Admissions

Students applying for the MS-Epi program use SOPHAS, the centralized application service for public health.

Deadlines

The application deadline is Jan. 15 for all applicants. Admissions are made on a rolling basis, and we strongly recommend that applicants submit their materials well before the deadline. All applications should indicate summer as the quarter of entry.

Prerequisites

• Baccalaureate or professional degree awarded no later than the day before classes begin
• Earned an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Have taken a college-level course in calculus or statistics before applying to the program

Application Requirements

Students applying for the MS-Epi program use SOPHAS. This common application for most accredited public health schools and programs requires the following:

• Two references/letters of recommendation from faculty members, instructors, employers, supervisors or others who can address your interest in public health and/or your ability to do graduate-level work are needed to mark your application as complete. You will be asked to provide the names, titles and email addresses of three people who can provide these letters. They may be instructors, supervisors, employers or volunteer coordinators.
• Transcript(s) from all colleges/universities you have attended; if you have attended post-secondary schools outside of the United States or Canada, your transcripts must be sent for evaluation to World Education Services (WES) for a WES ICAP Course-by-Course evaluation.
• CV or resume
• Statement of Purpose and Objectives (personal statement)

International Applicants

SOPHAS applicants who will be submitting documentation from post-secondary institutions outside of the United States and/or English-language institutions in Canada must have their documents evaluated by WES. Please note that WES evaluations will help our reviewers better understand the educational system in which you studied, which may be beneficial for your application review.

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, you can apply for either an F-1 or a J-1 visa. All full-time admitted students are eligible for the F-1 visa, provided they are proficient in English and can demonstrate proof of funding for at least the first year of study. Most international students at Northwestern University have this visa status. However, some students may also be eligible for a J-1 student visa. You can learn more from the Northwestern International Office.

English Language Proficiency

If your native language is not English, you must certify your proficiency in the English language in one of the following ways:

• Provide official scores for either the TOEFL or IELTS exam. The test must be taken no more than two years before the desired quarter of entry. For the TOEFL, you must score 600 or higher on the paper-based test, 250 or higher on the computer-based test or 100 or higher on the internet-based test. For the IELTS, you must receive a score of 7.0 or higher. Visit the TOEFL site to request your scores be sent to SOPHAS in Massachusetts, code 5688. Your scores will take 10 to 12 business days from the date you submit your request to post on your SOPHAS.
• Provide official transcripts verifying an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution or equivalent, where the language of instruction is English.
• Provide official transcripts verifying a graduate degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English.

Contact Us

For additional questions about applying, see our FAQ section or contact the director of admissions and graduate student affairs, Maureen Moran, MPH, at PPHAdmissions@northwestern.edu.