Admissions

Apply to PhD program

All applications for the PhD in Public Health Sciences must be completed through SOPHAS, the centralized public health application service. Select a program under Washington University in St. Louis – School of Public Health Programs in the SOPHAS program finder.

Carefully review the SOPHAS Instructions and FAQs, and monitor your application status in the SOPHAS portal, as verification can take up to two weeks once your application is marked complete. Submit all materials early to meet deadlines.

After submitting a SOPHAS application, you will receive an email with instructions for creating an account in the Washington University Graduate Admissions Portal. Applications are reviewed once SOPHAS verification is complete and all required components are submitted.

Apply via SOPHAS

Overview

The School of Public Health’s PhD in Public Health Sciences program prepares students to think critically as public health scientists, succeed as independent investigators, and understand and address public health challenges for the nation and the world. It provides hands-on research experiences and mentoring from day one in the program; a curriculum that builds methodological and analytical skills, and deep knowledge of the field’s theoretical and conceptual underpinnings, philosophy and history; and professional acculturation and network building. Graduates transition to leadership roles in academia, policy research, and public health settings to make a difference locally, nationally, and globally.

Important dates

The School of Public Health admits one class each year for the fall semester. Applications are accepted on a modified rolling basis; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early.

Application Opens – September 1
Application Deadline – December 1
Decisions Release – March

Criteria and requirements

Our highly competitive doctoral program in public health provides the nation and the world with some of the profession’s best scholars, teachers, and researchers. We review all applications holistically, assessing an individual’s overall preparation for rigorous doctoral study.

Students entering the PhD program must have a master’s degree or equivalent in public health or a related discipline from an accredited college or university.

The School of Public Health promotes a self-managed application process; it is your responsibility to monitor the status of your application and ensure the timely submission of all required materials.

The application for the School of Public Health’s Doctoral Program in Public Health Sciences must be completed through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) – the centralized application service for public health. Select PhD in Public Health Sciences under Washington University in St. Louis – School of Public Health Programs within the SOPHAS program finder.

Please review the SOPHAS Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and refer to them throughout the application process. It is your responsibility to monitor the status of your application in the SOPHAS portal.

Important Note: Once your application is in “Complete” status in SOPHAS, it can take up to two weeks for the SOPHAS verification process to be completed. Please submit all materials well in advance of deadlines to allow ample time for the SOPHAS verification process. Guidance on monitoring the status of your SOPHAS application can be found here.

Upon submitting your SOPHAS application, you will receive an email with instructions for creating an account in the Washington University Graduate Admissions portal to finalize your application and review University fellowship opportunities that you may wish to apply for. Your application will be considered fully complete and placed under review once your SOPHAS application is in “Verified” status and all PhD application requirements are met.

Materials

Transcripts

Applicants are required to demonstrate successful completion of a master’s degree (or degree in-progress) in public health or a related discipline from a regionally accredited college or university.

Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended must be submitted directly to SOPHAS. Carefully review the instructions for sending official transcripts to SOPHAS and allow ample time for processing and verification of your transcripts.

In-Progress transcripts: If you have not yet completed your master’s degree or equivalent at the time of application, please submit official transcripts showing the work you have completed to date directly to SOPHAS. Any offer of admission is contingent upon the successful completion of your degree. Admitted students are required to provide a final official transcript directly to the School of Public Health upon conferral of the undergraduate degree.

Transcript Entry: SOPHAS requires that applicants report all courses taken in the Academic History: Transcript Entry section of the SOPHAS application. Applicants who do not wish to enter coursework manually may opt for Professional Transcript Entry Service (PTE) for an additional fee. Note that planned, in progress, or foreign coursework is not eligible for PTE and must be entered by the applicant.

Foreign Transcripts: Applicants earning a degree outside of the United States or English-speaking Canada must provide a certified foreign credential evaluation. Applicants may provide the WES ICAP evaluation directly through SOPHAS or utilize another NACES member organization to submit the evaluation directly to the School of Public Health.

Do not send foreign transcripts to SOPHAS, even if translated or printed in English. For additional information about the foreign credential evaluation requirements, please contact the Office for International Students & Scholars.

Statement of purpose and objectives

Provide a personal statement discussing your reasons for interest in public health and significant factors influencing your decision to pursue a PhD, including proposed research topics, career goals, and how you feel our faculty, research centers, or other opportunities will be conducive to meeting your goals. Your essay should be 2-3 pages, single-spaced (1500 words maximum), and specifically tailored to your application for WashU School of Public Health.

Upload to the Program Materials: Documents section of your SOPHAS application.

Resume or CV

In addition to completing the “Experience” and “Achievements” sections of the SOPHAS application, you must provide a comprehensive resume or curriculum vitae highlighting your experiences, skills, awards, and accomplishments.

Upload to the Supporting Information: Documents section of your SOPHAS application.

Letters of recommendation

Three (3) letters of recommendation from professional and/or academic colleagues are required. Carefully review the instructions for requesting recommendations in SOPHAS and allow ample time for recommendations to be received.

Recommendations must be submitted through SOPHAS. Please monitor the submission of your recommendations in SOPHAS to ensure they are received by the stated application deadline.

SOPHAS application fee

The SOPHAS application fee is $150 for the first program you apply to and $60 for each additional program. The School of Public Health does not require an additional supplemental fee.

Applicants may wish to review the SOPHAS Fee Assistance Program to determine their eligibility for a financial- or service-based fee waiver.

WashU does not provide SOPHAS application fee waivers.

Standardized testing

The School of Public Health does not require a graduate entrance exam, such as the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), for admission to the PhD program.

International students are required to provide official English language proficiency test scores. Additional information about the language proficiency requirement can be obtained from the Office for International Students.

Specialties

Students who wish to apply to our Dissemination & Implementation Sciences (D&I) or Systems Science for Health Equity concentrations work with their faculty advisor, the concentration’s lead, and program director to ensure interest alignment. Together, the student and faculty develop and execute research that culminates in a dissertation that contributes to the concentration’s literature. The successful defense of the dissertation is recorded in the student’s final academic transcript.