Admission

The Public Health master's program evaluates applicants using a holistic review process. All components of an application are reviewed prior to making an admission decision. Consideration will be given for appropriate work experience in a health-related field. 

Admission requirements for:

• Degree Seeking
• Graduate Certificate
• Non-Degree Seeking
• Transfer Credits

Ready to apply?

Submit an application to the Public Health master's program. The Public Health program's application portal will open October 1 and run through the end of the first week of fall classes. Make sure to review the Residential/Online Student Designation Policy.

Degree Seeking (Matriculate) Students

Applicants are required to select a track on the admissions application.

For U.S. Students

• No GRE required.
• Completion of all undergraduate degree requirements prior to matriculating in the Public Health program, with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale
  • In the case where an applicant’s cumulative GPA is below the minimum 2.50, reviewers may consider a replacement GPA computed from the most recent 40 semester credit hours of U.S. or Canadian coursework
• Two (2) letters of recommendation from academic and/or professional references.  At least one academic recommendation is preferred.
• A personal essay of approximately 500 words explaining your public health career goals, reasons for interest in the Public Health program, specialty concentration selected (Epidemiology, Health Management and Policy, and Applied Data Science), reasons for this selection, and any relevant work experience
• Current CV/resume documenting professional experience, educational achievements, and volunteer experience
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Ensure the degree conferral date is listed on the awarding institution’s transcript.
• Transcripts must be sent to GradCAS only. GradCAS only accepts electronic transcripts from Credentials Solutions, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse. If your school does not offer either of these services, your transcript must be sent via mail. Please use the information below to send your transcripts.
  • Credentials Solutions
  • Parchment
  • National Student Clearinghouse
  • Sending transcripts to GradCAS by mail. Download a transcript request form after you enter each institution in GradCAS and send the transcript request form to the institution registrar to send transcript by mail to the address below:
    
                  GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
                  P.O. Box 9217
                  Watertown, MA 02471

For International Students

• No GRE required.
• Completion of all undergraduate degree requirements prior to matriculating in the Public Health program, with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores: Paper 550, Computer 213, iBT 80 OR International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - Minimum scores: Total 6.5, Subscores: 6
  • TOEFL School Code is B886
• Two (2) letters of recommendation from academic and/or professional references.  At least one academic recommendation is preferred.
• A personal essay of approximately 500 words explaining your public health career goals, reasons for interest in the Public Health program, specialty concentration selected (Epidemiology, Health Management and Policy, and Applied Data Science), reasons for this selection, and any relevant work experience
• Current CV/resume documenting professional experience, educational achievements, and volunteer experience.
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Ensure the degree conferral date is listed on the awarding institution’s transcript.
  
  • In cases where a non-U.S. grading system has been used, verification must be provided by one of the following services:
    
    • World Education Services
    • Educational Credential Evaluators

• GradCAS will ONLY accept the evaluation report from the credentialing agency. Do not send your foreign transcript to GradCAS.
• All foreign transcript evaluations from the credentialing agency must be sent directly to GradCAS to the following address: 

     GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
     PO Box 9217
     Watertown, MA 02471

International students must abide by all U.S. Immigration laws throughout their enrollment in the Public Health program. This includes, but is not limited to, qualifying and obtaining a proper visa prior to attendance. For further information, please contact Human Resources at 757.446.6043.

Graduate Certificate Seeking Students

For U.S. Students

Requirements for admission include:

• Completion of all undergraduate degree requirements from an accredited college or university, with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, prior to matriculating in the Public Health program.
• A personal statement detailing reasons for interest in the Public Health Graduate Certificate program.
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Ensure the degree conferral date is listed on the awarding institution’s transcript.

For International Students

Requirements for admission include:

• Completion of all undergraduate degree requirements from an accredited college or university, with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, prior to matriculating in the Public Health program.
• In cases where a non-U.S. grading system has been utilized on a transcript, students should have grades converted to the U.S. grading system by one of the following services:
  • World Education Services
  • Educational Credential Evaluators
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores: Paper 550, Computer 213, iBT 80 OR International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - Minimum scores: Total 6.5, Subscores: 6
  • TOEFL School Code is B886
• A personal statement detailing reasons for interest in the Public Health Graduate Certificate program.
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Ensure the degree conferral date is listed on the awarding institution’s transcript.
• Sending International Transcripts to GradCAS
• GradCAS will ONLY accept the evaluation report from the credentialing agency. Do not send your foreign transcript to GradCAS.
• All other foreign transcript evaluations from the credentialing agency must be sent directly to GradCAS to the following address: 

GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
PO Box 9217
Watertown, MA 0247

International students must abide by all U.S. Immigration laws throughout their enrollment at Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University. This includes, but is not limited to, qualifying and obtaining a proper visa prior to attendance. For further information regarding the visa process, please contact Human Resources at 757.446.6043.

Applicants are required to select a track on the admissions application.

Requirements for admission include:

• Completion of all undergraduate degree requirements from an accredited college or university.
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Ensure the degree conferral date is listed on the awarding institution’s transcript.

Students who are not seeking the Public Health degree may, on a space-available basis, take courses offered by the program. Non-degree seeking students can take courses during any term as long as their non-degree seeking application and subsequent registration is complete prior to the specified deadlines. Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for financial aid and must pay tuition prior to the start of a given semester. If a non-degree seeking student seeks to enter and is accepted into the Public Health program as a degree-seeking student, credit hours earned with a "B" or better will be applied. Visit Transfer Credits Page for more information.

Residential/Online Student Designation Policy

Residential/Online Student Designation Policy

All applicants must select a designation of enrollment as either an online or a residential (on-campus) student when applying to specific programs.  It is also a requirement for all future students to review the mandatory residential and on-line fees that pertain to each program prior to completing the application process.

Once accepted, applicants who matriculate or enroll as an online student can only register for online courses and are not allowed to take any courses that are on-campus.

Applicants who matriculate or enroll as a residential (on-campus) student can register for both on-campus or online courses, however, residential students must register for at least one on-campus course each term.

Any applicant may request to change their designation of enrollment from residential (on-campus) to online or online to residential (on-campus) but no later than 30 days prior to the beginning of the term.1 Prior to enrollment, all applicants must contact Admissions and Enrollment for changes to designations.

In addition, once a student has been placed into a program and after a designation has been made, it cannot be changed or updated at any other times during the academic year except for prior to the start of each new fall term or in cases that involve mitigating circumstances. All requests for a change in designation can only be approved by the Program Director and/or Academic Affairs and must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for final processing.

Mitigating circumstances must be severe, not foreseeable and/or could not have been reasonably prevented during the time that is in question. Examples of situations that may fall into this category include:

• A major medical emergency, an extended severe illness or a major medical issue occurring during the semester or term that the student is enrolled in which requires hospitalization, is life-threatening, or is contagious and a danger to the remainder of the community. The student must provide proof for absence and written verification by the attending physician is required.
• Death of the student or a member of the student’s immediate family (mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, grandparent or child). An obituary or death certificate is required.
• Mobilization, deployment, change of duty station or call to active duty for military students. A copy of the military orders is required.

¹ New students accepted less than 30 days prior to the start of the term must submit their online/on-campus designation prior to being enrolled in the program and registering for courses.

Transfer Credits

Requests to transfer graduate credits from another accredited U.S. or Canadian institution are considered on an individual basis after students are admitted to the Public Health program. International credits are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  

A student may transfer up to 9 graduate credit hours, if all of the following conditions hold:

• Graduate course credits were completed at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution and are reflected on an official transcript
• Transfers can feasibly occur within the six-year matriculation limit of this Public Health program
• Grade earned is a B or better
• Credits for an Public Health core course were completed at a CEPH-accredited school or program in public health.

All requests must be made no later than one full term prior to graduation from the program.

Students who wish to request that graduate credits be transferred into the Public Health program must submit a copy of the syllabus for the course and a transfer approval request form to the appropriate track coordinator, who will consult with teaching faculty as appropriate. Requests are subject to the approval of the Public Health program director. In exceptional cases, the director may approve a maximum of 12 graduate credit hours for transfer. Approved transfer grades are included on an Public Health student’s transcript; however, transfer grades are not included in semester or cumulative GPA calculations.

Internal Transfer Credits

Non-matriculating and certificate students taking courses in the Public Health program may transfer up to 25 internal transfer credit hours. A grade of ‘B’ or better is required for each transferred course.

Non-matriculating students who apply to matriculate into the Public Health program may be granted admission for the spring or summer terms. The admission process for matriculating students applies.

Approved internal grades will be included on an Public Health student’s transcript and will be included in cumulative GPA calculations.

Internal Transfer credits to/from Public Health Program Certificates

Public Health students may elect to take courses in Certificates offered outside of their Track.  In such cases, applicable courses earned for the Public Health degree would be accepted for transfer into the Certificate.  Students who earn a Certificate and then are accepted into the Public Health program may transfer all appropriate courses into the Public Health program.  Approved transfer grades are included on an Public Health student's transcript and will be included in the semester and cumulative GPA calculations.

External Transfer credits to MPH Program Certificates

Students admitted to a Certificate may transfer up to 6 credit hours from an accredited US or Canadian institution that are reflected on an original transcript.  Transfer requests must be approved by the Program Director, and students must submit a syllabus for each course request to assist in the review.  Course transfers will be considered only for courses in which the grade earned is ‘B’ or better.  Approved transfer grades are included on a Certificate student’s transcript; however, transfer grades are not included in semester or cumulative GPA calculations.

All core courses requested for transfer credits to a Graduate Certificate must have been completed at CEPH-accredited school or program in public health. 

Applicant Help Center

• Access the Applicant Help Center for technical assistance.
• Having trouble accessing the application? The preferred browsers are Google Chrome or Firefox
• If you have questions about your application status, please contact your GradCAS Customer Service Representative contact information at 857.304.2086 or GradCASinfo@liaisonedu.com