North Dakota State University

All applicants to the Master of Public Health program must demonstrate adequate preparation in a field related to public health and show potential to undertake advanced study, research and practical training as evidenced by previous academic accomplishment and experience.

All admission decisions are based upon full review of all information in the application in order to ensure fairness and to balance the limitations of any single element of the application. Strong preference for admission will be given to applicants with at least one year of practical experience in their field, including practical field experience gained within an academic program.

Minimum Program Admission Requirements

1. Completion of the online application form and payment of the application fee.

2. A baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university (for U.S. degrees, accreditation by one of the six regional accrediting associations: MSA, NASC, NCA, NEASC-CIHE, SACS-CC or WACS-Sr.).

3. An undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00. Undergraduate coursework in fields related to public health should generally exceed a GPA of 3.00.

4. Your success as a Graduate Student at NDSU is important and so we require a standardized test score to be submitted.* The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Dental Admission Test (DAT), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) are accepted. While there is no minimum score required for admission on standardized tests, performance is used an indicator of an applicant's verbal and quantitative skills. Due to testing center access issues, the MPH program has waived the GRE requirement for the current admissions cycle. The admissions committee still encourages scores to be submitted if available as they will help with the timeliness of the review process.

*A standardized test is not required of applicants who have completed a degree in a graduate program at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution of higher learning that required a standardized test score for admission. This test is also waived if applicants can show a minimum of five years of work experience, preferably in a community health-related field post baccalaureate degree along with a GPA of 3.2 or higher from most recent degree earned. Please email a current CV/resume and unofficial transcript to the academic coordinator, Stefanie.Meyer@ndsu.edu, if you’d like to be considered for a waiver.

5. All graduate applicants must demonstrate academic-level proficiency with the English language before they will be considered for admission. This requirement must be met by all applicants, regardless of citizenship, residency, or nation of birth. No applicants will be considered for admission until the English Language Proficiency Requirement has been met. The English Proficiency Requirement will not be waived for any reason. This requirement may be satisfied in any of the following ways:

• A bachelor’s degree or higher from a recognized institution in the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Australia, New Zealand, or English Speaking Canada;
• An overall minimum band score of 6.5 on the Academic Module IELTS;
• A satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
• The expected minimum score is 233 for the computer-based test, 90 for the Internet-based test, and 577 for the paper-based test.
• Successful completion of English Language Service (ELS) Language Center’s Intensive Level 112.

6. Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation:

• Written Statement of Purpose and Goals – applicants must submit a one-page, written narrative describing their education, relevant work experience and current professional career goals. Applicants are expected to comment on plans they have to use their education and training in public health and any personal qualities, characteristics and abilities they believe will enable them to be successful in achieving their professional career goals.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Official post-secondary academic transcripts from all institutions attended (transcripts must be sent directly from the institutions to NDSU)
• Admissions Tests – scores must be sent by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) directly to NDSU. The institution code for the GRE and TOEFL the institution code for North Dakota State University is 6474 and the Centralized Application Service for Public Health Programs (SOPHAS) Code 4770.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation from individuals who the applicant feels are most qualified to evaluate their academic achievement; clinical, public health or other professional experiences; or leadership potential in public health.

The Admissions Committee will invite selected applicants for an interview on the basis of the Committee's review of all submitted application materials.

Final decisions will be made after all interviews are completed. Satisfactory completion of a background check is required prior to admission.

Applications are reviewed in the spring on an annual basis for the MPH degree and certificate program.  Review of applications will begin January 15, 2020, with rolling review until full; priority for funding is available for applicants who meet the first review date. 

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POLICY ON TRANSFER OF GRADUATE CREDITS

A limited amount of graduate work completed at a regionally accredited North American institution prior to, or after matriculation in the program, may be applied toward the MPH. Graduate work is considered for transfer only on an individual basis and only after the student has completed satisfactory work in the program. Those transfer credits approved by the student’s advisor, course instructor, Program Director, and the Dean of the Graduate School will be included in the Program of Study for the MPH degree and only those transfer credits will be recorded on the transcript.

The basic purpose of the transfer policy is to ensure that transferred work is of comparable content, level, timeliness, and quality to that which would be taken at NDSU and included on a Program of Study for a masters degree. The following policies are generally applicable to the acceptance of the graduate work for transfer:

• The work must have been undertaken at an accredited North American institution.
• The student must have been enrolled at that institution as a graduate student.
• The work must have received graduate credit at the institution where it was earned.
• The student must have earned a grade of B or better.
• The work must be less than seven years old at the time the MPH degree is awarded.
• The maximum amount of transfer credit that will be accepted toward the MPH degree is nine

Students living in the  Western Interstate for Higher Education (WICHE) Region can apply to receive Western Region Graduate Program (WRGP) resident rates.