Admissions

General Admission Policies

Minimum requirements for admission in the LSUHSC School of Public Health are as follows.

1. A baccalaureate degree from a college or university approved by a regional accrediting agency.
2. Grade point average of 3.0 for undergraduate and graduate work on a 4-point scale and based on all work for which a grade is given.
3. Submission of official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). For those applicants with a doctoral degree from an accredited institution, some admissions requirements, such as the GRE, may be waived by the program.
4. Satisfactory standing at the most recent educational institution attended.

In addition, all foreign students must present a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based or 213 on the computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 79 on internet-based. Official GRE and TOEFL reports from the Educational Testing Service are required along with World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) report. The WES and ECE convert educational credentials from any country in the world into their U.S. equivalents. It describes each certificate, diploma or degree that has been earned and states its academic equivalency in the United States.

Foreign Nationals must provide a copy of their passport and a signed letter (on bank letterhead) of adequate funding or a letter of sponsorship from a recognized sponsoring agency (on agency letterhead) in order to obtain a visa. Please note that the process of obtaining a visa may take 90 or more days. Therefore, early application is recommended.

Acceptance is contingent upon recommendation by one of the programs. Note that specific programs may establish requirements that surpass the minimum standards of the School of Public Health.

Graduate students in the School of Public Health who later apply for admission to the LSUHSC-School of Medicine, or any other LSUHSC professional school or training program, shall not be enrolled in the professional school or training program until they have completed the public health degree toward which they are working. However, students may apply to be in the School of Medicine and School of Public Health to pursue both degrees concurrently.

Application Procedures

Checklist of Application Materials

• Application Form
• Application Fee
• Official Report of Graduate Record Examination Scores
• Transcripts from All Colleges and Universities Previously Attended
• Original Goal Statement or Statement of Purpose
• Resume or CV
• Recommendation Forms (3 required)
• Letters of Recommendation

In addition to the Checklist Materials, international applicants must include official reports from the World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The TOEFL scores use the 1316 LSUHSC institution code and 50-department code for Public Health. Foreign Nationals must provide a copy of their passport and a signed letter (on bank letterhead) dated within in the calendar year of application documenting adequate funding or a letter of sponsorship from a recognized sponsoring agency (on letterhead) in order to obtain a visa. Please note that the process of obtaining a visa may take 90 or more days.

Applicants should download the application form (http://publichealth.lsuhsc.edu/PDF/Application.pdf) and submit the signed originals with a non-refundable fee of $30 for each graduate program for which they have applied. Checks or money orders are made payable to “LSU Health Sciences Center.”

The School of Public Health requires official reports of Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores from the Educational Testing Service. The LSUHSC institution code is 1316 and the code for Public Health School department is 0616/GRE. It takes six weeks or longer for official GRE reports to reach the school. In addition, applicants may submit a photocopy of a “Student Copy” of the scores for initial review; however, official reports must subsequently be submitted for admission.

Official transcripts are required from each college or university applicants have attended. Transcripts that show transfer credits from other colleges are not acceptable. The school requires that the transcripts be sent from the Registrar of each university directly to the School of Public Health Office of Admissions and Student Affairs. Transcripts issued to students are not official.

Three recommendations using the school form are required, however additional ones are accepted.

All programs require a goals statement of long-term and/or short-term goals in relation to the program of study. For MPH applicants, the statement should be brief - not more than one page - but written in the applicant’s own words. PhD applicants should refer to the program specific requirements. If using a phrase or longer text from other sources (such as the internet or books), the applicant must credit the original source. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism, which is immediate cause for rejection of an application.

A current resume or CV is also required.

All items are to be mailed to

LSUHSC SPH Office of Admissions and Student Affairs
2020 Gravier Street, 3rd Floor
New Orleans, LA 70112

After submitting your application, email the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs at sph@lsuhsc.edu or phone (504) 568-5773 to confirm that all materials have been received.

Deadlines

Applications for master’s degrees for fall admission must be complete by May 31. Application for spring admission must be complete by October 1. Please note that only the ENHS and HPSM programs have spring admissions for fulltime students. BCHS has spring admissions with limited class options for students.

Fees

In addition to the application fee, a $30 matriculation fee is required upon admission into a program.

Make checks or money orders payable to “LSU Health Sciences Center.”