Review of Applications
All applications for admission to Harvard School of Public Health are reviewed in their entirety. In addition to the application for admission submitted through SOPHAS and the SOPHAS application fee, all applicants must submit to SOPHAS all post-secondary transcripts or marks sheets, three letters of reference, resume/curriculum vitae, and a statement of purpose and objectives. Applicants must submit GRE scores directly to the Harvard School of Public Health Admission Office using ETS code: 3456. We encourage all applicants to visit our Suggested Timeline for Preparing your Application.
Please make note of the statement of purpose and objectives required by the degree program to which you are applying. Specific details are provided under Statement of Purpose and Objectives on the menu on the left-hand side of this page. MPH, JD/MPH and non-residential master of science in health care management for physician and dental executive applicants need to submit a statement specific to the respective programs as described in the Statement of Purpose and Objectives section.
Prerequisite Degree Requirements
Note to prospective applicants with a bachelor's degree (or non-US equivalent):
The Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology will review applicants holding a minimum of a bachelor's degree for the master of science 80 credit or the doctoral program (PhD or SD, respectively).
The Departments of Environmental Health; Global Health and Population (formerly Population and International Health);Health Policy and Management; Nutrition; and Society, Human Development, and Health may consider applicants with a minimum of a bachelor's degree, however, most successful candidates have some relevant work experience.
Please see departmental websites for specific details.
| Degree Name | Prerequisite Degree Requirements | ||
| Master of Science 80 credit | SM | Requires prior bachelor's degree or non-US equivalent. Some departments prefer work experience. See departmental websites for more specific information. The 80-credit master of science is offered in Biostatistics; Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Global Health and Population (formerly Population and International Health); Health Policy and Management; and Society, Human Development, and Health. | |
| Master of Science 60 credit | SM | Requires prior bachelor's degree or non-US equivalent in one of the mathematical sciences or an allied field (for example, biology, psychology, or economics). The 60-credit master of science is offered in Biostatistics. | |
| Master of Science 42.5 credit | SM | Please see departmental websites for specific prerequisite degree requirements. For most departments, applicants must hold a prior doctoral degree. The Department of Environmental Health will review applicants with a masters degree in a related discipline or significant professional experience. The Department of Society, Human Development, and Health will review applicants with a prior related graduate degree and experience in the public health field. The 42.5-credit master of science is also offered in Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Health Policy and Management. | |
| Master of Public Health | MPH | Requires prior doctoral degree- for example MD, DO, DDS (or their non-US equivalents), PhD, SD, JD, or other health-related doctoral degrees. MD and DO students may apply to enroll between third and fourth year in medical school. Also eligible to apply are those with a master's degree in a health-related field (for example, MSN, MSW, MBA) and three years of relevant experience. The law and public health concentration requires a prior JD or non-US equivalent degree. Law students already holding a relevant advanced degree may also be considered. Students who may have been accepted to Harvard Law School may apply to a joint JD/MPH program. | |
| Master of Occupational Health | MOH | Requires prior medical degree. The master of occupational health is offered through the Department of Environmental Health. | |
| Doctor of Science | SD | Bachelor's degree or non-US equivalent except for the Departments of Health Policy and Management (requires prior medical degree) and Immunology and Infectious Diseases (requires prior clinical degree). The SD is also offered in Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Global Health and Population (formerly Population and International Health); Nutrition; and Society, Human Development, and Health. | |
| Doctor of Public Health | DPH | Applicants must have, or be in progress toward, an MPH degree, in addition, candidates must hold an advanced degree in a basic public health discipline similar to the requirements for the master of public health (42.5 credit) program listed above. The DPH is offered by Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Global Health and Population (formerly Population and International Health); Nutrition; and Society, Human Development, and Health. | |
| Special Student |
SS | This non-degree option is open to anyone who would like to register for Harvard School of Public Health courses for one academic year. Applicants must apply to a department through the standard SOPHAS application process and need to have met the departmental eligibility requirements. This option is available for the following departments: Biostatistics; Envrionmental Health; Epidemiology; Health Policy and Management; Immunology and Infectious Diseases; Nutrition; and Society, Human Development, and Health |
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| Doctor of Philosophy | PhD |
All PhD programs are offered under the aegis of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. |
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