fred from China. Doctors in America subsequently diagnosed Fred with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). My parents were told that if Fred’s condition had been discovered in China, the (very poor) orphanage in which he spent the first 8+ years of his life would have recognized his DMD as a death sentence and denied him sustenance to hasten his demise.

Here’s another compelling anecdote to help explain my interest in public health. This is an appropriately personal detail for a personal statement—it’s a serious thing about my immediate family, but it doesn’t disclose anything that the admissions committee might find concerning or inappropriate.

If I were to take another pass through this paragraph, the main thing I would change is the last phrase. “Denied him sustenance to hasten his demise” is a little flowery. “Denied him food to hasten his death” is actually more powerful because it’s clearer and more direct.

Paragraph Three: It is not right that some people have access to the best doctors and treatment while others have no medical care. I want to pursue an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia because studying social factors in health, with a particular focus on socio-health inequities, will prepare me to address these inequities. The interdisciplinary approach of the program appeals to me greatly as I believe interdisciplinary approaches are the most effective way to develop meaningful solutions to complex problems.

In this paragraph I make a neat and clear transition from discussing what sparked my interest in public health and health equity to what I am interested in about Columbia specifically: the interdisciplinary focus of the program, and how that focus will prepare me to solve complex health problems. This paragraph also serves as a good pivot point to start discussing my academic and professional background.

Paragraph Four: My undergraduate education has prepared me well for my chosen career. Understanding the underlying structure of a group’s culture is essential to successfully communicating with the group. In studying folklore and mythology, I’ve learned how to parse the unspoken structures of folk groups, and how those structures can be used to build bridges of understanding. For example, in a culture where most illnesses are believed to be caused by witchcraft, as is the case for the Zande people of central Africa, any successful health intervention or education program would of necessity take into account their very real belief in witchcraft.

In this paragraph, I link my undergraduate education and the skills I learned there to public health. The (very brief) analysis of tailoring health interventions to the Zande is a good way to show insight and show off the competencies I would bring to the program.

Paragraph Five: I now work in the healthcare industry for one of the largest providers of health benefits in the world. In addition to reigniting my passion for data and quantitative analytics, working for this company has immersed me in the business side of healthcare, a critical component of public health.

This brief paragraph highlights my relevant work experience in the healthcare industry. It also allows me to mention my work with data and quantitative analytics, which isn’t necessarily obvious from my academic background, which was primarily based in the social sciences.

Paragraph Six: I intend to pursue a PhD in order to become an expert in how social factors affect health, particularly as related to gender and sexuality. I intend to pursue a certificate in Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Reproduction. Working together with other experts to create effective interventions across cultures and societies, I want to help transform health landscapes both in America and abroad.

This final paragraph is about my future plans and intentions. Unfortunately, it’s a little disjointed, primarily because I discuss goals of pursuing a PhD before I talk about what certificate I want to pursue within the MPH program! Switching those two sentences and discussing my certificate goals within the MPH and then mentioning my PhD plans would make a lot more sense.

I also start two sentences in a row with “I intend,” which is repetitive.

The final sentence is a little bit generic; I might tailor it to specifically discuss a gender and sexual health issue, since that is the primary area of interest I’ve identified.

This was a successful personal statement; I got into (and attended!) the program. It has strong examples, clear organization, and outlines what interests me about the program (its interdisciplinary focus) and what competencies I would bring (a background in cultural analysis and experience with the business side of healthcare). However, a few slight tweaks would elevate this statement to the next level.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples You Can Find Online

So you need more samples for your personal statement for graduate school? Examples are everywhere on the internet, but they aren’t all of equal quality.

Most of examples are posted as part of writing guides published online by educational institutions. We’ve rounded up some of the best ones here if you are looking for more personal statement examples for graduate school.

Penn State Personal Statement Examples for Graduate School

This selection of ten short personal statements for graduate school and fellowship programs offers an interesting mix of approaches. Some focus more on personal adversity while others focus more closely on professional work within the field.

The writing in some of these statements is a little dry, and most deploy at least a few cliches. However, these are generally strong, serviceable statements that communicate clearly why the student is interested in the field, their skills and competencies, and what about the specific program appeals to them.

Cal State Sample Graduate School Personal Statements

These are good examples of personal statements for graduate school where students deploy lots of very vivid imagery and illustrative anecdotes of life experiences. There are also helpful comments about what works in each of these essays.

Want to improve your GRE score by 7+ points?

Check out our best-in-class online GRE prep program . We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your GRE score by 7 points or more.

PrepScholar GRE is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses . We also feature 2,000 practice questions , official practice tests, 150 hours of interactive lessons, and 1-on-1 scoring and feedback on your AWA essays.

Check out our 5-day free trial now:

However, all of these statements are definitely pushing the boundaries of acceptable length, as all are above 1000 and one is almost 1500 words! Many programs limit you to 500 words; if you don’t have a limit, you should try to keep it to two single-spaced pages at most (which is about 1000 words).

University of Chicago Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples

These examples of successful essays to the University of Chicago law school cover a wide range of life experiences and topics. The writing in all is very vivid, and all communicate clear messages about the students’ strengths and competencies.

Note, however, that these are all essays that specifically worked for University of Chicago law school. That does not mean that they would work everywhere. In fact, one major thing to note is that many of these responses, while well-written and vivid, barely address the students’ interest in law school at all! This is something that might not work well for most graduate programs.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 10

This successful essay for law school from a Wheaton College undergraduate does a great job tracking the student’s interest in the law in a compelling and personal way. Wheaton offers other graduate school personal statement examples, but this one offers the most persuasive case for the students’ competencies. The student accomplishes this by using clear, well-elaborated examples, showing strong and vivid writing, and highlighting positive qualities like an interest in justice and empathy without seeming grandiose or out of touch.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 1

Based on the background information provided at the bottom of the essay, this essay was apparently successful for this applicant. However, I’ve actually included this essay because it demonstrates an extremely risky approach. While this personal statement is strikingly written and the story is very memorable, it could definitely communicate the wrong message to some admissions committees. The student’s decision not to report the drill sergeant may read incredibly poorly to some admissions committees. They may wonder if the student’s failure to report the sergeant’s violence will ultimately expose more soldiers-in-training to the same kinds of abuses. This incident perhaps reads especially poorly in light of the fact that the military has such a notable problem with violence against women being covered up and otherwise mishandled

It’s actually hard to get a complete picture of the student’s true motivations from this essay, and what we have might raise real questions about the student’s character to some admissions committees. This student took a risk and it paid off, but it could have just as easily backfired spectacularly.

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

In this guide, we discussed why you need a personal statement and how it differs from a statement of purpose. (It’s more personal!)

We also discussed what you’ll find in a strong sample personal statement for graduate school:

• A clear narrative about the applicant and why they are qualified for graduate study.
• Specific examples to support that narrative.
• Compelling reasons why the applicant and the program are a good fit for each other.
• Strong writing, including clear organization and error-free, cliche-free language.
• Appropriate boundaries—sharing without over-sharing.

Then, we provided three strong graduate school personal statement examples for different fields, along with analysis. We did a deep-dive on the third statement.

Finally, we provided a list of other sample grad school personal statements online.

What’s Next?

Want more advice on writing a personal statement ? See our guide.

Writing a graduate school statement of purpose? See our statement of purpose samples  and a nine-step process for writing the best statement of purpose possible .

If you’re writing a graduate school CV or resume, see our how-to guide to writing a CV , a how-to guide to writing a resume , our list of sample resumes and CVs , resume and CV templates , and a special guide for writing resume objectives .

Need stellar graduate school recommendation letters ? See our guide.

See our 29 tips for successfully applying to graduate school .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose and Objectives requirements vary by program. Do not underestimate the importance of this statement. It is your opportunity to inform the faculty reviewers of your qualifications, motivation, and potential to make a contribution to the field of public health.

Statement requirement for all Master of Science (SM) and MPH (excluding JD/MPH):  

The Statement of Purpose and Objectives should  not exceed 600 words , although SOPHAS allows for a higher word count.  In your statement, please describe the following:

• Academic and/or professional preparation for a career in public health
• Your focused interest in the degree program/department or MPH field of study to which you are applying
• Career plans upon completion of the program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Note any relevant strengths or weaknesses in your background or in your ability to carry out your professional responsibilities.

Statement requirement for JD/MPH:

The Statement of Purpose and Objectives should  not exceed 750 words , although SOPHAS allows for a higher word count. There is no prescribed format for the essay, but it should include information about the following:

• Your focused interest within the field of public health
• Previous academic, professional, and/or extracurricular experiences that demonstrate your interest in public health or health-related issues
• Reasons for wanting to enroll in the joint JD/MPH degree program
• Career plans upon completion of the joint degree program

The essay should persuasively establish (1) your preparation to undertake this intense course of study, (2) your understanding of the MPH curriculum, and (3) a good fit between the curriculum and your interests and goals.

Statement requirement for DrPH:

In your statement, please answer all of the following questions and number the response accordingly:

• Describe in detail your most significant professional experience and explain why it prepares you to pursue advanced professional studies in public health. (up to 500 words)
• Provide a reflection of your current leadership abilities and describe what you seek to reinforce and/ or strengthen in context to your work, through the DrPH degree program. (up to 500 words)
• Tell us about a public health problem or challenge that you seek to address as part of your studies in the program and/or upon completion of your DrPH degree program. (up to 500 words)

Kira assessment for DrPH applicants:

• Once you begin your application through SOPHAS, you will have access to the Kira platform. Through the Kira platform, you’ll be asked to submit responses to several timed video and one written question. This assessment is done in an asynchronous format, so you can complete your responses on your own time before the Friday, December 1, 2023 application deadline.

Statement requirement for MHCM:

Applicants to the MHCM program who have questions about the essay requirement may  contact Colin Fleming  at 617-432-7075. This statement should not exceed 1,250 words.

• In one paragraph or less briefly describe the organization where you are employed in terms of its purpose, its services and client population, and its scope of operation (state, county, etc., if relevant). Also provide several relevant measures of its size (e.g., annual budget and revenues; number of employees or full-time equivalents; patients or beds; and number of years in existence if less than five years old).
• In one paragraph describe your role in the organization, including title/position of groups or individuals to whom you report; current responsibilities; number and types of individuals you supervise; size of budget(s) you control; and names of principal committees on which you sit.
• Summarize your career development, describe the broad areas of endeavor in which you have engaged, and distinguish between clinically-oriented activities (e.g., teaching, research, practice) and leadership activities.
• With reference to your present and future responsibilities and development, describe what you are primarily interested in learning as a result of participating in the program. Please note subject areas in which you are well versed and those in which you feel you need improvement.
• Consider a professional project where you were responsible for design and/or implementation, and the project was successful. Describe what you learned from this experience and how it influenced you as a leader.
• Consider a professional project where you were responsible for design and/or implementation, and the project was unsuccessful or not implemented as designed. Describe what you learned from this experience and how it influenced you as a leader.

Advisory Note: We recognize that cultural norms differ from country to country. In order for our applicants to be informed of what is expected, we suggest reading the following text, which is included in our  Student Handbook  in the section on  Academic Integrity . While this text refers to work submitted for courses, it applies to the documentation submitted as part of the application process:

“All work submitted to meet course requirements is expected to be a student’s own work. In the preparation of work submitted to meet course requirements, students should always take great care to distinguish their own ideas and knowledge from information derived from sources. Whenever ideas or facts are derived from a student’s reading and research the sources must be indicated. The term ‘sources’ includes not only published primary and secondary material, but also information and opinions gained directly from other people. The responsibility for using the proper forms of citation lies with the individual student. Quotations must be placed within quotation marks, and the source must be credited. All paraphrased material also must be completely acknowledged.”

We encourage applicants to visit our page on Citation/Attributions .

• FindAMasters
• Public Health Masters Personal Statement Sample

Written by Ben Taylor

This is an example personal statement for a Masters degree application in Public Health. See our guide for advice on writing your own postgraduate personal statement .

Pick the right course for you

There are lots of choices, let us help you to make the right one. Sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest advice and guidance from our team of experts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into sharp relief the disparities between health outcomes on both local and global scales. Far from it being ‘the great leveller’, as some in the government and media were fond of describing the novel coronavirus in the first half of 2020, COVID-19 has disproportionally affected those from marginalised communities.

Seeing the effect of the pandemic on my family and friends has inspired me to apply for a Masters in Public Health (MPH) at your university. I feel deeply passionate about making sure that the next time a pandemic happens, we’ll have a better system in place to deal with the repercussions, learning from the success stories that have emerged over the past few years.

I graduated last year with a first class degree in Biomedical Sciences and have since worked in an editorial role for a major medical science communications publisher, contributing blogs and editing submitted papers before publication. This has given me a fantastic insight into the cutting-edge work that is being done around the world in medicine.

Watching and reading the commendable work of prominent public health practitioners like Devi Sridhar and Jonathan Van-Tam has convinced me of the vital role that clear, honest and expert communicators can play during a pandemic – often stepping up to fill the void left by elected officials.

I believe that your MPH programme will provide me with the skills needed to contribute to society from a public health perspective in the years to come. I’m particularly enthused by the range of modules you offer in epidemiology and infectious disease modelling, as well as the options to specialise in global health.

Outside of my studies and work, I’ve spent the past couple of years volunteering with a local mutual aid group, delivering medicine and essentials for people who are shielding or isolating.

As I’ve already touched upon, there is a clear role that public health professionals can play in influencing the policy of local, national and international organisations. I think that the Masters in Public Health at your institution offers the perfect platform from which to begin impacting policy in a positive sense, providing numerous opportunities to connect with thought leaders.

Find a Masters in Public Health

If you're interested in a studying Public Health, then why don't you check out our regularly updated catalogue of available Public Health Masters courses .

What are my options for studying in Public Health?

Master of public health (professional practice) - mph, university of the west of scotland master's courses in life sciences, governance and leadership in european public health, maastricht university faculty of health, medicine and life sciences, master of public health (global) advanced practitioner, university of huddersfield school of human & health sciences, master of public health, london school of business & finance london school of business and finance online, public health intelligence (msc), university of southampton faculty of medicine, our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice.

Looking for the best universities for Nursing & Health in Canada? Compare ranking tables from top sources here, along with their methodologies.

Looking for the best universities for Nursing & Health in the USA? Compare ranking tables from top sources here, along with their methodologies.

Looking for the best universities for Nursing & Health in the UK? Compare ranking tables from top sources here, along with their methodologies.

Looking for the best universities for Nursing & Health in Ireland? Compare ranking tables from top sources here, along with their methodologies.

Looking for the best universities for Nursing & Health in Australia? Compare ranking tables from top sources here, along with their methodologies.

Looking for the best universities for Nursing & Health in France? Compare ranking tables from top sources here, along with their methodologies.

FindAMasters. Copyright 2005-2024 All rights reserved.

Unknown    ( change )

Have you got time to answer some quick questions about Masters study?

Select your nearest city

• Aberystwyth
• Beaconsfield
• Bishop Burton
• Bournemouth
• Bridlington
• Chatham Maritime
• Cirencester
• East Malling
• Hemel Hempstead
• High Wycombe
• Huddersfield
• Isle of Man
• Jordanstown
• London Central
• London East
• London South
• London West
• Londonderry
• Loughborough
• Middlesbrough
• Milton Keynes
• Musselburgh
• Northampton
• Potters Bar
• Saffron Waldon
• Scarborough
• Southampton
• St Leonards on Sea
• Stoke on Trent
• Wolverhampton

You haven’t completed your profile yet. To get the most out of FindAMasters, finish your profile and receive these benefits:

• Monthly chance to win one of ten £10 Amazon vouchers ; winners will be notified every month.*
• Access to our £6,000 scholarship competition
• Weekly newsletter with funding opportunities, application tips and much more
• Early access to our physical and virtual postgraduate study fairs

Or begin browsing FindAMasters.com

or begin browsing FindAMasters.com

*Offer only available for the duration of your active subscription, and subject to change. You MUST claim your prize within 72 hours, if not we will redraw.

Do you want hassle-free information and advice?

Create your FindAMasters account and sign up to our newsletter:

• Find out about funding opportunities and application tips
• Receive weekly advice, student stories and the latest Masters news
• Hear about our upcoming study fairs
• Save your favourite courses, track enquiries and get personalised subject updates

Create your account

Looking to list your Masters courses? Log in here .

Let us help you find a Masters

Never miss a course

Enter our ambassador competition

Get funding news, tips and advice

Hear about upcoming events

Sign up to our newsletter today

We've been helping students find the right postgraduate course for over a decade.

Login to your account

Enter your username below to login to your account.

Information Request Form

As a part of the SOPHAS application, all applicants will submit the following materials when applying to Rollins. The GRE is not required for admission to most of our academic programs and will not be considered as part of the application for admission. The department of Biostatistics offers a GRE optional policy. Students applying to BIOS can submit a GRE score for consideration. The GRE score must be submitted at the same time as the application for admission. Check here for additional department-specific requirements.

• Transcripts
• Two Evaluations
• Statement & Experience
• Test Scores

You should have official transcripts sent directly to SOPHAS from all of the post-secondary institutions you've attended (regardless of how much time you were enrolled there). SOPHAS will only accept transcripts sent directly from the schools. Please do not mail them yourself!

Official transcripts should include a signature from the dean, registrar, or appropriate authority and/or the university seal and be sent snail mail in a sealed envelope. Faxed or emailed transcripts will not be accepted.

International Transcripts

If you are requesting transcripts from colleges outside of the United States, be sure you complete your application through SOPHAS and request your transcript well in advance of the application deadline. We recommend requesting your transcript at least a month in advance.

We suggest starting your SOPHAS application first, so you will already have your 11-digit SOPHAS ID when ordering your evaluation through the World Education Services (WES).

Order your evaluation with this form.

International transcripts, (including French Canadian transcripts) , must be submitted to WES, which evaluates your academic record, before sending everything forward to SOPHAS. When completing your WES profile, make sure to select the WES international credential package, which includes a course-by-course evaluation. While French Canadian transcripts have to be submitted through WES, English Canadian transcripts can be sent directly to SOPHAS from your post-secondary institution.

If you're still enrolled in a post-secondary program outside of the U.S. at the time of the WES evaluation, you will need to submit a final WES evaluation after you have graduated (proving you earned your degree). This info applies to anyone who has obtained a degree outside of the U.S. So, if you live in the United States now, but received your academic training outside of the country, you will need to adhere to all requirements outlined for international students.

All applicants to Rollins must have (at a minimum) the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor's degree.

Note: The WES requirement does not apply to U.S. students who have enrolled in study-abroad programs. International students, may get more application details here !

• an undergraduate/graduate advisor
• faculty in your major field of study
• a recent employer

Your evaluators will submit your evaluation electronically through SOPHAS. Make sure you're telling your references that you will be listing them on your application. Using the contact info you provide, SOPHAS will then email your references to obtain their recommendations.

Note that while SOPHAS requires at least three evaluations, once two have been received, SOPHAS will automatically submit your application to Rollins for review (if your application and all other admission materials have been completed and verified). Your third evaluation will be forwarded to Rollins upon receipt.

Statement of Purpose and Objectives

The personal statement is intended to give you the opportunity to submit a tailored narrative describing who you are and your academic/professional goals. Write your personal statement focused towards your first-choice degree program. Your personal statement should achieve the following:

• 1,500 Words or less (you may use the space allotted on the SOPHAS application)
• Summarize relevant experience
• Explain what you hope to achieve with your public health degree
• Explain the reason why you would like to attend Rollins School of Public Health

If you are not selected into your first-choice degree program, you may be asked to submit another statement to the second (or third) choice department if the content of the program differs significantly from your first choice. If an additional essay is requested, please email the Rollins School of Public Health Office of Admissions directly and indicate which department the new statement should be sent. Please include your name and Emory ID on the additional essay. 

Your Experience - Research/ Work/ Volunteer

We want to know where you're coming from and what you've done so far in the field of public health.

SOPHAS has a section that lets you fill in details about work, research, honors, awards, and volunteer experience relevant to public health. Use this opportunity to tell us about your achievements. You can put those valuable paid and unpaid internship experiences in here too. We want to hear all about you!

Every school you apply to will be able to see this info.

Other relevant information

In 600 words or less, applicants can use this section of the SOPHAS application to highlight any additional information or relevant skills not expressed elsewhere on the application which may be useful in the evaluation process.

The GRE is not required for admission to most of our academic programs and will not be considered as part of the application for admission. The department of Biostatistics offers a GRE optional policy. Students applying to BIOS can submit a GRE score for consideration. The GRE score must be submitted at the same time as the application for admission.

International applicants are also required to submit TOEFL scores. You can find out about the TOEFL requirement by visiting our International Applicants page.

Rollins Test Codes

• Public Health
• Admissions Requirements

*The Master of Public Health application cycle for Fall 2025 is open on SOPHAS. The final application deadline is July 1, 2025.  The Doctor of Public Health application cycle for Spring 2025 is open on SOPHAS. The final application deadline is October 1, 2024.*

Master of Public Health (MPH)

All applicants seeking admission to the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program must submit all required application materials and meet admissions requirements prior to enrollment in the program.

Admissions Requirements:

• Primary application must be submitted online via SOPHAS ( http://www.sophas.org ). Please note that the MPH Program only enrolls in the Fall semester.
• Overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.85 on a 4.00 scale required for regular admission.
• Completion of an undergraduate (Bachelor’s) degree from a regionally-accredited college or university in the United States or recognized international institution. Official transcripts must be sent directly to SOPHAS from all colleges / universities attended.
• Personal statement: 750 word essay on how the mission of the Mercer MPH program aligns with the applicant’s life, educational, and career goals.
• Three letters of reference are required and must be submitted directly to SOPHAS. One letter must be from a college professor who taught the applicant in class; the remaining two letters may be from another professor, academic advisor or mentor, employer, or community/volunteer service supervisor.
• Official GRE or MCAT scores may be sent directly from ETS to SOPHAS using the institution code 0127 (Mercer University). GRE scores optional, not required.
• International students or domestic students with credentials from institutions outside the United States are required to have those credentials evaluated by a professional evaluation service. Transcripts from colleges and universities outside the U.S. must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES). Please see  www.wes.org/sophas  for instructions.  An official evaluation report must be sent to SOPHAS to be included in the application. Applicants whose native language is not English must also demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in English language as measured by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Until this procedure has been accomplished, an application for admission cannot be considered.
• College-level math course and
• Required Community Service Hours: A minimum of 30 hours as an active participant in a service or community project. Examples of this service/volunteer experience include work in an afterschool program, volunteering with a food bank or shelter, or engaging in community improvement projects (locally, nationally, or internationally). This information should be reported as part of the SOPHAS application.
• Conditional Admissions: Occasionally students may be admitted conditionally with a GPA of less than 2.85. Students admitted under conditional status must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 for the first 9 hours of core curriculum. Students with less than a 2.50 will not be considered for admission. Students who do not maintain a 3.00 during the first 9 hours will be dismissed from the program. Applicants for conditional admissions will be processed after the June 1 admissions deadline.

To request additional information about Mercer’s MPH Program, please click here .

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

• Primary application must be submitted online via SOPHAS ( http://www.sophas.org ). Students should identify  only one  program concentration when applying for the DrPH in SOPHAS:  Social Epidemiology  or  Diverse Populations & Health Equity .  Please note that the DrPH Program only enrolls in the Spring semester.
• A GPA of 3.0 or higher in prior graduate work based on a 4.0 scale is required. Students with a GPA less than 3.0 are not considered for admission.
• Applicants must have one of the following from a CEPH accredited school/program: Master of Public Health degree, an equivalent CEPH-accredited degree with similar core MPH coursework, or a CEPH-accredited terminal degree (doctorate). Official transcripts must be sent directly to SOPHAS from all colleges/universities attended.  A list of CEPH accredited schools/programs can be found here .
• Personal statement: 750-word essay describing how the mission of the DrPH program aligns with the applicant’s life, educational, and career goals.
• An updated resume/CV.
• Three letters of recommendation: One of the three letters must be from either current or previous college professors. The second and third letter may be from a professor, employer, or colleague.  The recommender should provide a brief narrative to support their ratings of the seven elements listed on the application reference form; intellectual ability, interpersonal relations, leadership, oral communication, quantitative ability, written communication and overall public health potential.
• GRE scores are not required. Applicants who desire to submit official scores should use the code Mercer U Pub Hlth SOPHAS (0127).
• Applicants are required to have one year minimum of public health or public health- related practical experience. Practical experience may include internships and fellowships post-master’s level degree, or evidence of scholarly/practical public health involvement during the master’s study if applying upon graduation from a graduate program.
• Qualified/competitive applicants will be invited to participate in a personal interview that will include a writing sample.

To request additional information about Mercer’s DrPH Program, please click here .

• Academic Programs

Master of Public Health

• Admissions & Eligibility

Admissions Timeline

• We offer admission for autumn quarter only.
• Our application opens on September 1 and closes on 11:59 PM (PTD) on December 1.
• Admissions decisions are conveyed in mid-February.
• Admitted students will be invited to Visit Days in early March.
• Admitted students must accept or decline their offer by April 15. 

Back to top

Eligibility Requirements

Earned *bachelor’s degree or higher prior to entering the MPH 

• Hold minimum equivalent of a four-year *baccalaureate degree from a  regionally accredited  college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from an  accredited foreign  institution or a Bologna bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 180 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits.
• Also acceptable: a Master’s degree, a doctoral degree (Ph.D., D.Phil.), or a professional degree (M.D., J.D., D.V.M., etc.) from a  regionally accredited  college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from an  accredited foreign  institution.

*In order to be eligible to apply for autumn quarter, applicants must have earned their bachelor’s degree by the end of the summer before school begins in the Fall. 

Minimum 3.0 GPA in most recent 60 semester or 90 quarter credits​

• Have earned at least a  3.0 grade-point-average  (on a 4 point scale) from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from a foreign institution for the last 90 graded quarter credits or 60 graded semester credits from a baccalaureate degree (for a Master’s, doctoral, or professional degree, the total cumulative average may be used). 
• If you earned additional credits from an accredited institution after your degree, you may include these credits in calculating your GPA. 
• Graduate programs may consider an applicant with a GPA below a 3.0. Graduate programs must submit an admission petition to the Dean of the Graduate School before an offer is made. 

English language proficiency requirements (non-native English speakers) 

• Demonstration of English proficiency is required of all non-native English speakers; see  Memo 8 .  
• Applicants who do not meet the minimum required score will not be considered for admission. We do not offer conditional admission. 
• Admitted students with scores below the Minimum Required Score will be required to take English classes during their graduate studies. Students are required to take a placement test and submit results from one of the   approved tests .   

Understanding the Application Process

• Transcripts  
• C.V or Resume  
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendations  
• SOPHAS Application Materials  
• UW Graduate School Application Materials  
• Proof of English Proficiency (if relevant)

Applicants are required to submit applications through both SOPHAS and the UW Graduate School online application systems. It is strongly recommended that applicants BEGIN with the SOPHAS application followed by the UW Graduate School Application. All are due by 11:59 PM (PTD) on December 1. Below are the differences between the two applications.  

Unique to SOPHAS : All Information and materials reported in the Personal Information, Academic History, Supporting Information, and SOPHAS ID # are shared amongst all SOPHAS applications at the School of Public Health master’s degree programs. 

•  Shared School of Public Health Questions: Statement of Purpose, Personal History Statement, Equity, Justice, And Anti-Racism Statement
•  Specific Global Health Program Questions: Global Health Short Essays, Additional Questions, and Extenuating Circumstances Essay  

Unique to UW Graduate School : Personal Information, Unofficial Transcripts & MyGrad ID # 

SOPHAS APPLICATION

Starting your sophas application.

Begin by creating your SOPHAS application:  https://sophas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login   

• Create a login ID and password. 
• Quadrant 1) Personal Information – Biographic, Contact, Citizenship, etc. 
• Quadrant 2) Academic History – High Schools and Colleges Attended, Transcript Entry. Note: GRE’s are not required nor reviewed but proof of English Proficiency will be required for those applicable to. 
• Quadrant 3) Supporting Information – Letters of recommendations, Experience, Achievements, etc. 
•  To apply for the MPH in Global Health, on the “Add Program” page in the “University of Washington School of Public Health” section, click the “+” icon in the “Add” column type in Global Health . 
• Complete the sections for: Global Health Short Essays, Additional Questions and Extenuating Circumstances Essay (optional) 
• The application fee is $160 for the first program and an additional $60 for each additional program. To request a fee waiver, click your name in the upper right corner of the application, then select Fee Waiver Form. 
• Additional information is available at:  https://help.liaisonedu.com/SOPHAS_Applicant_Help_Center/Starting_Your_SOPHAS_Application/Getting_Started_with_Your_SOPHAS_Application/03_Application_Fees

Further SOPHAS DETAILS: ACADEMIC HISTORY

Transcript and Degree Information 

Applicants will provide information about their high school attendance, college attendance and degrees they’ve earned, and college transcript information. Official transcripts from each collegiate level institution are also required. In the “Transcript Entry” section, applicants are required to enter all coursework as it is listed on their college level transcripts. This process takes a significant amount of time and applicants should plan to enter this information as early as possible. 

Standardized Tests 

Applicants can self-report standardized test information.  The GH-MPH program does not consider GRE scores, so the only relevant section is the TOEFL, IELTS and other testing sources as updated in Memo 8 . 

Further SOPHAS DETAILS: SUPPORTING INFORMATION

Letters of Recommendations  

Enter the names and contact information for three recommenders into SOPHAS. These individuals will be sent an email prompt with instructions for submitting their recommendation online. Please provide a combination of academic and professional letters of recommendation. The most effective and impactful recommendations come from individuals who know you well and who are able to provide insight into your academic competence, ability to engage in graduate study, potential for future success in the field of global health, or work experience and professional demeanor. 

When entering recommender information, it is the applicant’s responsibility to enter a deadline for the recommender . Since recommendations are shared amongst all SOPHAS applications, applicants should base the deadline they set for their recommenders on the earliest deadline of the programs they are applying to. 

Instructions to recommenders: Please comment on applicant’s professionalism, communication skills (both verbal and written), and likeliness to succeed in a graduate program; along with other comments you would like the admissions committee to consider. No specific format is required. 

Upload a PDF of your résumé or curriculum vitae. 

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose is intended to give you the opportunity to describe your education, prior work/volunteer experience, and/or professional career goals. Your statement must address: 

Why you are interested in public health and your career goals.

Your reasons for pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, and why you are interested in attending the University of Washington  School of Public Health . 

The skills you hope to gain by obtaining an MPH.

Maximum word limit: 750 words 

Personal History Statement

The Personal History Statement is meant to give you the opportunity to provide a narrative about your lived experiences, obstacles you may have overcome, and how these have guided you towards public health. This statement should  not  be the same as your Statement of Purpose. 

Your Personal History Statement can include information about who you are as a person; your family or cultural background; socioeconomic conditions; and experiences growing up, including successes, challenges, and moments of learning and growth. This question is not intended to ask you to share personal information you are not comfortable providing. 

Maximum word limit: 500 words

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) are core values of the UW School of Public Health. We are committed to a future that is free of health inequities and promotes the highest level of wellness of the communities we serve. We strive to cultivate a public health workforce that embodies humility, respect, and leadership. We further seek to create a community that is inclusive of underrepresented populations and in service to underserved communities. The School is committed to becoming anti-racist and adopting anti-racism principles in the classroom and in our work. Completion of this MPH application attests that you, as an applicant, are informed of these commitments and expectations of students who attend the UW School of Public Health.

You may review additional details provided on the  Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion web page .

For this section please describe how you might contribute to these efforts, and/or learn and grow in the areas of EDI and anti-racism, during your time at the UW SPH, and in your public health work post-graduation. 

Maximum word limit: 350 

UW GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATION ID

You will be prompted to begin your UW MyGrad Application. Upon creation you will see a 10- digit MyGrad Application ID at the top right-hand side of the page. Copy and paste this number into your SOPHAS application .  

Global Health Short Essays

Our program is fast-paced and rigorous in quantitative and qualitative methods, writing, and critical thinking. Please give an example of how you persevered in an academic or work situation that was similarly challenging for you. 

Work in global health can be complex, involving intersectionality and navigation of dynamics around power, privilege, and positionality. Please describe an example of a health-related issue where you navigated these dynamics and your response to that problem. 

Maximum word limit: 350 words each

Additional Questions

Please select the focus areas (up to three) that align closest to your interest in global health.

Please let us know if you have funding, will be applying for funding, or are seeking funding for this master's degree. 

Please let us know if you are currently in, or applying to, another UW Graduate Program. Examples: applying to MSW, current first year PhD Anthropology student, etc. 

Extenuating Circumstances - Optional

If there are extenuating circumstances, not addressed in other sections of your application, related to your academic transcript, resume, or other facets of your application that you would like the admissions committee to consider, please describe them and focus on how you managed and resolved the issue(s). 

Maximum word limit: 200 words 

UW Graduate School Application

Starting your uw graduate school application.

Begin here:  https://apply.grad.uw.edu/portal/gr_app

Start/or continue by clicking on the “Create a Profile” link or the “Log into your account” link if you already have a profile in the UW Graduate School online application system 

After creating or logging into your profile click “Create a new application”  

On the Program Information Page, choose “Graduate” for question 1 

Search and select Global Health-Masters of Public Health (MPH) for question 2 

Confirm English Language Proficiency Requirement (for non-native English speakers only) 

Complete other applicable prompts including visa status and education level of parents/guardians – if applicable. 

Review requirements and deadlines, and select continue at the bottom of page.   

Complete all requested sections of the application. 

In the Report Prior Schools section, list all schools (colleges, universities and institutions) where you have earned collegiate-level credit. 

Upload unofficial transcripts from all previous colleges and universities 

Enter your English Proficiency Test results from TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo exams.  

Remember: Applicants using TOEFL test scores must submit official scores electronically via ETS, using the University of Washington’s institution code 4854.

Include your  10-digit SOPHAS application number 

Verify your Personal Data (confirm by checking boxes for 1) accuracy statement and 2) release of materials statement.) 

When all application sections are complete, pay the $90 *application fee and submit the application. 

* Eligible applicants may apply for a  fee waiver  (applicants who would attend the UW on an F or J visa are not eligible for a fee waiver) 

TRANSCRIPT INFORMATION

Transcripts

In the "Submit Transcripts" section of the application, upload a transcript for each school listed. Each transcript should be complete, legible and include the following: name of the institution, name of the student, dates of attendance, courses taken, grades/marks/credits earned and be organized by term (quarters, semesters or trimesters). Please observe the following guidelines: 

All transcripts should be submitted through MyGrad. Please do not mail (or email) transcripts to the program.  

The following types of documents can be accepted for the MyGrad application: 

Unofficial transcript from the school, often a PDF. 

Official transcript that the applicant scans and uploads into MyGrad.  

Degree audits cannot be accepted in place of a transcript as they are not a comprehensive summary of the coursework a student has attempted. 

Applicants should not submit transcripts that they have typed out themselves. Any documentation that is submitted should originate from the degree-granting institution. 

Applicants admitted to the program who accept the offer of admission will be required to submit official transcripts from all degree granting institutions to the Graduate School. 

Graduate Enrollment Management Services (GEMS) cannot accept any transcripts mailed or dropped off by a student. Please  schedule an appointment with a GEMS Advisor to discuss next steps if your institution cannot send a transcript directly to GEMS. You are encouraged to visit the  Official Transcript Requirements page .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Special notes & tips.

• "N/A" stands for Not Applicable 
• Military status: International Students: if this is not relevant to you, and you are/were not a member of the United States Military, please leave blank .   
•  This question is not applicable or indicative to what the Global Health MPH program may be able to offer. 
• If you cannot find your High School in the drop down, select "manual input" and type in the school information.  
• As you maneuver through, make sure to receive a green check (it will appear on the right hand side after completing each section). This will indicate that everything had successfully been done.
• If you've added your High School but do not receive a green check, return to the information input page for this section, hit save and continue and it should resolve the problem. 
• After Save and Continue, if the pop up "CONTINUE" does not appear, go to the left hand side and manually move to the next section.  
• After standardized test, the page will not automatically move to the next quadrant. Go back to "My Application" and proceed to Supporting Information.  
• You may or may not add experiences OR chose to upload a document, 
• You may or may not complete the form OR chose to upload a document, 
• Documents: In this area, you may upload your CV/Resume 

Tell Me More...

SOPHAS and UW Graduate School application

• For applicants applying to start an MPH program in autumn 2023, an application must be submitted to both SOPHAS and the UW Graduate School. The Schools of Public Health Application System (SOPHAS) is used by most of the top SPH in the nation, which the UW has now joined. Most application materials will be submitted to SOPHAS. As a public university, however, UW must adhere to state law re: student and applicant records, meaning our Graduate School is also required to have an application for every applicant via our MyGrad application system 
• SOPHAS and MyGrad both require an application fee; applicants must apply to both for their application to be considered. 
• Yes. Applicants can apply to as many MPH programs at UW as they wish. Each program will require its own SOPHAS application, MyGrad application, and all applicable and associated fees. 
• SOPHAS: Please visit the  fee assistance program  website for details. We recommend submitting requests at the earliest possible convenience.
• UW: Please visit the  application fee waiver  website for details. 
• SOPHAS contains four quadrants of questions. The first three quadrants, which include your personal information, academic history, and supporting information, will only be entered once, with the information submitted to every school/program an applicant chooses to apply to. The fourth quadrant is specific to each university. At UW, there will be a series of questions for all UW MPH applicants to answer. In addition, the specific program to which you are applying will have questions for you to answer. 
• Most application materials, information, and questions will be completed in SOPHAS. The University of Washington Graduate School application (MyGrad) is comprised only of information the UW is required by state law to collect. 
• Additionally, non-native English speakers will be asked how they will fulfill the English proficiency requirements and will need to submit documentation to MyGrad. Review  UW Graduate School Memo 8  for additional information. Note: minimum requirements for individual programs may be higher than what is required by the UW Graduate School. 
• The Personal History Statement focuses on who you are as an individual and how experiences in your life have led you to pursue a Master in Public Health. The Statement of Purpose aims to understand your professional and academic background and why you wish to attend UW. 

The MPH Program 

• Autumn 2023 is expected to be taught fully in person. Although some classes in and outside of the Department may have online options, it is not standard. Please anticipate attending an in residency (in person/on campus) day program. 

Writing the Personal Statement

The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories: 

The general, comprehensive personal statement:  This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms. 

• The response to very specific questions: Often, business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions. 

What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story? 

What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants? 

When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained? 

How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field? 

If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth? 

What are your career goals? 

Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)? 

Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life? 

What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics? 

What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess? 

Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants? 

What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you? 

If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar. 

Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked. 

• Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your story, you will make yourself memorable.
• Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of a specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should emerge as the logical conclusion to your story.
• If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital.
• The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement.
• The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you'll have to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of your judgement.
• There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political issues).
• If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might be a factor to mention.
• Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say that good written skills are command of correct use of language are important to them as they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word limits.
• A medical school applicant who writes that they are good at science and want to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.

Global footer

• ©2024 University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Site policies
• Non-discrimination notice
• Accessibility
• Terms of use

• Current Students

On-Campus Graduate Program Admissions (Non-SOPHAS)

Requirements, dates and deadlines, application instructions, and financial information for non-SOPHAS Programs.

Read this important information first!

All information provided on this page is specific to on-campus graduate programs that do not incorporate SOPHAS in the admissions process.

The information on this page applies to these programs only :

• Biostatistics MA
• Biostatistics PhD
• Environmental Health Sciences PhD
• Epidemiology PhD
• Health Policy PhD
• Infectious Diseases and Immunity PhD

If you see your program on the list above, proceed on the current page. Otherwise, return to the admissions landing page and select the appropriate link to the page for your intended program.

Graduate Admissions Requirements

The School of Public Health’s minimum graduate admission requirements are defined below. More information can be found on the UC Berkeley Graduate Division website :

• A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
• A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum B average (3.0) or equivalent (focused on work completed in the last two years of a bachelor’s degree program and in all post-baccalaureate coursework)Note: If your undergraduate GPA does not meet the minimum, you may still submit an application. Remember to provide evidence of other academic and professional accomplishments to demonstrate your capability to be successful in an academically rigorous environment. Alternative evidence may include courses you have successfully completed as work-related training.
• Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen area of study – see the Individual Program Requirements section below for more information
• Evidence of English Language Proficiency (only for applicants from countries / regions in which the official language is not English)
• Submission of all required application materials.

Application Requirements

• Berkeley Graduate Application and fee ($100 – $155)
• Official Transcripts from each institution you have attended
• 3 Letters of Recommendation

Statement of Purpose

Personal history statement.

• GRE scores if applicable –  view which programs require it here
• Degree Certificates (if your transcript does not contain conferral date)
• Official TOEFL or IELTS test score (test taken after June 1, 2023)

Individual Program Requirements and Qualifications

All applicants to our on-campus graduate degree programs must choose a degree program ; applicants may apply to only one program and should tailor their applications to their program of choice. The coursework, application materials, and amount of work/research experience required by each program varies. Please thoroughly review the webpages for the program you are applying to for more guidance.

Recommendations for Competitive Applicants

• Previous coursework in calculus, linear algebra, and statistics is strongly recommended.
• Common undergraduate majors for admitted applicants: Biomedical and biological sciences, mathematics, statistics.
• Common work experience for admitted applicants: Typical successful applicants have work experience in Research Assistant positions at a health department.

Admissions and Application Requirements

GRE General Test scores are required for admission to the Biostatistics MA program however applicants are exempted from the requirement if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Completed two semesters of calculus for a letter grade and earned a grade of “B” or higher.
• Completed one semester of linear algebra for a letter grade and earned a grade of “B” or higher.
• Completed one semester of statistics for a letter grade and earned a grade of “B” or higher.
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Overall quantitative/math GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• For international students: TOEFL score of 100 or higher OR IELTS score of 7.0 or higher

Berkeley Public Health also exempts applicants who already hold a doctoral level degree from the GRE requirement. There is a program page in the Berkeley Graduate Application where you can indicate you meet the criteria for GRE exemption. Applicants who are exempted from the GRE are not at a disadvantage in the application review process.

• Common undergraduate majors for admitted applicants: Biological sciences, math, statistics
• Common work experience for admitted applicants: Typical admitted applicants have work experience in quantitative analysis in a research setting. Many of them have co-authored articles published in medical or scientific journals. The following is a sample of the job-titles of successful applicants: Research Analyst, Data Director, Biostatistician, Programmer Analyst, Statistical Consultant, Research Assistant.

Admission and Application Requirements

• Master’s degree in Statistics or Biostatistics is required. Applicants who are interested in the PhD but do not have an MA may apply to the Biostatistics MA program.
• Applicants should have completed undergraduate and graduate work in calculus, linear algebra, statistics, and have a strong overall quantitative background.
• GRE Required: Yes (General Test); waived if applicants meet exemption criteria, see program website.
• A master’s degree in epidemiology or a related field is preferable.
• The amount of coursework necessary for each doctoral student in the PhD program varies greatly, depending on previous coursework, experience, and background.
• Successful applicants often have work experience in a public health setting or in epidemiologic research.
• Applicants are welcome to reach out to faculty they are interested in working with to inquire if they are taking on new students.

Submissions of GRE scores are optional but recommended for this program, especially if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application.

• Applicants must hold an MS or MPH in a related field and display a clear research orientation and firm knowledge of research techniques.
• A writing sample (approximately 10 pages is typical) that highlights your writing, research, and analytical skills. The writing sample may be a published paper, a draft research paper (e.g., a preprint), a final paper from a class, a report, a Masters thesis, an undergraduate thesis, etc. Preferred writing samples demonstrate your ability to articulate and support complex ideas, solve technical problems, estimate key parameters from observations, construct and evaluate arguments, and/or sustain a focused and coherent discussion. If there were multiple authors, please describe your specific contributions to the writing and project, either as an added page to the document or upload a note to the “other” documents section.

Submissions of GRE scores are optional but strongly recommended for this program. Especially if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application. If not submitting a score, competitive applicants will need to provide alternative evidence of strong quantitative capability and should speak to their analytical and quantitative preparation for the PhD program in their application based on past coursework (e.g. statistics, microeconomics, math) and/or professional experience.

• A master’s degree is not a requirement for this program, however, entering students should have completed introductory coursework in statistics, microeconomics and epidemiology. Most students admitted do have a master’s degree.
• Students without master’s-level coursework in these areas are required to take relevant courses at UC Berkeley or otherwise demonstrate mastery of these areas.
• Please submit a writing sample and provide a list of publications and/or presentations related to your academic or professional background (include the PubMed ID if applicable). If your work is published as a website or part of it, please provide the URL. Your writing sample can be a written assignment, journal article, report, Op-Ed, commentary, conference abstract, or other publication. Please enter your most recent citation first.
• Common undergraduate majors for admitted applicants: Biology, integrative biology, microbiology, biological sciences, biology and communications
• Common work experience for admitted applicants: Work experience is not required for admission, but relevant Wet lab experience related to infectious diseases, in wet laboratory and/or surveillance work is important for the IDI PhD program. Successful admitted applicants all have strong lab and research experience.
• GRE scores are optional. We recommend submitting a GRE if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application.

The following subjects are normally required as undergraduate preparation for all candidates. Deficiencies must be made up early during the graduate program.

• Biology: General biology lecture and laboratory; genetics; and a basic course(s) in molecular biology.
• Chemistry and biochemistry: Inorganic chemistry; biochemistry; and associated laboratories
• Physics: General physics
• Mathematics: Calculus; one course in probability or statistics.

Graduate Admissions Dates and Deadlines

Students are admitted for the fall term only. We do not accept applications on a rolling basis.

The dates and deadlines for the Summer/Fall 2024 on-campus application cycle are below.

• The UC Berkeley Graduate Application is required for all applicants and will open on September 12 .
• We will not penalize you for submitting your application on the last day of the deadline. However, we highly recommend that you submit your application earlier so you can resolve any technical difficulties and/or correct any errors before our first batch of applications are released for review.
• Applications submitted after December 2  will not be accepted.

Graduate Application Instructions for non-SOPHAS Programs

If you are unsure if your program is SOPHAS or non-SOPHAS, you can find out on the admissions landing page and select the appropriate link for your intended program.

Please read the application instructions below very carefully.

The UC Berkeley Graduate application must be submitted by December 2 at 8:59pm PST to be considered for admission and awards (no separate application process is necessary for award consideration). Late applications will not be accepted.

Complete an online application to the UC Berkeley Graduate Division and submit the following items:

• If you are submitting international records, upload a copy of the degree certificate(s) with corresponding English translations (if applicable)
• See more information about international student transcripts in the “Additional Application Instructions for International Students” section below
• Official TOEFL score sent to UC Berkeley (code 4833), or IELTS score sent electronically to UC Berkeley, if applicable
• Official GRE score sent to UC Berkeley, if applicable (code 4833),
• CV or Resume
• Three Letters of Recommendation from a combination of professional and academic recommenders
• Writing Sample (if applicable)
• Submit by December 2 at 8:59pm PST
• UC Berkeley application fee or fee waiver .

Access the UC Berkeley Graduate Application here .

The cost for the UC Berkeley Graduate Application for U.S. Citizens and current Permanent Residents is $135. The application fee for all other applicants is $155. Payments should be submitted by credit card only.

If you would like to request a fee waiver, you must reach out to the Berkeley Graduate Division. Visit the Berkeley Graduate Application Fee Waiver page for more information.

Information on Supplemental Materials

International Students: Please see more information about international student transcripts in the “Additional Application Instructions for International Students” section below.

How to Submit Transcripts

For application review purposes only, include copies of transcripts for all of the post-secondary institutions you attended, including study abroad institutions in the Berkeley Graduate Application. During the online application process, you will be prompted to upload scanned documents. Uploaded transcripts should be recent and include the following:

• The institution name
• Dates of attendance
• Conferral date if applicable
• Grades/marks received and credits
• If you studied abroad, your study abroad grades must also be listed in the transcript, otherwise you will need to submit a transcript directly from the study abroad institution

Note: Official transcripts will be requested if you are admitted and then decide to attend UC Berkeley

Please do not send any paper transcripts to Berkeley Public Health—any unsolicited materials will be destroyed.

Please read the directions below carefully. Know your program’s requirements!

Please see the GRE Requirement Chart for all programs.

GRE test scores are optional for the Infectious Diseases and Immunity PhD. They are also optional but strongly recommended for the Epidemiology PhD, Environmental Health Sciences PhD, and Health Policy PhD. Biostatistics MA and PhD applicants must submit GRE scores for the upcoming cycle.

Minimum GRE Scores

We do not have a minimum GRE score as we review applications holistically; however, competitive applicants tend to score in the 50th percentile and above. Many program pages include the average GRE scores of admitted students for that specific program.

How to submit scores

• While you can take your exam as late as the date of the deadline, we recommend that you plan to take your exam no later than October to allow time for scores to arrive in time for consideration for fall admission.
• At-home test scores are acceptable.
• All applicants who submit GRE test scores must send official scores through ETS directly to UC Berkeley. Please use code 4833 .
• Scores must be from within 5 years of the test date for them to be considered valid. In order to apply, you must retake the test if your scores are more than five years old.

If the GRE is optional for your program and you choose not to submit scores, we recommend that you highlight your verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing skills that prepare you for the specific program to which you are applying in your application and statement of purpose.

• This can be completed coursework, such as undergraduate or post-baccalaureate math/stats or epi/biostats courses, quantitative research, data analysis, or evaluation experience, verbal/writing strengths such as professional publications and/or presentations, etc.).
• You may also submit a writing sample or other supporting documents.

Berkeley Public Health’s Admissions Committee requires that a minimum of three letters of recommendation be submitted electronically to your UC Berkeley Graduate Application. We recommend that you request that your letter writers use an official letterhead.

Typically, we recommend you have at least one letter of recommendation from an academic and two from individuals who can evaluate your professional experience. However, please thoroughly look at the requirements and qualifications of the program you are applying to for more guidance. Overall, it will be in your best interest to have three individuals who can attest to your academic and/or professional ability to succeed in a public health career.

For academic references, we recommend you ask professors who you think will write the strongest recommendations. A strong quality letter attesting to your ability to succeed in the program will weigh more than a generic letter from a high-ranking professor.

Berkeley Public Health does not accept hard-copy letters sent to our offices.

Requesting Recommendations

In the application’s Recommendations section, enter the contact information for each recommender and send the email requests. (If your recommender does not receive the request, contact [email protected] )

Recommenders will upload letters directly to your application. Please notify your recommenders to look out for the email request with instructions.

You can submit your application before your letters are uploaded. However, we encourage you to follow up with your recommenders to ensure that they submit their letters before the deadline.

Note: The Letterbanc service cannot be used for this program.

Word limit: 1,000 words

Your Statement of Purpose should explain why you are pursuing graduate training in public health. Your essay should also explain your eventual career goals and why you need a degree in your specific program. You can choose to explain why you are pursuing this degree now and why at Berkeley Public Health. If you are applying to a doctoral program, include your proposed research topics. Please be sure to check your program’s page, as some programs have specific questions to answer. If there are no specific program guidelines, please follow the above-mentioned general guidelines.

Here are some best practices from the DREAM Office and the UC Berkeley Graduate Division on how to write the statement of purpose .

Word limit: 500–1,000 words

Your Personal History Statement gives you an opportunity to add some individuality and depth to the information provided in your Statement of Purpose. Your Personal History Statement can include information about who you are as a person, your family background, cultural background, socioeconomic status, educational advantages and/or experiences growing up. It is intended to give you the opportunity to provide a narrative about your diverse personal experiences. It is important to be concise and impactful by focusing on a specific part of your life experience.

You may also use the personal history statement to describe any impacts the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on you, such as your academics, obtaining employment, or pursuing public health experiences. We understand that there may be downstream effects of the pandemic on your ability to meet criteria for admission that is beyond your control. Use this essay to provide context on your other application materials, and elaborate on anything that may be helpful for the admissions committee to be aware of.

Note: Not all schools require a Personal History Statement but we do.

Here are some best practices from the DREAM Office and the UC Berkeley Graduate Division on how to write the personal history statement .

A writing sample that highlights your writing and analytical skills is required. The writing sample may be a final paper from a class, a popular media article, a report, a blog entry, an undergraduate thesis, etc.

The purpose of the writing sample is to demonstrate your preparation for graduate-level coursework and research at Berkeley by sharing an example of your prior work that exhibits your ability to articulate and support complex ideas, solve technical problems, construct and evaluate arguments, and/or sustain a focused and coherent discussion. The writing sample should be your own work; if there were multiple authors, please describe your specific contributions to the writing and project.

Additional Application Instructions for International Students

International applicants should apply early in order to allow sufficient time for financial and visa document preparation.

If you are an international applicant who obtained a bachelor’s degree in the United States or an English-speaking Canadian institution, then you only need to submit the materials described in the previous sections.

If you are an international applicant who obtained a bachelor’s degree from a non-US or non-English-speaking Canadian institution, then please submit the additional materials below.

All applicants who attended college in a country/region in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency via a TOEFL or IELTS score, regardless of whether or not English was the primary language of instruction at your college. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, Israel, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, most European countries, and non-English-speaking countries in Africa.

We recommend that you plan to take any required exams no later than October to allow time for scores to arrive in time for consideration for fall admission.

For Fall 2025, tests taken before June 1, 2023 will not be accepted even if your score was reported to UC Berkeley.

The USMLE and other similar exams are not approved substitutes for the TOEFL.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you:

• Have a basic degree from a recognized institution in a country where the official language is English
• Have completed a basic or advanced degree at an institution, in the United States or a United States institution abroad, where the language of instruction is English and the institution is accredited by one of the United States’ regional accrediting agencies
• Have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with a grade B or better at a regionally accredited* institution within the United States.

If you qualify for an exemption, you must upload an unofficial transcript from the recognized U.S. institution to your Berkeley Graduate Application.

If you are unsure if your country of education qualifies you for a TOEFL exemption, please contact us at [email protected] .

Minimum Scores

• TOEFL: Paper: 570, Internet (iBT): 90

How to submit TOEFL

Official TOEFL test scores administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) must be submitted to UC Berkeley (code 4833). We do not accept MyBest Scores.

How to submit IELTS

Beginning for the Fall 2021 application cycle, we will no longer be accepting paper Test Report Forms. All IELTS scores must be sent electronically from the testing center to UC Berkeley (no institution code is required).

Our address for identification purposes is:

University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Division Sproul Hall Rm 318, MC 5900 Berkeley, CA 94720

Please do not mail any score reports to us.

Graduates of recognized academic institutions outside the United States should hold a degree equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Equivalency is determined by International Evaluators in the Graduate Admissions Office. If you are unsure if your degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree, you can email us at [email protected] .

Submitting Transcripts to Berkeley Graduate Application

Please upload copies of unofficial or official foreign transcripts and degrees to the UC Berkeley Graduate application. Academic records should:

• Be issued in the original language and accompanied by English translations if required (usually prepared by your university or Ministry of Education, unless the institution issues original documents in English)
• English translations are required for all languages except Spanish; degree names and grades should be transliterated, not converted into English words or the U.S. grades of A–F.
• If your home institution does not issue documents in English, you may submit translations prepared by certified translators for the American Translators Association.
• In general, be issued by the school and include the school’s stamp or embossed seal and the signature of the authorizing official. For more detailed information on acceptable documents, please contact us at [email protected].
• If your academic records do not include official evidence of the award of your degree, you must also submit additional documents that verify the degree conferral, such as a degree certificate.

Official transcripts or academic records for all university-level studies you have completed, at U.S. institutions and abroad will be required if admitted .

Fees and Financial Aid

A degree in public health is an investment in your future. At Berkeley Public Health, we understand the important role funding opportunities play in the decision to pursue your degree.

For information about Berkeley Public Health’s tuition and fees, as well as residency requirements, please visit the tuition, fees and residency section of UC Berkeley’s Office of the Registrar website . Please note that all costs are subject to change.

Tuition, fees, and charges are included on the UC Berkeley’s Office of the Registrar’s website along with more details about fee definitions. To view fee rates, please scroll down to the tab labeled “Graduate: Academic” if you are an MA, MS, or PhD student, and “Graduate: Professional-School of Public Health” if you are an MPH or DrPH student. If you enroll in an MPH or DrPH program, you are required to pay professional degree supplemental tuition each semester. The total cost of your degree is based on the length of your program.

Tuition, fees, and charges are subject to change by the Regents of the University of California and could be affected by State funding reductions. Accordingly, they may differ from the amounts shown.

Your cost of attendance budget is the estimated average cost of completing an academic year at UC Berkeley. This estimate includes the cost of tuition and fees, room and board, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.

Your budget also serves as a limit for the amount of grants, scholarships, fee remission, loans, and other forms of aid that can be offered to you. You may find the graduate student budget on UC Berkeley’s Financial Aid and Scholarships website .

Each academic year, fellowships and scholarships are awarded to eligible students by Berkeley Public Health. Awards are given out by nomination only by each program’s respective admissions committee. There is no separate application process for these awards beyond completing the SOPHAS or UC Berkeley application by the priority deadline.

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships provide funding to students to encourage the study of critical and less commonly taught foreign languages in combination with area studies, international studies or international aspects of professional studies.

In order for incoming students to be considered for this award, the FLAS portion of their admissions application must be completed and include a ­­statement of purpose indicating the relevance the study of the language has to the preparation of their academic program, chosen career and/or future goals.

APHA KP Community Health Scholarship

The APHA Kaiser Permanente Community Health Scholarship supports students who intend on pursuing an MPH or DrPH/PhD. This scholarship is part of the APHA KP Community Health Leadership Program . Apply directly here .

• MPH Scholarship: Awardees receive a $15,000 tuition award each year over the course of two years of full-time study.
• DrPH/PhD Scholarship: Awardees receive a $20,000 tuition award per year for three years. In the third and final year, the award can be given as a stipend or as a combination of stipend/tuition.
• Be applying for a full-time MPH or a DrPH/PhD in public health at one of our partner universities (see below) for the upcoming academic year. Students do not need to be admitted by the scholarship deadline.
• Be U.S. citizens or hold a permanent residence visa (Green Card) in the U.S.

PhD candidates typically receive funding through a variety of sources such as soft-money grants, Graduate Division Fellowships , and fee remission from working as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) or teaching as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI).

PhD programs are fully funded for up to 5 years. Full funding includes regular tuition, fees, SHIP, and a salary or stipend if you are in good academic standing. Please note that our funding packages do not include housing offers. Reach out to your program of interest for more details.

PhD candidates may also be AB 540 eligible for tuition purposes. Please see the University of California’s website for more information.

DrPH candidates are funded by departmental funding and are also eligible for fee remission from working as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) or teaching as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI). However, they are not guaranteed funding for the duration of their program or offered a living stipend as a part of their funding package.

Students enrolled in Master’s programs typically fund their education with a combination of student loans, GSI/GSR appointments, extramural scholarships and work-study opportunities.

AB540/DACA postgraduate program students are eligible for UC Berkeley and departmental funding.

Graduate students may apply for need-based loans and work-study through the UC Berkeley Financial Aid Office . The programs are based on demonstrated financial need and require a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Questions about Financial Aid programs may be directed to Cal Student Central . In addition, please visit the UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships website for more information. Only U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens (those holding permanent resident cards) may apply for funds administered by the UC Berkeley Financial Aid Office.

UC’s Native American Opportunity Plan ensures that in-state systemwide Tuition and Student Services Fees are fully covered for California students who are also enrolled in federally recognized Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native tribes. This plan applies to undergraduate and graduate students.

To learn more about the eligibility requirements visit the Native American Opportunity Plan website .

Financial aid awards from the UC Berkeley International Office consist of individual grants applied directly to tuition and fees via the UC Berkeley student records system. Award amounts vary depending on the number of applicants and levels of need per semester. Grants do not need to be repaid.

International students are eligible for a number of departmental awards. There is no separate application process for these awards beyond completing the fellowships portion of the SOPHAS or UC Berkeley application.Students who are married and/or have children living with them in the Bay Area may also apply for the Supplemental Family Grant. A family grant can be applied directly to tuition and fees or can be disbursed in the form of a taxable stipend. Award amounts vary depending on the number of applicants and level of need. Family grants do not need to be repaid. See a complete list of financial aid options on the UC Berkeley International Office website .

The University of California offers a variety of services and resources for student families. Visit the UC Berkeley Graduate Division website to learn more about campus resources that aid student families in the search for affordable housing, child care, health insurance and more.

UC Berkeley Veteran Services offers information related to the types of benefits, certification of benefits, contact information for dedicated support, and campus resources for students who have served in the military.

Eligibility for veteran’s educational benefits is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), not by UC Berkeley. For more information on eligibility and to apply visit the VA’s “How to apply for the GI Bill and related benefits” page .

After you apply for benefits through the VA, please provide the following documentation to the Veterans Benefits Office at the Office of the Registrar .

Please visit the Cal Veteran Services Center website for more information.

In addition to Student Family Assistance, the UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships Office offers a variety of services and resources for student parents, disabled students, nonresidents of California and veterans.

Another resource is the ASUC Student Advocate’s Office , a student-run office that provides free and confidential advice and representation to students who experience issues or conflicts with the university. This office also offers support in completing an appeals process.

For information about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website .

Students are also encouraged to independently seek funding from external sources. A number of scholarship search resources are available online, including:

• Berkeley Financial Aid & Scholarship search
• Basic Needs Center
• UC Berkeley Graduate Division’s Graduate Fellowships and Awards
• Cal Veterans Services Center
• Undocumented Student Program
• Berkeley International Office
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
• Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)
• BestColleges.com Financial Aid Resources
• Fastweb.com

University of Washington

Health Systems and Population Health

School of public health.

• Admissions: Community-Oriented Public Health Practice MPH
• Academic Experience
• Academic Programs
• Community-Oriented Public Health Practice Master of Public Health

This Master of Public Health program prepares students for fulfilling careers as leaders in the field of community health through a problem-based learning approach . COPHP is one of three MPH degree programs offered by the UW Department of Health Systems and Population Health (HSPop).

Autumn 2025 Application Timeline

Application Opens: September 1, 2024 Application Deadline: January 15, 2025 Applicants Notified: Mid-February 2025

Application Steps

All applicants must apply through both SOPHAS and the UW Graduate School to be considered for entry. We recommend beginning the application process early to ensure all requirements are completed on time.

Step One: Research the Program

Understand the program and problem-based learning.

Learn as much as you can about our focus, format, and program expectations to consider if the program is right for you.

Applicants must understand the COPHP MPH problem-based learning approach and highly interactive classes. All applicants are expected to demonstrate their understanding of the program’s unique structure and curriculum in their application.

Meet Eligibility Criteria

Minimum Eligibility Criteria

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, or its equivalent from an institution outside of the U.S.
• A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the last graded 60 semester credits or 90 graded quarter credits
• Demonstrated English language proficiency for applicants whose first language is not English

Two years of full-time work or substantial volunteer experience in public health is strongly recommended. The COPHP MPH recognizes unpaid work, including volunteering and internships, as valuable opportunities to inform your understanding and experience in public health. Additionally, the program appreciates that lived experience can be a contributing element to your understanding of public health systems and readiness for graduate school.

Current Bachelor Student Criteria

The COPHP MPH program team considers applications from students who are still enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program if they meet one of the following criteria:

• A nontraditional path to college or graduate school, with full-time work experience in public health
• Exceptional academic performance with significant public health experience during undergraduate training

International and/or Undocumented Applicants

We welcome international and/or undocumented applicants. Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency .

You are considered an international applicant if you are not a U.S. citizen, immigrant (documented or undocumented), or permanent resident. International applicants include students who hold U.S. visas, such as F-1, J-1 Exchange Visitors, H-1, dependent visas, or any other nonimmigrant classifications.

International students must have a visa status that allows for academic study at the University of Washington. If you are admitted to the COPHP program and plan to attend on an F-1 or J-1 visa, you must study full time — at least 10 credits per quarter — to maintain your visa status.

Please note that international students should be prepared to cover all educational costs, as most financial aid programs will not be available.

Understand Concurrent Degree Options

Concurrent degree options are available for COPHP MPH students with the following UW degrees ONLY:

• Master of Social Work (MSW) from UW School of Social Work
• Master of Urban Planning (MUP) from UW College of Built Environments

Other Concurrent Degrees: If you are interested in pursuing a different concurrent degree, we strongly encourage you to reach out to us ([email protected]) to discuss course plans, fee structures, and degree timelines.

As of the 2023 admissions cycle, COPHP is no longer extending invitations to clinical-track MSW students due to new UW Graduate School policies and competing course planning that prevents completion of both degrees in three years.

Attend an Information Session

We highly recommend that prospective applicants attend one of our monthly information sessions on Zoom to learn about the program’s problem-based learning format, curriculum, admissions, career outlook, and more.

Contact Us or Submit an Interest Form

If you still have questions about the COPHP, fill out an interest form or email us ([email protected]).

Step Two: Prepare to Apply

Draft written materials, obtain unofficial transcripts, designate people to write letters of recommendation, and apply early for fee waivers.

General Application Materials

Transcripts – unofficial and official.

Application: SOPHAS and UW Graduate School

Unofficial transcripts are needed for the UW Graduate School, and official transcripts are needed for SOPHAS. You may omit transcripts that are redundant or irrelevant to this degree, such as minor transcripts for coursework that is irrelevant to the program.

Obtain unofficial transcripts from each college or university where you earned a degree or completed relevant coursework. Download unofficial transcripts or scan printed copies. UW will request official transcripts when an offer of admission is made (international applicants) or accepted (domestic applicants).

For SOPHAS applications, you will need to order official transcripts from each collegiate level institution attended. Details can be found on the SOPHAS website.

List of Coursework (Transcript Entry)

Application: SOPHAS

The SOPHAS application requires applicants both to order official transcripts AND manually enter all coursework exactly as it is listed on official college level transcripts. This process takes a significant amount of time, and we recommend entering this information as early as possible.

GRE Scores (optional)

The GRE is no longer required! However, if applicants think their GRE scores are a better representation of academic preparedness for the program than their transcripts, they may include their GRE scores.

If applicants choose to submit GRE scores, they must self-report them in the online application with SOPHAS AND have scores sent directly to SOPHAS from the Educational Testing Service using the institutional code below. Scores from the testing services must arrive by the application deadline to be considered.

UW Institution Code with SOPHAS: 4943

Proof of English Language Proficiency (select students)

Applicants whose first language is not English might need to share proof of English language proficiency. Only scores less than two years old at the time of the application deadline will be accepted.

Test scores must be sent directly to the UW by the Educational Testing Service using the UW institution code.

UW Institution Code: 4854

Letters of Recommendation

Number Needed: 3

Identify three people who will write letters of recommendation, such as academic advisors, professors, supervisors, or mentors. Recommenders should be familiar with your academic goals and potential for achieving those goals. These letters should address the general topic of your suitability for the program and should mention how recommenders know you and for how long.

Requests for the letters will be sent out via SOPHAS. You will need to provide names, emails, due date, and 500-word personal message to the recommenders. The recommenders will receive an email that directs them to a secure website where they will submit their letters.

You will be able to return to the online application to check whether letters have been submitted. You are expected to be in contact with each recommender to make sure that the letters are submitted by the application deadline (noted at the top of this page).

Please note: These letters are used for all programs you apply to through the online SOPHAS application. If the programs you are applying to include the UW Community-Oriented Public Health Practice Master of Public Health (COPHP MPH) program, one recommender must be an academic reference who can specifically speak to your readiness for graduate school.

Update Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Make sure your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) are up to date and inclusive of any public health experience you might have, such as conference presentations, publications, mentoring, volunteering, and other unpaid experience.

Application Fees and Waivers

SOPHAS Fee: $145 for the first program, $55 for each additional program

• Visit the SOPHAS website for their full fee waiver policy
• SOPHAS has previously run out of waivers on our application deadline and several otherwise qualified applicants couldn’t access them. So, request these early!

UW Graduate School Fee: $90

• Determine your eligibility for the UW Grad School application fee waiver first. Only request a waiver from HSPop if you do not qualify for the Grad School fee waiver.

Request a waiver prior to submitting your application, and at least seven days before the application deadline. The fee cannot be reimbursed! 

• UW Grad School | Fee Waivers  
• Dept. of HSPop | Fee Waivers  

If you requested an application fee waiver, DO NOT submit your application until you receive approval or denial for the fee w

Application IDs

To be considered for admission, you must complete both the UW Graduate School application and the SOPHAS application.

Both application portals provide the following:

• Unique application ID numbers for every program you apply to
• Add SOPHAS application ID to UW Graduate School application
• Add UW Graduate School application ID to SOPHAS application

You may do this in either order, although you will not be able to complete either application until the two are linked.

Essay Prompts Required by the UW School of Public Health

These essays will be viewed by all UW MPH programs that you apply to.

• Personal History Statement

Limit: 500 words max

The Personal History Statement is meant to give you the opportunity to offer a narrative of your lived experiences, and obstacles you may have overcome and how these have guided you towards an interest in public health. This statement should not be the same as your Statement of Purpose.

Your Personal History Statement can include information about who you are as a person; your family or cultural background; your socioeconomic conditions; and your experiences growing up, including successes, challenges, and moments of learning and growth.

Please do not feel compelled to provide personal information you would rather not share.

Write an Equity, Diversity, and Anti-Racism Statement

Limit: 350 words max

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) are core values of the School of Public Health. We seek to create a community of students inclusive of and in service to underrepresented populations.

The School is committed to anti-racism and strives to adopt anti-racist principles both in the classroom and in our work. How would you contribute to these efforts while in the program and in the future as a working professional?

Please review the UW School of Public Health EDI Statement for more information.

Essay Prompts Unique to the COPHP MPH Program

• Statement of Purpose

Limit: 2500 characters max

Your Statement of Purpose is intended to give you the opportunity to describe your education, prior work/volunteer experience, and/or professional career goals.

Your statement needs to include:

• Why you are interested in public health
• Experience you bring with you to the program
• Your reasons for pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, and why you are interested in attending the University of Washington School of Public Health
• How the unique approach of the COPHP program complements your field of focus, career path and/or learning styles
• Your career goals
• Public Health Problem Statement

Describe one public health problem you are passionate about and describe how you would like to contribute to its solution as a graduate of the COPHP graduate program.

Please treat this as a formal opportunity to demonstrate your ability to research, write persuasively and concisely, at a level required for graduate coursework.

Academic Performance and Background (optional)

Limit: 1000 characters max

Is there anything in your transcript (GPA below 3.0 or failed courses) or resume for which you would like to provide additional context? If you had a non-traditional path to college or graduate school, please speak to your preparation for COPHP.

• Concurrent Degree (optional)

Limit: 100 characters max

Will you be pursuing the COPHP Master of Public Health degree concurrently with a Master of Urban Planning or Master of Social Work? If yes, please indicate: the degree (MUP or MSW) and your current status with respect to that program (enrolled or applied).

Please note, this question is only for those pursuing MSW and MUP degrees, not certificates.

COPHP only accepts concurrent degrees with MUP and MSW. Those interested in pursuing concurrent degrees are strongly encouraged to reach out to the program to discuss course plans, fee structures, and degree timelines.

• HSEED Award (optional)

The UW Department of Health Systems and Population Health (HSPop) is committed to increasing the number of health professionals from diverse communities in the field of public health. The Health Systems Excellence, Equity, and Distinction (HSEED) Award provides up to $5,000 tuition support to outstanding students from each of our academic programs.

Award recipients are notified before autumn quarter begins.

Please review this website to determine your eligibility for the HSEED award and select if you would like to be considered.

• Sigolène Ortega Fund for Social Justice in Public Health Award (optional)

The Sigolène Ortega Fund for Social Justice in Public Health offers a minimum of $500 to an incoming student (or two) to cover the costs of the application, tuition deposit, relocation costs and/or rent.

Award recipients will be notified prior to start of program.

Please review the eligibility criteria and select if you would like to be considered for the Sigoléne Ortega Fund for Social Justice in Public Health Award.

Criteria for Selecting Awardee(s)

• An admitted COPHP applicant who enrolls in 10 credits each quarter they are offered funding
• A student whose admission helps to diversify the COPHP student body to better reflect the communities served by a social justice-oriented public health workforce
• Leadership potential to serve underserved communities in the field of public health

Step Three: Apply Online

You will need to complete applications through both SOPHAS and the UW Graduate School. Please use the same name and email address on both application portals.

We recommend starting with SOPHAS, but you can begin on either portal. As you proceed through the SOPHAS application, you will also be instructed to complete the UW Graduate School online application. This is a dual process and you will not be able to submit either application until the two are linked.

Review the UW School of Public Health Application FAQs for more details about this requirement.

SOPHAS Application

SOPHAS Overview: Information and materials reported in the following sections are shared among all SOPHAS applications — Personal Information, Academic History, Supporting Information, and Evaluations.

Unlike other quadrants, the Program Materials section is unique to each program you apply to.

SOPHAS Application Sections and Materials

• Profile and demographic information
• Enter high schools and colleges attended
• Order official transcripts
• Transcript Entry : Manually enter coursework exactly as listed on transcripts; bypass information below .
• GRE (optional)
• English Language Proficiency Score (if required)
• Letters of recommendation  
• Resume or CV
• On the ‘Add Programs’ page, locate the section titled “University of Washington School of Public Health”
• Click the + icon (left column) that corresponds with the Health Services Community-Oriented Public Health Practice
• Click ‘My Application’ (top left)
• UW Graduate School application ID number
• Equity, Diversity, and Anti-Racism Statement
• Academic Performance and Background
• Unofficial Transcripts (PDFs): This is only for applicants who are ONLY applying for the Health Services MPH, Community-Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP) MPH, or Online MPH program who want to bypass manually entering all their coursework. Do NOT bypass manually entering all coursework if applying to ANY OTHER programs. See details below .
• Requesting a waiver must be done BEFORE submitting an application. A limited number of fee waivers are provided to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Final Step: Submit the application

UW Application

Create an account with or sign into the UW Graduate School application system and follow the prompts for new or returning applicants.

UW Graduate School Application Sections and Materials

• Profile 
• Select your program: Health Services (MPH – Community Oriented Public Health Practice)
• Review requirements and deadlines 
• Report prior schools attended 
• Upload unofficial transcripts (PDF)  
• Enter SOPHAS application number  
• Verify personal data 
• Requesting a waiver must be done BEFORE submitting an application AND at least seven days BEFORE the application deadline.
• Final Step: Submit the application 

SOPHAS Manual Transcript Entry Bypass

PLEASE NOTE: The SOPHAS application requires you to both order official transcripts AND manually enter all coursework exactly as it is listed on official college level transcripts. This process takes a significant amount of time, and you should plan to enter this information as early as possible.

We understand the accessibility issues posed by the requirement to manually enter all course work in addition to providing official transcripts. Because of this, we have provided a bypass option for select situations.

You can only use the bypass option if you are applying to the following programs:

• Community-Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP) MPH
• Health Systems and Population Health MPH

DO NOT use the bypass option if applying to other programs in the department, UW School of Public Health, or other universities.

Bypass for Manual Transcript Entry

You are eligible to bypass the manual entry, IF you are applying to any of the programs listed above in the UW Department of Health Systems and Population Health (HSPop) AND no other programs.

How to Bypass: You can manually add only one course to the transcript entry section and upload unofficial transcripts later in the application (in the Documents section under the Program Materials section).

When using the bypass option, someone from SOPHAS might contact you about your manual transcript entry being incomplete.

Writing Guide

Writing serves as a useful skill for anyone in the field of public health — students and professionals alike. Public health students must enroll in writing-intensive courses that require essays and research papers. Once students graduate, they put their skills to use writing reports on community health. They may compose presentations, research studies, or press releases, depending on their jobs. Those who stay in academia continue to write research papers throughout their careers.

Students should begin cultivating a clear and concise writing style long before they graduate.

They should also learn how to use standardized citations. Understanding how to properly cite sources will help students as they conduct research and publish their findings. Citations also help students and researchers avoid plagiarism.

This guide explains how to write a public health report, a research paper, and an exam essay. The page also advises students on how to conduct research online and find trustworthy sources. Students can review citation style guides and public health writing samples.

Featured Online Programs

Types of writing public health students will do in school, personal statements.

When applying to a public health program, schools often require students to submit personal statements. Schools may either ask students to write a general personal essay answer a certain prompt. Usually, prompts center around applicants’ interest in public health or about the public health field in general. Students might come across a prompt similar to this one: “Identify a public health issue in the U.S., and how you would work to rectify it as a public health professional.” Alternately, students may encounter this common topic: “What drove you to pursue a career in public health?”

Schools look for essays that are honest, well-written, and well-organized. Students should get the reader’s attention with an anecdote illustrating their commitment to public health. Was it an experience with adversity or discrimination that prompted you to pursue this career? Did you learn about the importance of public health while volunteering or traveling? Include those details in the story.

Students should also demonstrate their current knowledge of public health. They may write about their career goals as well. However, students should avoid writing exaggerations, falsehoods, or superlatives. People who read admissions essays can typically sense when applicants are stretching the truth. If the school makes the personal statement optional, students should still consider writing one. A personal statement demonstrates commitment and hard work, and may help make up for flawed or weak admissions materials.

In some public health courses, professors require students to answer essay questions during exams. This can be intimidating since students do not usually know the prompt until they actually start the exam. Students have a limited amount of time to write the essay, typically one or two hours. Students should allot their time accordingly. Some students do not plan their work before they begin writing; this can lead to sloppy essays with weak supporting points, disorganized information, and tangents unrelated to the prompt.

For a 60-minute time frame, students may give themselves 10 minutes to brainstorm, plan, and outline.

During the brainstorming process, students should write their thesis statement.

Then they should jot down three points that support the thesis. These ideas will serve as the three body paragraphs. Students may give themselves five minutes to write the introduction, 30 minutes to write the body, and then five minutes to write the conclusion. They then have 10 minutes to proofread. Students often inadvertently miss this step, but proofreading may make or break the essay.

Students should begin planning long before the day of the essay. Students ought to review the material well enough to be prepared for any prompt. They should carefully look over their lecture notes to determine which points the professor emphasized during classes. These points will likely prove significant when it comes time for the exam. Students should also make sure that they actually answer the prompt instead of rushing and jumping to assumptions.

Research Papers

In a research paper, students examine the existing research, theories, case studies, and ideas about a particular topic. Students have several weeks to write research papers, which may seem like a huge amount of time. However, research papers demand a lot of work, so students should start early. Professors rarely assign strict, narrow prompts for research papers. Instead, they usually give students a topic or range of topics, and students choose their focus. Public health topics may include how poverty or race affects access to healthcare; opioid abuse; the social consequences of HIV/AIDS; childhood obesity; or maternal mortality in third world countries.

Students should start by brainstorming a list of points and ideas they will investigate. Then comes the most time-intensive and significant part of a research paper: the research itself. Students ought to use multiple different resources to help them craft their arguments. Options include online databases, academic journals, and their college library. Make sure you keep track of citations and sources as you go.

Students should also make sure their essays are well-structured. A well-written thesis unites the main points of the paper. Unlike essays, research papers usually include more than five paragraphs. Students may break down their arguments into different sections. A research paper must include a works cited or bibliography that credits all sources. The exact length of the paper and number of sources depends on the professor’s expectations.

Over the course of their academic careers, public health students write many kinds of essays. Professors often assign persuasive essays, in which the student must make a convincing argument; expository essays, in which the student explores and explains an idea; narrative essays, in which the student tells a story; comparative essays, in which the students analyzes two different viewpoints; and cause and effect essays, in which the student must explain the logic behind why certain events or phenomena occur.

• Narrative: In a narrative essay, the author tells a meaningful story. Studying public health, you probably won’t write many narratives. However, narrative essays can support an argument or prove a point. For instance, if you argue that every community should have a free clinic, you might tell a personal story about your experience growing up in a low-income neighborhood with no access to healthcare. Make sure your essay demonstrates a clear plot, follows an organized structure, and includes many details.
• Expository: When professors assign expository essays, they expect students to explain or describe a concept. These essays help professors evaluate whether students have a firm grasp on a topic. Expository essay often include five paragraphs: an introduction with a thesis statement, three main points backing that thesis statement, and a conclusion. Students should do plenty of planning and research before writing to ensure they adequately address the prompt and include enough evidence.
• Persuasive: Persuasive essays appear commonly in academic assignments. Students first develop an argument as a thesis statement. Then, they generate a cogent defense of that argument by researching supporting evidence. Students should be able to anticipate arguments against their thesis statement and include counterpoints. In persuasive essays, students not only demonstrate their knowledge of the course material, but also prove their critical thinking skills by developing their case.
• Comparative: A comparative essay requires students to compare and contrast two ideas, viewpoints, or things. For example, public health students may compare two texts, theories, public health systems, or positions on an issue. First of all, students should create a list of similarities and differences between the two items. After that, they can develop a thesis statement on whether the similarities outweigh the differences or vice versa. Finally, they should organize the essay. They can either defend their thesis statement by listing each point of comparison, or they can split the essay in half by discussing subject one and then subject two.
• Cause and Effect: These essays require students to explain how one event or theory leads to a specific consequence. For instance, a public health student might argue that abstinence-only education in public schools leads to a higher rate of teenage pregnancies. Students should remember that just because one event follows another, those two events do not necessarily influence one another. In other words, correlation does not equal causation. In the analysis portion of the essay, students must explain specific reasons why they think the two events are connected using data and other evidence.

Citations Guide for Public Health Students

In public health writing, just as any other discipline, students must cite their sources. If students use ideas, theories, or research without crediting the original source — even unintentionally — then they have plagiarised. An accusation of plagiarism could follow the student throughout their education and professional career. Professors may fail students who plagiarise, sinking their GPA. Plagiarism accusations can also ruin a student’s credibility. Fortunately, students can avoid plagiarism by properly giving credit for their data and ideas. Common citation styles include those listed below.

American Psychological Association (APA) Style

Students in the social sciences use APA style when writing their essays and research papers. Business and nursing students also commonly use APA style. APA prefers active voice over passive voice, as well as concise language over flowery words. Research papers written in APA style should include a title page, abstract, and a reference page. In-text citations list the author’s name, year of publication, and page number if applicable. Below is an example of how to cite a source using APA style.

In-text citation:

In Milwaukee, poor neighbourhoods were segregated by design (Desmond, 2017, p. 249).

On the works cited page:

Desmond, M. (2017). Evicted: Poverty and profit in the American city . London: Penguin Books.

Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)

History students and students of the natural sciences typically use Chicago, or Turabian, style in their research. Papers written in Chicago style include three sections: the title page, the main body, and a references page. This style also uses footnotes to source information and provide more context. In-text citations list the author’s name, the date of publication, and the page where the student found the data. Unlike APA style, though, the in-text citation does not use a “p.” before the page number. See the example below:

In Milwaukee, poor neighbourhoods were segregated by design (Desmond 2017, 249).

Desmond, Matthew. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City . London: Penguin Books, 2017.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Format

Students of the humanities — including literature, foreign languages, and cultural studies — use MLA style in their research papers. Unlike APA and Chicago style, MLA style does not require students to add a title page. MLA papers also do not include an abstract. Students only need to include the paper itself and a works cited page that corresponds with in-text citations. When adding citations in the body of the text, MLA includes the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses. This style does not list the publication year. You can find an example of MLA citation below:

In Milwaukee, poor neighbourhoods were segregated by design (Desmond 249).

Associated Press (AP) Style

Journalists use Associated Press, or AP style, in their work. AP style standardizes grammar and spelling usage across news media and mass communications. Students rarely use AP style, unless they are writing an article in their subject area for a newspaper or magazine. AP style prioritizes brevity and conciseness above all else. Therefore, it includes several rules that differ from other writing styles. For instance, AP style eliminates the last comma in a list of items (for example: “She dressed in capris, a tank top and sandals”). Since students and professors do not use AP style for academic papers, AP style does not include a reference page like other style guides. Instead, AP style simply uses non-parenthetical in-text citations.

“People who live in low-income communities lack opportunities to exercise,” said Lydia Homerton, professor of public health at Hero College.

The Best Writing Style for Public Health Majors

Professionals in the public health field use APA, the most common style in the social sciences. Professors expect students to use APA style as well. Public health research follows a standardized system of citing sources, making it easier for students and professionals in the field to conduct further research. Students should add a title page and abstract before the essay, as well as a list of references in the back.

Common Writing Mistakes Students Make

Active vs. passive voice.

When writing essays and research papers, students should use active voice and avoid passive voice. Learning the difference between passive and active constructions can be tricky. First of all, students should be able to identify the subject in a sentence. The subject is the noun performing an action. Take this sentence: “The woman catches the keys.” In this case, the woman is the subject of the sentence because she is the one performing the action, catching. The sentence “The woman catches the keys” is active because it focuses on the subject and the action. You can identify an active sentence by checking if the first noun is a subject performing an action.

By contrast, examine this sentence: “The keys were caught by the woman.” The first noun, “keys,” is not performing an action. Instead, it is being acted upon. The subject performing the action — the woman — is at the end of the sentence and not the beginning. This sentence uses passive voice instead of active voice. Some passive sentences do not include a subject at all. For example, “The keys were caught.”

Active voice makes writing more concise and easy to understand. Active sentences often include more information, especially about the subject performing an action. In research papers, students should use active voice whenever possible. However, sometimes it is clear that the author is the one performing the action, so active voice is not necessary. For instance, a researcher might write “the experiment was conducted Friday” instead of “I conducted the experiment Friday.”

Punctuation

Incorrect punctuation confuses readers. The wrong punctuation can change or obfuscate the meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or the entire essay. Publishers, professors, and other researchers often look down on papers with incorrect grammar, even if the content includes important or accurate research. Consequently, students should always use proper grammar in their essays.

The wrong punctuation can change or obfuscate the meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or the entire essay.

While students make many different errors with punctuation, most common errors revolve around colons and commas. Understand the difference between colons and semicolons. Both punctuation marks separate two parts of a sentence. Students should use colons when introducing a list. (“He ate lots of meat: pork, chicken, steak, veal, and duck.”) Colons can also introduce an appositive or new idea. (“She finally gave him the gift: a new computer.”) Semicolons, on the other hand, connect two complete, independent sentences. These sentences should be separate but related. (“He ate a lot of meat; he was ravenous.”)

Students should also take care to avoid comma splices. A comma splice occurs when writers connect two independent sentences using a comma. The following sentence includes a comma splice: “She danced with her boyfriend, he was very clumsy.” Instead, students could add an “and” to connect the two sentences. (“She danced with her boyfriend, and he was very clumsy.”) Alternately, writers could connect the sentences with a semicolon. (“She danced with her boyfriend; he was very clumsy.”) Lastly, writers could separate the two sentences with a period.

Proper grammar helps readers understand your essays. Proper grammar also gives your essay credibility. If you have a perfectly-argued essay, but your paper includes multiple grammar mistakes, the reader will likely be skeptical of the entire argument.

Understand the difference between there/their/they’re. “There” refers to a place. (“The dog is over there.”) Their shows possession. (“This is their house.”) “They’re” is a contraction for “they are.” (“They’re eating at the diner.”)

Also learn the difference between it’s and its. “It’s” is the contraction for “it is.” (“It’s hot outside.”) “Its” shows possession. (“The bird eats in its cage.”)

Make sure your sentences include proper subject-verb agreement. In other words, if the subject of a sentence is plural, the verb should also be plural. For example, use “The boy and his sisters are eating breakfast” instead of “The boy and his sisters is eating breakfast.”

Writing Resources for Public Health Students

• Guide to Improving Scientific Writing in Public Health : This guide from the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization teaches students how to write about complicated scientific material in a way that’s easy for readers to understand. The guide includes tips on vocabulary and format.
• Argument, Structure, and Credibility in Public Health Writing : Written by a professor at Harvard’s School of Public Health, this essay breaks down how to make effective arguments in public health writing. The page includes flow charts and figures to help illustrate exactly how public health essays should be organized.
• Purdue Online Writing Lab APA Style Guide : Purdue’s Online Writing Lab includes style guides for all writing and citation styles, including APA. The style guides help students understand how to format papers, use in-text citations, and create reference pages.
• Award-Winning Health Articles : One of the best ways to improve your writing is to read good examples. This page lists nine award-winning public health writing samples.
• The Women’s and Children’s Health Policy Center Writing Skills Guide : This website links to several modules on writing public health documents. Lessons include policy briefs and memos.

Take the next step toward your future with online learning.

Discover schools with the programs and courses you’re interested in, and start learning today.

Department of Public Health and Exercise Science

• Academic Programs
• Graduate Programs
• Master of Public Health (MPH)

Student Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (GPA of 3.0 or higher preferred)
• A completed online application to the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies at Appalachian State University
• Payment of an application processing fee
• Official transcripts from each college/university attended since high school
• International students need to supply TOEFL or IELTS scores
• Resume and Contact information for three references

Additional Admission Requirements

• Personal Statement/Essay
• Three letters of recommendation
• Volunteer/work experience in a public health-related organization/agency or other service experience

Prerequisite Coursework 

Minimum of a “B” on required prerequisite courses:

Program Location

Online (with the exception of field-based and research-based practicums), degree costs.

 Cost of Study:  Tuition & Fees  site

Academic Standards

In order to maintain enrollment status, students must:

• Abide by the Appalachian State University Code of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity
• Earn no more than two final course grades of “C” or lower in required coursework
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

As part of the course of study for the Master of Public Health, students will take part in a

• Field Practicum and
• Practice-Based Research/Scholarly Practicum

Field Practicum Experience : 

Students find placement in a variety of health-related agencies to gain experience working in public health on various projects.

Research/Scholarly Practicum:  

Building on the Field Practicum Experience, students will conduct an independent research or scholarly project under the direction of a practicum site supervisor. Students also have the option to prepare a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal under the direction of a member of the App State Public Health faculty.

Application Checklist Overview

As of August 18, 2024: The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health will now have one required application for the MPH*, MS and PhD degrees in each department. Applicants should complete the requirements for the SOPHAS application as noted below. Incomplete applications cannot be reviewed.

The priority deadline for matriculation in 2025 is December 1, 2024 . If you are applying after this date, please contact the department directly to ensure that applications are still being received.

*MPH – this does not apply to the Executive MPH or the MPH-HP programs. This also does not apply to the MHA or MDSH programs.

Step 1: SOPHAS Application

The primary application system for applicants is SOPHAS, the common application for public health schools. Please submit the following materials here :

• Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
• Statement of Purpose – Maximum of 1500 words. The statement should describe the following: a) reasons for interest in public health, b) reasons for interest in the program of study and/or concentration; c) reasons for interest in UCLA; and d) career goals. If you are applying to a doctoral program, you should include your proposed research topics.
• Personal Statement – Maximum of 500 words. The personal statement is an additional opportunity for the reviewing committee to learn more about any challenges faced, personal background, and past and future contributions to diversity. Full information can be found on SOPHAS. Applicants should address one or more prompts in the personal statement.
• Applicants with less than three years of post bac professional experience should submit a minimum of two academic letters and one professional letter. 
• Applicants with more than three years of post bac professional experience may elect to submit three professional letters.
•  Applicants with less than three years of post bac professional experience should submit a minimum of one academic letter and two professional letters. 
• Applicants with more than three years of post bac professional experience may elect to submit three professional letters
• Official Transcripts – Applicants should submit one set of official transcripts from each institution they have attended. International applicants must submit transcripts through World Education Services (WES) for an official WES evaluation.
• Official GRE Test Scores* — Please check here to determine GRE requirements. ETS code is: 4225.
• Official TOEFL or IELTS scores – Applicants may view English proficiency requirements here . TOEFL code for SOPHAS is: 5688 IELTS code for SOPHAS: See instructions on submitting your scores to SOPHAS here
• Writing Sample – This component is only necessary for doctoral applicants applying to the Department of Community Health Sciences or the Department of Health Policy and Management.
• SOPHAS Application Fee – The fee is nonrefundable. The amount will vary according to the number of applications submitted.

For questions about the application process please contact SOPHAS at:

SOPHAS P.O. Box 9111 Watertown, MA 02471 Telephone: 617-612-2090 Email: [email protected]

For Overnight Delivery of Materials Only: SOPHAS c/o Liaison International 311 Arsenal Street Watertown, MA 02472

Step 2: UCLA Division of Graduate Education Application Fee

All applicants to UCLA must complete the UCLA Division of Graduate Education application. The information you submit through SOPHAS (step 1) will be transferred over to the UCLA graduate application. However, all applicants must also submit the UCLA application fee in addition to the SOPHAS application fee. The fee is nonrefundable.

Letters of recommendation, transcripts, test scores, professional experience, resume, and supporting should ONLY be uploaded to SOPHAS . 

An application will not be reviewed until both the SOPHAS fee and UCLA graduate application fee have been paid.

** Applicants should receive a separate email from UCLA Division of Graduate Education (DGE) with instructions on how to pay the UCLA DGE application fee. Those applying in August will receive an email in September. 

Application Requirements for Executive Programs:

Applicants to the MPH-HP, EMPH, MHA and MDSH programs are only required to submit the UCLA Division of Graduate Application. If you are applying to any of these programs do not complete a SOPHAS application.

Application Requirements for Joint Degree Applicants:

Prospective applicant applying to MPH Joint Degree

• Submit the SOPHAS Application and pay the application fee.
• Please ensure you fulfill the joint program's application requirements.

**Applicants should receive a separate email from the UCLA Division of Graduate Education (DGE) with instructions on how to pay the UCLA DGE application fee. Those applying in August will receive an email in September. 

Current UCLA Graduate Students Applying to MPH Joint Degree

• Submit the UCLA Graduate Application and ensure you select to be considered for a fee waiver on the fee waiver section of the application. Upon submitting the application, please then reach out to Sukhwinder Sagoo or Jose Ruiz-Rodriguez regarding the fee waiver. 
• Submit a Change of Major petition. Please contact  Sukhwinder Sagoo or Jose Ruiz-Rodriguez for more information on completing this requirement. 

**Please do not pay the UCLA Graduate Application fee as the application fee is non-refundable.

Current UCLA School of Medicine Students applying to MPH Joint Degree

• UCLA MPH/MD or Prime MD students can apply to the MPH program by December 1st of their second year under the new Discovery curriculum. 

Current UCLA Law School Students applying to MPH Joint Degree

• Submit the UCLA Graduate Application and pay the application fee.

A cross-divisional department spanning

Master of Health Science (MHS) in Environmental Health

Offered By: Department of Environmental Health and Engineering

Onsite or Online | Full-Time or Part-Time | 9 months – 2 years

All EHE Department Programs →

View Bloomberg Program Finder →

View Whiting Program Finder →

• Baltimore Community Outreach and Engagement Projects
• Northeast Market Patron Survey
• Evaluating the Impacts of Energy Options on Baltimore’s Air Quality
• One Health and Asthma Prevention in Baltimore
• Safer Urban Agriculture in Baltimore
• Diversity and Equity Initiatives
• Environmental Health and Engineering Student Organization (EHESO)
• Message from the Chair
• Postdoctoral Opportunity in Neuroscientist/(Neuro)toxicologist
• Postdoctoral Opportunity in Public Health Policy
• Research Assistant
• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering
• Program Objectives and Outcomes
• Why Hopkins?
• Application Fee Waiver Requirements
• Areas of Focus
• Graduate Student Resources
• Jensen Fellowship
• Postdoctoral Opportunity: Toxicology Policy, Law and Regulatory Analysis
• Quotes from our EHE Alumni
• Track in Environmental Sustainability, Resilience, and Health
• Track in Exposure Sciences and Environmental Epidemiology
• Track in Health Security
• Track in Toxicology, Physiology and Molecular Mechanisms
• PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering Faculty Advisers
• Master of Arts (MA) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Alumni Highlights
• Post-Baccalaureate Program in Environmental Health for Pre-Medicine Students
• Master of Science (MS) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Independent Professional Project and Final Essay 
• Internships
• ScM Faculty Advisers
• Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Climate and Health Certificate Program
• Environmental and Occupational Health Certificate Program
• Food Systems, the Environment and Public Health Certificate Program
• Humane Sciences and Toxicology Policy Certificate Program
• Product Stewardship for Sustainability Certificate Program
• Public Health Preparedness Certificate Program
• Aerosol Samplers
• Baltimore Healthy Schools: Impact of Indoor Air Quality on Health and Performance
• Exposure Assessment for Epidemiologic Studies
• Exposures from Oil Spills
• Kirsten Koehler's Research Team
• Occupational Hazard Mapping
• Particulate Exposures in Asthmatic Kids (PEAK)
• Personal Exposure Assessment
• Publications
• Spatiotemporal Exposure Assessment
• Within Baltimore Variability in Pollution
• Current Funding
• Honors and Awards
• Impact of Arsenic on Myocardial Ischemic Injury
• Meet Our Team...
• Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunity
• Proteomic Methodologies to Assess Modifications
• Role for TRIM72 in Cardioprotection
• Sex-dependent S-nitrosothiol Signaling
• For Dog Handler Teams
• For Parents/Guardians
• Collaborators
• Dr. Meghan Davis Receives Canine Health Foundation Grant to Study the Health of Dogs
• GIRAPHE Activities
• GIRAPHE Core Faculty
• Summit on Animals, Public Health & Ethics Webcast
• News and Publications
• Eri Togami DVM, MPH
• Steven Sola, MSPH
• The COVET Study Research Goals
• The COVET Study Research Team
• The CoWelf Study
• The Minority Pet-Owner Health Project
• COVID-19 Human-Animal Interactions Survey (CHAIS)
• Climate Change, Pesticide Use, and Exposures
• Computed Tomography and Low-cost Sensor Networks to Reconstruct Spatial Pollutant Distributions
• Decision-making for Risk Management Using Small Data Sets, Mathematical Models, and Heuristics
• Infrastructure for Delivering and Characterizing Airborne Exposures in Exposure Chambers
• Mathematical Modeling of Chemical Exposures
• Meet Ram's Team...
• Modeling of Infectious Diseases
• Exposome Collaborative Investigators
• Exposome Projects
• Exposome Resources
• The Exposome Collaborative @ Johns Hopkins University
• The Exposome Collaborative Background
• The Exposome Collaborative Events and Activities
• Arsenic and other metals: association with cytokine dysregulation and risk of Hepatitis E infection in pregnant women
• Research Team
• Geyh-Bouwer Trainee Practice Award
• Mobile Air Pollution Measurement Laboratory
• Air Pollution and Cardiorespiratory Diseases
• Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Disease
• Biosecurity and Emerging Threats
• COVID-19 Research
• Carcinogens and Cancer
• Children's Environmental Health
• Chronic Disease Etiology and Prevention
• Community Sustainability, Resilience, and Preparedness
• Consumer Product Safety
• Energy Management and Alternative Technologies
• Environmental Chemistry, Microbiology and Ecology
• Environmental Engineering
• Environmental Epidemiology
• Environmental Inequities and Injustice
• Environmental Resource Quality
• Epigenetic Regulation in Environmental Diseases
• Food and Agricultural Systems
• Geomorphology, Geochemistry, and Hydrology
• About the Program
• Conceptual Framework
• Land Use and Energy Issues
• MPH Concentration in Global Environmental Sustainability & Health
• Projects and Research
• Recommended Reading
• Research on Land Use and Public Health
• What the Future Must Look Like
• Novel Exposure Assessment
• Risk Sciences and Public Policy
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Toxicology, Physiology, & Cell Biology
• Johns Hopkins University Water Institute
• Worker Health and Safety
• Teaching and Research Labs at WSE
• The INnovations to Generate Estimates of children's Soil/dust inTake (INGEST) Study
• Centers and Institutes
• Environmental Health and Engineering Doctoral Students
• Full-time Faculty Directory
• Postdoctoral Fellows
• News and Events
• Make a Gift

About the MHS in Environmental Health Program

Want to learn how the environment impacts our health? Consider a Master of Health Science in Environmental Health! Part of the #1 school of public health, this graduate degree program prepares students for careers in medicine, research, advocacy, policy and practice.

One of the School’s shortest degrees, the full-time MHS is a nine-month, coursework-based degree for individuals who want a comprehensive understanding of the association between our environment and health. Students will learn how environmental hazards (not only in air, water and food but also neighborhood and social hazards) affect human health at the individual, population and systems level.

A flexible part-time format is also available.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

MHS in Environmental Health Program Highlights

by peers in Environmental Health Sciences -  U.S. News & World Report

Customizable

Electives offered in 5 different areas

Online or Onsite

Online and part-time options available

Multidisciplinary

Take courses across engineering, business, and more

Areas of Interest

The Department offers courses in the following areas:

Courses in Food Systems, Water and Environmental Sustainability cover the factors that are driving current changes in the global environment and how they can lead to adverse effects on human health at individual and population levels. Through coursework and seminars, students will be exposed to a range of sustainability topics relating to food systems, water quality, use and re-use, the built environment and the multiple impacts of climate change. Research interests can include chemical and biological threats to food safety and water quality and approaches to effective intervention/prevention. This foundation can be used to support plans for subsequent doctoral (e.g. PhD, JD) level training or to pursue a career in government or the private sector. Students interested in this area may also complete the course requirements to receive the Certificate in Food, Environment and Public Health .

Courses in Health Security cover domestic and international health threats, including epidemics, natural disasters, technological accidents, and intentional attacks. Students examine major organizations and initiatives designed to prevent, detect, and respond to health security threats; assess the current status of health security preparedness; and evaluate strategies to enhance health security. These courses are designed for individuals who would like to begin careers in public health and healthcare preparedness, global health security, outbreak and epidemic management, disaster response, and related fields. A subset of courses are taught by faculty from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and informed by the Center’s two decades of scholarship and advocacy on health security policy.

Courses in Population Environmental Health are for students whose research interests involve the use of epidemiologic methods to investigate of the impact of environmental hazards on the health of communities and high-risk populations. Courses in this area provide a strong foundation in epidemiology and biostatistics and the pathways through which environmental chemical and biological exposures lead to detrimental health outcomes. These courses offer skills needed for the use of statistical approaches and introduce students to quantitative skills used in epidemiologic research. Research interests can range from the use of epidemiology to investigate associations between exposure and adverse health outcomes to its applications in risk assessment and environmental health regulatory processes. These courses can be used to support plans for subsequent PhD-level training, applying to medical school with master’s-level research experience or to pursue a career in government or the private sector. Students interested in this area may also complete the course requirements to receive the Certificate in Risk Sciences and Public Policy .

Pre-med courses provide the foundation for students planning to attend medical school. These courses provide a strong understanding of statistics and epidemiology. Elective courses in physiology, advanced toxicology, and environmental and occupational disease not only emphasize knowledge covered on the MCAT but they also differentiate graduates from the typical medical school applicant. Ideal candidates present with a strong foundation in the basic sciences and math. The American Association of Medical Colleges site now lists our MHS as a post-baccalaureate program.

Courses in Toxicology for Human Risk Assessment are designed to match the needs of students with research interests that extend from laboratory-based study of the toxicological and pathophysiological mechanisms of environmental chemical and biological agent exposures to the methods for applying toxicology data to human risk assessment and the development of regulatory policy. Students interested in these courses should have strong backgrounds in the basic sciences and be considering subsequent PhD-level training, applying to medical school with master’s-level research experience, or who may decide to pursue a career in government or private sector research positions.​ Students interested in this area may also complete the course requirements to receive the Certificate in Risk Sciences and Public Policy .

What Can You Do With a Graduate Degree In Environmental Health?

Individuals with this degree go on to work in environmental health policy, climate science, government and NGO settings, continuing graduate study, or medical school. Meet some of our graduates. 

Visit the Graduate Employment Outcomes DashboaRD

Alumni Spotlight: Mona Dai, MHS '17

Mona is a PhD student in environmental science & engineering at Harvard University, working on global pollutants including perfluorinated compounds (PFAS).

Jonathan Josephs-Spaulding, MHS '17

Jonathan is a computational microbiology doctoral student at a German University hospital.

Spotlight: Yinka Bode-George, MHS '17

Yinka N. Bode-George, MHS ’17, leads a national philanthropic nonprofit that transforms sustainability to maximize community impact and achieve environmental justice.

Curriculum for the MHS in Environmental Health

Browse an overview of the requirements for this master's program in the JHU  Academic Catalogue , explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School  Course Directory , and find many more details in the program's Student Handbook.

Admissions Requirements

For the general admissions requirements see our How to Apply page.

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores (GRE, MCAT) are  optional  for this program. The admissions committee will make no assumptions if a standardized test score is omitted from an application, but will require evidence of quantitative/analytical ability through other application components such as academic transcripts and/or supplemental questions.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all application components.

Tuition and Funding

Limited number of partial-tuition scholarships

Which degree is right for you?

We have a number of degrees designed to meet various professional and educational goals.

QUIZ: WHICH DEGREE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

DURATION:   9 months full-time, onsite/online;  2 years, part-time, onsite/online

BEST FOR:   Applicants who wish to pursue a PhD or a career in the intersection of environmental and public health

BOTTOM LINE:   One-year program culminates in a short essay

GOOD TO KNOW:   Academic degree focusing on a specific area of public health, typically science-oriented

MHS PROGRAM PAGE

DURATION:  2 years, full-time, onsite

BEST FOR:  Applicants interested in hands-on experiences leading to research careers; good for students considering PhD programs

BOTTOM LINE:  The first year involves classes, while the second year involves full-time research with faculty (based on a proposal from year one), culminating in a thesis

GOOD TO KNOW:  Students get hands-on experience and conduct their own research

ScM PROGRAM PAGE

DURATION :  9 months (onsite) followed by a 7- to 12-month internship

BEST FOR:   Those seeking a career in the field of human health and environmental risk assessment

BOTTOM LINE:   Professional degree focused on fundamental concepts and testing approaches used in classic risk assessment processes

GOOD TO KNOW:   Only program of its kind in the U.S. Students completing the program can also earn the Certificate in Risk Sciences and Public Policy .

MS PROGRAM PAGE

DURATION:   1.5 years full-time (onsite)

BEST FOR:   Applicants with prior coursework in basic sciences who want a career in occupational health

BOTTOM LINE:   Designed to prepare students to pass the Certified Industrial Hygienist Examination

GOOD TO KNOW:   Complete an internship between years one and two to get work experience in industrial hygiene . This program is administered by the Whiting School of Engineering, but all classes are offered through the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

MSOEH PROGRAM PAGE

DURATION:   up to 5 years part-time (hybrid)

BEST FOR:   Professionals currently working in the field who want to advance their career in occupational health

GOOD TO KNOW:   Flexible format; complete independent project at your place of employment . This program is administered by the Whiting School of Engineering’s Engineering for Professionals program, but all classes are offered through the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Questions about the program? We're happy to help. [email protected]

Personal Statement- Public Health Graduate School Admission

An interest in public health; specified area of interest, why this school and career goals.

“I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.”

Ezra Cornell, 1868