Health Policy and Management Admissions 4+1 Program

Admissions to 4+1 BS/MPH program.

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.

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 the program:

  • Students are required to have a minimum of 3 credits of an undergraduate public health internship. This should, ideally, be completed before starting their senior year, although students may request a waiver to complete this requirement during their senior year.