Is medical school too competitive to get into? Are biology programs too theoretical for a good job? Many students aspiring to study biomedical fields face a dilemma when applying to graduate school.
Have you heard of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program?
Public health is closely intertwined with societal development. As economies grow in recent years, people are paying more attention to health issues and placing greater emphasis on disease prevention and control. This has elevated the importance of public health and made MPH applications increasingly popular.
MPH Program Overview
The first school of public health was established in 1916 at Johns Hopkins University. To date, 67 schools of public health are accredited by the Council on Education of Public Health (CEPH), with about ten new schools added each year, a clear sign of the growing popularity of this field.
Of course, not all universities have a separate school of public health; some offer public health programs within their medical schools.
Degree options typically include the MPH (Master of Public Health), MSPH (Master of Science in Public Health), and PhD. Compared to the MSPH, the MPH places more emphasis on management and practical skills, laying a solid foundation for future professional careers.
Advantages of the MPH
Thanks to strong government support, one major advantage of the MPH is outstanding post-graduation employment prospects, with an overall employment rate exceeding 90%.
Depending on the concentration, graduates can work as experts or managers in government agencies, community health organizations, disease control centers, quarantine agencies, hospitals, consulting firms, and international health organizations.
Another major advantage is the MPH's openness to students from diverse backgrounds, such as medicine, nursing, biology, chemistry, statistics, and social sciences. The program is very welcoming to career changers and international students.
MPH Concentrations
The MPH offers a wide range of concentrations, including biostatistics, epidemiology, community and health education, health policy and management, and more.
Among these, biostatistics and epidemiology tend to lead to higher average salaries and are particularly popular. Below is a closer look at each concentration.
Biostatistics
Biostatistics
Biostatistics involves the development and application of statistical methods in biology, including the design of biological experiments, collection and analysis of experimental data, and interpretation of results. Under the MPH, the biostatistics concentration typically focuses on clinical statistics or statistical genetics.
Biostatistics graduates have diverse employment options, such as pharmaceutical companies, government health departments, and universities. A medical background is not strictly required; schools often prefer applicants with a background in applied mathematics or statistics.
Epidemiology
Epidemiology
Along with biostatistics, epidemiology has been highly popular in recent years. Both fields are closely intertwined and require proficiency in statistical software and principles. However, epidemiology focuses more on diseases themselves. Graduates often work in health departments at various levels on projects such as HIV/AIDS prevention and heart disease prevention.
Applicants preferably have a medical-related background; admitted students often come from public health, clinical medicine, pharmacy, nursing, or basic medical science programs.
Community and Health Education
Community and Health Education
This concentration typically involves applying behavioral models learned in class to design and evaluate prevention programs, which are then implemented in community groups, social support organizations, and similar settings. Because extensive community communication is required, along with strong spoken language skills and relevant work experience, this track poses significant challenges for international students, so relatively few apply.
Health Policy and Management
Health Policy and Administration
As the name suggests, this can be divided into health policy and health service administration. The former is generally more difficult to apply for, requiring coursework in policy and law, and demanding strong writing skills from applicants.
Health service administration is relatively easier to get into and involves more business-related knowledge. Graduates can pursue management roles in government agencies, healthcare institutions, or public health organizations.
Environmental and Occupational Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
This concentration examines how environmental factors adversely affect human health and how those effects can be controlled. Research spans water quality, air, soil, infrastructure, and manufacturing, integrating knowledge from biology, chemistry, and physics.
Due to strong government support, this direction is popular among both domestic and international students. It also does not impose a high language barrier, making it a recommended option for many applicants.
Top 5 MPH Programs and Admission Standards
Applications for MPH programs are submitted through the SOPHAS system. In addition to the usual requirements for recommendation letters and personal statements, specific requirements vary by school.
Below are the admission standards for the top 5 MPH programs for reference.
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
Application Deadline: January 15
Acceptance Rate: 50%
Median GPA: 3.5
GRE: Verbal 69-89%, Quant 57-77%
Prerequisites: One course each in math, biology, and health science
Other Requirements: Two years of relevant work experience
Harvard University
Harvard University
Application Deadline: December 1
Acceptance Rate: 47%
GRE: No explicit verbal requirement; most admitted students score above the 55th percentile in Quant
Other Requirements: 45-credit program requires relevant graduate-level academic background or 5 years of relevant work experience; 65-credit program requires 2 years of work experience
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Application Deadline: February 1
Acceptance Rate: 44%
Median GPA: 3.55
Average GRE: Verbal 78.2%, Quant 71.3%, Writing 71.2%
Prerequisites: Most concentrations do not require specific prerequisites
Columbia University
Columbia University
Application Deadline: January 15
Acceptance Rate: 55%
Median GPA: 3.55
Average GRE: Verbal 78.2%, Quant 71.3%, Writing 71.2%
Prerequisites: Most concentrations do not require specific prerequisites
Emory University
Emory University
Application Deadline: May 1
Acceptance Rate: 50%
Median GPA: 3.4
Average GRE: Verbal 155, Quant 155, Writing 4
Prerequisites: Vary by concentration
As seen, while more accessible than medical school, MPH programs still have relatively high standards. Most require relevant coursework or work experience, posing some difficulty for recent undergraduates.
For students interested in MPH programs, it is recommended to maintain a GPA above 3.5 and achieve a GRE score of 320+. At the same time, seek out internships as early as possible and plan ahead to prepare a strong application.
In the 2020 application cycle, CheersYou（清柚教育） has already helped students secure MPH admissions to top schools like JHU and Yale!
