Field of Study Changes

Overview

After applying, and being admitted, you may find early in your degree program (first few weeks) that your interests and career objectives are better aligned with a different field of study within the MPH program. If this situation arises, it is important to know that only the fields of study within your specific MPH degree variant are available to choose from (i.e., fields of study within the MPH-65 program and not the MPH-45 program).

When

Students considering changing their field of study must submit their request and a new statement of purpose and objectives to the MPH-OEP Office at mph@hsph.harvard.edu by 10:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, to ensure that their request can be reviewed by the field of study admissions committee in sufficient time for the committee to make a decision before the Fall/Fall 1 add/drop deadline.

Please note that approval is not guaranteed and is also dependent upon available space in required courses. Thus, requests submitted prior to the opening of the second priority enrollment wave (Monday, August 22, 2022) may be more likely to be approved.

How

All field of study changes are processed via the following standard process:

  1. In your email request, state your reason for requesting a change in field of study
  2. Please attach a new statement of purpose and objectives (should not exceed 600 words) describing the following:
      • Your academic and/or professional preparation for a career in public health
      • Your focused interest in the new MPH field of study
      • Career plans upon completion of the program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Who to Contact

For questions about changing your field of study, please contact the MPH-OEP Office at mph@hsph.harvard.edu.