We are no longer accepting applications for Autumn 2025. Applications for Autumn 2026 will open in mid-August. Please note: all applications must be submitted through SOPHAS.

Admission Information Session

To learn more and meet the program faculty, you can watch a recording of our Autumn 2024 info session here.

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. 

Prospective students must apply through SOPHAS, including the supplemental UChicago application. After the SOPHAS application has been submitted and verified, candidates will receive instructions on how to set up their UChicago application account in Slate. Decisions and other correspondence to prospective students will be sent through Slate. Complete applications include the following components:

• 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. 
• 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. 
• Application fee: SOPHAS charges an application fee for each school. The University of Chicago does not require a secondary 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 applicants who choose to self-report GRE scores must submit official scores for your application to be considered complete.

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 in mid-August of the previous year. Multiple application deadlines are recognized:

Applicants are encouraged to apply early for priority decision and scholarship consideration. Applicants that will require visa documentation are encouraged to submit by February 2 to allow ample time to secure the visa. 

Only applications that have been verified by SOPHAS before the deadline will be reviewed. We encourage applicants to submit their application 4-6 weeks before the deadline to allow ample time for SOPHAS verification, which generally takes 2-4 weeks but can take longer during busy periods.