Admissions

Admissions Requirements

To be considered for admission to the SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, students must meet the general requirements for admission to both universities with classified graduate standing as outlined in the respective current catalogs. These include:

• an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association or equivalent academic preparation, as determined by the deans of the two graduate divisions;
• a GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted;
• good standing at the last institution attended;
• Full consideration of the admission application can take place only after all required documents have been received

Preference will be given to applicants with an MPH or MS degree in public health.

Applicants for admission to the doctoral program must present evidence of capacity for graduate study in public health. A multidisciplinary field such as public health draws from a wide variety of undergraduate majors, but the student is expected to have a strong grounding in the quantitative, behavioral, and biological sciences.

Application Process

The application process is required at both institutions. Please follow the information for each university accordingly. Two separate applications (SOPHAS, SDSU Graduate Application) must be submitted to be considered for admission.

The Joint Ph.D. program admits students for the Fall semester/quarter only.

SDSU Application Process (2 – Step System)

• Applicants for the Ph.D. programs must submit two applications in order to be considered for admission to San Diego State University (SDSU). Please see the separate instructions for each application. The deadline to submit the SOPHAS application and SDSU Graduate Application is December 1, 2024.
• Please apply early and allow sufficient time for all required supporting materials (such as GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and official transcripts) to be received. All supporting materials must be received by December 1 for both the SOPHAS and SDSU Graduate Applications to ensure your application will be reviewed by the admissions committee.
• The application instructions provided below must be followed carefully. It is important to send the required materials to the separate addresses exactly as specified. Applicants should not send materials for the SOPHAS application to SDSU Enrollment Services, or the other way around; sending materials to the wrong address will jeopardize meeting the file completion deadlines and may result in non-consideration of the application. Materials cannot be shared between the SOPHAS and SDSU Graduate Applications; therefore, applicants must be sure to send test scores and official transcripts separately for each application.
• Only complete applications will be reviewed by the admissions committee. Application review will begin in January and we anticipate that applicants will be notified of the decisions on their applications beginning in February, and no later than early April.

UCSD Application Process

If admitted to the JDP in Public Health, you will be directed to complete an application at UC San Diego.  You should not start an application at UC San Diego for the JDP unless directed to do so.

Required Documents

In addition to the application forms, we also require the following documents:

• A copy of your most recent academic transcript(s)
• GRE Not Required Fall 2025 Cycle
• CV or Resume
• Statement of Purpose
• 3 letters of recommendation