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Application Information

Applying to the programs offered by the Department of Public Health is a completely online process. The undergraduate application is located at http://admissions.utk.edu/. The graduate application is located on the Graduate Admissions website.


Department Programs

Undergraduate Program


Master of Public Health (MPH)

  • Requirements for admission to the MPH program:
    • A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, as well as a 3.0 GPA for any graduate level courses previously taken.
    • Admission to the University of Tennessee Graduate School. An application that has been fully completed by the appropriate deadline.
  • Submit all application materials to the graduate school’s online application.
  • Provide the following materials with your application:
    • Supplemental MPH application, which includes a series of guided questions (will be part of the official graduate school application).
    • Resume/CV.
    • Three letters of reference completed within the past twelve months by faculty members, academic advisors, employers, or professional colleagues. All letters must be from persons able to assess academic capacity (applications with fewer than three references will not be reviewed).
  • You must specify a concentration (CHE, EPI, HPM, NUTR, or VPH) when applying to the master’s program.
  • All materials should be submitted directly to the Office of Graduate Admission unless instructed otherwise by the department.
  • Once an application has been fully completed, it will be entered into the departmental review process. Once begun, the review can take one to three weeks to complete. You will be contacted with the results of the review by US mail.



 

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences (PhD)

  • General requirements set forth by the University of Tennessee, Graduate School http://gradschool.utk.edu/admissions/.
  • A GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale on master’s degree coursework, shown in official transcripts. For students without a Master’s degree or coursework, a required GPA of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) for the undergraduate degree.
  • Three letters of reference completed within the past 12 months by faculty members, academic advisors, or employers or professional colleagues. At least two letters must be from persons able to assess applicant’s academic and research capabilities, job performance or professional promise. A personal statement to demonstrate the evolution of your interest in public health and how PhD program will prepare you to work in the field of public health.
  • Ability to clearly articulate a defined career pathway, which incorporates practice and research experience and skills, upon interview.
  • Demonstrated skill in a professional, research, or academic writing sample. A writing sample of scientific writing should be submitted (preferably the applicant is either the sole author or first authored approximately 2,000-3,000 words). A published article is acceptable only if the applicant discloses the nature of his/her contribution.
  • A current curriculum vitae.
  • An online application must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions at http://graduateadmissions.utk.edu/new_applicants.shtml.



Please Be Aware

  • Applications that are not fully completed by the deadline will not be reviewed. A completed application includes:
    • For MPH applications:  the application, a resume, a statement of educational and career goals, three rating forms, and admission to the University of Tennessee Graduate School.
    • For PhD applicants:  the application, a resume, GRE scores, a statement of educational and career goals, three rating forms, a writing sample, and admission to the University of Tennessee Graduate School.
  • Applications of students who have not first been admitted by the graduate school cannot be reviewed and will be considered incomplete. Student applications are not made available to the department until the graduate school has first completed its own review. Therefore, in order to meet the department deadline, it is not enough to merely apply to the graduate school by the department deadline date. Please allow ample time when applying in order for the graduate school to complete its review prior to the department deadline.
  • Please allow at least four to eight weeks in order for your application to be completed (all reference letters received and graduate school review). Very rarely are applications submitted near a deadline able to be completed on time. Once your application has been completed and reviewed by the graduate school, the graduate school will then release the material to the Department of Public Health for our own internal review.
  • Seasonal fluxes in the number of applications received can affect the timeliness in which the graduate school is able to review applications. Please apply to the graduate school well in advance of the department deadline in order to give ample time for your graduate school application to be reviewed.
  • Applicants who have not completed their applications by the department deadline will need to revise their expected date of entry to a later semester.