MPH in Epidemiology Admissions

[sean.316]

Hi all,

I'm looking to go to graduate school for a MPH in Epidemiology (Infectious Disease Epidemiology) but it's not clear to me what admission are like. I want to go to a top-notch school like Columbia or Harvard, but even after going through the school websites it's not clear to me whether it is reasonable goal or not for me. What do you guys think?

A bit about myself:

-I'm majoring in mathematics at good international university. I have a 4.0 GPA and I'm starting to take graduate courses in statistics next term as I have finished all the required undergraduate math and statistics courses.
-However, I don't have substantial work experience in epidemiology or public health. I've been mainly focusing on my courses. Hopefully this summer I can find more serious work with a professor helping out with data analysis.
-I haven't taken the GRE yet.
-I am planning on applying to graduate school right after undergrad, but perhaps I may need to get work experience first as I hardly have any.

Thanks for your input! Also any suggestions are welcome.

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[MPHorMHA]

Hi all,

I'm looking to go to graduate school for a MPH in Epidemiology (Infectious Disease Epidemiology) but it's not clear to me what admission are like. I want to go to a top-notch school like Columbia or Harvard, but even after going through the school websites it's not clear to me whether it is reasonable goal or not for me. What do you guys think?

A bit about myself:

-I'm in my third year studying mathematics at McGill University . I have a 4.0 GPA and I'm starting to take graduate courses in statistics next term as I have finished all the required undergraduate math and statistics courses.
-However, I don't have substantial work experience in epidemiology or public health. I've been mainly focusing on my courses. I was helping out with a research project with a professor for a few months but it hasn't gone that far. Hopefully this summer I can find more serious work with a professor helping out with data analysis.
-I haven't taken the GRE yet.
-I am planning on applying to graduate school right after undergrad, but perhaps I may need to get work experience first as I hardly have any.

Thanks for your input! Also any suggestions are welcome.

Dear Sean,
I am a post-grad student presently. I had applied for an MPH in Epidemiology for FALL 2016 at the Columbia University. To let you know, I submitted my application to SOPHAS on the last date for its submission (i.e 15 Jan). As u already might be aware, the admissions take place on a rolling basis, my chances of getting an acceptance were slimmest! Not just that, my application got into the reviewing process only after 9 March 2016 because that is when I submitted my WES evaluation (I'm a non- US resident). Only a day ago, I was notified about my acceptance to the Columbia School for MPH in Epidemiology (Infectious Diseases).
A lil about myself-
Post- Grad from a well accredited university
GPA- 3.97
Volunteer Work
Internship (not in Public Health field)
Research Paper
Strong LORs
GRE scores: Verbal-147, Quant-158, AWA-3.5 (compensated with TOEFL score- 110/120)
Co-curricular involvement throughout Undergrad

What worked for me were probably the LORs, SOP and the GPA. Of course the application is holistically reviewed. But hey, I neither had previous work in statistics or math during my undergrad nor any work experience in the health field except for voluntary experience. All in all, I'll say, work hard towards your goal. you don't know what might work for you!
For Harvard though, u might need to gain some experience first (as far as I know)

 

[themmases]

I think you may need to look more closely at these schools' information. Harvard, along with some other schools, only offers its MPH program to people with doctoral degrees or another qualification in a health care field. People straight out of undergrad aren't qualified for it, they would do the SM. You may also want to look at the reputation and fit for you of the school of public health specifically. Many of the best-regarded SPHs are actually public, which is a good thing since public health is not necessarily a very high-paying field.

In general your demonstrated interest and experience in some aspect of public health or research will make you competitive. If you read the threads where people share their stats you will get an idea of the backgrounds many people have. Peace Corps, Americorps, volunteering for a health or other campus program, or working in a healthcare-adjacent field after undergrad are all really common.

Work experience in research will probably help your application a lot, especially for epi. Definitely try to get involved as an undergrad research assistant if you can, and don't limit yourself to data analysis opportunities. If you can make a connection to public health in your SOP and do well at it, it is probably worthwhile. If you aren't happy with your admits, working in a relevant field (or a field you can make the case is relevant, maybe with some volunteer work) will help.