When to Apply

Deadlines for each degree program appear below. Notification timelines will appear here when they are announced:

October 15, 2023: Occupational and Environmental Residency Program (OEMR)

December 1, 2023: MHCM priority deadline, MPH, MPH-Epidemiology (online/on-campus), SM, DrPH, PhD in Biological Sciences, PhD in Biostatistics PhD in Population Health Sciences, PhD in Health Policy

January 15, 2024: Joint JD/MPH Program with Harvard Law School

(Harvard Law School 1L students applying after December 1, 2023 should contact the admissions office: admissions@hsph.harvard.edu.)

February 1, 2024:  Global Health Delivery Intensive, Program in Clinical Effectiveness priority non-degree deadline

February 15, 2024: MHCM final deadline

March 1, 2024: Global Infectious Diseases Summer Program, Summer Session for Public Health Studies, and Program in Clinical Effectiveness final non-degree deadline

Applicants interested in applying for entry in the 2025-2026 Academic Year will be able to access the application for admission in September 2024.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) applicants apply via Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. All other programs are offered on the SOPHAS application.

Planning Timeline

To help with your application planning, we provide the following recommended schedule, which is specifically oriented to those applying for the MPH, SM, MHCM, MPH-Epidemiology, DrPH, and dual degree programs. Consult the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences admissions website for PhD programs timelines.

January to April

  • Explore available degree programs and departments at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and eligibility requirements.
  • Review eligibility requirements.
  • Begin researching scholarships, fellowships, and external financial aid through the Office of Financial Aid.
  • Schedule GRE General Test to be taken no later than October for paper-based exams and November for computer-based exams to allow time for the official score reports to arrive. Check current School policy by clicking here.
  • If required, schedule the TOEFL, IELTS Academic, or Duolingo English Test to be taken no later than October for paper-based exams and November for computer-based and/or Internet-based exams to allow time for the official score reports to arrive.

April to August

  • Visit our admissions events calendar online.
  • Initiate conversations with your recommenders.
  • Request unofficial transcripts from all U.S. colleges and universities attended for data-entry purposes.

September

  • If you are applying for the SM, MPH, MCHM, or DrPH degrees, create an account and begin your application through SOPHAS. Application opens mid-August.
  • Generate SOPHAS transcript request forms to be sent to all post-secondary institutions attended in the U.S. and English-language institutions in Canada. For any coursework from colleges or universities outside of the U.S., please submit credentials to World Education Services for evaluation.

October and November

  • Submit application for admission and all supporting documents by mid-November. This will allow time for your application to be processed by SOPHAS and to be mailed to our office to meet our December 01 deadline. Even if you do not submit your application by mid-November, you can still submit your application to SOPHAS up until December 01 and this will allow you to meet our application deadline.
  • Be sure you have taken any required standardized tests (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS Academic, Duolingo English Test) no later than October for paper based exams and November for computer or internet based exams.

December

  • Application submission deadline for most programs is December 01.
  • Continue to monitor your SOPHAS portal to make sure that all required documents have been received and that your application has been mailed to the Harvard Chan School.

January

  • Begin applying for financial aid. Additional information will be sent by the Office of Financial Aid.
  • Continue to monitor your SOPHAS portal to ensure that your application has been sent to the Harvard Chan School.

February and March

Most applicants will be notified of decisions via email.