MPH Admissions

Please note:
The application deadline for Fall 2017 has passed.
The application window for Fall 2018 will open on September 1, 2017.

Welcome Applicants!

We're excited that you have chosen to apply to UC Irvine for your MPH degree. Students are admitted for the Fall quarter only. We encourage you to begin the application process early to ensure that your file is complete by the deadline. Applications are reviewed after the posted application deadline.

Qualifications for the Master of Public Health

To be eligible to apply to the M.P.H., an applicant must meet the minimum academic requirements:

• Successful completion or expected completion of a bachelor's degree (or foreign equivalent) from a recognized academic institution prior to enrollment at UCI
• Have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (B average)
• Possess strong verbal and quantitative skills as reflected by GRE General Test scores

As the Master of Public Health is an interdisciplinary program, we encourage students from a variety of majors to apply.

Though the GRE is preferred, you may submit a score from the MCAT, LSAT, or GMAT in lieu of the GRE. We cannot accept scores for the PCAT, DAT, USMLE, or any other exams.

Application Requirements

The following items are required to apply:

• Online UC Irvine application and fee and SOPHAS application and fee
• Statement of Purpose (Submitted in both applications)
• Personal History Statement (Submitted in both applications if applicable)
• GRE General Test scores (Submitted to SOPHAS and UCI Graduate Division)
• Official transcripts from all institutions including community college and graduate coursework (see Transcripts below)
• 3 Letters of Recommendation (Submitted online to SOPHAS and UCI Graduate Division.)

SOPHAS and UC Irvine Application:

• We do require both applications to be complete and paid in full in order for your application to be considered for review.
• There is a fee for both applications (SOPHAS - $135 for the initial application; UC Irvine - $120 domestic and $140 international)
• The UC Irvine Application window opens on September 1st. The SOPHAS application window opens September 3rd.

International Applicants

In addition to the above mentioned items, international applicants must also submit:

• TOEFL or IELTS scores

Please see the test score section below for instructions on how to submit official test scores. Test scores that are two years or older are not acceptable.

International students should submit official foreign transcripts to UC Irvine only. SOPHAS will not accept foreign transcripts.

For more helpful information on applying to UCI as an international student, see the UCI Graduate Division International Admissions page.

Transcripts, Test Scores, and Letters of Recommendation

Submitting Transcripts

During the application period, official transcripts from every school that you have attended after high school must be submitted to SOPHAS.

SOPHAS ADDRESS:

SOPHAS
PO BOX 9111
Watertown, MA 02471-9111

UCI Graduate Division:

For application review purposes only, scan and upload copies of transcripts for all institutions attended after high school. In the online application, you will be prompted to upload your scanned documents. Please upload both the front and back sides of the transcript. Uploaded transcripts should be recent and include the following: your name, dates of attendance, grades/marks received, credits and grading legend. UCI reserves the right to require official transcripts at any time during the admission process, and rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between uploaded and official transcript(s) are found. Official transcripts will be requested if and when you are admitted and decide to attend UCI. Do not send official transcripts until this time, unless you are requested to do so.

How to Submit your Graduate Admission Test Scores

The procedure for submitting your test scores varies depending on which exam score(s) you choose to send. Please read the directions below carefully and remember that your application will not be considered complete or reviewed by the Admissions Committee without the required test scores!

GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

GRE scores must be submitted electronically by the testing service to the UCI Graduate Division and SOPHAS. To send an official GRE score report to UCI, please select institution code 4859. For SOPHAS, please use code 0617. GRE scores are not valid for more than five years.

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)

MCAT scores must be officially reported to SOPHAS only. Please use the code "SOPHAS" when asking the testing agency to send scores http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm. MCAT scores are generally valid for no more than three years.

GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)

Applicants can ask the testing agency to release scores to the UC Irvine Master of Public Health by searching the program database https://registration.mba.com/testtaker/asr/SchoolSearch/GMAC. If you wish to submit GMAT scores in lieu of the GRE, please send an email to phgo@uci.edu stating your full name and UC Irvine application ID number. Public Health staff will verify your score with the Graduate Management Admissions Council. Please also list your GMAT scores in the SOPHAS application under the self-reported test score section, though SOPHAS does not accept official score reports from GMAC. GMAT scores are valid for five years.

LSAT (Law School Admissions Test)

Scores for the LSAT must be released directly to the Program in Public Health by a law school. To release your scores, you must send a written, signed request to a law school to which you have applied. It is the responsibility of the applicant to be certain that official scores for the LSAT are on file with the Program in Public Health by the December 15th deadline. We apologize, but we cannot accept paper copies of LSAT score reports submitted directly by applicants. Please also list your LSAT scores in the SOPHAS application under the self-reported test score section, though SOPHAS does not accept official score reports from LSAC. LSAT scores are valid for no more than five years.

Note: The UC Irvine Graduate application does not provide a place to list scores from graduate admissions examinations other than the GRE. If you wish to use MCAT, GMAT, or LSAT scores in lieu of the GRE, leave the "Test Scores" section of the application blank and submit your test scores according to the instructions on this page.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

TOEFL or IELTS scores are required from all applicants from countries in which the official language is not English (please see http://www.grad.uci.edu/admissions/applying-to-uci/english-proficiency.html for exceptions to this policy). Scores must be submitted to SOPHAS and UCI. To send scores to SOPHAS, use code 5688 SOPHAS for TOEFL scores www.toefl.com or the code "SOPHAS" for IELTS scores www.ielts.org. To send scores to UCI, please use code 4859 to send official electronic TOEFL scores. IELTS scores may be submitted to UCI by asking the testing center to send electronic scores to UC Irvine. No institution code is required.

Letters of Recommendation

• We require a minimum of three letters of recommendation to be submitted electronically to both the SOPHAS application and the UCI Graduate Division application.
• The SOPHAS recommendation form has two components, a form with numerical ratings and a comments section. Recommendations without the written comments are considered incomplete by UC Irvine, and will not be sent forward for review by the department.
• Graduate applications that do not include submitted letters of recommendation to both SOPHAS and the UCI Graduate Division will be considered incomplete by UC Irvine, and will not be sent forward for review by the department.
• We do not accept hard-copy letters sent to our offices.

Essays - Personal Statement and Personal History

• You will need to upload your essays to both the SOPHAS application and the UC Irvine application. These must be identical statements that adhere to the word/character limits written below.
• DO NOT upload your essays to only one application and indicate that we need to see the other application to find your essay. This will be considered incomplete.
• Word Limits
  
  Statement of Purpose - 1200 words
  
  Personal History Statement - 4500 characters (about 750 words)
• Guidelines
  
  Statement of Purpose - Your Statement of Purpose should explain what has brought you to pursue graduate training in Public Health. It should also explain your eventual career goals and why you need an MPH degree. It may also explain why you are pursuing this degree now, and why at Irvine.
  
  Personal History Statement - Your Personal History Statement gives you an opportunity to add some individuality and depth to the basic information contained in your Statement of Purpose. Please discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree; how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree. You will enter this essay in the "Additional Questions" section of the SOPHAS application.

PLEASE NOTE

Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we cannot confirm receipt of UC Irvine Graduate applications. The department will not confirm the receipt of application materials or online applications to SOPHAS, as SOPHAS has a status page that you can access after your application is received. The completeness and timeliness of your applications is your responsibility, so check back often. Be sure to allow yourself enough time to turn in the applications by the deadline, remembering that unanticipated technical difficulties do sometimes occur. Incomplete applications will NOT be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.