MPH Admission Requirements
(Admissions for the 2008-2009 academic year are closed. All incoming applications will be considered for the 2009-2010 academic year.)
The MPH Admissions Committee reviews each application to make sure that requirements have been met. Applications for admission to the MPH Program are reviewed on an on-going basis. Students are admitted to the program in the Fall semester only. Applicants interested in either full or part-time study are welcome to apply at any time; however we recommend that you submit your application by the end of January to ensure a timely review for the Fall semester. Deadline for fall admission is April 1st, however, applications are reviewed as received until all slots are filled.
To be considered for admission, students must:
- hold a Baccalaureate or a more advanced degree from an accredited institution;
- have taken the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) within the past 5 years (applicants with earned domestic doctoral degrees may request a GRE waiver); a score of 500 or above is preferred for both the Verbal and the Quantitative GREs, and a score of 4.5 or above is preferred for the Analytical Writing component; (Institutional Code for VCU is 5570)
- provide official copies of undergraduate and any graduate transcripts; an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is preferred;
- provide 3 current letters of recommendation;
- provide a copy of a curriculum vitae/resume; and
- provide a personal statement of interest in the MPH program.
A background in the biological sciences and statistics is helpful but is not required.
A time limit of five calendar years, beginning at the time of first registration, is placed on work to be credited toward the MPH degree. A maximum of six credits may be transferred from another VCU program or accredited outside institution and applied toward the degree upon recommendation of the members of the department’s curriculum committee and approval by the MPH Program Director. Practicing physicians or persons with a doctoral degree may request advanced standing with a waiver of nine credits.
All MPH students are required to conduct a scientific investigation on a topic relevant to human and public health. The research project is conducted under the guidance of a faculty advisor and a preceptor with expertise in the topic area. The student must prepare a report of the research and give an oral presentation to the department.
Information regarding tuition and fees may be found at: http://www.vcu.edu/enroll/sa/tuition/.
Additional information may be found at the web site for the VCU Graduate and
Professional Programs Bulletin: http://www.vcu.edu/bulletins/gpb.
Additional information concerning the admissions process is contained within the Department’s FAQ web page, http://www.epidemiology.vcu.edu/faq.html
US Applicants
For US applicants, additional information may be found at http://www.vcu.edu/graduate/ps/apply_options.html
International Applicants
For international applicants, information may be found at http://www.vcu.edu/graduate/ps/apply_options.html
It is recommended that applications be sent by January 1st to allow adequate time for VISA processing. The e-mail address for international admissions is cipia@cedar.vcu.edu.
The TOEFL test is required for non-English speaking applicants. A score of 250 or above for the TOEFL test (or 600 or above for the manual scoring system) is preferred. The preferred score for the IELTS language test is 7.0 or above. Please note that the MPH Admissions Committee will consider waiving test score requirements for international students who have acquired an MD degree in the United States.
Contacts
Additional questions may be directed to the MPH Graduate Program
Coordinator, Ms. Karen Bryant, at kpbryant@vcu.edu,
or to Dr. Leonard Vance, Interim MPH Program Director, at vance@vcu.edu.
Should you have questions about admissions requirements, you may e-mail
Dr. CMG Buttery, Chair of the MPH Admissions Committee, at: cbuttery@vcu.edu.
You are encouraged to go to the VCU web site: www.vcu.edu to
access other university information (e.g., financial aid, housing,
campus maps, etc.).
We look forward to receiving your application to the MPH Program, and we thank
you for your interest in graduate studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.
