Certificate in Public Health Admission Requirements

Applications for the Certificate in Public Health program are accepted for FALL and SPRING admission only. Applications and ALL supporting documents must be received no later than the JPHCOPH Application Deadline to be considered for admission.

Important: Your application will be marked as incomplete and will not be considered for admission if any of the supporting documents are not received by the deadline date.

Please allow enough time for processing when submitting an application and supporting documents. The entire admissions application process can take up to six (6) weeks. (Note: Processing times vary throughout the cycle, therefore this timeline may not apply to every applicant’s situation.)

For technical support questions such as how to submit supporting documents, please contact gradadmissions@georgiasouthern.edu.

1. Application – Completion of an application.
2. Degree – Completion of a Bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution.
3. Transcripts – Official transcript(s) from each college or university previously attended. A transcript is required even if the courses from one school appear on the transcript of another school.*
   
   Transcripts from institutions that are not based in the United States or its territories must be evaluated by a NACES-accredited evaluation service (www.naces.org/members). The evaluation must include a course-by-course evaluation with a GPA, and it must show you have earned the US-equivalency of the required level of degree. Official international transcript evaluations are required for the application to receive an official decision. This requirement cannot be waived.
4. Grade Point Average (GPA) – Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0/4.0 scale in either:
   • Upper division undergraduate courses; OR
   • Upper division graduate courses.
5. English Language Proficiency – International applicants and U.S. Citizens whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. Prior to consideration for admission, international applicants whose native language is not English must take and post acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (http://www.ets.org/toefl) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (http://www.ielts.org) unless they have received a degree from an accredited college or university in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada (except Quebec), Australia, or New Zealand. The TOEFL and IELTS examinations are administered at various times of the year and in many centers throughout the world.
   • A score of at least 75 (internet-based test, IBT) or 537 (paper-based test) on the TOEFL and 6.0 on the IELTS is normally required to be considered for regular admission. The official TOEFL and the official IELTS scores may not be more than two (2) years old. Those who do not meet the minimum proficiency standard may be recommended for enrollment in University English courses or for English courses offered by the English Language Program (ELP) on campus. Successful completion of Intensive English Programs (IEPs) at other English Language Program (ELP) providers will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
   • Provide code #5253 to ETS so your official TOEFL scores will be sent to Georgia Southern University. Request that IELTS send your test results to “Georgia Southern University Graduate”.
6. Letters of Recommendation – Three (3) letters of recommendation. It is strongly advised that two letters be from individuals who can address your past academic performance and it is encouraged that the third letter is from a work or internship supervisor.
7. Curriculum Vitae/Resume – A CV/Resume that includes the following: a) educational experiences, b) professional goals and objectives, c) work history, d) professional experiences, memberships and/or participation in professional organizations, e) experiences in public health programs.
8. Statement of Purpose – A Statement of Purpose (500-1000 words) that conveys the applicant’s reasons for pursuing graduate study in public health and how admission into the program relates to the applicant’s professional aspirations.

*Note: Unofficial documents must be uploaded for review purposes. Official transcripts and TOEFL/IELTS scores are only required if you are offered admission. Following notification of admission, official transcripts mailed in sealed envelopes directly from each university attended (or directly from WES) and official TOEFL/IELTS scores mailed directly from the testing company are required prior to the first day of classes of the original semester of acceptance. Failure to provide the official transcripts and TOEFL/IELTS scores following notification of admission will result in revocation of the admission offer. Official documents must be mailed to: Georgia Southern University, Office of Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 8113, Statesboro, GA  30460-8113.