Public Health, Master of (M.P.H.)

Specializations/combined programs

Admission requirements

To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the following requirements.

Students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all undergraduate and any other graduate study.
GRE scores must be current (taken within the past five years), with scores at the 75th percentile or greater preferred.
International students must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Minimum TOEFL score is 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based) or 100 (Internet-based); IELTS minimum score is 7.0. Test score requirements may be waived for international students who have received a medical degree (M.D.) in the U.S. Contact the program coordinator for more information.

Students must also submit the following materials with their application:

Letters of recommendation from three individuals who can assess applicant qualifications for graduate school; at least one academic reference required. Most appropriate are letters from past professors or work supervisors.
Current version of curriculum vitae or resume. Include experience and/or education relevant to study in public health.
Personal statement following these guidelines:
- The document should be 1.5 or double-spaced with one-inch margins, in a font no smaller than 11 points. The document should cover the following issues in two to five pages:
  1. Description of the applicant’s career goals
  2. Why the applicant wishes to pursue an MPH degree
  3. How an MPH degree will help the applicant achieve her/his career goals
  4. Description of applicant’s particular areas of interest in public health (e.g., maternal and child health, cancer epidemiology)
  5. Why VCU’s MPH program best fits the student’s public health interests
  6. For epidemiology track applicants only: the specific public health area in which you would like to do research
  7. What applicant plans to do in the first few years after graduation