Doctor of Philosophy

• Overview
• Specific Program Requirements
• Current Class Schedule
• ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION

Admission Requirements and Application

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 for Joint PhD

In order to ensure consideration, you must submit the SDSU and GSPH applications by December 15. All application materials such as GRE scores, letters of recommendation and transcripts must be received by January 15. Applications will be reviewed beginning in February and applicants will be notified in March.

Applying is a two-step process:

1. San Diego State University Graduate Application*

   Complete the above online application and include the fee of $55.00 payable by credit card, debit card, or check. Send official GRE results forwarded by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to SDSU, Institution Code 4682. The general GRE and the writing assessment tests are required.

   Official Transcripts Your transcripts must reflect the last 60 semester (90-quarter) units attempted. Send one official (sealed) transcript from all postsecondary institutions attended to:

   Enrollment Services
   Graduate Admission Document Processing Unit
   San Diego State University
   San Diego, CA 92182-7416
   

   Students with international coursework must submit all official transcripts and proofs of degree. If certificates and transcripts are not in English, they should be accompanied by certified English translations.

2. Graduate School of Public Health PhD Application (.pdf, 720 kb)

   The above application is available as a printable Adobe Acrobat pdf document, which will include the forms needed to assemble an admissions packet.

   The admissions packet must include:

   1. Original and one photocopy of GSPH Application.

   2. Original and one photocopy of a personal statement with professional goals.

   3. Two photocopies of GRE score report.

   4. Three letters of recommendation (original and one photocopy of each) in sealed envelopes to be included with the entire application. The GSPH does not have a specific format or form for letters of recommendation.

   5. Two sets of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. (These are in addition to the transcripts required by Enrollment Services, and must be sent to the Graduate School of Public Health address given below.)

   6. An optional resume or curriculum vitae (original and one photocopy).

   Assemble the above documents in one envelope and mail to:

   Graduate School of Public Health
   Attn: Brenda Fass-Holmes
   San Diego State University
   5500 Campanile Drive
   San Diego, CA 92182-4162

For questions, please contact the Admissions Coordinator, Brenda Fass-Holmes, (619) 594-4492.

* 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: 9/6/07