All prospective students should first review school-wide application instructions, prerequisites and requirements prior to application. International applicants must also complete the following materials:
- Official score report from the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo exam
- Course-by-course WES evaluation
- TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo Requirements
Department TOEFL IELTS DUOLINGO Behavioral and Community Health Sciences 100 7.0 130 Biostatistics and Health Data Science 100 7.0 120 Environmental and Occupational Health 80 6.5 115 Epidemiology 100 7.0 130 Health Policy and Management 90 6.5 130 Human Genetics 80 6.5 115 Infectious Diseases and Microbiology minimum 90;
100 preferred7.0 115 MMPH 80 6.5 115 TOEFL
The TOEFL iBT Test is the standard English language test of the University of Pittsburgh. We accept the TOEFL iBT test and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition test. We do not accept MyBest scores. The minimum required TOEFL iBT score is 80, but individual departments may set higher minimums. See table above. Applicants with a TOEFL score lower than 80 are not eligible for admission. TOEFL must be taken within two years of application. Official TOEFL scores must be sent through ETS using the following codes:
- SOPHAS: code 5688
- HAMPCAS: code #B589
- SOPHAS Express: University of Pittsburgh code 2927
Duolingo
Duolingo English Test scores can be submitted in lieu of the TOEFL. The minimum required score on the Duolingo English Test is 115, but individual departments may set higher minimums. See table above. Applicants with a Duolingo English Test score lower than 115 are not eligible for admission. The Duolingo English Test must be taken within two years of application. Official Duolingo English Test scores must be submitted to the University of Pittsburgh - School of Public Health.
IELTS
The IELTS Academic Test can be submitted in lieu of the TOEFL. The minimum required score on the IELTS is Band 6.5 and applicants must take the academic writing and reading modules. Individual departments may set higher minimums. See table above. Applicants with an IELTS score lower than Band 6.5 are not eligible for admission. IELTS must be taken within two years of application.
If you are applying to a program through SOPHAS, self-report your test scores under the Standardized Tests section of of your SOPHAS application and include the TRF number. Then, request official IELTS scores be sent to SOPHAS. If you are applying to a program in SOPHAS Express or HAMPCAS, official IELTS scores may be emailed to Pitt Public Health Student Affairs at PHadmissions@pitt.edu.
Waivers
Pitt Public Health does not require English test scores from U.S. permanent residents, but departments may ask for scores if they are necessary for the evaluation of the application.
The University will waive the TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo requirement only if:
- Applicant has obtained a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution located within the U.S.
- Applicant is a citizen of a specific country in which English is the official language
- Applicant has completed a degree program at an institution within a specific country outside of the U.S. where the language of instruction is English and where the official national language of the country in which the institution is located is English.
If none of these circumstances applies, the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo exam is required.
The departments reserve the right to request TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores if they feel that they are necessary for the evaluation of the application, even if the applicant meets one of the criteria above.
- Evaluating Your Previous Education (WES)
All education from outside of the United States must be evaluated by the World Education Services (WES). Evaluations from agencies other than WES will not be accepted. Submit required course-by-course evaluation directly to SOPHAS.
Pitt Public Health recommends submission of the WES ICAP course-by-course evaluation, which will include certified copies of academic records. If the WES basic course-by-course evaluation is submitted, applicants must also submit official transcripts (and official translations where applicable) to the Pitt Public Health Office of Student Affairs.
U.S. applicants who participated only in a short-term study-abroad program are not required to submit an evaluation.
The WES evaluation is not required in the following special cases:
- You have enrolled for two terms (or fewer) at an international institution, and any degrees received were conferred by U.S. institutions
- You received your most recent degree from a U.S. institution
- You attended an English-speaking institution in Canada
- You’re sponsored through the Institute of International Education (IIE) or the America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST).
If you are not required to submit a WES evaluation, you must still submit official transcripts (and official translations where applicable) to the Pitt Public Health Student Affairs Office.
Other than these special cases, applications will be considered incomplete, and hence, will not be reviewed, until a WES verification report has been received. International applicants must begin the WES process early.
- Certification of Financial Responsibility
If accepted, you must provide additional information required for I-20 processing, including confirmation of intention to enroll, bank statements, and certification of financial resources and financial responsibility.
It is important that all accepted international applicants review the financial support documents carefully. If accepted, you will be emailed a link to the International Graduate Student Financial Information.
- Admission Review
Some departments review on a rolling basis while others do not begin to review until after the deadline. Once a department begins to review an application, it generally takes four to six weeks, but the timing may vary by department or season. As soon as your application is returned to the Office of Student Affairs, you will be notified of the decision.
Financial Aid for International Applicants
In general, international students are not eligible for student loans, federal traineeships or fellowships. However, international students are eligible for scholarships (master's) or assistantships (doctoral).
Important: At the time of admission, international applicants who have not been offered financial aid are required to submit an affidavit, indicating that they have sufficient funds to cover their tuition and living expenses for the duration of the program. Visa documents are issued on the basis of these affidavits, and the expectation of self-support continues throughout the period of enrollment.
International students should always consult with the University’s Office of International Services before applying for student employment.
