APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Prerequisites | Application Instructions | Funding | Diversity | Nonmatriculated Admission
Applications to the MS, MPH, and PhD programs are reviewed once a year for the following autumn quarter. Applicants to the MPH in Occupational and Environmental Medicine with concurrent residency must apply for summer quarter; follow special instructions below. Course sequencing does not permit entering in other quarters.
To ensure priority consideration, applicants should complete their files with the Department and the Gradute School by the applicable deadline. Applications completed after the applicable deadline may be reviewed on a space-available basis. Consideration of late applications is not guaranteed. Applicants whose files are completed on time are assured consideration for departmental financial support, if requested.
Domestic applicants (January 1, 2010)
(Special Instructions for UW Residency Applicants)
(Special Instructions for Madigan Applicants)
OR
International applicants (November 1, 2009)
Domestic Applicants
Deadline: January 1, 2010
Download UW Checklist | Download SOPHAS Checklist
Step 1: Review Program Prerequisites
Before submitting an application, please review admission
prerequisites for the program to which you wish to apply. The
admissions decision is based on a review by the DEOHS Admissions Committee of each applicant's file, which includes transcripts, test scores,
goal statement, resume, and letters of recommendation. An applicant with exceptionally
strong qualifications who does not meet all of the prerequisites may still be considered for admission.
Step 2: Determine Your Best Application Process
"I will be applying to multiple colleges or universities."
The UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine has joined the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) which allows an applicant to submit one application for multiple CEPH-accredited schools of public health. Documents submitted through SOPHAS will be forwared to each school applied for. While SOPHAS simplifies the process of applying to multiple schools, it is important to note the UW Graduate School still requires submission of an application through their Application for Graduate Study. Many documents required by the UW Graduate School system will be redundant, however you will need to submit documents in a few areas in order to advance through the system.
To begin the application procedure using SOPHAS, visit their checklist.
To finish the application procedure using the UW Application for Graduate Study, visit their login page.
"I will be applying only to the University of Washington."
Some students apply directly to our program and no others. We recommend applying directly with the UW Graduate School Application for Graduate Study.
Step 3: Prepare and Submit Application Materials
Regardless of your choice of application process, the following documents are required. A majority are to be submitted online:
- Application Fee
UW: A $65 application fee is required when submitting the online Application for Admission to the Graduate School. A limited number of need-based application fee waivers are available for U.S. citizens, Permanent Residents and Immigrants only. Note: Applicants to the concurrent degree program (MS/MPA or MPH/MPA) must submit two applications, to Environmental and Occupational Health and Public Affairs, therefore requiring two $65 fees.
SOPHAS: Application fees vary depending on the number of schools you wish to apply for. See their fee structure. Need-based fee waivers are available. - Departmental Supplemental Application Form. This application includes questions not present on the UW or SOPHAS application, and provides more information to the Admissions Committee. It exists as a link within the UW application, and an additional page within SOPHAS.
- One set of transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate
institutions you have attended (including community colleges).
We accept unofficial transcripts for the review process, which may be uploaded into the UW Graduate School Application. However, those using SOPHAS must submit official transcripts to their offices for verification and GPA calculation.
If you are accepted and enroll, you must submit official transcripts showing conferred degrees to the Graduate Admissions Office before arriving. Ask the Registrar of each institution you have attended to mail copies directly to Graduate Admissions:
University of Washington
Office of Graduate Admissions
PO Box 84808
Room 301, Loew Hall
Seattle, WA 98124-6108
Transcripts are not considered official if the Registrar's seal is broken or tampered with. - A narrative goal statement (1-2 typed pages) describing background information you feel is pertinent.
Your statement is your voice and your introduction to the Admissions Committee. A well written goal statement should convey your reasons for pursuing graduate work in environmental and occupational health sciences, why you feel passionate about the discipline, any particular area of research interests, faculty you would like to work with, and why you want to come to the University of Washington. Spend time writing this statement and make sure that it conveys who you are and what you want. You don’t need to know exactly which researcher you wish to work with or what project you wish to work on, but your statement should convey that you have some interests, ideas and goals and have thought about how our program can help you fulfill them.
A poorly written statement can convey that the applicant doesn't understand what environmental and occupational health is or has confused it with another discipline (e.g., thinks it’s ecology or environmental sciences). It also indicates that the applicant has not spent time researching our department or faculty. The statement may read like a generic statement that has been used for several graduate school applications in different disciplines or at different universities.
We welcome applicants from culturally diverse backgrounds; if you wish, you may include information concerning cultural and educational opportunities (or lack thereof), social and economic disadvantages that you may have had to overcome, and the ways in which these experiences affected you. - Three letters of reference from people familiar with your academic goals and potential for achieving those goals. There is no form for letters of recommendation, but the letters should discuss your potential for successfully completing your chosen program. Once you name them within SOPHAS or the UW Graduate School Application system, your recommenders will be sent detailed instructions for submitting their letter online via email. Note that many email accounts filter out messages from computer systems such as these. Encourage your recommenders to monitor their spam inbox as to not miss the instructions for letter submission.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Step 4: Mail Required Documents to the Department
One to two documents must be sent via postal mail to:
University of Washington
Environmental & Occupational Health Graduate Program Office
Box 357234
Seattle, WA 98195-7234
- Online application summary printout, with signature
- Transcripts, if you are unable to supply unofficial copies within the online application
Step 5: Request Official Test Score Report(s)
Request official test scores be sent from the Educational Testing Service directly to the University of Washington. Scores are accepted in to a centralized database departments access, so no department code is necessary to report scores. The University of Washington is under institution code 4854.
Consult the ETS website for information on available methods of submission to the University.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores: All applicants besides those with doctoral degrees from an accredited US institution must submit valid GRE scores (less than five years old).
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Score: International Students and Permanent Residents only*. TOEFL scores of 580 paper (237 computer
or 70# iBT) or above. The test must be taken within two years of the date that the applicant will begin the program.
* This requirement cannot not waived unless you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom; or you have received a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution or from an institution in the countries listed above.
# This score represents the total of the listening, writing and reading section of the test. The speaking section is not included.
International Applicants
Deadline: November 1, 2009
Download UW Checklist | Download SOPHAS Checklist
Step 1: Review Program Prerequisites
Before submitting an application, please review admission
prerequisites for the program to which you wish to apply. The
admissions decision is based on a review by the DEOHS Admissions Committee of each applicant's file, which includes transcripts, test scores,
goal statement, resume, and letters of recommendation. An applicant with exceptionally
strong qualifications who does not meet all of the prerequisites may still be considered for admission.
Step 2: Determine Your Best Application Process
"I will be applying to multiple colleges or universities."
The UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine has joined the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) which allows an applicant to submit one application for multiple CEPH-accredited schools of public health in the United States. It is important to note the UW Graduate School still requires submission of an application through their Application for Graduate Study. Many documents required by the UW Graduate School system will be redundant, however you will need to submit documents in a few areas in order to advance through the system. You may upload a mostly blank document noting "Submitted via SOPHAS" or similar, or, submit your documents a second time.
To begin the application procedure using SOPHAS, visit their checklist.
"I will be applying only to the University of Washington."
Some students apply directly to our program and no others. We recommend applying directly with the UW Graduate School Application for Graduate Study.
Step 3: Prepare and Submit Application Materials
Regardless of your choice of application process, the following documents are required:
- Application Fee
UW: A $65 application fee is required when submitting the online Application for Admission to the Graduate School. A limited number of need-based application fee waivers are available for U.S. citizens, Permanent Residents and Immigrants only. Note: Applicants to the concurrent degree program (MS/MPA or MPH/MPA) must submit two applications, to Environmental and Occupational Health and Public Affairs, therefore requiring two $65 fees.
SOPHAS: Application fees vary depending on the number of schools you wish to apply for. See their fee structure. Need-based fee waivers are available. - Departmental Supplemental Application Form. This application includes questions not present on the UW or SOPHAS application, and provides more information to the Admissions Committee. It exists as a link within the UW application, and an additional page within SOPHAS.
- One to two sets of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended AND one set of unofficial transcripts.
UW Graduate Admissions requires submission of official transcripts for verification and GPA calculation. Likewise, if you choose to use SOPHAS, you must submit official transcripts to their offices also for their own verification and GPA calculation.
The department accepts unofficial transcripts for the review process, which may be uploaded into the UW Graduate School Application.
If you are accepted and enroll, you may need to submit an updated copy of your official transcripts showing degrees earned after the admissions season to the Graduate Admissions Office before arriving. Ask the Registrar of each institution you have attended to mail copies directly to Graduate Admissions:
University of Washington
Office of Graduate Admissions
Retail Lock Box Inc
221 Minor Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
Transcripts are not considered official if the Registrar's seal is broken or tampered with. - A narrative goal statement (1-2 typed pages) describing background information you feel is pertinent.
Your statement is your voice and your introduction to the Admissions Committee. A well written goal statement should convey your reasons for pursuing graduate work in environmental and occupational health sciences, why you feel passionate about the discipline, any particular area of research interests, faculty you would like to work with, and why you want to come to the University of Washington. Spend time writing this statement and make sure that it conveys who you are and what you want. You don’t need to know exactly which researcher you wish to work with or what project you wish to work on, but your statement should convey that you have some interests, ideas and goals and have thought about how our program can help you fulfill them.
A poorly written statement can convey that the applicant doesn't understand what environmental and occupational health is or has confused it with another discipline (e.g., thinks it’s ecology or environmental sciences). It also indicates that the applicant has not spent time researching our department or faculty. The statement may read like a generic statement that has been used for several graduate school applications in different disciplines or at different universities.
We welcome applicants from culturally diverse backgrounds; if you wish, you may include information concerning cultural and educational opportunities (or lack thereof), social and economic disadvantages that you may have had to overcome, and the ways in which these experiences affected you. - Three letters of reference from people familiar with your academic goals and potential for achieving those goals. There is no form for letters of recommendation, but the letters should discuss your potential for successfully completing your chosen program. Once you name them within SOPHAS or the UW Graduate School Application system, your recommenders will be sent detailed instructions for submitting their letter online via email. Note that many email accounts filter out messages from computer systems such as these. Encourage your recommenders to monitor their spam inbox as to not miss the instructions for letter submission.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Step 4: Request Official Test Score Report(s)
Request official test scores be sent from the Educational Testing Service directly to the University of Washington. Scores are accepted in to a centralized database departments access, so no department code is necessary to report scores. The University of Washington is under institution code 4854.
Consult the ETS website for information on available methods of submission to the University.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores: All applicants besides those with doctoral degrees from an accredited US institution must submit valid GRE scores (less than five years old).
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Score: International Students and Permanent Residents only*. TOEFL scores of 580 paper (237 computer
or 70# iBT) or above. The test must be taken within two years of the date that the applicant will begin the program.
* This requirement cannot not waived unless you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom; or you have received a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution or from an institution in the countries listed above.
# This score represents the total of the listening, writing and reading section of the test. The speaking section is not included.
Step 5: Mail Required Documents to the UW Graduate Admissions Office
After submitting your application, fee, and online materials to the UW Office of Graduate Admissions, please submit the following materials to:
University of Washington
Office of Graduate Admissions
Mailstop 84808
Room 301, Loew Hall
Seattle, WA 98124-6108
UNITED STATES
1-206-543-5929
- Online application summary printout, with signature.
- One set of official transcripts (mark sheets): International transcripts
with degree statements must be accompanied by a certified English
translation.
International transcripts are considered official only if they have
been signed or stamped by the proper school official and carry the school's
seal.
Request from the Registrar of each institution you have attended to mail copies directly to UW Graduate Admissions.
If you have previously attended another U.S. institution, the department will accept copies of international transcripts, as long as they have been certified as exact copies by the Registrar of the U.S. institution. Like original transcripts, these copies must be sent in a sealed envelope directly from the U.S. school to the UW Graduate School. Notarized copies are not acceptable.
If the Registrar will send transcripts only to you, do not open the envelopes. The transcripts will not be considered official if the Registrar's seal is broken or tampered with. Include the sealed envelopes within the larger package to be sent to UW Graduate Admissions. - UW Statement of Financial Ability form: Once you have submitted your application online you must log back in to the online application to access the form.
- I-20: If you are currently residing in the U.S., provide photocopies of all I-20 Certificate of Eligibility forms with the F-1 visa stamp, or DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility forms) with the J-1 visa stamp or any current visa status forms issued to you.
- DS-2019: If you are requesting a DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility form) for J-1 status, please provide the following information: City of birth, country of legal permanent residence, present position in the country (i.e. student/faculty, as well as the name of the institution, if employed by a company, name of employer, etc.) If you are currently holding the J-1 visa, please let this office know if you are planning to return home before coming to this University. This information is important in order to issue an accurate visa application form.
Step 6: Submit Application Materials to the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
After submitting your application, fee, and online materials to the UW Office of Graduate Admissions, please submit the following materials to:
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Graduate Program Office
1750 NE Pacific Street
H.S. Building, Room F461
Seattle, WA 98195-7234
UNITED STATES
1-206-543-3199
- Online application summary printout, with signature.
- Ensure you have submitted unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate
and graduate institutions you have attended as part of the online UW Gradate School application. The department will accept unofficial copies for review purposes.
If your institution(s) does not provide unofficial transcripts, you will need to send official copies to the department also. Transcripts are not considered official if the Registrar's seal is broken or tampered with. International transcripts with degree statements must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
