Admissions

MPH and MS applicants for admission to the New Brunswick or Newark Campuses must have completed an undergraduate program accredited in the United States or its equivalent and must meet the criteria below. Preference will be given to candidates with two or more years of work experience in the health care fields and to residents of New Jersey. An applicant’s qualifications are substantiated by academic transcripts, GRE scores, and references. As part of the application, a personal statement also is required. An application is considered complete and will be reviewed when all admission information is received by specific deadlines. Accepted students will be required to provide information about their health as stipulated under University policy.

NOTES

¹For students who obtained an undergraduate degree in a country other than the U.S. or Canada, a course-by-course evaluation of their transcripts is required unless an advanced degree has been earned in the U.S. SOPHAS only accepts transcript evaluations by the World Education Services Inc. (WES). It is the responsibility of the student to obtain this evaluation.

²If coming directly from an academic setting, a letter from a faculty member is preferred.

Requirements for admission to the doctoral programs are generally more stringent than those for the MPH or MS degree programs. Considerable attention is given to the match between the expertise of the faculty and the specific interests of the candidate. Students may work towards a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at Rutgers School of Public Health.

The PhD degree program require a minimum of 72 credit hours for completion. Candidates for the PhD degree are required to complete comprehensive written and oral examinations, as well as complete and defend original dissertation research. Through doctoral level research, students will develop expertise on a single topic, design and implement a research project, integrate and interpret complex data, and complete a comprehensive dissertation. Students must plan this carefully.

Although students will work closely with their faculty advisors, they will bear responsibility for developing research of publishable quality. Doctoral students are accepted in five concentration areas: Biostatistics, Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Health Education and Behavioral Science, and Health Systems and Policy, at our New Brunswick location; the Epidemiology concentration is also available at our Newark location. The program is designed to be flexible and responsive to the needs of individual students. A specific course of study will be selected by the student in consultation with his/her major advisor and then must be approved by the doctoral committee, although individual students may make substitutions with the written approval of the doctoral committee.

Each applicant to the doctoral program is required to submit a full application, including identification of an area of proposed research. These materials will be reviewed by the entire doctoral committee for quality and compatibility with the interests of the faculty. Personal visits are strongly encouraged for applicants to meet with faculty prior to this review. After review by the doctoral committee and upon identification of a Rutgers School of Public Health faculty member (at the rank of assistant professor or higher) willing to serve as the applicant’s advisor, the doctoral committee may recommend admission of that student.

NOTES

¹For students who obtained a degree in a country other than the U.S. or Canada, a course-by-course evaluation of their transcripts is required unless an advanced degree has been earned in the U.S. SOPHAS only accepts transcript evaluations by the World Education Services Inc. (WES). It is the responsibility of the student to obtain this evaluation.

²In the case of a doctorally-trained applicant, who is a faculty member at Rutgers, a Letter of Appointment by the Board of Governors or other employment official may replace the transcripts and GRE scores.

³ If coming directly from an academic setting, a letter from a faculty member is preferred.

Applicants for admission must have completed a master’s degree program accredited in the United States or its equivalent and must have demonstrated academic achievement in an appropriate discipline. In addition, applicants must have a minimum of five years professional experience within a public health or health-related setting.

Students who have graduated from an institution outside of the United States must have an official course by course evaluation of foreign transcripts through the World Education Services (WES) and show a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Applicants are expected to have academic credentials equivalent to those required for admissions to PhD programs. For more detailed information, consult the Rutgers School of Public Health catalogue.

NOTES

¹For students who obtained a degree in a country other than the U.S. or Canada, a course-by-course evaluation of their transcripts is required unless an advanced degree has been earned in the U.S. SOPHAS only accepts transcript evaluations by the World Education Services Inc. (WES). It is the responsibility of the student to obtain this evaluation.

²OPTIONAL scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or its equivalent (e.g. MCAT, GMAT). Applicants may choose to submit GRE or equivalent scores if they feel it will strengthen their application. However, not submitting GRE scores will not negatively impact a student’s application.

Admission requirements vary by the certificate program, and the application is administered through the campus office. Applications and details can be found in the certificate brochure, which can be requested from any Campus Office.

The following guiding principles apply:

• Students may only participate in one certificate program at a time;
  
• Students who are admitted are eligible to take an additional two courses after their required courses have been completed;
  
• All credits must be earned within a two year period;
  
• Students must maintain a B average to successfully complete a certificate;
  
• Applicants should have academic credentials that are comparable to MPH students; in certain circumstances, the GRE may be requested to support an admission decision;
  
• Students who have successfully completed a certificate program may apply for the MPH degree or the MS program and transfer 15 credits to either program. A separate application is required to apply to the MPH or MS program; and
  
• A new application is required to apply for another certificate.

Click here to visit the Certificate Programs webpage for more information.

The Articulated BS/BS – MPH degree is an excellent opportunity for those students currently in an Rutgers or New Jersey Institute of Technology undergraduate program seeking to get a head start on graduate-level courses. You must have completed at least 60 credits of your undergraduate degree and have the approval of your school contact person. Up to 18 credits of the MPH program can be completed during your undergraduate academic career. An applicant’s qualifications are substantiated by academic transcripts, resume, and letters of recommendation. As part of the application, a personal statement also is required. An application is considered complete and will be reviewed when all admission information is received by specific deadlines. Accepted students will be required to provide information about their health as stipulated under University policy.

NOTES

¹For students who obtained an undergraduate degree in a country other than the U.S. or Canada, a course-by-course evaluation of their transcripts is required unless an advanced degree has been earned in the U.S. SOPHAS only accepts transcript evaluations by the World Education Services Inc. (WES). It is the responsibility of the student to obtain this evaluation.

²If coming directly from an academic setting, a letter from a faculty member is preferred.

Visiting students interested in enrolling in one or two courses on the New Brunswick or Newark Campus must have completed an undergraduate program accredited in the United States or its equivalent and must meet the criteria below.

NOTES

¹For students who obtained an undergraduate degree in a country other than the U.S. or Canada, a course-by-course evaluation of their transcripts is required unless an advanced degree has been earned in the U.S. Among agencies providing this service is the World Education Services Inc. (WES). It is the responsibility of the student to obtain this evaluation.

²In the case of a doctorally-trained applicant, who is a faculty member at Rutgers, a Letter of Appointment by the Board of Governors or other employment official may replace the transcripts.

³If coming directly from an academic setting, a letter from a faculty member is preferred.

Rutgers University School of Public Health welcomes international applicants each year from all corners of the globe. Our team is here to support you on your educational journey, including assistance from our Office of International Services.

Admission requirements for each degree program can be found in their respective tabs above. In addition to the listed requirements, to be considered for admission, students who have completed coursework outside of the U.S. or Canada should have a course-by-course evaluation completed. This evaluation will showcase your individual courses as well as provide a comprehensive evaluation of your degree and its equivalency.

Additionally, we ask that applicants who completed their education in a non-native English-speaking country submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. While each department, concentration, and degree retains the right to ask for a higher score, the standard minimum for acceptance for the TOEFL iBT is an 88, or a 7.5 Band Score on the IELTS.

The Office of International Services attends to the specialized needs of Rutger Biomedical and Health Sciences international students and scholars and their dependents. These services include communication of relevant information and services to both students and staff and comprehensive advising in all appropriate areas of international education. The OIS acts as the University's designee in ensuring institutional compliance with all U.S. immigration regulations and procedures and is the University's liaison to the Departments of State and Homeland Security. Advising services are provided to departments seeking to hire or enroll foreign nationals under the F-1, J-1, H-1B or 0-1 visa classifications as appropriate.

Services provided include: information workshops; orientation programs for new students and scholars; preparation, issuance and/or filling of initial petitions; extension and transfer of immigration related forms; preparation of dependent forms; status monitoring; insurance and other regulatory compliance; regular interaction with U.S. government agencies such as the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Labor (DOL), Department of State (DOS) and Social Security Administration (SSA); and general advising to the University community at large.

We are committed to providing educational opportunities to all qualified applicants and students who meet the technical standards to carry out the academic and professional responsibilities in the field of public health.