All applications for the Master of Public Health program must be completed through SOPHAS, the centralized public health application service. Select a program under Washington University in St. Louis – School of Public Health Programs in the SOPHAS program finder.
Carefully review the SOPHAS Instructions and FAQs, and monitor your application status in the SOPHAS portal, as verification can take up to two weeks once your application is marked complete. Submit all materials early to meet deadlines.
After submitting a SOPHAS application, you will receive an email with instructions for creating an account in the Washington University Graduate Admissions Portal. Applications are reviewed once SOPHAS verification is complete and all required components are submitted.
Overview
The School of Public Health welcomes students from a variety of academic backgrounds and considers each applicant holistically. Students entering the MPH program must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university. Admissions and scholarship decisions are based primarily on a review of the following:
- Your commitment to the mission of the School of Public Health and ability to introspectively articulate your reasons for pursuing a master’s degree in public health.
- Your undergraduate GPA over the last 60 – 75 semester credit hours on transcripts provided at the time of application. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is preferred. NOTE: If applicable, an optional field in the Academic History section of the application provides the opportunity to describe any significant or extenuating circumstances that you would like to be considered in the review of your academic history.
- Additional academic work you may have undertaken following completion of an undergraduate degree, if applicable.
- Specialized training(s) relevant to the degree program you completed.
- Your human service-related experience (paid, volunteer, research, and internship).
- Your leadership experience and/or potential.
- Your ability to think critically about issues related to the field of public health.
- Recommendations received from academic and professional references.
Important dates
The School of Public Health admits one class each year for the fall semester. Applications are accepted on a modified rolling basis; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early.
- Early Review Deadline – December 1
- Priority Review Deadline – March 1
Criteria and requirements
The School of Public Health promotes a self-managed application process; it is your responsibility to monitor the status of your application and ensure the timely submission of all required materials.
The application for the School of Public Health’s Master of Public Health program must be completed through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) – the centralized application service for public health. You must designate your chosen MPH program under Washington University in St. Louis – School of Public Health within the SOPHAS program finder.
Please review the SOPHAS Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and refer to them throughout the application process. It is your responsibility to monitor the status of your application in the SOPHAS portal.
Important Note: Once your application is in “Complete” status in SOPHAS, the SOPHAS verification process can take up to two weeks to complete. Please submit all materials well in advance of deadlines to allow ample time for the verification process. Guidance on monitoring the status of your SOPHAS application can be found here.
Upon submitting your SOPHAS application, you will receive an email with instructions for creating an account in the Washington University Graduate Admissions Portal to complete additional required components of your MPH application. Your application will be considered fully complete and placed under review once your SOPHAS application is in “Verified” status and all MPH application requirements are met.
Materials
Applicants are required to demonstrate successful completion of a bachelor’s degree (or degree in-progress) from a regionally accredited college or university.
Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended must be submitted directly to SOPHAS. Carefully review the instructions for sending official transcripts to SOPHAS and allow ample time for processing and verification of your transcripts.
In-Progress transcripts: If you have not yet completed your bachelor’s degree or equivalent at the time of application, please submit official transcripts showing the work you have completed to date directly to SOPHAS. Any offer of admission is contingent upon the successful completion of your degree. Admitted students are required to provide a final official transcript directly to the School of Public Health upon conferral of the undergraduate degree.
Transcript Entry: SOPHAS requires that applicants report all courses taken in the Academic History: Transcript Entry section of the SOPHAS application. Applicants who do not wish to enter coursework manually may opt for Professional Transcript Entry Service (PTE) for an additional fee. Note that planned, in progress, or foreign coursework is not eligible for PTE and must be entered by the applicant.
Foreign Transcripts: Applicants earning a degree outside of the United States or English-speaking Canada must provide a certified foreign credential evaluation. Applicants may provide the WES ICAP evaluation directly through SOPHAS or utilize another NACES member organization to submit the evaluation directly to the School of Public Health. Do not send foreign transcripts to SOPHAS, even if translated or printed in English. Additional information about the foreign credential evaluation requirement can be obtained from the Office for International Students.
Provide a personal statement that describes your interest in public health and demonstrates your understanding of public health concepts. Your essay should be two (2) pages single-spaced and should include the following:
- Significant factors influencing your decision to pursue a Master of Public Health degree.
- Relevant leadership experiences that will contribute to your overall success as a graduate student and in the public health profession.
- Career goals and commitment to public health.
- Specific reasons the Washington University School of Public Health is a good fit for your educational and professional goals.
Upload to the Program Materials: Documents section of your SOPHAS application.
In addition to completing the ‘Experience’ and ‘Achievements’ sections of the SOPHAS application, you must provide a comprehensive resume or curriculum vitae highlighting your experiences, skills, awards, and accomplishments.
Upload to the Supporting Information: Documents section of your SOPHAS application.
The School of Public Health requires applicants to complete a brief video interview. You will access the interview through a personalized link to our video interview platform, Kira Talent. The link will be available in your Washington University Graduate Admissions portal once you submit your SOPHAS application.
Learn more about the interview process here.
SOPHAS requires applicants to request a minimum of three (3) recommendations from professional or academic colleagues to submit the SOPHAS application.
Carefully review the instructions for requesting recommendations in SOPHAS and allow ample time for recommendations to be received. Recommendations must be submitted through SOPHAS. Please monitor the submission of your recommendations in SOPHAS to ensure they are received by the stated application deadline.
The SOPHAS application fee is $150 for the first program you apply to and $60 for each additional program. The School of Public Health does not require an additional supplemental fee.
Applicants may wish to review the SOPHAS Fee Assistance Program to determine their eligibility for a financial- or service-based fee waiver.
WashU does not provide SOPHAS application fee waivers.
WashU School of Public Health offers a range of partial-tuition scholarships to assist students with funding their graduate degree.
The School of Public Health does not require a graduate entrance exam, such as the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), for admission to the MPH program.
International students are required to provide official English language proficiency test scores. Additional information about the language proficiency requirements can be obtained from the Office for International Students.
Students admitted to the Master of Public Health program must satisfy a human biology course prerequisite. To meet this requirement, applicants must receive a grade of “B” or higher in a college-level human biology course. Admitted students who have not met the prerequisite will receive options for completing the requirement prior to the end of the first academic year in the MPH program.
Dual-degree programs
Students who wish to apply to a dual-degree program must submit an application to the MPH program and submit a separate application to the corresponding school. Please review the details per program below.
MPH/MBA program
New students applying for the MPH/MBA program must submit two applications:
WashU students currently enrolled in the MBA program who wish to add the MPH should apply through SOPHAS and are eligible for a discounted fee waiver code when they submit their applications.
MPH/JD program
New students applying for the MPH/JD program must submit two applications:
MPH/MD program
The dual MPH/MD program is only available to current WashU Medicine medical students. Students must submit an application to the MPH program through SOPHAS no later than March 1.
When applying, be sure to select the MPH/MD program designation under Washington University in St. Louis – School of Public Health.
3-2 MPH program
The 3-2 MPH program is only available to current WashU Arts & Sciences undergraduate students. Students must submit an application to the MPH program through SOPHAS no later than March 1 of their junior year.
MPH/MSW program
New students applying for the MPH/MPH program must submit two applications: