Master of Public Health
Getting Started
Admission to the Program
In addition to the general requirements of the University, specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status are:
1. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 ("B") in the last 90 quarter units of undergraduate coursework and in all post-graduate coursework;
2. Undergraduate coursework in the natural and social sciences and statistics, as well as in cultural, social and ethnic diversity;
3. Completion of the graduate entrance writing requirement;
4. Submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score;
5. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for applicants whose education has been in a language other than English;
6. Paid professional experience in health and human services (preferred);
7. Three letters of recommendation, one from the school where the applicant most recently completed coursework, or from someone who can attest to the applicant's academic ability and professional promise in the graduate degree program;
8. A statement of purpose, double-spaced and three pages maximum, describing those experiences which have shaped the applicant's interest in public health, the one academic experience which has meant the most to the applicant in his/her professional career, immediate and long term professional goals, reasons for being interested in the MPH program; strengths the applicant brings to the program, and those skills which the applicant would like to improve.
Students who meet the above criteria may be admitted as conditionally classified graduate students. To attain fully classified status, students must satisfy conditions set by the department's graduate committee, including completion of at least 16 quarter units of MPH core coursework with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 ("B") and removal of any deficiencies.
Advancement to Candidacy
To be advanced to candidacy, the student must:
1. Achieve classified status;
2. Complete 20 quarter units of core coursework with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 ("B");
3. Submit a formal program of study of graduate coursework prepared in consultation with the major advisor and approved by the MPH graduate coordinator. The program will include a professional field experience, project, thesis or comprehensive examination;
4. If the thesis option is selected, identify a faculty member from the Department of Health Science and Human Ecology who will chair the student's thesis committee;
5. Be recommended for advancement to candidacy from the graduate coordinator of the selected concentration area.
Please refer to the University catalog at http://catalog.csusb.edu for official information.