Ph.D. Admission Requirements
Enrollment in the Ph.D. program is limited, and admissions are very competitive. Prospective students represent a wide spectrum of previous experience and training. For this reason, applicants' goal statements are particularly important in evaluating their motivation and understanding of public health genetics as an academic field of study.
Specific factors considered in the admission process are:
- Previous study and work experience in genetic epidemiology, ecogenetics, pharmacogenetics, ethics, social science, law, policy, health economics, outcomes research, or other related fields;
- Undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate grades;
- GRE scores (except for applicants with a prior doctorate from a U.S. university) as well as TOEFL scores for international applicants;
- Letters of reference, at least two of which are from persons in academic professions;
- Goal statement. This statement is a critical component of the application and will be carefully reviewed by the admissions committee.
Admissions Process
All applications for the Ph.D. degree in Public Health Genetics are reviewed and evaluated by the Academic Program Committee (APC). Decisions to admit or deny admission are based on a simple majority vote of APC faculty members.