MPH Program FAQs

A Master of Public Health is an interdisciplinary, professional degree at the graduate level. It is meant for individuals who are interested in public health practice.

No. The UNC Charlotte MPH program is not STEM-designated. However, other schools may have programs that are.

No. Unfortunately, the UNC Charlotte MPH program is unable to offer application fee waivers. The application system is managed by the UNC Charlotte Graduate School and they are the ones who collect those fees.

No. Applicants to the UNC Charlotte MPH program are welcome from all majors.

Applicants are required to have a four-year degree (or its equivalent) from a regionally or nationally accredited institution.

No. However, applicants should have at least one undergraduate-level quantitative course OR be able to explain their experience with working with quantitative data in their statement of purpose.

The GRE is no longer an admission requirement for the UNC Charlotte MPH program.

Competitive applicants to the UNC Charlotte MPH program have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students with undergraduate GPAs below a 3.0 should contact the Program Director before applying.

The admission committee will consider your entire portfolio when reviewing your application. This portfolio includes a statement of purpose, transcript of classes and GPA (grade point average), relevant work experience as communicated by a resume, and letters of recommendation.

Strength in one area may outweigh a perceived weakness in another. Be sure to address any deficiencies or potential “red flags” in the personal statement. Use the statement to put such weaknesses in context and to note any explanatory information that would convince the committee you could be a successful student. Ignoring an obvious weakness undermines your credibility with the committee.

Applicants should submit three (3) letters of recommendation.

Ideally, two (2) letters of recommendation are from instructors who have had you in the classroom. They should speak to your written and verbal abilities, your class participation, your work ethic, and your ability to perform at the graduate level. It may be useful to send them your personal statement which will help them focus on specific areas. 

A 3rd letter can be from another instructor, an internship supervisor, a volunteer coordinator, or a work supervisor (if you’ve worked in public health). 

Other tips:

• We do not want “character letters” (e.g. letter from your pastor indicating what a good person you are). 
• We strongly encourage you to “waive” your right to view your letters of recommendation. Waiving allows your recommender to make a comprehensive appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses. If you do not trust your recommender to write you a fair letter, then they probably are a poor choice.

While in most cases, two (2) pages should be sufficient, we do not place any requirements or limits on the length of the statement.  Please make sure you follow the guidance provided for your statement by the program found on our Admissions page. Your concise statement should serve the following two purposes:

1. Convince the Admissions Committee that the UNC Charlotte MPH program is the right program for you.
   • Demonstrate your understanding of the MPH degree and what it prepares you to do.  
   • Link your prior experiences to your aspirations (e.g., tell us where you’re coming from, how you became interested in public health, where you’re going, and how you think the degree will help get you there).
   • Your statement should indicate which concentration you are interested in, and what type of job you envision yourself in after graduation.
2. Convince the Admissions Committee that you can be successful in the program.
   • Explain/provide context for any potential ‘red flags’ (integrate or a separate section of the essay). Do not ignore a potential weakness.

Work experience is not a requirement of the UNC Charlotte MPH program; however, relevant experience in any public health setting may enhance your application and better inform your statement of purpose.

All prospective students must apply as new students to the UNC Charlotte MPH program.

If offered admission to the program, it may be possible to transfer up to twelve (12) graduate-level credit hours. These credits cannot have been applied to another graduate degree and earned credits must be a C or better. 

Note: a transferred C counts toward the accumulated Cs allowed for the degree. Please refer to the MPH Student Handbook for additional constraints and expectations for transfer credit.

Fall (priority): January 15

International: February 15

Regular: April 1

Spring (priority): October 1

International: October 15

Regular: November 15

To be considered for university scholarships and grants, applications should be submitted by the priority deadline. These opportunities are typically only available for Fall admission. 

Applications received after the latest application deadline above for each semester and prior to the university application deadline will be periodically reviewed, subject to space limitations.

The UNC Charlotte MPH program uses a rolling review process which means we review applications as they come in during the review period. Fall admission reviews usually take place from early January through early April. Spring admission reviews usually take place from mid-September through early December. See our Admissions page for more information on our process.

The UNC Charlotte Graduate School policy allows a one-time request (via email to gradapponline@charlotte.edu) to update your application or defer your admission for up to one academic year without requiring a new application and application fee.

The UNC Charlotte Graduate School sets the policy for English language proficiency for international applicants. Applicants are required to submit official scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo if English is not the applicant’s native language and/or has not earned a post-secondary degree from a U.S. institution.

No. The UNC Charlotte MPH Program is required to follow the english language proficiency requirement of The Graduate School. That entity determines the general requirements for international students to gain admission to UNC Charlotte.

While not required, WES evaluation is strongly recommended if you are submitting a transcript from a non-U.S. academic institution. Find out more here about 3-year degrees. Find out more here about calculating your GPA (grade point average) if your undergraduate institution does not use a 4.0 scale.

Total tuition paid for the program will depend upon the plan of study a student chooses (two, three, and four-year options are available).  Please see the cost of attendance for the most recent MPH program tuition and fee schedule.

Students completing the two-year plan of study will pay for four semesters at the nine+ credit hours rate, and one summer session of at least three credit hours.

Additional expenses will include books (varies by class) and parking.

Note: The Master of Public Health program does assess additional tuition per credit hour up to 9 credits. That fee can be found at the bottom of the tuition and fees document linked above.

Yes, the MPH program offers student assistantships in the form of instructional, research, or administrative graduate assistantships. However, these assistantships are limited and are highly competitive. They do not provide tuition support.

For an overview of assistantship and scholarship/financial aid opportunities please visit The Graduate School’s Assistantships and Employment page and/or Funding Your Graduate Education on the MPH website’s Admitted Student Resources.

The MPH program benefits from three named scholarships that are limited to our students, the Donna C. Arrington Memorial Scholarship, the Hildreth-Young Scholarship, and the Jim and Dorie Boyes Scholarship. You can learn about and apply for these scholarships and others through the NinerScholars portal.

Scholarships are typically awarded only for the Fall semester.

Typically, MPH classes meet on weekday afternoons or evenings, Monday-Thursday, in the 2:30-5:15p or 5:30-8:15p time slots. There are classes that might be offered in the morning depending on the instructor. Typically, those are Wednesday or Friday classes. Elective courses offered outside of the MPH program may take place during the day or evening.

Most UNC Charlotte MPH classes meet at UNC Charlotte’s main campus at 9201 University City Blvd in the College of Health and Human Services. One or more classes per semester may meet at UNC Charlotte’s Center City campus at 320 E. 9th Street (conveniently located steps away from a light rail stop).

All UNC Charlotte students are have a Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) All-Access pass for unlimited rides on the CATS LYNX light rail, trolley, Special Transportation Service (STS), local and express bus routes, including the Airport Connector.