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Information for Prospective Students

Welcome, Prospective Student! The School of Public Health is at an exciting moment in its growth, and we welcome your interest. US News & World Report has ranked us #4 among all public health schools in the nation for many reasons, and here are just a few:

  • We’re the only accredited school of public health between Berkeley and Minneapolis, and our responsibilities — and opportunities — in the states in between are tremendous.
  • At the same time, we’re right on the edge of the Pacific Rim, giving us untold possibilities for research and education in developing countries.  
  • Our new Department of Global Health, administered jointly with the UW School of Medicine, is an exciting and unique program that will help find new ways to break the endless cycle of poverty, disease, and death.
  • We are a public health research powerhouse, with over $83 million in grants and contracts awarded in 2006.
  • The Chronicle of Higher Education's Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, which measures faculty citations and publications, ranks us second among all public health schools in the United States.

The University is located in a park-like setting just north of downtown Seattle, a vibrant city surrounded by the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Puget Sound, and Lake Washington, offering abundant recreational activities year-round. Seattle is also a cosmopolitan city of diverse cultures and opportunities, including fine theater, music, restaurants, street fairs, and sporting events.

About Our Programs

SPHCM students teach a class on HIV/AIDS in CameroonThe School offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Programs are designed to produce top-notch public health practitioners and researchers. Students gain knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods, public health values, and emerging technologies through classroom, research, and field training experiences.

About Our Students

We’re looking for students with strong academic backgrounds who are highly motivated and who have a commitment to public health.

We also seek students whose diverse academic and sociocultural backgrounds will enrich the field of public health. Please read our School’s diversity statement and browse the University’s Diversity at the UW website. The School welcomes applications from people with disabilities and works with the University’s Disability Services Office and the DO-IT center to provide access and information.

Applying

Environmental Health Students at Graduation (photo: Joel Levin)To be admitted to the School of Public Health, you must apply directly to an individual program. If you have already identified a program of interest, please go to that program’s website for application information. If you are new to our programs, start your search with the educational programs page and our on-line academic brochure.

If you have questions about any of this information or need assistance in choosing a program, please contact the Office of Student Services or the student coordinator for the program (contact information is provided on each program’s website).

For information about courses, the application process, international student requirements, tuition and fees and financial aid, please view the program websites.

Quotes From Our Students

I came to the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences for my doctorate because I am passionate about both public and environmental health—about issues such as clean air, clean water, occupational exposures, and environmental justice. The faculty, staff, and students in our department are committed to these goals, however idealistic they might be.

—Isaac Mohar, PhD Candidate
DEOHS, Toxicology program

The depth and breadth of the courses available in the School of Public Health are quite amazing. Even if you don’t get an additional certificate in a given specialty, you can delve quite deeply into a specific interest, or you can take courses across a wide spectrum of interests.

—Catherine E. Berglund, MPH Candidate
Maternal and Child Health, Department of Health Services

The intellectual challenge of the course material combined with the superb faculty of the Department of Epidemiology has provided me with an excellent educational experience, one that makes me thoroughly confident in my abilities as an epidemiologist.

—Meira Epplein, PhD Candidate
Department of Epidemiology