Admission Requirements

All students must have completed at least a Bachelor’s degree prior to matriculating into the MPH program. There are no specific courses required for admission. Public health is an interdisciplinary field, and a number of academic and experience backgrounds may be relevant. However, because all of the concentrations require coursework in biostatistics, applicants should be prepared for quantitatively-rigorous coursework. Undergraduate training in biology is not a prerequisite for the program. 

Students must submit a completed application, including:

• Candidate statement: Applicants will be required to submit a statement discussing their academic and career objectives and describing why they believe the University of Chicago MPH program is a good fit. The statement should discuss how your academic training, previous experience and personal attributes have prepared you for the program and make you a qualified candidate. Statements should be limited to no more than two single-spaced pages.
• Curriculum vitae or resume
• Transcripts: Transcripts are required from every post-secondary academic institution where an applicant has taken three or more courses, unless the courses and grades appear on the transcript from your home institution. This includes courses taken pass/fail. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for the application; official transcripts will be required following admission into the program. 
• Three letters of recommendation: Recommendations should speak to your academic ability, personal strengths, and aptitude to be successful in the program. You may include both academic and professional references. You will enter contact information for your references in the online application, and your references will be contacted via email with instructions on how to submit letters electronically. 
• $90 application fee 
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores (if required): Read the FAQ to learn more about English language requirements. 
• GRE scores are optional. If you have taken the GRE exam within the last five years and wish to have your scores considered in your application, scores can be submitted to institution code 1832.

All application materials must be submitted electronically. We are unable to receive application materials on paper or via email. 

Deadlines

For fall admission, the application period opens around September 1 of the previous year. Multiple application deadlines are recognized:

• January 15 for a decision in February. This is the priority deadline for receiving merit-based scholarship.
• March 15 for a decision in April

Applications submitted after March 15 may be accepted depending on space.  Applicants are encouraged to apply early for priority decision. 

All application materials, including letters of recommendation and application fee, are due by the deadline. Applicants are encouraged to submit reference information early and verify that they are able to submit their letter by the application deadline.