Admissions FAQs

What materials are required for the application?

• Official transcripts
• Statement of Purpose and Objectives
• Two letters of recommendation (3 for PhD)
• Resumé

What additional materials are required for international students?

• Proof of English language proficiency. If you are not a native English speaker, please submit results from TOEFL or IELTS.
• Transcript Evaluation. International students (or students who have earned their degree outside the US or Canada) must submit a course by course evaluation of international coursework. Evaluations can take a month to complete from the time the agency receives your international transcript(s), so we recommend getting an early start on this process in order to ensure the evaluation is received by the deadline for which you are applying. We can accept WES, ECE, and SpanTran evaluations. SOPHAS will only accept WES, but if you have SpanTran or ECE evaluations, please send it to sphtmadmissions@tulane.edu.

Do I need a specific major to apply, or are there any prerequisite courses I need to take before applying?

• Since public health is such a broad field, we accept students from all educational backgrounds into our programs. Some departments do have specific prerequisites, which you can find on each department web page.

Do I need to reach out to faculty members prior to applying to the program?

• This is not a requirement for any of our programs. However, for PhD applicants, since so much of the admissions decision is based on fit, we highly recommend reaching out to potential faculty advisors prior to or during the application process. This is not necessary for DrPH applicants.

Where do I apply?

• For on-ground Master’s & Doctoral applicants, you can apply through SOPHAS
• For Online Master's, DrPH, and certificate program applicants, please utilize the Application Starter Form.

Where do I send my application materials?

• All materials are sent through the respective application website, either SOPHAS or SPHTM's Application Starter Form.

What are the GPA requirements?

• There are no standard GPA requirements, however, it is highly recommended to have a GPA of 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale for master and DrPH applicants. For PhD applicants it is highly suggested to have a GPA of 3.5 out of a 4.0 scale.

Is the GRE required?

• We are requiring official GRE scores for PhD in Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Health Policy and Management only. For all other programs, GRE scores are waived.

What should I include in my Statement of Purpose?

• A personal statement that clearly and directly address the following:

  1. Why are you applying to Tulane SPHTM, and the specific program/option/concentration you chose?

  2. How will earning this degree help you achieve your professional goals?

  3. What have you learned from successes and/or challenges in your past educational, professional, and/or personal experiences? Please use specific examples, as applicable.

How long should my Statement of Purpose be?

• We don’t have a minimum or maximum length for the statement of purpose, but most students submit about 1 page double-spaced. If you have more to write, please feel free to share more with 2 pages at the most.

How many letters of recommendation do I need?

• Two letters of recommendation are required for master’s programs. Three are required for PhD programs. We suggest having the letters written by instructors who can speak to the applicant’s academic capabilities or employers who can indicate the applicant’s characteristics for success in public health graduate study.

How do I submit my letters of recommendations?

• Both SOPHAS and the Fastlane application will ask you to provide the names and contact information for each of your references and will solicit the letters on your behalf via email (advise your references to check their spam folders, and please remember to thank them after they’ve submitted their letter of support).

How long until I find out about my admissions decision?

• For master’s applicants, you can expect to hear back within a month after we confirm your application is complete. For doctoral applicants, since admissions is based so much on fit, this process can take longer.

Is there a fee waiver for SOPHAS?

• SOPHAS offers a variety of fee waiver options.

Can I switch to another program after being admitted?

• This is possible; however, we highly recommend that you apply for the program that you are more interested in.

I was admitted for the fall, but can I start taking classes in the summer?

• Yes! As long as you’ve completed your undergraduate degree, you may begin courses. Please reach out to sphtmadmissions@tulane.edu for assistance with this.

Can I defer?

• Yes, you may defer your admission for up to a year. You must pay your deposit in the applicant portal in order to secure your place in the following year’s cohort. Contact sphtmadmissions@tulane.edu for assistance with deferring.

When is New Student Orientation?

• Orientation information will be sent out via email from the Office of Student Experience after you’ve confirmed your intent to enroll.

Who is my faculty advisor?

• Your faculty advisor is detailed in your admissions letter, which you can reference in the applicant portal.

What kind of funding is available?

• Federal financial aid for graduate programs is loan-based. You can expect your financial aid packet from the Office of Financial Aid before late March (fall applicants), and before end of April (summer applicants). To inquire about student work, graduate, research, and teaching assistantship positions please contact your Program Manager.

Does Tulane SPHTM provide any additional funding for Fulbright scholars?

• Fulbright scholars in our master’s programs are provided with a $50,000 scholarship, which is disbursed over the first 4 semesters of attendance ($12,500 per semester)

Is there a separate application for scholarships?

• Yes! Once you are admitted to your program, you can find the scholarship application within the admitted student portal. The scholarship selection process will begin on February 15 for summer/fall admits (Dec 1 for spring admits), so we strongly encourage you to apply by the priority deadline in order to have full consideration for funding. While it is still possible to be awarded a scholarship later in the admissions cycle, this is dependent upon whether funding is still available.

What is the cost of tuition?

• You can find current tuition rates here.

What is the cost of living in New Orleans?

• New Orleans is a relatively inexpensive community. Housing can range from $600 to $1200 depending on location and roommate situation. You can find affordable living options on Zillow, Apartments.com, CraigsList, and Tulane Facebook Groups.

What additional materials are required for international students?

• Proof of English language proficiency. If you are not a native English speaker, please submit results from TOEFL or IELTS.
• Transcript Evaluation. International students (or students who have earned their degree outside the US or Canada) must submit a course by course evaluation of international coursework. Evaluations can take a month to complete from the time the agency receives your international transcript(s), so we recommend getting an early start on this process in order to ensure the evaluation is received by the deadline for which you are applying. We can accept WES, ECE, and SpanTran evaluations. SOPHAS will only accept WES, but if you have SpanTran or ECE evaluations, please send it to sphtmadmissions@tulane.edu.

What are the minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores?

In general, scores of 89 or higher on TOEFL or an IELTS band of 6.5 are desired.

The English language proficiency test requirement is waived if at least one of the below criteria below applies to the applicant:  

• U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident
• Earned or in the process of earning a degree from an accredited U.S. institution that must be at least two years in duration
• Citizen of one of the countries listed where English is the official language or if you have earned, or in the process of earning, a degree that is two years or longer, from an accredited institution in one of the countries where English is the official language* (view countries here)
• Can provide a WES credential evaluation verifying that English was the language of instruction for a two-year degree or longer

*If you feel this applies to you, please email us at sphtmadmissions@tulane.edu to verify that you meet this criterion.

• For COVID specific questions unique to international students both new and current please look here. 
• If you have any questions regarding F-1 visa status, please look here. 
• For any questions regarding J-1 visa status, please look here. 

• Information on this program can be found at: https://sph.tulane.edu/bsph/combined-degree-program

• Helpful information and links can be found at: https://sph.tulane.edu/joint-degree-programs

• For current students only, certificates available can be found at this link: https://sph.tulane.edu/graduate-certificate-programs
• For both prospective and current students, available certificates can be found here: https://sph.tulane.edu/online/environmental-health-graduate-certificates

• Applicants considering the NDSS program can find information at this link under “apply for a single course:” https://sph.tulane.edu/online/admissions

If your question is not answered here, please email sphtmadmissions@tulane.edu, and someone will promptly follow up with you.