MPH Application Requirements

Application for Graduate Study at Michigan State University (with associated application fee)

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university*

CURRENTLY ENROLLED Non-MSU undergraduates are welcome to submit an application. Admission decisions are contingent upon receiving official, degree-granting transcripts. MSU undergraduates are welcome to look into dual undergraduate enrollment options.

Official transcripts from each post-secondary university attended, including MSU

    • Domestic Applicants:
      • Transcripts are only considered official if they are sent directly from the institution's Registrar through a secure transcript service or via the National Student Clearinghouse.  Applicants must request their transcripts be sent.
      • Official transcripts from domestic institutions may be requested electronically or by mail. Please see the submission instructions below for details.
      • Previous/current MSU students must request official MSU transcripts, as our admissions committee does not have access to view MSU enrollment. Please see the submission instructions below for details.
    • Dual Enrollment Applicants:
      • All dual enrollment applicants are still required to submit official MSU transcripts (if they have at least one semester of MSU enrollment).
      • Please contact the MPH office to verify the need to submit official transcripts from outside of MSU.
    • International transcripts:
      • Electronic international transcripts will not be accepted; official transcripts and diplomas must arrive in envelopes sealed officially by the issuing institution.
      • An attested copy of the diploma must also be requested directly from the institution.
      • Michigan State University does not accept WES evaluations or any other report from a credential evaluation agency in lieu of official sealed transcripts from the applicant's institution.
    • Electronically: applicants must request official transcripts directly from their institution's registrar to be sent to MSU MPH Admissions (CHM.MPH_Admissions@msu.edu).
      • International transcripts will not be accepted electronically.
    • Via mail to: Master of Public Health, Division of Public Health, Michigan State University, 130 East 2nd Street, Suite 202, Flint, MI 48502
      • Hard copy transcripts must arrive to our office in an envelope sealed by the institution's registrar.  Transcripts that have been opened by the student are deemed unofficial and will not be accepted.
      • International transcripts must be submitted by mail.
         

Three letters of recommendation

    • Academic or professional references only. We do not accept letters written from personal references.
      • The Admissions Committee encourages applicants to request letters from multiple sources if possible. Although this is not a requirement, the committee prefers not to see all three letters of recommendation come from the same place of employment or the same academic program.
      • If the applicant has a potential letter-writer who may qualify as both a personal and professional/academic reference, they should encourage their letter-writer to omit any discussion of their personal relationship as it has no bearing on the Admissions Committee's decision.  Discussion of personal relationships in a professional or academic recommendation may disqualify the letter from use.
    • Recommendation letters must be written within one year of the date of application.
    • The Admissions Committee looks for letters of recommendation that address the following topics:
      • The applicant’s academic or professional capabilities
      • The applicant’s leadership skills
      • The applicant’s work ethic
      • The applicant’s ability to successfully complete graduate level work
      • The applicant’s personal qualities consistent with professionalism and teamwork
      • Any significant actions or accomplishments
    • Applicants input the e-mail addresses of their recommenders within their application. The system then sends the letter-writer an e-mail with instructions on how they can upload their letter directly to the application.
    • Letters uploaded by applicants will not be accepted. Letters of recommendation must be submitted directly to the application by the letter-writer or through a secure letter service such as Interfolio.

Personal statement describing interest/experience in the public health discipline and career goals

    • The personal statement should be a concise, well-written document discussing all of the following:
      • the applicant's interest in public health;
      • how their experiences (personal and professional) have influenced that interest;
      • how their career goals align with public health and their pursuit of an MPH; and
      • why they have chosen to apply to the MPH at MSU and how their skills and experience contribute to their candidacy.
    • 500-750 word limit. The Admissions Committee expects personal statements to be of sufficient length to fully understand the applicant's interest and goals in public health.
    • The applicant should submit their personal statement on the application to graduate study under the "Personal Statement" section.

Resume or CV

Test scores from a standardized graduate or professional school test (optional)

    • If an applicant feels that submitting test scores will enhance their application, they are welcome to do so.  In the event an applicant would like to submit test scores, please adhere to the following expectations.
      • Test scores cannot be more than five years old.
      • Scores above the 50th percentile preferred.
    • Examples of test scores accepted: GRE, GMAT, MCAT, DAT, LSAT, etc.
    • To upload test scores, applicants may take a screenshot from the official testing website and e-mail it as a PDF document to chm.mph_admissions@msu.edu.
    • The screenshot must include the applicant's full name, test date, overall score, and all subset scores.
    • Applicants may also request their scores to be sent directly to MSU by using the institution code 1465.

Academic statement (optional)

    • Applicants are provided the opportunity to submit an academic statement if they feel they have an academic situation that they would like to explain to the Admissions Committee. This option is highly recommended if an applicant has a less than a 3.0 GPA, individual semesters with poor performance, multiple withdrawals, less than preferable standardized graduate or professional school test scores, etc.
    • The applicant should submit their academic statement on the application to graduate study under the "Academic Statement" section.

Additional Requirements

MSU Undergraduates Applying for Dual Undergraduate Enrollment

MSU Graduate/Professional Students Applying for Dual Enrollment

  • A letter of support from their current MSU program. 
    • The letter of support must note that the student is in good academic standing with their program, and they support the student's pursuit of dual enrollment.
    • Generally, this letter comes from an advisor or director.
    • Applicants who are unsure who to contact to obtain the letter of support are welcome to contact the MPH office at CHM.MPH_Admissions@msu.edu or 810-600-5601.

International Applicants

  • Official test scores from an English language proficiency exam
    • Test scores cannot be more than five years old.
    • Examples of test scores accepted: TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB, MSUELT, PTE A.
    • University test score minimums for English language proficiency scores can be found on the English language proficiency page of the Graduate School website.
    • A waiver for the English language proficiency test requirement may be requested for situations defined by the Graduate School. The waiver request form can be downloaded here: MPH Waiver Request Form. There is no guarantee waiver requests will be approved except in the following circumstances:
      • International applicants who earned their bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution.
      • International applicants who earned a master’s degree at an AAU institution on a U.S. campus. In this case previous English language proficiency test scores are helpful but not required.
      • Applicants may contact us with questions regarding specific situations. 
    • Applicants must contact the testing center to request official test scores to be sent to Michigan State University using the institution code: 1465.

MPH Admissions Committee Requirements and Expectations for Application Materials

The MPH Admissions Committee acknowledges that applicants to our MPH program may also concurrently apply to other graduate or professional degree programs (e.g. a graduate degree complimentary to public health, a medical degree, a nursing degree, a law degree, etc.). The Admissions Committee asks that these applicants ensure their application materials (e.g., personal statement, letters of recommendation, etc.) are relevant to public health and graduate education. Please avoid submitting verbatim copies of application materials used to apply to other programs.