Apply to Graduate Certificate in Public Health

Fall 2025 Applications will open August 13th

Click the ‘APPLY NOW’ button. You’ll be redirected to SOPHAS – the centralized application service for the Public Health Education programs.

Application Information

Fall 2025 Applications will open August 13th. All documents are submitted to SOPHAS- www.sophas.org.

Deadlines:

• December 1 – Early application deadline and decisions provided by end of February
• February 1 – Decisions provided by end of March
• March 15 – Final application deadline and decisions provided by end of April

All application materials, including official transcripts from all schools attended and letters of recommendation, must be received in SOPHAS before the deadline in order to be reviewed. Applications completed after March 15th will not be considered.

Application Overview

The Graduate Certificate in Public Health Admissions Committee considers all components of an application during the review process. We encourage all interested applicants to apply. Successful applicants typically demonstrate the following characteristics:

• At least one college-level course in statistics or quantitative research methods
• At least two years of full-time, post-baccalaureate health-related work experience

Admission Requirements

• Conferred undergraduate degree from an accredited or governmentally-recognized university
• One college-level course in algebra, precalculus, calculus, or statistics

Application Requirements

Statement of Purpose (maximum of 500 words and uploaded as a document in Program Materials)

We value the variety of paths that bring people to public health and are interested in learning about your journey. Please review the description and core competencies for the program to which you are applying, the School’s mission, and the School’s commitment to social justice, and respond to the following questions in your statement of purpose.

1. What is the path that brought you to pursue graduate education in public health? How have your background and experiences prepared you to be successful as a graduate student in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health?
2. What are your professional goals, and how do you intend to contribute to the field of public health?
3. How does a graduate certificate from the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health align with your career interests, aspirations, and perspectives? How will this certificate help you achieve your goals?

We will review your statement with respect to the clarity, depth, and specificity of objectives, and how closely your goals and interests are aligned with the SPH curriculum.

Additional Statements (approximately 250 words each and found under the Questions section in Program Materials)

A just world is a healthier world. Public health professionals must be equipped to act against injustices caused by racism and oppression, and to ensure equitable health for all. We support our students in building the skills and experiences needed to achieve these critical public health goals.

1. What experiences outside of academic coursework have prepared you for success in a graduate program in public health? If you have experienced challenges in your journey that impacted your transcripts, this is a place where you could share what you have learned in non-academic spaces and how you are now better positioned for success.
2. How have your experiences (e.g., academic, professional, cultural, and/or lived) informed your understanding of public health and your aspirations in public health? Be specific.

Curriculum vitae or resume

Please provide a PDF or Word Document file of your CV or Resume.

Three Letters of Recommendation

• You should ask your references to comment specifically on your written, analytic, and quantitative abilities. They should also address your potential for academic success in a graduate program and for professional contributions to the field of public health where you aspire to work. Not all of these skills need to be covered in the same letter and instead may be addressed across letters.
• You should choose references who know you through professional employment, volunteer work, or past academic experiences, and who are able to describe your skills, accomplishments, professionalism, and personality. A current professor, direct supervisor, and/or leader in an organization in which you are working or volunteering, for example, is well positioned to speak to your prospects as a graduate student and as a public health professional. Recommendations from family members or friends outside of a professional/volunteer context are not encouraged.
• Applicants who have graduated from a university or college degree program within the past three years should submit at least one academic reference from an instructor or professor in that program. References from individuals who have themselves attained a graduate degree in your planned field of study, who understand graduate education and/or work with people with graduate training are strongly encouraged.

Official Transcripts

Official transcripts from all higher education institutions attended (OHSU and PSU transcripts are also required for current and prior students).

World Education Services (WES)

ICAP Course-by-Course evaluation of academic records from institutions outside the U.S. and English-speaking Canada

English Language Proficiency

All graduate applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency in one of the ways outlined below. This requirement applies to all applicants, including permanent residents and U.S. citizens.

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree in the U.S., Australia, English-speaking Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Ghana, or New Zealand, or:
• Minimum required official score on the International Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System-Academic (IELTS) exam. Test scores must be less than two years old at time of matriculation (unless continuous US residency has been maintained since the exam date). The Duolingo English Test (DET) is not currently accepted.

   

  • TOEFL: Minimum overall internet score of 80 (minimum subscores of 18 in reading and writing). Have ETS send scores to SOPHAS using code 5688
  • IELTS: Minimum overall score of 6.5. Upload a copy of your Test Report Form from IELTS in your application and have official scores sent to SOPHAS

Applicants who accept an offer to study at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health are required to pay for and complete a background check. The cost starts at $40 and may be higher depending on the number and locations of places lived in the seven years prior to enrolling. For international students or those who have lived abroad for more than three months in one country, costs can be significantly higher, and the check may take longer to complete. Additional factors that could increase costs include living in multiple locations outside of Oregon and Washington or having multiple name variations.

Contact Information

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
applySPH@pdx.edu
503-494-1158
https://ohsu-psu-sph.org/

OHSU COVID Policy

OHSU requires immunizations for its students in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and from the State of Oregon. Students must comply with OHSU pre-entrance immunization requirements per Policy 03-30-150 and Policy 02-90-010, and remain in compliance for the duration of their enrollment at OHSU.

This means that all admitted students must provide proof of full COVID-19 immunization or receive an approved medical or religious exception prior to the start of the academic program. Admission into OHSU academic programs are considered conditional until proof of full vaccination is provided or a medical or religious exception is approved by OHSU. If students have not met the COVID-19 policy requirements by the first day of their academic program, their conditional offer of admission to OHSU will be withdrawn and they will be unable to take courses or start their programs of study or other academic activities.

Students admitted into non-clinical programs who have received exceptions will be required to complete COVID-19 testing as specified by OHSU and will receive additional direction related to required safety standards and practices. OHSU does not allow unvaccinated students to participate in in-person direct patient contact or in simulation activities involving in-person direct contact with standardized patients, and as such, entry into clinical programs for unvaccinated students will be prohibited.