Epidemiology PhD - How to Apply
How Do I Apply to the Epidemiology PhD Program?
Penn State College of Medicine's Epidemiology PhD Program follows the application process for The Graduate School at Penn State.
All students must submit an application through The Graduate School.
Requirements listed here are in addition to the general requirements of The Graduate School at Penn State stated in the General Information section of the Graduate Bulletin.
Prerequisites
Prospective applicants must have completed:
- An undergraduate bachelor's degree program at an accredited U.S. college or university, or its equivalent in another country, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- A MS or MPH degree with a focus on epidemiology and/or biostatistics at an accredited U.S. college or university, or its equivalent in another country.
- A two-semester graduate-level course in epidemiology from a recognized graduate program.
- The comparable courses offered by Penn State College of Medicine's Department of Public Health Sciences are PHS 550: Principles of Epidemiology (3) and PHS 551: Advanced Epidemiological Methods (3).
- A two-semester graduate-level course in biostatistics from a recognized graduate program.
- Comparable courses offered by Penn State College of Medicine's Department of Public Health Sciences are PHS 520: Principles of Biostatistics (3) and PHS 521: Applied Biostatistics (3).
Applicants must specify their intended dissertation research area (i.e., cancer epidemiology, cardiovascular disease epidemiology, environmental epidemiology, infectious disease epidemiology, mental health epidemiology, nutritional epidemiology, sleep epidemiology, etc.).
Applicants must also identify potential advisor(s) for whom the applicant would like to work with as primary mentor. Please review the faculty directory for potential mentors and research areas.
Application Instructions
A complete application through The Graduate School should include:
- Completed application form
- Payment of the application fee
- Official transcripts
- Three letters of recommendation, uploaded through online application system by person writing the reference
- A current resume or curriculum vitae
- GRE results within the past five years
- TOEFL or IELTS score (if applicable; for applicants whose first language is not English; see below for details) - School Code 2660
Exemptions from English Proficiency Testing
International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement who have received a graduate degree from a college/university/institution in any of the following: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Republic of Kenya, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, United States and Wales.
If the advanced degree will be conferred before August of the application year, TOEFL/IELTS is not required.
Testing Requirements
Interested candidates must, as part of their application, submit results from one of the following standardized tests taken within the past five years:
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
- Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
- Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
- Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
Key Dates
Formal applications for the doctoral program for domestic or international students must be received by Jan. 15 for consideration for matriculation in August.
Admission to this program is for fall semester only.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the Epidemiology PhD program, please contact Program Manager Justine Shultz at jes5437@psu.edu.