**GRE scores are not required for Fall 2025 applicants**
We are accepting applications for fall admission only.
Applicants for the DrPH program must submit two applications in order to be considered for admission:
- SOPHAS Application:
Application and supporting materials due February 1 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time) - SDSU Application (Cal State Apply):
Application due February 1, supporting materials due February 15.
Only complete applications will be reviewed. Apply early to allow sufficient time for all required supporting materials (letters of recommendation, official transcripts, etc.) to be received.
Applicants can anticipate being notified of the decisions on their applications no later than early April.
The application instructions provided 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 Graduate Admissions, 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. Materials cannot be shared between the SOPHAS and SDSU Graduate Applications; therefore, applicants must be sure to send test scores and official transcripts separately for each application.
Submit both of the following applications:
1) SOPHAS Application
DEADLINE: February 1 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time)
San Diego State University School of Public Health is participating in the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS).
- Statement of Purpose and Commitment: Please see instructions in SOPHAS for information to be included in your statement of purpose and commitment. The word limit is approximately 1500 words. Please note, the statement of purpose and commitment is submitted with your SOPHAS application only (it is not submitted with the Cal State Apply application).
- Proof of English Proficiency: If medium of instruction was in a language other than English, applicants must demonstrate English proficiency by submitting one of the following: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo English Test. TOEFL score must be submitted to Code 5688 SOPHAS, Massachusetts. Minimum acceptable scores for the TOEFL are 80 iBT, 550 PBT. The minimum acceptable scores on the other tests are 6.5 for IELTS; 58 for PTE; and 105 for Duolingo. Applicants submitting test results from IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo should upload a copy of the score report in the “Applicant Uploaded Documents” section of the SOPHAS application. Test score must be from within the past two years.
- One copy of official transcripts (sent directly by the institutions) from all colleges and universities you have attended must be sent to SOPHAS. SOPHAS only accepts electronic transcripts from Parchment and National Student Clearinghouse. If your school does not offer any of these services, your transcript must be sent by mail, to the following address:
SOPHAS Transcript Processing Center
PO Box 9111
Watertown, MA 02471
More detailed information on submitting official transcripts to SOPHAS can be found in the SOPHAS Applicant Help Center.- 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 the following organization instead of official transcripts (note: SOPHAS will not accept official transcripts for international coursework; only the evaluation report will be accepted):
- World Education Services (WES)
(Course-by-Course Report)
- World Education Services (WES)
- Three letters of reference are required.
Three letters of reference, one of which should be from your current employer. 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.
- Your resume or CV must be uploaded as part of the SOPHAS application.
After submitting the SOPHAS application, check the status of your application via the status menu. Check back frequently to make sure all of the required materials have been received. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all supporting materials are submitted by the deadline.
Once your SOPHAS application is complete, it will be forwarded to the School(s) of Public Health to which you have selected to apply.
2) SDSU Application (Cal State Apply)
DEADLINE: February 1 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time)
- Go to Cal State Apply application – Apply for admission to graduate study at San Diego State University via Cal State Apply with the application fee payable by credit card.
- Official Transcripts: Official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended are required. Electronic transcripts are acceptable. Please ensure that you indicate this preference when making your request. If you are required to provide an email address to send the secure online document to SDSU, please use transcriptsforsdsu@sdsu.edu. If you are submitting paper copies of official transcripts, please mail them to:
- Graduate Admissions
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-8225
Note: Please do not send transcripts before submitting the Cal State Apply application, as this may result in processing delays. Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance.
Applicants with international coursework are required to submit an international evaluation report from one of the following:- IERF—course by course detail report with course level identification
- WES—course by course (WES ICAP)
The evaluation report must be sent electronically, directly by IERF or WES to Graduate Admissions and must include copies of the international documents used to complete the evaluation. If admitted, additional documents will not be required unless a degree is in progress. Documents uploaded to the Cal State Apply application are separate from those required by Graduate Admissions and are not updated in your my.SDSU account.
- Proof of English proficiency: International applicants must demonstrate English proficiency in one of five ways.
Note that letters of recommendation are not submitted as part of the Cal State Apply application. Letters of recommendation are submitted to SOPHAS only.
Allow at least three weeks for processing after documents have been submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office. The status of documents and test scores will be updated in your my.SDSU account after they have been evaluated. Please do not submit your documents multiple times, as this will cause delays in processing.
Questions?
Contact Brenda Fass-Holmes, SPH Admissions Coordinator (bholmes@sdsu.edu, 619-594-4492) if you have any questions about the application process.
