Master of Public Health

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college.
• Minimum of one year of undergraduate mathematics (e.g. algebra, statistics, or finite math).
• Competent written and oral communication skills.
• Students meeting these requirements are not guaranteed admission. Other admission factors include references, work experience, the personal statement, and personal interview (if applicable).

MPH applications and supplemental materials must be submitted to SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Service). SOPHAS is meant to facilitate the collection of common application materials and general information. For more information and frequently asked questions please visit sophas.org.

Please note: 

It is not uncommon for degree programs to have some curricular overlap, especially between different degree levels within the same/similar discipline.

Credit sharing (also referred to as double-dipping) for degrees at the same degree level is not allowed. In example, the Master of Science in Global Health and Sustainable Development degree and the Master of Public Health degree may not share credits across the curriculum to obtain two separate degrees. This applies to graduated students returning to obtain a second degree. 

The only allowable credit overlap or sharing exists between approved accelerated degree programs, dual degree programs, master's to PhD, or the approved use of credits earned in a graduate certificate for a more advanced degree. 

GRE scores are not required for admission. To strengthen the application, GRE scores are strongly recommended if the cumulative GPA from all undergraduate institutions attended is below 3.0. Official GRE test scores taken within the past five years are acceptable.

The personal statement should contain only responses to the following five questions. Students must upload their responses to the Personal Statement section of SOPHAS.

Please answer each of the following five questions in a concise and well-written short answer format. Responses to each question should not exceed 100 words (500 words total for all five questions).

• Where did your interest in public health originate?
• Why are you interested in the Fairbanks School of Public Health?
• Which MPH concentrations are you pursuing and why?
• What do you think you might be doing professionally five years from now? Please list two possibilities.
• What do you think are the most pressing public health issues at this time?

For each position on the résumé or CV, provide the job title, employing agency, dates employed, and responsibilities held. Indicate any additional strengths or skills such as fluency in foreign languages, research experience, teaching experience, community service, and demonstration of leadership skills. Include professional certifications, honors, and awards.

Your résumé or CV can be uploaded electronically into SOPHAS and should not be mailed.

U.S. or Canadian transcripts

Official post-secondary transcripts from all U.S. institutions attended (must be sent directly from the institutions to SOPHAS). This includes previous study at Indiana University campuses. U.S. applicants who studied at foreign institutions as part of a study abroad experience at their U.S. college or university do not need to provide a WES evaluation of their study abroad coursework.

Applicants are required to enter all U.S. coursework. Entering U.S. coursework allows SOPHAS to calculate GPAs that institutions use in reviewing applications, provides a way for institutions to review applications using electronic review forms and also allows for a mechanism to gather aggregate information about prior coursework. SOPHAS uses official transcripts to verify the self-reported coursework. This process significantly expedites the institution review process.

For regular mail, please send your transcript to:

SOPHAS
P.O. Box 9111
Watertown, MA 02471-9111

For overnight delivery only:

SOPHAS
c/o Liaison International
311 Arsenal Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone: 617-612-2090

Applicants who have not earned a degree at the time of application submission will be required to submit an official transcript upon acceptance to the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health. This official transcript should indicate your degree earned and date of conferral. If you did not earn your degree at the time you applied to SOPHAS, please send an updated official transcript with degree earned and date of conferral to:

IU Fairbanks School of Public Health
Office of Student Services and Admissions
Attn: Cher Pearcy
1050 Wishard Blvd., 6th Floor
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Foreign transcripts

All applicants with foreign academic credentials must provide a World Education Services (WES) ICAP course-by-course evaluation of those credentials. Because this process can take some time, applicants should submit their transcripts to WES at least one month in advance of the application deadline.

Through special arrangements with SOPHAS, WES will deliver its credential evaluation report directly to SOPHAS by secure electronic transmission. This expedites the delivery of the evaluation report as well as images of the applicant’s verified transcripts to SOPHAS and allows SOPHAS to process the report most efficiently.

Visit WES for more information

Three letters of recommendation are required from academic/professional sources that can provide an unbiased critical assessment of your abilities, skills, strengths, and weaknesses. Examples of academic/professional sources are professors, academic advisors, internship preceptors, or immediate supervisors. Examples of sources that are not acceptable include coworkers, colleagues, teaching assistants, classmates, ministers, and relatives.

Recommendation letters must be submitted electronically to SOPHAS.

Interviewees are invited at the discretion of the admission committee.

The MPH admissions committee conducts interviews using Skype video conferencing for applicants who are unable to travel to Indianapolis for the interview. Skype is a free software application that allows users to connect through the internet to communicate. Note that applicants will need access to a webcam and microphone for the interview.

The Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health requires applicants whose native language is not English or whose academic study was done exclusively at non-English speaking institutions to prove English proficiency by providing either official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. Scores must be under two years old.

The preferred minimum English language test scores for admission to the Fairbanks School of Public Health are:

• Internet-based TOEFL: minimum score of 92
• Computer-based TOEFL: minimum score of 263
• Paper-based TOEFL: minimum score of 620
• IELTS (total band score): minimum score of 7

Applicants must submit:

• TOEFL scores to SOPHAS using the following designation DI Code 5688.
•  IELTS scores can be uploaded electronically to SOPHAS. Upload IELTS scores in the standardized test section of application and include your TRF Number.  For more information on submitting your Official IELTS scores to SOPHAS, click here.

• International applicants who reside in the U.S. at the time of application must submit TOEFL, ILETS or IU Indianapolis EAP (English for Academic Purposes) exam scores.
• International applicants who do not reside in the U.S. at the time of application must submit their TOEFL or IELTS scores with their application and, if admitted to the MPH program, also complete an EAP Exam upon arrival to Indianapolis.
• The USMLE and ECFMG do not fulfill the required proof of English proficiency when applying to the MPH program. Applicants who have passed the USMLE or ECFMG must also submit TOEFL, IELTS or EAP scores.

To schedule a test date and time please call the testing center at 317-274-2620.

See more information on the EAP

Foreign transcripts
All applicants with foreign academic credentials must provide a World Education Services (WES) ICAP course-by-course evaluation of those credentials. Because this process can take some time, applicants should submit their transcripts to WES at least one month in advance of the application deadline.

Through special arrangements with SOPHAS, WES will deliver its credential evaluation report directly to SOPHAS by secure electronic transmission. This expedites the delivery of the evaluation report as well as images of the applicant’s verified transcripts to SOPHAS and allows SOPHAS to process the report most efficiently.

See more information on WES

DO NOT mail any other documents to SOPHAS, including thesis, dissertations, or pre-secondary or secondary transcripts.

International applicants will be required to submit official transcripts, marksheets and diplomas from all colleges and universities attended to the IU Indianapolis Office of International Affairs (OIA). OIA will evaluate your transcripts to determine if eligibility requirements for graduate study have been met.

Please mail transcripts, marksheets and diploma to:

Office of International Affairs
Indiana University Indianapolis
902 W. New York Street, ES2126
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Office: (317) 274-7000
Fax: (317) 274-2213
Email: intlaff@iu.edu
Web: international.indianapolis.iu.edu

• English speaking countries
• English proficiency for admission

Transfer credits from a CEPH accredited MPH program
Students transferring from a CEPH accredited program or school may transfer up to 15 credit hours of coursework, in which a grade of “B” or better was awarded, into the MPH program.

The courses being considered for transfer credit must have been completed within the past three years. To be considered for transfer credit, submission of the course syllabus and Request for Evaluation of Transfer Credit Form is required.

Please note that a separate form must be completed for each course requesting to be evaluated for transfer. Students will be notified by mail regarding the results of their request(s) for transfer credit.

Transfer credits from a non-CEPH accredited MPH program
The Fairbanks School of Public Health will consider up to nine credit hours of graduate work for transfer into the MPH program. Students transferring from a non-CEPH (Council on Education for Public Health) accredited program or school may transfer no more than nine credit hours of coursework, in which a grade of “B” or better was awarded, into the MPH program.

The courses being considered for transfer credit must have been completed within the past three years. To be considered for transfer credit, submission of the course syllabus and Request for Evaluation of Transfer Credit Form is required.

Please note that a separate form must be completed for each course requesting to be evaluated for transfer. Students will be notified by mail regarding the results of their request(s) for transfer credit.

Access the transfer form