How to Submit a Competitive Application to the Master in Public Health programs at the

CUNY School of Public Health?

Master of Public Health Level Education

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is the most common graduate-level degree awarded by CEPH-accredited schools and programs of public health.

The degree is suited for students interested in pursuing a professional career in public health, and is not primarily geared toward teaching or research. Common work environments include hospitals, consulting firms, international agencies, state and federal agencies, health departments, managed care organizations, community-based organizations, among others.

Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential

• Allows graduates and professionals to continue their training in public health

• Ensures mastery in the competencies of the field• Establishes expertise in the most current topics in the field • Is voluntary for public health professionals • Comprises the CPH exam and bi-annual recertification • Administered by the National Board of Public Health Examiners • Employers use the credential to select and reward employees• Employees distinguish themselves as certified public health

professionals

Applying to MPH Programs

The application process takes a fair amount of time, so start early to give you the time you need to make your application as competitive as possible and give yourself the best chance of being accepted into the program and maybe even of being offered a scholarship, fellowship, or Research Assistantship!

How to Think About the Application

Before you apply:

• Think about it as an application for a job to work with the program faculty (both while a student and after graduation) rather than as an application to study with the faculty

• You need to convince the Admissions Committee (faculty from the program) that you are someone with whom they want to work

Are You a Good Fit for The Program?

Apply to programs that are a good fit for your interests and goals and which will prepare you for the future career you hope to reach• Are there faculty members who conduct research in areas in

which you have experience and interest? • Will you bring the skills and interest to the program that faculty

will find useful to their current research and vice versa?• Will the academic training offered in the program prepare you

to work in the field you have chosen?

Components of the Application

MPH/MS applications have 6 components, each is important!

1. Personal Statement / Statement of Interest2. Letters of recommendation/ Evaluations 3. Resume or CV4. Academic transcripts (all college level courses)5. Test scores (GREs and TOEFL if applicable)6. Additional questions for CUNY SPH

Personal Statement/ Statement of Interest• The statement of interest is one of the most important

components of the application! • This is your opportunity to explain to the admissions

committee: – How your past experiences have prepared you for master’s

level training and research, – How what you want to do in the future requires master's

level training, and – How you will use your time in the master's program to

work towards this future• The admissions committee is looking to see that you have a

well defined interest and plan of study

Personal Statement/ Statement of Interest• Should read like a story, describing your past training and

experience and how that led to your current interests and desire to achieve a specific goals that require masters training

• Be specific when describing your future goals. What area of public health do you want to work on in the future? How will the masters program help you gain additional experience and skill in this area?

• Mention any publications or presentations. Cite the published papers or abstracts. This will help illustrate your trajectory up to this point and demonstrate that you already have achieved some level of professional success in the field

Prompt text in SOPHAS application:

When submitting your Personal Statement, it should be unique to each degree program to which you are going to apply. Your statement is intended to give you the opportunity to submit a tailored narrative which will describe your education, experience and professional career objectives. Your personal statement should describe your:● Reasons for interest in public health● Reasons for interest in program of study and/or concentration● Reasons for interest in the school or program● Career goals

Letters of Recommendation/ Evaluations

• You will be required to ask 2-3 people to write letters recommending you to the program. These letters are very important in the application review process

• Who you ask to write these letters and how much effort they put in the writing is key

Who to Ask for Letters of Recommendation

• Only ask those who know you well, you are certain that they can say some very positive things about you, and you think that they will take the time to write a good letter

• In general you want letters from people at a higher level so they can describe your potential to take positions at a higher level of responsibility in the future

• At least one letter from a former professor who can attest to your academic skills and potential

• At least one letter from a professional supervisor who can attest to your ability to work within a professional environment, collaborate with colleagues, and take initiative

• Do not submit letters from family members or friends

Who to Ask for Letters of Recommendation

• When asking someone to write you a letter of recommendation, you should:– Ask the person at least 2 weeks before the letter is due (3-4 weeks

is even better)– Offer to meet with the person (or speak by phone) if they have any

questions or need additional information– Give the person your up-to-date CV or resume and the statement

of interest you plan to submit with your application so they can see what you have been working on recently and why you want to enroll in the program to which you are applying and write their letter accordingly

Format for Letters of Recommendation

• Should be fairly detailed– Describe the experiences, training and skills you have had

that prepare you for masters level studies and your potential to do well in the program and your chosen profession

• Should be 1-2 pages long – Point this out to the person writing the letter as some are not

aware of the level of detail expected, especially when asking someone from another country as the customs regarding letters of recommendation vary

• Sometimes the person you ask to write the letter will ask you to draft a letter that they can edit. That is fine, but be sure to write a good letter for yourself in case the recommender does not do much editing

Resume or CV

As you would do for a job application, you want to tailor your CV to the program, emphasizing the experiences and skills that will be of most interest to the doctoral program faculty. Things to highlight might include:• Educational experience, including grade point average

(GPA), any awards or honors (e.g. Dean’s List), title of thesis

• Research experience, including paid and volunteer experiences with faculty while a student.

• Relevant work experience, highlighting work that relates to the area of study to which you are applying.

• Professional presentations or publications (journal or reports)

• Any relevant skills, such as foreign languages spoken, computer packages, data analysis skills, etc.

Resume or CV

• Keep your CV/resume general as the same document will be sent to all schools and programs you will apply to

• Even if you only plan to apply to one school or program, do NOT tailor your CV/Resume to a specific school or program as you may decide to apply to additional schools or programs at a later date, and once you submit your application your CV/Resume can NOT be edited or changed

Academic Transcripts

• Submit transcripts from all institutions of higher learning (i.e. above high school) that you have attended

• If you studied in a non-US institution, have your transcript evaluated by WES (World Education Services)

• If your grades are mixed, include an explanation of why that is the case either in your statement of interest or as a separate document• For example, if you had one bad semester, you might explain what

was going on during that semester that made academics less of a priority (family crisis, health problem, etc.), or if you did poorly early on but then improved you might highlight the improvement

Standardized Tests (GREs)• Designed to assess your academic potential• Assess how well you learned what you were taught in

school up until now. How well do you read, write, and do math?

• Help admissions committees compare applicants in an environment where grading systems across schools vary widely, with some schools inflating grades but others not

• Expire after 5 years

Studying for the GREs• To do your best on the GREs, you need to STUDY!

– Plan to spend about 2 months studying for the GRE on a regular basis (2-6 hours/week)

– Take a test prep class– Work through a GRE study guide book/test prep

webinars and sample tests posted on the website of the Education Testing Service (ETS)

– Form a study group with other friends planning to take the GREs

Studying for the GREPreparation for the GRE can improve your score quit a bit. The GRE is not an IQ test measuring innate ability, it measures academic skills which, depending on how long you have been out of high school, may need to be dusted off a bit

The goals of studying for the GRE are to:• Refresh your knowledge of basic math equations (some of which

you may not have thought about since 10th grade)• Refresh your academic reading comprehension and writing skills

(forms of reading and writing you probably do not use often in your current job)

• Gain familiarity with the test format so you spend less time reading instructions during the test (leaving more time to think and figure out the best answers)

• Feel prepared and less nervous when you take the test

Additional Questions

CUNY SPH asks additional questions to help us gather some more information from you. Some are optional:

• How did you learn about the CUNY SPH?• Is there anything in your application about which you wish to

provide further explanation in order to assist the Admissions Committee in making a decision?

• What is it about CUNY SPH and our mission that attracted you to us?• How long (years and/or months) have you lived at the address you

listed in the permanent address section of this application.• If you have attended a CUNY college in the past, please provide your

EMPL ID • Which other public health schools or programs are you applying to?• Are you currently working for the NYC Department of Health and

Mental Hygiene?

Chat with US !

The quickest way to reach us is to chat with us!Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM EST

• All prospective students are encouraged to attend an Information Session for more details on the public health degree programs and admissions requirements

• Please view the full upcoming Information Session Calendar and RSVP to an event.

• You may also find our Frequently Asked Questions section of the website helpful.

• If you have any other questions regarding admissions, please call (646) 664-8355 or email admissions@sph.cuny.edu