Public Health Programs (Division of Academic Affairs)
Program Admission Requirements
Public Health, Certificate
Applicants to the Certificate of Graduate Study in Public Health must have, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree. While students currently enrolled in master of public health degree programs are not eligible for the C.G.S.P.H. program, students working on other graduate degree programs are eligible.
Requirements include:
- baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale; baccalaureate degree transcripts required;
- completed University of South Carolina application form and fee;
- letter of intent describing your interest in the certificate and specific career goals;
- curriculum vitae/resume;
- two letters of recommendation.
General Public Health, M.P.H.
Applicants for the Master of Public Health in General Public Health must meet the general requirements of the University of South Carolina Graduate School. MCAT, DAT, GRE, or other equivalent test scores are required for all applicants. Among those offered admission in 2009 and 2010, the average GRE verbal score was 495 and the average GRE quantitative score was 625; the average undergraduate GPA was 3.51. Successful applicants for this program are expected to have an academic foundation in public health or health-related sciences, and substantive post-baccalaureate experience in clinical or public health settings.
International applicants to the Master of Public Health in General Public Health program are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in order to meet admission requirements. Applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL or the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 80 (internet-based). The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5.
Applicants must include an official transcript from each school or college previously attended (all prior post-secondary school study must be represented). Transcripts from any non-U.S. institution will need to be verified by World Education Services (WES, http://www.wes.org or telephone: 212-219-7330). In addition, there must be at least three letters of recommendation and a detailed written statement indicating the applicant’s area of interest and career goals, along with a current and complete resume.
Admissions process information and links can be found at the Arnold School of Public Health webpage: http://www.sph.sc.edu/futurestudents/index.htm. Applications for the MPH program are made through the Schools of Public Health Application System (SOPHAS). Please go to http://www.sophas.org for further details. An applicant who has applied to the USC Preventive Medicine Residency program should apply through the Graduate School. All admissions applications are reviewed by a faculty committee representing the Departments of Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior; and Health Services Policy and Management.
General Public Health / Medicine, M.P.H. / M.D.
To be admitted to the Doctor of Medicine/Master of Public Health dual degree program, potential students must make application to and be accepted by both degree programs prior to matriculation. Therefore, applicants for the Doctor of Medicine/Master of Public Health must meet all entrance requirements for the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in either the USC School of Medicine or the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine and the Master of Public Health in General Public Health in the Arnold School of Public Health.
All academic requirements for the University of South Carolina Graduate School, School of Medicine, and the Arnold School of Public Health are applicable to students applying to the dual degree program. For admission requirements for the Doctor of Medicine degree program, please contact the USC School of Medicine. Degree requirements for the Master of Public Health in General Public Health are described above. Applicants to the dual degree program should submit an application for the M.P.H. to the Graduate School.
Any student holding the M.D. or M.P.H. in General Public Health degree is not eligible for admission to the dual degree program.
General Public Health / Pharmacy, M.P.H. / Pharm.D.
To be admitted to the Doctor of Pharmacy/Master of Public Health dual degree program, potential students must make application to and be accepted by both degree programs. To be admitted to the M.P.H. program, applicants must either have a completed bachelors degree or have completed at least 90 hours in the Pharm.D. program. Degree requirements for the Master of Public Health in General Public Health are described above. Applicants to the dual degree program should submit an application for the M.P.H. to the Graduate School.
Additional information can be found on the Graduate Dual Degree Programs page.