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Admissions Criteria
Acceptance to the Department of Epidemiology is very competitive. No one criterion forms either a minimum or a guarantee of admission. The Admissions Committee looks for a range of indicators of high aptitude, achievement and interest in epidemiology, usually including research experience in the health sciences or related fields, and indications that you have researched the field of epidemiology and the Department carefully.
- Previous Degree Requirements
- For MS or MPH: Minimum of health-related bachelor’s or higher degree. (Related fields include mathematics, medical geography, anthropology, and social work etc.).
- For PhD: U.S. health-related masters or higher/including fields listed under MS/MPH. Candidates are considered
for admission into the PhD program who meet the following requirements:
- Prior graduate training to the master's (or doctoral) degree level in a health-related field from a U.S. university, or
- Are a current MD student planning to earn concurrent MD/PhD.
- Exceptions to the US master’s requirement may be granted in very rare cases for those with substantial public health research experience, which should be demonstrated by at least one (preferably more) first-authored, quantitative research paper(s) in the field of epidemiology, or related public health discipline, published in a well-recognized, English language, peer-reviewed journal of equivalent quality to a master’s thesis for this department. An unpublished paper or a manuscript published in an obscure or non-peer reviewed journal is NOT acceptable. Meeting this requirement does not guarantee admission directly to the PhD.
- Applicants who do not meet ALL the requirements for the PhD above and below should apply for an MS/MPH degree and then, if desired, apply to the PhD while in the MS/MPH program. This procedure will add about one year to the total time required to earn a PhD because all the master's credits from this department will apply directly to the PhD.
- Grades
- Undergraduate grades of A's and B's, with special emphasis on high grades in quantitative courses, if taken.
- Mostly A's at the graduate level (if applicable), especially in epidemiologic methods and other quantitative courses, if taken.
- GRE Requirements
- GRE general test scores are required for all applicants except terminal MS/MPH applicants who hold a U.S. doctorate and MPH applicants enrolled in the UW MD program.
- Terminal MPH/MS Applicants: Quantitative GRE generally in the high 600’s or 700’s, Verbal GRE in the 600's, and Analytic Writing of 5-5.5.
- PhD or Master's to PhD Applicants: Quantitative GRE in the 700’s, Verbal GRE in the 600s, and Analytic
Writing of 5.5-6. Most emphasis is placed on the Quantitative Section.
- All PhD applicants, except those funded by the Medical Scientist Training Program at UW, are required to provide GRE scores.
- The GRE is only valid for 5 years from the test date to the date GRE processes your order. If your GRE is old, please retake it.
- Visit www.gre.org for more information and registration.
- Work or Research experience in Health Sciences
- The Department considers work/research experience in the health sciences as part of the admissions review.
- Experience in qualitative health-related Social Sciences is also applicable.
- Research experience is preferred.
- For applicants without professional health sciences related work experience, undergraduate or volunteer heath sciences research experience is strongly preferred.
- Letters of Recomendation
- Three or more recent letters of reference from professors or health science supervisors who know your work reasonably well and that demonstrate your exceptional potential for training and career in epidemiology.
- At least one (preferably two) should come from a professor or equivalent academic source. At least one letter evaluating your research experience is especially helpful.
- Letters from academicians in unrelated fields receive considerably less weight than letters from relevant academic or professional sources.
- Letters from recommenders holding a doctorate (or non-US equivalent or, possibly, a Master’s in Public Health or similar master’s) carry more weight than letters from sources without such credentials.
- Do not send letters from relatives, other students or non-professional acquaintances.
- Statement of Purpose: The Admissions Comitee looks for the following information and qualities:
- Well Written, including excellent organization and style.
- Reasons for your interest in Epidemiology.
- Indication of a a good understanding of the field of epidemiology.
- Demonstration of a well-researched knowledge of the Department and its faculty.
- Summary of qualifications.
- Description of your health sciences work experience and/or students research experience.
- Description of interest areas within epidemiology and how they relate to UW faculty research interests.
- How you plan to use epidemiology in you career.
- Disadvantage/Diversity Statement:
The University of Washington and the Department actively seek and welcome students from diverse
backgrounds. If you wish to have factors such as varied cultural experiences, educational or socioeconomically disadvantaged background or disability included in the
review of your application, write a brief statement not to exceed one single-spaced page. The statement should address the ways those
experiences have affected the development of your special interests, career plans, future goals, and how you may have overcome various
obstacles. This statement is Optional. If you have little to say, please omit it from your application.
- English Test Requirements (International Students and permanent residents without a U.S. bachelor's or higher)
- Holders of a bachelor’s degree or higher from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the U.S. are not required to provide an English score.
- Minimum TOEFL score of 70 (iBT) on combined listening, reading, and writing sections not including speaking, or 580 (paper test), or Minimum IELTS score: 7.
- The TOEFL/IELTS are only valid for 2 years from the test date to the date your order is processed.
- If your GRE verbal is below the 600’s and/or your GRE writing is below 5, a current TOEFL/IELTS is strongly recommended from non-native English speakers to improve admission prospects even if it is not required.
- Visit www.toefl.org or www.ielts.org for more information and registration. (IELTS offers testing at UW with a different registration proceedure.)
- More Information
- Specialized Requirements
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This page was last updated on September 2, 2008