Community Health Education 4+1 Program Admissions

Admissions to 4+1 BS/MPH program

The School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst offers a 4+1 MPH degree in Community Health Education to eligible undergraduates. This rigorous and demanding program is designed to offer high-achieving undergraduate students a quick path to a terminal graduate degree. Admitted students begin graduate coursework in their senior undergraduate year, and then complete their MPH degree with one additional year of full-time graduate study.

Chart provides a visual representation of the 4+1 application timeline

Who the program is open to:

  • This program is open to all UMass Amherst students, AND to students from the Five College Consortium.
  • Students from any major can apply.

Credits needed to apply:

  • Students interested in the 4+1 should have earned a minimum of 96 credits going into their senior year.

GPA needed to apply:

  • Students should have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.

What graduate classes need to be taken during senior year:

  • Students are required to take up to 18 graduate credits in their senior year; this includes up to three graduate courses for each semester of senior year.

Application deadline:

  • Application is due by February 1 during the student’s junior year; students should have earned at least 75 credits prior to applying to be on-track to enroll in the program. 
  • Students are required to submit a completed 4+1 program application, unofficial transcript, and two letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should come from faculty or an internship/work supervisor, and letters from individuals who can speak to your academic abilities (i.e., faculty members with whom you took a class) are preferred.
  • Completed applications should be submitted using the link below.

Link to application portal:

Internship information relevant to program:

  • Students applying to the Community Health Education 4+1 MPH Program should complete a public health internship with an off-campus health organization before starting their senior year, although students may request a waiver to complete this requirement during their senior year. 
  • For UMass Amherst students, this requirement must be fulfilled by earning at least three credits of PUBHLTH 398: Public Health Internship. Campus-based internship experiences will not meet this requirement, with the exception of internships offered through the Center for Women and Community at UMass Amherst, which serves all of Hampshire County.