Search:

SPHIS Home » Current Students » Accelerated Bachelor's-MPH Program

Accelerated Bachelor's-MPH Program

The accelerated degree program allows a student to complete a bachelor's degree in public health and the Master of Public Health (MPH) over a five-year period. The first four years consist of undergraduate studies, including up to 15 credit hours of public health graduate level courses taken during the senior year, culminating in the award of a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

The fifth year, including the summer following graduation with a bachelor’s degree, consists of graduate coursework in public health, leading to completion of the MPH degree. The MPH program is designed to provide students with training in foundational MPH competencies as well as a specific area of concentration. MPH concentrations currently available for the accelerated program are:

• Epidemiology
• Health Policy
• Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences

Students interested in exploring the accelerated degree option should complete the following steps in the following order:

1. Complete the Accelerated bachelor's-MPH Interest Form
2. Meet with your academic advisor to discuss. Contact Linda Dillman to schedule: 502-852-5559
3. Wait for next steps from the Undergraduate Office of Public Health

 Accelerated Degree Admissions Process

Pre-Enrollment

Undergraduates who will have earned a minimum of 75 credit hours and an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.25 may pursue the accelerated degree program option.  Eligible students who complete the following by February 1st of the student’s sixth undergraduate semester can receive permission to enroll in MPH graduate level courses from the director of the MPH program:

• Submit an online program-petition
• Must attach an updated resume
• Submit a letter of recommendation, preferably from a UofL faculty member, that speaks to their academic abilities, to Academic Coordinator Rachel Quick at ugshis@louisville.edu 
• For students not pursuing a BA or BS in Public Health:
• Submit a letter from their academic advisor supporting this option and include their academic plan and how the MPH courses fit into the plan and they will stay on track to graduate:  ugshis@louisville.edu
• Students may be interviewed by the MPH program director following the submission of their petition and notified of petition acceptance no later than the end of the student’s sixth semester.

Pre-Admission & Concentration Declaration

Students granted permission to enroll in graduate-level courses will need to declare a concentration for the Master of Public Health graduate degree by November 15 of the student’s seventh undergraduate semester. The concentration options for an accelerated student are Epidemiology, Health Policy, and Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences. Students applying to the epidemiology concentration will be required to have a strong quantitative background.  ACT score, math placement score, and MATH 111 or higher course will be considered. A representative from the desired concentration will schedule an interview with the student to determine provisional admission and approval of concentration declaration for the students accelerated program. 

Provisional Admission

Once approved to declare a concentration, the student is now provisionally admitted to the MPH accelerated program and must complete the following steps no later than the final year of their undergraduate studies to formally apply to the MPH program:

• Submit a complete UofL Graduate School Application no later than March 1st and apply for the Summer term unless the student is pursuing the Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences concentration, in which case that student should apply for the Fall term.
  • Accelerated MPH students DO NOT submit a SOPHAS Application
  • Pay the Graduate School Application fee
  • Submit two letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months (at least one must be a SPHIS faculty member)
  • Include a one-page personal statement with clear, substantive description of goals in public health
  • Resume/CV
• Maintain a minimum graduate program GPA of 3.0
• Receive a grade of “B” or higher in the following MPH core courses:
  • PHST‐500 Introduction to Biostatistics I
  • PHPB‐501 Introduction to Health Behavior 
  • PHEP‐501 Introduction to Epidemiology
  • PHMS‐501 Introduction to Public Health Practice and Administration 
  • PHST-501 Introduction to Biostatistics II (if applicable to concentration)
• There is NO GRE requirement.

Upon receipt of MPH admissions materials students will remain provisionally admitted to the MPH program until successful completion of their undergraduate degree. Following the receipt of their undergraduate degree, their admissions status will be updated accordingly.

Curriculum

Here is more information about the accelerated program in the UofL academic catalog: (1) Accelerated BA-MPH or (2) Accelerated BS-MPH

Read more about our MPH Program.

Read more about our bachelor's programs in public health