HSPop MPH program applicants must submit applications to both the UW Graduate School and SOPHAS portals.

The Schools of Public Health Application System (SOPHAS) is used by many public health schools in the nation. The UW School of Public Health requires that all MPH programs use this application portal. Most application materials will be submitted to SOPHAS.

As a public university, however, the UW must adhere to state law for student and applicant records, and the UW Graduate School is also required to have an application for each and every applicant in our application system. This will serve as a supplemental application.

Please ensure that your name, email address, and concentration match on both application portals.

Late applications will be accepted through the end of the next business day following the deadline.

We understand that applicants occasionally experience difficulties beyond their control. If an applicant is unable to submit their application by the deadline, they should NOT contact the UW Graduate Admissions. They should email us (hservask@uw.edu) about their situation, and we will work with them to help resolve it.

You only need to enter these statements once and they will copy to all of your UW MPH applications. If you edit them on one application, they will be updated on all UW MPH applications this cycle.

If you started a SOPHAS application to another UW MPH program before ours or simply have multiple programs “added to your cart”, you might have trouble seeing the Personal History and EDI Statements.

How to reveal the essays: At the top of the Questions tab of your application, expand the accordion by clicking “> University of Washington School of Public Health Questions.”

You only need to enter these statements once and they will copy to all of your UW MPH applications. If you edit them on one application, they will be updated on all UW MPH applications this cycle.

The HSPop MPH program offers three concentrations:

• Generalist
• Health Systems and Policy
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Applicants apply directly to one of the three concentrations. Please carefully review each concentration before applying and ensure that the concentration matches on both SOPHAS and the UW Graduate School application portals.

If admitted students change preference for concentration during their course of study, they may petition to switch to a different concentration by Winter quarter of their first year.

Please Note: Apply to only ONE concentration. DO NOT submit multiple applications for different concentrations in a single application cycle.

There are several MPH programs at the UW School of Public Health.

You may apply to as many UW programs as you like in a single application cycle in addition to the HSPop MPH program, including the two other MPH programs in our department — the Community-Oriented Public Health Practice and Online MPH programs.

Please note that every MPH program will have seperate admissions requirements, committees, application fees, and deadlines. We cannot transfer your application from one MPH program to another.

The GRE is no longer required.

Submission of GRE scores is optional for students who feel that their scores are a better representation of their current academic preparedness for the program than their transcripts.

See the admissions page for application instructions and admissions requirements.

Admission deferrals are only allowed for students who were accepted in a dual program at the UW.

If applicants receive an offer of admission and are unable to attend, they will need to reapply for a future term. The process is simplified for those re-applying because only a few application items need renewal: a revised statement of purpose, current resume or curriculum vitae (CV), and one new letter of recommendation.

While admission is not guaranteed, most applicants who receive an offer are competitive again in the following year.

Applicants are not required to have post-baccalaureate work experience, and some students who just completed an undergraduate degree are admitted each year. In those situations, applicants usually have an undergraduate degree in public health or a related field, along with internships and other experiences that have informed their decision to apply to the Health Systems and Population Health MPH program.

Additional experience does strengthen an application and can also enhance students’ experiences in the programs.

Most accepted applicants have at least two or three years of relevant work and volunteer experience.

The program may accept up to six transfer credits that have not been applied to a previous graduate degree. A total of 63 course credits are required to complete the Health Systems and Population Health MPH degree. It is also possible to waive out of certain courses or to replace them with advanced courses because of previous experience. This cannot be guaranteed beforehand, and arrangements are coordinated once the student is enrolled in the program.

Applicants interested in MPH concurrent degree programs should (in most cases) apply to the other program first. If accepted to the other program, students work with that program to determine the appropriate time to subsequently apply to our MPH program.

It may be possible to take certain courses as a non-matriculated student. Read the information on graduate non-matriculated (GNM), and contact the MPH program coordinator (hservmph@uw.edu) to discuss options.

The HSPop MPH program is designed to be completed in 2 years in a full-time, on-campus format. It is sometimes possible to extend this period, due to unforeseeable circumstances, but applicants who need more flexible study should consider the UW Online MPH program.

The UW Department of Health Systems and Population Health also offers two additional Master of Public Health programs. All of our MPH programs train students for influential careers as leaders in public health practice and research, health promotion, and/or health policy.

• Online MPH: General MPH with a focus in public health leadership, and the only online MPH program offered at UW
• Community-Oriented Public Health Practice MPH: Unique program focused on community collaboration through problem-based learning

Beyond our department, the UW School of Public Health offers several other MPH programs.

Our alumni work across the United States and world as public health practitioners, researchers, and leaders within universities, the health care industry, government agencies, and research and policy-making organizations. View our careers page for more details.

No, the HSPop MPH is not STEM designated.

The Health Systems and Population Health Master of Science is pursued by some of the more research-oriented HSPop students. It also offers an optional clinical pathway available to students in certain fellowship programs.

Health Systems and Population Health M.S. students are mentored by many of the same faculty. However, the M.S. degree does not require the public health practicum and has fewer public health course requirements. These differences leave more time to pursue advanced research courses.