Admission - Public Health, MPH | University of San Francisco

Admission to the Master of Public Health (MPH) program is based on an overall appraisal of the applicant's preparedness for graduate-level study. Employment background, previous academic coursework and preparedness, research interests, and long-term professional goals are all factors that are considered as part of admission to the MPH program.

Application Deadlines

All MPH applications, regardless of concentration or location (San Francisco, Orange County, Sacramento or online) have the same application deadlines stated below. Applications are accepted for Fall admission only. Please contact us if you have any questions.

*Fall early consideration deadline – January 15
Regular Deadline: May 15 (San Francisco, Sacramento, Online)

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We highly encourage applicants to apply earlier in the process for consideration of any merit-based scholarships. International applicants are also encouraged to apply earlier to help facilitate the visa application process.

*Majority of scholarship aid is allocated to applicants who submit by the early consideration deadline.

Application Process & Requirements

All application materials should be uploaded online through the SOPHAS system. The School of Nursing & Health Professions Office of Graduate Admissions does not accept mailed materials. Applicants can check their application status online or by contacting the School of Nursing & Health Professions Office of Graduate Admissions. The following requirements are considered in the review of applications:

A completed online application on SOPHAS
Completion of a bachelor's degree (in any field) from an accredited institution
Unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Official or unofficial transcripts should be uploaded through the online application form. Transcripts must reflect the name of the institution attended, degree earned, grades earned, and GPA. Applicants should ensure that all transcripts are readable once uploaded. Submission of official transcripts is ONLY required for all admitted students who decide to enroll. For non-U.S. transcripts, applicants please submit translated transcripts.
Grade point average of 3.0 or higher
Personal statement of interest and goals (2 to 3 pages)
Two letters of recommendation. Applicants are required to submit letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to their competence and ability to be successful at a graduate level of study. In the online form, enter the names and e-mail addresses for recommenders. They will receive an e-mail from USF with instructions to upload their letter. Please note that letters of recommendation must be on letterhead and signed by the recommender.
Professional résumé. We are interested in the progression and mix of responsibilities in your work and volunteer experience and your skills. Experience should be for college and beyond (no high school).
No course prerequisites to the program. However, competency in statistics, precalculus math, and the basic biological and social (psychology, anthropology, sociology, economics) sciences is helpful.
Fluency in a second language is helpful as well, but not required.
No GRE required
For international students only: For those students seeking an F1 visa, USF is not able to issue an I-20 to a prospective student before they have met all criteria for full-admission. International students are required to submit the following: Copy of passport, TOEFL, IETLS, or PTE English language proficiency exam (please refer to the International Graduate Student page for test score requirements and additional information), and Certificate of Finances.
The University reserves the right to cancel cohorts due to unforeseen circumstances or low enrollment.

Frequently Asked Questions

MPH Statement of Purpose

You can use your statement of purpose to explain your background in public health, why you want to pursue an MPH degree, and what you plan to do with your MPH. It is reasonable if you are not 100% clear on what you want to do when you graduate. But, it helps to provide some sense of why you are interested in this degree.
Yes. You can definitely explain any known weaknesses in your application in your statement of purpose.
We are very interested in why you specifically are interested in USF. You can discuss our curriculum, our mission, faculty you are interested in working with, or any other aspect of the program that may be of interest to you.

MPH Letters of Recommendation

In general, letters from professors and supervisors are ideal. If you recently graduated from university, you should try to get at least one letter from a professor who can speak well of your abilities as a student. You can also obtain letters from supervisors at your job, internship, or volunteer workplace who may be able to discuss your work ethic, abilities, and commitment to the field. If you graduated from university a long time ago, it may make more sense to have letters from two supervisors.
Friends, family friends, or anyone else who cannot directly discuss your academic work or your professional work should not be used as letter writers.
Yes, all letters of recommendation must be signed by the letter writer. We suggest you give them this instruction when you ask them to write a letter for you and make sure they understand that it is very important that they sign your letter before they submit it.
Yes, all letters of recommendation must be written on the letterhead of the organization where your recommender works. We suggest you give them this instruction when you ask them to write a letter for you and make sure they understand that it is very important that they put your letter on letterhead before they submit it.

Accreditation

The University of San Francisco Master of Public Health Program is fully accredited by the Council of Education for Public Health (CEPH) through December 31, 2026.

State Authorization

Please check our State Authorization Status List for the states and territories from which we can enroll students in specific online degree programs.