Graduate Record Examination

Except as specified below, all applicants to Harvard School of Public Health are required to submit official scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The Educational Testing Service (ETS) reports scores from tests taken after October 1, 1985, for five years. If you took the GRE more than five years ago, you will need to retake the exam. If you took the GRE between October 1, 1972, and September 30, 1985, ETS will officially report your scores for up to 20 years. Please report your GRE scores to code 3456 for Harvard School of Public Health. We will not release these scores to SOPHAS. Even though we do not have a minimum GRE score requirement, we do look for strong quantitative, verbal, and analytical writing ability. Many successful candidates typically score above 650 in the quantitative section of the GRE. Nevertheless, please note that applications are evaluated in their entirety.

Other Standardized Tests
Some programs may consider other test scores under the conditions listed below. Please call the HSPH Admissions Office to inquire about the possibility of substituting these scores. Please note that we will not accept USMLE nor ECFMG scores in lieu of GREs.

Dental Admission Test (DAT): Applicants submitting DAT scores must have been awarded a degree from or must be currently enrolled in a graduate-level dental degree program at an accredited dental school in the United States. Please send scores directly to Harvard School of Public Health.

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT): Applicants submitting GMAT scores must have been awarded a degree from or must be currently enrolled in an MBA or DBA program at an accredited graduate school of management or business in the United States. Applicants to the 80-credit SM in Health Policy and Management may submit GMAT scores. Please send scores directly to Harvard School of Public Health. Please designate code HRLJ673.

Law School Admission Test (LSAT): For MPH Law and Public Health Applicants Only--Applicants submitting LSAT scores must have a graduate-level law degree from or must be currently enrolled in a graduate-level law degree program at an accredited law school in the United States. The Law School Admissions Testing Service will not forward LSAT scores to schools that are not schools of law. If you are submitting LSAT scores (under the conditions listed above), please have the scores forwarded to you in a sealed envelope. You should send this unopened envelope directly to the HSPH Admissions Office.

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT): Applicants submitting MCAT scores must hold an MD or DO or must currently be enrolled in an MD or DO degree program at an accredited medical school in the United States. Medical graduates who have not taken the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as a requirement for admission to an accredited medical school must submit test scores from the GRE. The United States Medical Licensing Examination is not accepted by the Harvard School of Public Health as a substitute for the GRE.

Applicants may designate SOPHAS as a recipient of MCAT scores. If you sent your MCAT scores to Harvard School of Public Health, please contact HSPH in writing at admisofc@hsph.harvard.edu in order for us to retrieve your scores. We will not release these scores to SOPHAS.

English Proficiency

Test of English as a Foreign Language: The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all applicants for whom English is not their first language and who are applying from countries where English is not the language of instruction. HSPH requires a minimum of 587 on the paper-based test, 240 on the computer-based test, and 94-95 on the Internet-based 4-part test. Official scores from TOEFL may be reported to Harvard School of Public Health at code number 3456.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) may also be accepted with a score of 7.0 or greater. Please have an official score report sent directly to Harvard School of Public Health.