How to Apply

Bachelor's Program Application

Prospective students interested in the undergraduate program at the School of Public Health should proceed with the application process through University of Pittsburgh Admissions.

Current Pitt students interested in transferring to the BSPH program should apply as an internal transfer. 

Graduate Programs Applications

Prospective graduate students should familiarize themselves with the following information concerning requirements, process and deadlines.

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Apply for a Degree Program

All new degree-seeking applicants, (except those applying for Genetic Counseling MS, dual-degree Genetic Counseling MS/MPH, non-degree study, and/or a certificate with no additional degree) must apply online through SOPHAS.

SOPHAS submits applications to Pitt Public Health only after all required materials are received. Complete the following steps to apply:

1. Apply online through SOPHAS.
2. Pay application fee directly to SOPHAS.
3. Submit personal statement through SOPHAS.
4. Submit three recommendations directly to SOPHAS.
5. Submit official transcripts for ALL education in the United States directly to SOPHAS.
6. Submit a course-by-course WES evaluation for ALL education outside of the United States (not including study abroad) directly to SOPHAS.
7. Submit official GRE scores (if applicable) to the School of Public Health code 4234, with no department code. Program specific requirements can be found here.
8. Submit official TOEFL scores (if applicable) to SOPHAS code 5688. IELTS or Duolingo scores may be substituted for the TOEFL. Additional information can be found here. 
9. Track the status of your completed application through SOPHAS.

Apply for Genetic Counseling (MS or MS/MPH) Programs

All new Genetic Counseling MS and/or dual-degree Genetic Counseling MS/MPH applicants must register through the National Matching Services (NMS) and apply through SOPHAS Express. Complete the following steps:

1. Register through NMS. See the Genetic Counseling Web page for additional information.
2. Apply online through SOPHAS Express
3. Pay application fee directly to SOPHAS Express
4. Submit personal statement through SOPHAS Express
5. Submit three recommendations through SOPHAS Express
6. Upload Genetic Counseling Experience Tracking form to SOPHAS Express under Documents - Program Form
7. Upload unofficial transcripts for ALL education in the United States and/or Canada directly to SOPHAS Express under Documents
8. Submit a course-by-course WES evaluation for ALL education outside of the United States (excluding study abroad but including non-English speaking Canadian institutions) to the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
9. Submit official TOEFL scores (if applicable) to University of Pittsburgh code 2927. IELTS or Duolingo scores may be substituted for the TOEFL. Additional information can be found here.

Apply for Non-Degree Study

Take up to 12 credits (cumulative maximum) without enrolling in a degree program. If you are later accepted into a degree program, that program will decide which of those credits may be applied. Get more information about non-degree options.

1. Apply online through SOPHAS Express and complete only required sections.
2. Pay application fee online directly to SOPHAS Express.
3. Submit official transcripts for all education in the United States to the Pitt Public Health Office of Student Affairs. Have e-transcripts sent to PHadmissions@pitt.edu, or have physical transcripts sent to the mailing address below. 
4. Submit a course-by-course WES evaluation for all education outside of the United States (not including study abroad) to the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
5. Submit official TOEFL scores (if applicable) to the University of Pittsburgh institution code 2927, with no department code. IELTS or Duolingo scores may be substituted for the TOEFL. Additional information can be found here. 

Non-degree applicants are not required to 

• submit recommendations
• submit GRE scores
• submit any non-required sections of the SOPHAS Express application

Apply for a Certificate With No Additional Degree Program

If you are only applying to a Pitt Public Health certificate program, you may do so through the abbreviated steps below. Contact the program before applying to confirm the availability of courses. Application steps are below.

Please note: International applicants are not eligible to apply for only a certificate program due to the full-time registration requirements of the student visa.  If you also plan to apply for a degree program, do not apply through SOPHAS Express for the certificate. You can apply to a certificate program along with your degree program. Contact admissions for more information. 

1. Apply online through SOPHAS Express.
2. Pay application fee online directly to SOPHAS Express.
3. Submit a personal statement through SOPHAS Express.
4. Submit three recommendations through SOPHAS Express.
5. Submit official transcripts for all education in the United States to Pitt Public Health Office of Student Affairs. Have e-transcripts sent to PHadmissions@pitt.edu, or have physical transcripts sent to the mailing address below. 
6. Submit a course-by-course WES evaluation for all education outside of the United States (not including study abroad) to the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. 
7. If applicable, submit official GRE scores to the University of Pittsburgh code 2927, with no department code.
8. Submit official TOEFL scores (if applicable) to the University of Pittsburgh institution code 2927, with no department code. IELTS or Duolingo scores may be substituted for the TOEFL. Additional information can be found here.

Current Pitt Public Health Students: Apply to a New Program

If you're already enrolled and interested in transferring to another program or adding another academic program/certificate, email a brief statement including your name, current program, details on the plans to transfer or add a program, and the term in which you would like to begin the program to PHadmissions@pitt.edu.

Further instruction will be sent to you, depending on departmental requirements.

Transcripts & Materials

If you are applying to a program through SOPHAS, you must submit official transcripts directly to SOPHAS. Do not send transcripts to Pitt Public Health or the University of Pittsburgh.

If you are applying for a program that requires you to send official transcripts directly to the Pitt Public Health Office of Student Affairs, have e-transcripts sent to PHadmissions@pitt.edu. If needed, items may be sent through postal mail to: 

University of Pittsburgh
School of Public Health
Office of Student Affairs
1100 Public Health
130 DeSoto Street
Pittsburgh, PA  15261

Process & Timing

Your application will be processed through the centralized schools of public health application service, SOPHAS. Once your application is forwarded to Pitt Public Health, you will receive an email confirming its receipt. The review process includes:

• A review by the departmental admissions committee (approx. 4–6 weeks)
• A post-review departmental decision submitted to the Office of Student Affairs 
• An email to alert you of the committee's decision

Please note: If your application has any missing documentation, you will receive email reminders to complete them. Be sure to add donotreply@webadmit.org to your safe-senders list in your account.

Letter of Acceptance

Once the committee makes a recommendation to the associate dean for enrollment in Student Affairs, you will await your letter. Admission is not final until the associate dean issues this letter of acceptance.

In the following circumstances, application materials will be kept for one year from the date the application was received and then be discarded:

• Application remains incomplete.
• Application is not accepted.
• Application is accepted, but applicant does not respond.
• Application is accepted, but the applicant declines admission.

Misrepresentation 

Pitt Public Health holds its applicants and students to the high ethical standards expected of public health professionals. Any form of misrepresentation or plagiarism discovered in an application will result in immediate rejection of the applicant. The incident will also be reported to SOPHAS or SOPHAS Express, the centralized application services for public health, which will notify other participating schools.