The Master of Public Health (MPH) provides you with a strong foundation in primary public health fields and advanced knowledge in your area of interest. Concentration options include biomedical sciences, biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management, and social behavior and community health.

Accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, the two-year MPH program includes professional internships that let you directly contribute to the success of public programs that aim to eradicate disease, develop vaccines, reduce infant mortality, ensure food safety, monitor water quality, and more.

Program of Study
The campus-based Master of Public Health program can be pursued full or part-time. There is also a part-time, online MPH program that’s designed for working professionals.

Core Courses (21 credits)
Professional Practice in Public Health
Biological Basis of Public Health
Introduction to Environmental Health
Principles and Methods of Epidemiology I
Basic Principles in Statistical Inference or Principles in Statistical Inference I or Introduction to the Theory of Statistics I
Health Care Organization Delivery and Financing
Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health

Concentrations / Tracks
Biomedical Sciences
Biostatistics
Environmental Health
Epidemiology
Health Policy and Management
Social Behavior and Community Health
Population Medicine (for licensed physicians and FAPH Fellows)
Public Health Practice (Online)

Admission Requirements

Ready to pursue your MPH at the University at Albany? Here's what you'll need to get started.

Deadlines 

Priority: January 15 – First consideration for scholarship funding
General: March 1 – Second consideration for scholarship funding
Final: Rolling until August 1 on space available basis

Spring applications for health policy, social behavior and epidemiology are restricted to those who have completed the Certificate in Public Health Fundamentals and Principles.

Applicants who wish to be considered for a scholarship must submit their application by the priority deadline.  Some scholarships require that applications be received earlier than the published priority deadline. Students who wish to be considered for one of the early submission scholarships should consult our Financing Your Degree page and must submit the degree application and any additional required documents by the stated date for that scholarship.

Fee waivers are available for the first program you apply to in SOPHAS to cover the initial $140 application fee. There are three types of fee waivers: financial-based, service-based, and international-based. You may only apply for one type of fee waiver, and the waiver request must be submitted before you submit your SOPHAS application. Fee waivers are granted on a first come, first served basis, so applicants are strongly encouraged to apply before the priority deadline when requesting a waiver. For more information, visit SOPHAS Fees and Fee Waivers.

Applications are accepted for all programs on a space available basis after the published deadlines. Contact us at sphadmissions@albany.edu or 518-402-0361 with any questions. 

MPH Degree Application 

The application and all supporting materials for the Master of Public Health must be submitted through SOPHAS.

Visit the SOPHAS Applicant Help Center for help with starting your SOPHAS application.

Application Requirements

• Must hold a bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing
• Grade point average of 3.00 or better
• One semester of social sciences required for all concentrations
• One college level course in mathematics or statistics with a grade of B or higher required for all concentrations
• Health Policy & Management and Social Behavior & Community Health require college math (algebra or pre-calculus) or statistics (High School AP courses do not count towards this prerequisite)
• Epidemiology, Environmental Health and Biomedical Sciences require Calculus I
• Biostatistics requires Calculus I, Calculus II, and linear algebra
• Biomedical Sciences and Environmental Health require two semesters of biology
• Biomedical Sciences and Environmental Health require two semesters of chemistry
• Epidemiology requires one semester of biology
• Population Medicine is open only to physicians in the New York State Fellowship in Applied Public Health and to other licensed healthcare professionals by permission of the fellowship director.

Note: GRE not required for admission.

International Requirements

• International students must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 98 or IELTS score of 7.0. We will only accept official scores sent by the testing institution.
• UAlbany SOPHAS TOEFL code is 5688. We do not use department codes. For electronic IELTS score results reporting, provide the following information to your test center:
  University at Albany (SUNY)
  1400 Washington Avenue
  Albany, NY 12222
• The TOEFL or IELTS is not required for international students who have completed at least four semesters of full-time study within a four-year time frame from time of application, and maintained at least a B average at a college or university in the United States or a country from an approved list.  For questions regarding English Language Proficiency waivers, please email Soha Acosta at szacosta@albany.edu.
• International students must request a transcript evaluation from World Education Services (WES). The WES evaluation must be sent directly to SOPHAS, NOT the University at Albany or the School of Public Health.

Required Application Materials

Official Transcripts

• Official transcripts from EVERY post-secondary academic institution attended, including college coursework completed during high school, must be sent directly from the institution to SOPHAS. You must report all colleges and universities attended and submit official transcripts, even if your transfer credits are listed on your primary transcript. See Sending Official Transcripts for more guidelines.
• UAlbany students must have an official UAlbany transcript sent directly to SOPHAS.
• Applicants who use the transcript entry service provided by SOPHAS should note that the entry process adds TWO FULL WEEKS to the time it takes for an application to be verified and considered complete by the admissions committee.

Three letters of recommendation

• A minimum of two letters must be from academic faculty 
• At least one letter must be from a university faculty member in the major field of study
• Applicants who have been out of school for five or more years may submit professional references
• Letters must be signed and on institutional/organizational letterhead.

Personal Statement

• Why do you wish to pursue a career in public health and why are you interested in your chosen area of study?
• 2-page limit

CV/Resume

Application Submission

Applicants should submit their application as soon as the items you have control over are complete (personal statement, resume/CV, institutions attended, coursework entry, and all other required sections of the online application). Test scores, transcripts and letters of recommendation will be added as they are received, after which SOPHAS will begin verifying your application.

Applications will not be reviewed until all required items, including official transcripts, official test scores, and required letters of recommendation, have been received and your application has been verified.  Please note that once SOPHAS has received all of your application materials, it may take up to 4 full weeks to be verified by SOPHAS.  Be sure to request all transcripts, recommendations, and standardized test scores in advance so that your application can be completed and verified by the specified application deadline.

Tuition-$56,000 for 2 years