MPH Program FAQs
General
A Master of Public Health is an interdisciplinary, professional degree at the graduate level. It is meant for individuals who are interested in public health practice.
No. The UNC Charlotte MPH program is not STEM-designated. However, other schools may have programs that are.
Admissions
No. Unfortunately, the UNC Charlotte MPH program is unable to offer application fee waivers. The application system is managed by the UNC Charlotte Graduate School and they manage that system and collect those fees.
No. Applicants to the UNC Charlotte MPH program are welcome from all majors.
Applicants are required to have a four-year degree (or its equivalent) from a regionally or nationally accredited institution.
No. However, students considering the epidemiology concentration should have at least one undergraduate-level quantitative course OR be able to explain their experience with working with quantitative data in their personal statement.
The GRE is no longer an admission requirement for the UNC Charlotte MPH program.
Competitive applicants to the UNC Charlotte MPH program have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students with undergraduate GPAs below a 3.0 should contact the Program Director before applying.
The admission committee will consider your entire portfolio when reviewing your application. This portfolio will include a personal statement, transcript of classes and GPA (grade point average), relevant work experience as communicated by a resume, and letters of recommendation.
Strength in one area may outweigh a perceived weakness in another area. Be sure to address any deficiencies or potential “red flags” in the personal statement, either integrated into or as a supplement to the statement of goals and objectives. Use the statement to put such weaknesses in context and to note any explanatory information that would convince the committee you could be a successful student. Ignoring an obvious weakness undermines your credibility with the committee. You can see the profile of our admitted cohort here.
Applicants should submit three (3) letters of recommendation.
Ideally, two (2) letters of recommendation are from instructors who have had you in the classroom. They should speak to your written and verbal abilities, your class participation, and your work ethic. It may be useful to send them your personal statement which will help them focus on specific areas.
A 3rd letter can be from another instructor, an internship supervisor, a volunteer coordinator, or a work supervisor (if you’ve worked in public health).
Other tips:
- We do not want “character letters” (e.g. letter from your pastor indicating what a good person you are).
- We strongly encourage you to “waive” your right to view your letters of recommendation. Waiving allows your recommender to make a comprehensive appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses. If you do not trust your recommender to write you a fair letter, then they probably are a poor choice.
While in most cases, two (2) pages should be sufficient, we do not place any requirements or limits on the length of the statement. Your concise statement should serve the following two purposes:
- Convince the Admissions Committee that the UNC Charlotte MPH program is the right program for you.
- Demonstrate your understanding of the MPH degree and what it prepares you to do.
- Link your prior experiences to your aspirations (e.g., tell us where you’re coming from, how you became interested in public health, where you’re going, and how you think the degree will help get you there).
- Your statement should indicate which concentration you are interested in, and what type of job you envision yourself in after graduation.
- Convince the Admissions Committee that you can be successful in the program.
- Explain/provide context for any potential ‘red flags’ (integrate or a separate section of the essay). Do not ignore a potential weakness.
Work experience is not a requirement of the UNC Charlotte MPH program; however, relevant experience in any public health setting may enhance your application and better inform your personal statement.
If offered admission to the program, it may be possible to transfer up to twelve (12) graduate-level credit hours. These credits cannot have been applied to another graduate degree and earned credits must be a C or better.
Note: a transferred C counts toward the accumulated Cs allowed for the degree. Please refer to the MPH Student Handbook for additional constraints and expectations for transfer credit.
All prospective students must apply as new students to the UNC Charlotte MPH program.
Fall (priority): January 15
International: February 15
Regular: March 15
Spring (priority): October 1
International: October 15
Regular: November 15
To be considered for university scholarships and grants, applications should be submitted by the priority deadline. These opportunities are typically only available for Fall admission.
Applications received after the latest application deadline above for each semester and prior to the university application deadline will be periodically reviewed, subject to space limitations.
The UNC Charlotte MPH program uses a rolling review process which means we review applications as they come in during the review period. Fall admission reviews usually take place from early January through early April. Spring admission reviews usually take place from mid-September through early December.
Typically, applicants can expect a decision within 3-4 weeks of their application being referred to the program from The Graduate School, possibly longer if the application is held over for a committee discussion. The Graduate School review can take several days after the application is submitted up to 2 weeks.
The UNC Charlotte Graduate School policy prohibits students from deferring their admission. Therefore, if you are unable to begin classes for the term in which you applied for admission, a new application will be required and you will undergo the review process for the new semester.
international applicants
The UNC Charlotte Graduate School requires the submission of official scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo if English is not the applicant’s native language and has not earned a post-secondary degree from a U.S. institution.
No. The UNC Charlotte MPH Program is required to follow the policies of the UNC Charlotte Graduate School. That entity determines the general requirements for international students to gain admission to UNC Charlotte.
While not required, it is strongly recommended if you are submitting a transcript from a non-U.S. academic institution. Find out more here about 3-year degrees. Find out more here about calculating your GPA (grade point average) if your undergraduate institution does not use a 4.0 scale.
MPH Program Cost
Total tuition paid for the program will depend upon the plan of study a student chooses (two, three, and four-year options are available). Please see the cost of attendance for the most recent MPH program tuition and fee schedule.
Students completing the two-year plan of study will pay for four semesters at the nine+ credit hours rate, and one summer session of at least three credit hours.
Additional expenses will include books (varies by class) and parking.
Note: Please make sure you are referring to the tuition schedule for the Master of Public Health Program, which is distinct from general graduate tuition rates.
Yes, the MPH program offers students assistantships in the form of instructional, research, or administrative assistance. However, these assistantships are limited and are highly competitive. They do not provide tuition support.
For an overview of assistantship and scholarship/financial aid opportunities please visit the Paying for Graduate School page and the Paying For College accordion on the Student Resources page of the UNC Charlotte Graduate School.
The MPH program benefits from three named scholarships that are limited to our students, the Donna C. Arrington Memorial Scholarship, the Hildreth-Young Scholarship, and the Jim and Dorie Boyes Scholarship. You can learn about and apply for these scholarships and others through the NinerScholars portal.
Scholarships are typically awarded only for the Fall semester.
mph program logistics
Typically, MPH classes meet on weekday afternoons or evenings, Monday-Thursday, in the 2:30-5:15p or 5:30-8:15p time slots. There are classes that might be offered in the morning depending on the instructor. Typically, those are Wednesday or Friday classes. Elective courses offered outside of the MPH program may take place during the day or evening.
Most UNC Charlotte MPH classes meet at UNC Charlotte’s main campus at 9201 University City Blvd in the College of Health and Human Services. One or more classes per semester may meet at UNC Charlotte’s Center City campus at 320 E. 9th Street (conveniently located steps away from a light rail stop).