Graduate Admissions: Epidemiology

The epidemiology program utilizes the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) for receiving applications to our graduate degree programs.

Application process for Ph.D., M.S., and M.P.H. programs:

Your application must be completed through SOPHAS. During or after completing the SOPHAS application, you must also submit the UMass Supplemental Application, which can only be found through this link: https://www.spire.umass.edu/html/grad_add_info_heproda.html. There is a $60 fee associated with the UMass Supplemental Application. If you find that you are submitting duplicate information between SOPHAS and the UMass supplement, please STOP and contact sphhsgradapply [at] umass [dot] edu for help. DO NOT apply through the full UMass Graduate School Application found on the Graduate School website.

Instructions for UMass Supplemental Application:

For the first question “Application type,” please respond “SOPHAS”. For the second question, “SOPHAS ID,” please respond using the “CAS ID” number found in the top right corner of your SOPHAS application.

Admissions is a process shared by the University of Massachusetts Graduate School and the epidemiology program. To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must meet the requirements of the Graduate School.

Admissions Requirements

• Transcripts: No specific undergraduate courses are required for admission, but successful applicants typically have completed coursework that demonstrates their quantitative ability. Successful students typically have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in their baccalaureate degree.
• Applicant responses:  Each applicant will be asked to respond to a series of questions describing their motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts.  Applicants will have the ability to share additional information about themselves for the Admissions Committee’s consideration. 
• Letters of recommendation: minimum of two
• Résumé/CV

NOTE: The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are not required and will not be considered or reviewed by our admissions committee.

International Applicants

We encourage international applicants to apply to continue their educational journey with us! All international applicants should visit the University of Massachusetts Graduate School’s website for international applicants for important information on:

• English Language Proficiency Requirement
• Prerequisite degrees and international transcripts
• Estimated expenses
• Receiving the I-20

Application Deadlines

We begin accepting applications in August. Prospective students are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Fall Admission

PhD priority deadline: Dec. 15
MS, MPH, and PhD deadline: Feb. 1

Spring Admission:

The MPH or MS degree programs offer spring admissions on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us at sphhsgradapply [at] umass [dot] edu if you are considering applying for spring. Prospective students must have completed the following course requirements (or equivalent graduate-level courses) to be considered:

• BIOSTAT 540-Intro to Biostatistics
• EPI 600-Intro to Management of Epidemiological Data
• EPI 630-Intro to Epidemiology

Spring admission deadline: Oct. 1

STEM Designation

Epidemiology MPH, MS, and PhD degrees are considered STEM designated programs

Funding

We have traditionally been very successful in providing funding for PhD students (including first-year students) in the form of research assistantships (RAs), teaching assistantships (TAs), and traineeships. First-year students who receive funding typically receive a 10 hour per week position that includes a tuition waiver as well as a competitive paid stipend. The level of funding is dependent upon the availability of faculty-held grants and TA openings as well as the ranking of the student applicant in the context of the entire pool of applications. There is no separate application for funding; you will automatically be considered when you apply and are accepted for admission. Detailed information about funding will be communicated at the time of admission.  

Master’s students can also be considered for available RA and TA positions, with priority given to second-year students.