Frequently Asked Questions.

For the Spring 2022 and Fall 2022 semesters, SPH received roughly 3,500 applications for all degree programs.

Our Fall 2022 incoming class included approximately 350 MPH students, 30 MPH dual degree students, 23 PhD students, 35 MS students, and 7 DrPH students.

Applicants from all undergraduate majors and backgrounds are acceptable and encouraged to apply. Successful candidates display a solid mix of quantitative, verbal and reasoning skills.

Our classrooms are comprised of students with a mix of varied experiences – most have at least 1-2 years of work experience, while others have more extensive work experience. Two years of work experience is required for the Online MPH program.

No, a GRE score is not required for application to BU School of Public Health and will not be considered if submitted.

SPH has no stated minimum GPA score for prospective students, though the most competitive applicants typically report a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.

No. SOPHAS sends all verified coursework to SPH with your application and keeps copies of your official transcripts on file. You do not need to send your transcripts directly to SPH unless you are currently in a degree program and are accepted into a program here. In this case, you must send a final transcript from your current program once your degree has been conferred.

SPH requires three (3) letters of recommendation for all programs, except the Online MPH, which requires two (2). Letters should not be written by family, friends, or acquaintances. Depending on an applicant’s background, letters of recommendation may be a mix of professional and academic references. Below are some guidelines, but personal discretion may be used:

• If you have been in school within the past two years, you may have two (2) academic references and one (1) professional reference.
• If you have been in school within the past four years, you may have one (1) academic reference and two (2) professional references.
• If you have not been in school within the past four years, all three (3) may be professional references.

The Statement of Purpose is intended as an opportunity for applicants to provide a narrative of their education, experiences, and career objectives. Each program will have a slightly different emphasis for the statement. Please check application requirements for details about your program of interest.

Our rolling admissions process for the MPH program enables Admissions to receive and review prospective students’ applications on an ongoing basis throughout each admissions cycle. Please see our priority and final deadlines for  your program of interest.

For PhD and DrPH programs, decisions are not issued on a rolling basis. Our hope is to notify all applicants by mid-March.

Admissions recommends that all SPH candidates for the MPH and MS programs submit applications by the priority deadline in order to receive equal consideration for the available seats within each program as well as available scholarship funds, if applicable. Stated deadlines for PhD and DrPH programs are hard deadlines. Applications received or incomplete after the deadline will not be considered for admission.

Please see our priority and final deadlines for  your program of interest.

No. We only allow one program designation through SOPHAS. If the review committee recommends you for a different program, the Admissions Office will contact you directly.

The on-campus MPH and Online MPH have a spring application process for a January start date.

No. If you are a strong applicant, we are happy to accept you for fall or spring.

No. Admissions will not forward your application for review unless all required items have been submitted.

No. As soon as your application is complete with items that you have control over (Statement of Purpose, résumé/CV, all required sections of the online application, transcripts), you should submit your application. This will allow SOPHAS to begin verifying and preparing your application. Letters of recommendation will be added as they are received.

Transcripts can be mailed to the Admissions Office at BU School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Talbot Building, T2C, Boston, MA 02118. Students can also request an official, electronic copy of their final transcript be sent to asksph@bu.edu.

Yes, students accepted into the MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH, or Online MPH programs are able to defer their offer of admission once, for a semester. For example, a student accepted into the MPH for Fall enrollment may defer their enrollment to either the following spring semester.

No. Students will have the opportunity to finalized their certificate choices once on campus.

No. International and domestic applicants follow the same admissions cycle and apply through SOPHAS.

SPH requires all international transcripts be evaluated through WES (World Education Services).

No.

International students are eligible for tuition scholarships (if applicable), certain department scholarships, University fellowships, and/or private loans. In some cases, independent organizations may also offer funding specifically for international graduate students. For further information, please visit Financing Your Education.

You will need either Form I-20 or DS-2019. BU’s International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) will review your profile in order to determine which immigration document is appropriate.

Upon depositing, international students must submit the International Student Data Form (ISDF), which is supplied in the SPH acceptance package. Once Admissions receives your completed ISDF and supporting documents, SPH forwards your paperwork to ISSO for processing and approval. For more information, please refer to the ISSO website.

International Online MPH students are not eligible for a student visa.

If accepted by ISSO, international students will receive their I-20 or DS-2019 within 15 business days following receipt of ISDF and supporting financial documents. It is recommended that international students submit their ISDF and supporting financial documents immediately following their deposit. Paperwork will be processed in the order in which it is received.

No. If English is indicated as the language of instruction on your WES ICAP evaluation, then this requirement will be automatically waived. If your WES ICAP evaluation indicates any language other than English, you will be required to submit the TOEFL/IELTS Waiver Form  with required proof from your institution.

International students may work up to 20 hours per week on campus. Employment opportunities often include research assistant and teaching assistant positions. For more information, please visit the ISSO website.

Though financial aid is not awarded until after a student has been admitted, it is in your best interest to begin the process as soon as possible. The FAFSA application can be started as early as October 1. All prospective and incoming students should be in contact with Student Financial Services.

For qualified students, financial aid packages may include institutional scholarships, departmental scholarships, and federal loans. To learn more about financial aid for SPH students, please see Financing Your Education.

Yes. There are departmental scholarships available from some departments. For more information, please visit Financing Your Education.

Yes. A limited number of research and teaching assistant opportunities are available to students. To learn more about opportunities currently available, please visit Assistantships and Student Employment. Current students are alerted to these opportunities directly from their academic department.

Yes. For more information please visit the tuition benefits section of the BU Human Resources website.

There are a number of resources to help in finding scholarships:

• Financing Your Education
• Student Financial Services Scholarship Listings

Yes, SPH hosts information sessions throughout the year which provide a great opportunity to learn more about SPH, meet current students, and talk to members of the admissions team. To learn more, see the Events and Campus Visits page.

Please email your availability and interests to asksph@bu.edu and a member of our staff will be in touch with you.

Yes. Please contact Admissions directly to arrange an opportunity to speak with faculty, students, and other staff at SPH. Please email your inquiry to asksph@bu.edu.

There is a parking garage located at 710 Albany Street, which is directly across the street from campus. In addition, metered street parking is available throughout the area.

SPH is located in the South End of Boston at 715 Albany Street and is easily accessible from Logan Airport, major highways, local public transportation, and major bus and train stations.

Yes. SPH is a fully accredited school of public health through CEPH (Council on Education for Public Health), and our Healthcare Management certificate in the MPH degree program is CAHME accredited.

Yes. Our MS degree programs are STEM-approved, and the following On-Campus MPH Certificate Programs are also STEM-approved:

• Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• Environmental Health

Please fill out our online request form to receive program information and updates.

Yes. We do allow non-degree students to take up to two courses before being accepted into the program. Many residents of the Greater Boston area take courses for professional development, skills development, or to get a better feel for the program before applying.

Yes. We offer a fully online MPH degree for working professionals. Other courses within the MS and on-campus MPH programs are also offered online, including the Integrated Core Curriculum (the first four courses of the on-campus MPH program).  

All information about costs and fees can be found on our tuition and fees webpage.

Hands-on field experience is critical to your success in public health. As The School of Think. Teach. Do., BUSPH students will have integrated learning experiences and practicum opportunities, including through our Activist Lab. On-campus students have customized support from our Office of Career and Practicum, the largest Career Services office of the top 20 schools of public health.

BUSPH is proud to be Boston’s School of Public Health. Boston receives the most funding annually from the NIH funding, outpacing both New York City and Washington, D.C. BUSPH faculty are leading the conversation and work on public health in Boston, including serving on Boards of Health and advisors to nonprofit organizations across the city and state of Massachusetts. Boston has 14 teaching hospitals and a wide array of national and local nonprofits, healthcare facilities, and research institutions – which offers unparalleled networking, volunteer, internship, and practicum opportunities. Learn more about studying public health at Boston University.

The on-campus MPH program can be completed in as few as 16 months full-time, or on average three (3) years as a part-time student. The Online MPH degree for working professionals can be completed in two (2) years. For both degrees, students have up to five (5) years to complete their degree. Students are not able to complete MPH degree requirements within one (1) calendar year.

Absolutely. The world needs more public health professionals. An MPH degree from BUSPH prepares you to help develop solutions to the world’s greatest public health challenges. 94% of BUSPH graduates are either employed or continuing their education within 6 months of completing their degrees and the average starting salary of our graduates is $65,324.

BUSPH graduates are employed in many industries all over the globe—from local, state, and federal government to nonprofits, and consulting to health insurance and biotech. Our alumni are currently employed at Kaiser Permanente, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the US Department of Health and Human Services.

We have created a comparison chart to guide you through the differences between the two programs.

On-campus BU School of Public Health students participate in many extracurricular activities, including Student Organizations. The Graduate Student Life office plans activities and events from duck tours to professional sports games. Students are invited to engage with external speakers as part of our signature events, Public Health Conversations. On-campus students at SPH may join any student organization sponsored by BU at large, and have access to the University’s FitRec Center which sponsors various sports and outdoor clubs. For more information, please see Student Life.

As Boston’s School of Public Health, BUSPH is located in the heart of Boston’s South End, in the historic Talbot building, the original Boston City Hospital location. We share a campus with Boston Medical Center, the largest safety-net hospital in New England, and one of the largest independent hospital recipients of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. Boston has 14 teaching hospitals and a wide array of national and local nonprofits, healthcare facilities, and research institutions – which offer unparalleled networking, volunteer, internship, and practicum opportunities. BUSPH faculty are leading the conversation and work on public health in Boston, including serving on Boards of Health and advisors to nonprofit organizations across the city and state of Massachusetts. Students participate in the Activist Lab to engage with public health organizations, advocates, and practitioners to rectify or dismantle systems that create inequities. To learn more about student life at SPH, visit Graduate Student Life.

BUSPH embeds the principles of DEIJ in our classrooms, research, hiring, retention, staff and faculty development, student engagement, admissions, mission, and values. As an institution whose mission is rooted in social justice, the SPH 10-point DEIJ plan provides a framework to organize the current and future initiatives across the School and to guide our commitments as a community—recognizing that our work is ever-changing and never finished.