Doctor of Philosophy - Concentration in Health Behavior
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission to the joint SDSU-UCSD doctoral program in public health, students must meet the general requirements for admission to both universities with classified graduate standing as outlined in the respective current catalogs. These include: an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association or equivalent academic preparation, as determined by the deans of the two graduate divisions, a GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted, good standing at the last institution attended, and an acceptable score (verbal and quantitative) on the GRE General Test. Preference will be given to students with an MPH or MS degree in public health.
Applicants for admission to the doctoral program must present evidence of capacity for graduate study in public health. A multidisciplinary field such as public health draws from a wide variety of undergraduate majors, but the student is expected to have a strong grounding in the quantitative, behavioral, and biological sciences.
Application Process
The Joint PhD program admits students for the fall semester only.
Applicants for the PhD programs must submit two applications in order to be considered for admission. Please see the separate instructions below for each application. The deadline to submit the SOPHAS application is December 1 and the deadline to submit the San Diego State University Graduate Application is December 15.
Please apply early and allow sufficient time for all required supporting materials (such as GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and official transcripts) to be received. All supporting materials must be submitted by December 15 (receipt deadline) for the SOPHAS application, and by January 10 (postmark deadline) for the SDSU Graduate Application.
The application instructions given below must be followed carefully. It is important to send the required materials to the separate addresses exactly as specified. Applicants should not send materials for the SOPHAS application to SDSU Enrollment Services, or the other way around; sending materials to the wrong address will jeopardize meeting the file completion deadlines and may result in non-consideration of the application.
Only complete applications will be reviewed by the admissions committee. Application review will begin in late January and applicants will be notified of the decisions on their applications in March.
Both of the following applications must be submitted:
- Graduate School of Public Health Application (via SOPHAS.org)
DEADLINE: December 1
We are pleased to announce that the San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health is participating in SOPHAS, the Schools of Public Health Application Service. All PhD applicants must apply on-line through SOPHAS.
- Your statement of purpose and objectives (approximately 1500 word limit) should address all of the following items:
- Describe those experiences that have shaped your interest in public health. Comment on your current orientation or preferences in the public health field.
- Describe the one academic experience that has meant the most to you in your educational career.
- Outline your professional goals, both immediate and long term.
- Discuss why you are interested in the SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, the strengths you bring with you, and those areas in which you would like to increase your expertise and personal growth.
Note: Your Statement of Purpose should be submitted with your SOPHAS application only. While there is a space in the SDSU Graduate Application (see below) for a Statement of Purpose, you do not need to submit another Statement of Purpose for the SDSU Graduate Application; instead, simply indicate in the space provided for the Statement that you have submitted it with the SOPHAS application.
- GRE scores should be sent to Institution Code 4902 (San Diego St U Grad Sch Publ Hlth). This is the SDSU GSPH code which will automatically re-direct your scores to SOPHAS. GRE scores must be no more than five years old. All applicants for the PhD programs must submit GRE scores. There are no GRE waivers for doctoral applicants.
- TOEFL: If medium of instruction was in a language other than English, TOEFL score must be submitted to Code 5688 SOPHAS, Massachusetts. Minimum acceptable scores for the TOEFL are 80 iBT, 550 paper based, 213 computer based, and 6.5 for the IELTS.
- One copy of official transcripts (sent directly by the institutions) from all colleges and universities you have attended must be sent to SOPHAS at the following address:
SOPHAS
P.O. Box 9111
Watertown, MA 02471
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For overnight delivery only:
SOPHAS
c/o Liaison International
311 Arsenal Street
Watertown, MA 02472
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Applicants who have attended SDSU, please note that you must submit to SOPHAS transcripts from all colleges/universities you have attended, including SDSU.
Students with international coursework must submit to SOPHAS an evaluation report from one of the following organizations instead of official transcripts:
- Three letters of recommendation are required. Two should be academic references, from professors who have taught you in class. The third letter can be another academic reference or a professional reference (employer, volunteer work, etc.). Letters of recommendation must be submitted to SOPHAS directly. Please see the SOPHAS application instructions for details.
Note: Letters of recommendation are to be submitted with your SOPHAS application only. On the SDSU Graduate Application (see below), you will need to list your recommenders in the space provided, but you do not need to submit your letters of recommendation for the SDSU Graduate Application.
- Your resume or CV must be uploaded as part of the SOPHAS application.
After you have submitted the SOPHAS application, you can check the status of your application via the status menu. You are encouraged to check back frequently to make sure that all of the materials required for your application have been received. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all required materials are submitted in a timely manner.
Once your SOPHAS application is complete, it will be forwarded to the School(s) of Public Health to which you have selected to apply.
Please contact Brenda Fass-Holmes, Coordinator for Admissions and Student Affairs, (bholmes@mail.sdsu.edu) or (619) 594-4492, if you have any questions about the application process.
- San Diego State University Graduate Application** (via CSU Mentor)
DEADLINE: December 15
Apply for admission to graduate study at San Diego State University via CSU Mentor with the application fee of $55.00 payable by credit card, debit card, or check.
- Official Transcripts: Send one official transcript (in sealed envelopes) from all postsecondary institutions attended to:
- GRE scores: Send official GRE results (general test) forwarded by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to Institution Code 4682 (San Diego St U). This is the code that will send your scores directly to the SDSU Graduate Admissions Office. www.ets.org
- TOEFL: If medium of instruction was in a language other than English, TOEFL score must be submitted to SDSU, Institution Code 4682. www.ets.org. Minimum acceptable scores for the TOEFL are 80 iBT, 550 paper based, 213 computer based, and 6.5 for the IELTS.
Please note that letters of recommendation are not submitted as part of the San Diego State University Graduate Application. Letters of recommendation are submitted to SOPHAS only.
After you have submitted the on-line graduate application, you can track your application status via SDSU WebPortal. Please check back on a regular basis to make sure that all required items have been received. The applicant is responsible for making sure that all testscores and transcripts are submitted by the January 10 file completion deadline.
** International applicants, please use the International Student Application. The TOEFL test score is required if postsecondary instruction is in a language other than English. TOEFL scores are sent to Admissions and Records, Institution Code 4682, Department Code 0000.
last updated: 10/24/2012
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