Review the eligibility criteria, list of required materials, and application deadlines.

Choose a track (concentration): Epidemiology, Global Health, or Health Policy. Applicants may submit one application to the Vanderbilt MPH Program per admissions cycle. Read the track descriptions and email mph@vanderbilt.edu if we can help you identify which track is the best fit for you.

Request required documents

1. Contact prior institutions to order official transcripts
2. If applicable, order official standardized test score reports
3. Contact letter writers to request recommendations

Fill out your SOPHAS application, including:

1. Personal information
2. Academic history
3. Supporting information
4. Program materials

Submit your application in SOPHAS

Monitor your application in SOPHAS regularly to confirm your required documents have been received. In order to be reviewed for admission, your application must have a SOPHAS status of “complete” or “verified” with all application requirements received by SOPHAS.

An application missing any of the required components will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. Neither SOPHAS nor the Vanderbilt MPH Program is responsible for notifying applicants of missing application requirements.

• Bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree
• We seek applicants who have a good sense of their career interests. At least two years of relevant, post-undergraduate professional experience is preferred, but not required for admission

For all track concentrations, there are two application deadlines:

1. Priority Round: ​​December 15
   Applications submitted and complete with all required documents in SOPHAS on or before the Priority Round deadline will receive priority consideration for scholarships awarded by the Vanderbilt MPH Program.
2. Regular Round: February 15
   All applications must be submitted and complete with all required documents in SOPHAS by the Regular Round deadline in order to be considered for admission.

The Vanderbilt MPH Program may have scholarship funds to offer Regular Round applicants, but there is no guarantee. Applicants who wish to be considered for scholarships awarded by the Vanderbilt MPH Program should apply by the Priority Round deadline.

After the Regular Round deadline, applications may be reviewed on a rolling basis as space permits, through May 1. Before submitting an application after the Regular Round deadline, please email mph@vanderbilt.edu to confirm availability.

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It is the applicant’s responsibility to follow the instructions provided by SOPHAS and to ensure that all required documents are received by SOPHAS on or before the deadline

In order to be reviewed for admission, applications must meet the following criteria on or before the application deadline:

• SOPHAS status of “complete” or “verified”
• All application requirements received by SOPHAS

Applications submitted in SOPHAS on or before the Priority Round deadline, but missing any application requirements (such as letters of recommendation, official transcripts or WES credential evaluation, official standardized test score reports), will automatically be moved to the Regular Round. If all application requirements are received by SOPHAS on or before the Regular Round deadline, the application will be considered for admission in the Regular Round.

An application missing any of the required components will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Applicants with extenuating circumstances that prevent them from meeting the application deadline may contact mph@vanderbilt.edu to request an extension. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Extensions may be possible depending on the individual situation and the timing in the admissions cycle.

SOPHAS charges an application fee. SOPHAS provides a limited number of fee waivers to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. The Vanderbilt MPH Program cannot award SOPHAS fee waivers.

There is no Vanderbilt supplemental fee for applicants to the Vanderbilt MPH Program.

Upload your current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume directly to your application in SOPHAS.

If you have updates to your CV or resume after submitting your application in SOPHAS, you may email an updated document to annie.smart@vanderbilt.edu. Both the original document and the new version will be available to admissions reviewers.

Application Advice: Take processing and delivery times into account and request your official transcripts as early as possible

SOPHAS and Vanderbilt University require official documentation of applicants’ prior academic degrees and academic course work.

The applicant is responsible for monitoring their application in SOPHAS and following up with prior institutions about missing or delayed transcripts. Neither SOPHAS nor the Vanderbilt MPH Program is responsible for notifying applicants of missing transcripts.

U.S. Institutions

U.S. and English Canadian Transcripts

Official transcripts must be sent directly to SOPHAS from all U.S. and English-speaking Canadian institutions you have reported in the “Colleges Attended” section of your application. SOPHAS will not process your application until all official transcripts have been received.

International Institutions

International and French-Canadian Transcripts

Applicants who have received academic degrees from international colleges and universities (including Caribbean and French-Canadian) must use World Education Services (WES) (course-by-course evaluation) to submit transcript information to SOPHAS.

SOPHAS will not accept transcripts from international universities or other agency evaluations (i.e. ECE). International transcripts should not be sent directly to the Vanderbilt MPH Program.

Transcripts for Courses in Progress

Applicants currently enrolled in a degree program or taking courses at the time they submit their application in SOPHAS should submit official transcripts with courses in progress on or before the application deadline. Once a final degree transcript is available, the applicant should contact their institution to request an updated official transcript showing final course grades. Click here for more information.

GRE and/or MCAT scores are not required for Fall 2023 applicants.

Applicants are not required or expected to submit GRE or MCAT scores in SOPHAS. Applications without scores will not be penalized in the review process.

Applicants may choose to self-report their GRE or MCAT scores in SOPHAS. Self-reported scores should include the percentile score for each section of the test. Self-reporting scores is optional.

TOEFL or IELTS test scores are required for international applicants.

International students are required to submit an official TOEFL or IELTS score report. Score reports should be sent directly from the testing organization to SOPHAS. TOEFL scores should be sent using institution code 5688. TOEFL and IELTS score reports are valid for up to two years after the test date.

TOEFL / IELTS Waivers:

• U.S. permanent residents and those who have completed a degree at an institution where English was the official language of instruction are not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.
• Applicants who qualify for a waiver may leave the “Standardized Tests” section of the application in SOPHAS blank.
• Please do not contact the Vanderbilt MPH Program to request a waiver. No formal waiver documentation is required. If you are a U.S. permanent resident or if you have completed a degree at an institution where English was the language of instruction, simply leave the “Standardized Tests” section of the application blank.

When to schedule standardized tests

Application Advice: schedule test dates and request score reports with adequate time before the application deadline

Official score reports require time to process, deliver, and match to an application in SOPHAS. Test dates should be scheduled and score reports should be requested well before the application deadline. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that official score reports are received by SOPHAS on or before the application deadline. Applications without required score reports by the application deadline will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

How to request test scores

Requesting official standardized test scores

To request an official score report, contact the testing organization. The score report should be sent directly from the testing organization to SOPHAS using the standardized test codes provided.

Note: There are multiple GRE institution codes for Vanderbilt University. If you choose to submit an official GRE score report, be sure to use institution code 0111. Score reports requested using a code other than 0111 will not reach the Vanderbilt MPH Program.

As part of the SOPHAS application, you will upload a written narrative describing your past education, experience, professional career objectives, and how the Vanderbilt MPH Program will help you achieve your professional goals.

While prior professional experience is not required, relevant work, service, research, or internship experience is valued in the review process.

The statement of purpose (or personal statement) is limited to 1,000 words.

Epidemiology Track

For Epidemiology track applicants, the statement of purpose should include:

• Reasons for your interest in public health, and specifically the Vanderbilt MPH Program’s Epidemiology track
• Any areas of interest or proposed research topics you may have at this point (this is optional)
• Your academic and career goals
• How the Vanderbilt MPH Program will help you achieve your goals

Global Health Track

For Global Health track applicants, the statement of purpose should include:

• Reasons for your interest in public health, and specifically the Vanderbilt MPH Program’s Global Health track
• Any previous international experience or work with international or underserved populations
• Any areas of interest or proposed research topics you may have at this point (this is optional)
• Your academic and career goals
• How the Vanderbilt MPH Program will help you achieve your goals

Health Policy Track

For Health Policy track applicants, the statement of purpose should include:

• Reasons for your interest in public health, and specifically the Vanderbilt MPH Program’s Health Policy track
• Any relevant experience in the areas of health care, health services research, economics, public policy, or government
• Any areas of interest or proposed research topics you may have at this point (this is optional)
• Your educational and career goals
• How the Vanderbilt MPH Program will help you achieve your career goals

A minimum of THREE (3) letters of recommendation is required for an application to be considered complete. These should be from persons qualified to evaluate your academic and professional abilities.

At least one writer should come from an academic source, such as an undergraduate or graduate adviser or faculty member in your field of study. Letters from a peer or colleague, friend, or relative are not suitable.

Reach out to your letter writers to obtain their preferred e-mail address and make sure they are monitoring their e-mail inbox for your reference request e-mail.

More information on Letters of Recommendation

You may e-submit your application in SOPHAS before your letters of recommendation have been received. As your letters of recommendation are received by SOPHAS, they will be matched with your application. Log in to SOPHAS at any time to see if your letters of recommendation have been received. You may resend recommendation requests or update a letter writer’s email address if needed.

VUMC Support

Applicants to the Vanderbilt MPH Program who would like to pursue the MPH degree as part of a VUMC-affiliated training grant, residency program, or fellowship program should ensure that their letters of recommendation include:

1. Letter from a VUMC faculty mentor committed to the candidate’s career development
2. Letter from a VUMC program director, division director, or department chair assuring approximately 80% protected time for research and that the applicant will be free from clinical duties during MPH classes

The Vanderbilt MPH Program does not require that applicants submit a writing sample.

If there is any additional information you would like the admissions committee to know, please upload it to the “Documents” section of the SOPHAS application under “Other.” This is not an application requirement; it is optional.