Doctor of Public Health, Dr.P.H.

Admission Requirements

1. Application – Completion of an application in Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS).
2. Degree – Completion of a Master’s or terminal degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants who do not have a graduate degree in Public Health will be required to complete prerequisite Public Health coursework.
3. Transcripts – Official transcript(s) from each college or university previously attended. A transcript is required even if the courses from one school appear on the transcript of another school. (NOTE: SOPHAS will NOT process your application without receiving all official transcripts. Please refer to the SOPHAS FAQs page for instructions on HOW TO SEND TRANSCRIPTS.)
   • All foreign transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES). Visit http://www.wes.org/ to view which documents are required for your country and to request an International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP) Course-by-Course Report.
   • Transcript(s) should show completion of at least one (1) graduate-level core course in each of the following five (5) areas: biostatistics, epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences in public health, health policy and management, and environmental health. (Applicant may be asked to provide syllabi for courses taken.)
   • Courses must have been completed in the last five (5) years and each must have been passed with a grade of “B” or better. Applicants who have not completed these courses, but whose applications show exceptional potential for success in the Dr.P.H. program, may be admitted to the Dr.P.H. program, but will be required to complete the courses (as presented in the JPHCOPH M.P.H. core course requirements) with grades of “B” or better before progressing to the Public Health Core and Concentration Courses of the Dr.P.H. program. If the applicant has completed a Master’s degree in a field other than public health, professional public health work experience in one or more of the five core areas may be substituted for the corresponding M.P.H. level courses at the discretion of the College. Applicants who took these courses more than five years ago but who work in the Public Health field may request a waiver. Requests for this waiver must be submitted in writing to jphcoph-admissions@georgiasouthern.edu.
4. Grade Point Average (GPA) – Preferred minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 scale in upper division graduate courses.
5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) – Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), taken within the last five (5) years sent to school code 8560. The requirement for completion of a standardized test will be waived for those applicants who hold a terminal degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
6. English Language Proficiency – International applicants and U.S. Citizens whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. Prior to consideration for admission, international applicants whose native language is not English must take and post acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (http://www.ets.org/toefl) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (http://www.ielts.org) unless they have received a degree from an accredited college or university in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada (except Quebec), Australia, or New Zealand. The TOEFL and IELTS examinations are administered at various times of the year and in many centers throughout the world.
   • A score of at least 75 (internet-based test, IBT) or 537 (paper-based test) on the TOEFL and 6.0 on the IELTS is normally required to be considered for regular admission. The official TOEFL and the official IELTS scores may not be more than two (2) years old. Those who do not meet the minimum proficiency standard may be recommended for enrollment in University English courses or for English courses offered by the English Language Program (ELP) on campus. Successful completion of Intensive English Programs (IEPs) at other English Language Program (ELP) providers will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Request that your official TOEFL scores be sent directly to SOPHAS. Official IELTS scores should be sent to: Georgia Southern University, Office of Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 8113, Statesboro, GA 30460-8113.
7. Letters of Recommendation – Three (3) letters of recommendation. It is strongly advised that two letters be from individuals who can address your past academic performance and it is encouraged that the third letter is from a work or internship supervisor.
8. Curriculum Vitae/Resume – A CV/Resume that includes the following:
   1. educational experiences,
   2. professional goals and objectives,
   3. work history,
   4. professional experiences, memberships and/or participation in professional organizations,
   5. experiences in public health programs.
9. Statement of Purpose – A Statement of Purpose (700-1,000 words) that conveys the applicant’s reasons for pursuing a Dr.P.H. in Public Health and how admission into the program concentration in which they are applying, Biostatistics, Community Health Behavior and education, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, or Public Health Leadership, relates to the applicant’s professional aspirations.

*Some students may be required to take prerequisite coursework prior to beginning the program of study. Conditions of admission will be presented at the student’s first advisement appointment.

Deadlines

Applications for the JPHCOPH graduate programs are accepted for FALL admission only.  Applications and ALL supporting documents must be in SOPHAS no later than the JPHCOPH Application Deadline to be considered for admission.  Per the application timeline below, it is highly recommended that your application and all supporting documents be received by SOPHAS at least four (4) weeks prior to the JPHCOPH application deadline date.  (NOTE: If ALL supporting documents are not in SOPHAS by the deadline date, your application will be marked as Incomplete and will not be considered for admission.)

• February 1 – Fall admission deadline to receive priority consideration for JPHCOPH graduate assistantship
• May 1 – Fall admission deadline for International applicants
• June 1 – Fall admission deadline for United States applicants

Application Timeline

Please allow enough time for processing when submitting an application and supporting documents.  The entire admissions application process can take approximately ten (12) weeks.  (Note: Processing times vary throughout the cycle, therefore this timeline may not apply to every applicant’s situation.)

• SOPHAS Timeline – To ensure your application is mailed (sent) to JPHCOPH on time, all materials should be received by SOPHAS at least four (4) weeks prior to the JPHCOPH application deadline date. Once your application is considered complete, it can take approximately four (4) weeks to be processed and verified by SOPHAS.
• Georgia Southern University Timeline – The JPHCOPH does not review an application until every official document has been received and verified by SOPHAS.  It can take approximately to six (6) weeks for a completed application to be processed.

NOTE:  It is highly recommended that you request official transcripts/foreign evaluations, test scores, and reference letters at least eight (8) weeks prior to the JPHCOPH application deadline date.

Program Contact Information

Last updated: 5/23/2023