Admissions Information for the 4+1 Program in Health Policy and Management
Information about 4+1 BS/MPH admissions requirements and the application process
In conjunction with the undergraduate Public Health Sciences degree program, the Health Policy and Management program offers a 4+1 bachelor of science/master of public health (BS/MPH) degree program to eligible undergraduates.
The program is rigorous and demanding and is designed to offer high-achieving undergraduate students a quick path to a terminal graduate degree. Students graduating from the program will have both a BS and an MPH degree, for a total of 162 credits.
Who is eligible to apply:
- 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 this 4+1 program 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.
Timing of graduate coursework:
- 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.
- The remaining graduate credits are taken after completing the undergraduate degree.
Internship information relevant to program:
- Students applying to the Community Health Education 4+1 MPH Program should complete a public health internship with an established, health-related 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.
- For Five College students, the internship requirement does not need to be fulfilled by earning PUBHLTH 398 credits. Instead, Five College applicants must submit a description of a completed or planned public health internship as part of their application.
Application information:
- Applications are 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.
- To apply, students are required to submit a completed application, unofficial transcript, personal statement, and two letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should come from faculty or an internship/work supervisor. Letters from individuals who can speak to your academic abilities (i.e., faculty members with whom you took a class) are preferred.
- Junior-year admission to the 4+1 MPH Program does not entitle students to enter the MPH program directly. In their senior year, 4+1 students formally apply to the Graduate School and must meet admissions requirements to continue in the MPH program.