Application Information

• When is the application deadline?
• What is the minimum GPA required for acceptance into the program?
• Do I really need to take the GRE?
• Does the department offer spring admission?
• Where should letters of recommendation be sent?
• What prerequisite courses do I need to complete before I apply?
• I’d like to request an application.
• Do you accept students from out of state? Do you discriminate against them?
• How will I be notified when a decision is reached on my application?
• Can I ask my employer for a recommendation?
• Can I ask my employer for a recommendation?
• I notice that an interview is part of the application process. How is that handled?
• I have a degree from a university outside the United States. What supporting documentation do I need to send?
• Is a career in Maternal and Child Health right for me?
• Do I need work experience before I apply?
• What forms of financial support are available?

International Students

Application Information

1. When is the application deadline?
   • The priority deadline for applications is January 1st for admission to the following Fall semester. Applicants with complete applications by this date will be eligible for Graduate School funding on a competitive basis. Applications complete after this date will be considered on a space-available basis and will not be considered for funding from the University.
2. What is the minimum GPA required for acceptance into the program?
   • A minimum GPA of 3.0
3. Do I really need to take the GRE?
   • The GRE is not necessary for applicants to the master’s program who have already earned a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, DDS, JD). For students in medical school, MCAT scores will be acceptable if five years old or less. All other applicants must submit official GRE scores (scores that are five years old or less, sent by ETS to the UNC Graduate School, institution code # 5816). All applicants to the doctoral program, without exception, must submit official GRE scores. The minimum score recommended for admission is attainment of the 50th percentile in both the Verbal and the Quantitative sections. High GRE scores, however, do not guarantee admission; nor do average scores preclude it.
4. Does the department offer spring admission?
   • The department will admit students in the spring in only the rarest of circumstances, and the few students admitted in the spring have typically applied to the School of Public Health the prior fall and are precluded from matriculating due to circumstances beyond their control.
5. Where should letters of recommendation be sent?
   • They should be mailed to the Department. We have no preference as to whether they are sent directly from the recommender or if the applicant collects them first. However, if the applicant is handling the recommendation, it is imperative that the letters be in sealed envelopes with the recommender’s signature across the flap.
6. What prerequisite courses do I need to complete before I apply?
   • The Department doesn’t require any particular courses as prerequisite to admission. A bachelor’s degree and post-baccalaureate work experience suffice for the master’s programs. The doctoral program requires a master’s degree in a related field, preferably an MPH in MCH.
7. I’d like to request an application.
   • The Graduate School no longer prints applications. The easiest method of applying is via an on-line form. It is also possible to download the application and print it on your local printer. Both methods of application can be accessed by going to http://gradschool.unc.edu.
8. Do you accept students from out of state? Do you discriminate against them?
   • The Department is interested in offering admission to the best candidates, regardless of place of birth or residence, nationality, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.
9. How will I be notified when a decision is reached on my application?
   • Official notification of your final status comes from the graduate school by mail.
10. Can I ask my employer for a recommendation?
    • We require three recommendation letters from individuals who are in a position to evaluate your potential for graduate study. Whether they be employers or professors is up to you; however, we prefer letters from academics first and employers second.
11. I notice that an interview is part of the application process. How is that handled?
    • The admissions committees will evaluate all the completed applications and will contact the most competitive applicants to schedule an interview. They are conducted on campus in January and February, although alternate arrangements can be made for phone interviews for applicants who can’t make it to Chapel Hill.
12. I have a degree from a university outside the United States. What supporting documentation do I need to send?
    • The Graduate School requires an official copy of your transcript, which shows when the degree was awarded as well as a certified English translation. These official copies will remain on file at the Graduate School. Policies regarding international transcripts are determined by the Graduate School and not by the individual departments. In addition, international students require the same recommendations and personal statement as domestic applicants, plus the financial statement and, if necessary, the TOEFL.
13. Is a career in Maternal and Child Health right for me?
    • That is a personal question of course, but successful applicants are those who have a commitment to improving the lives of women, children, and their families utilizing a public health population based approach.
14. Do I need work experience before I apply?
    • Students are expected to have at least one year of post-baccalaureate community-based health work experience prior to being admitted. If you have concerns about meeting this requirement, please contact the registrar.
15. What forms of financial support are available?
    • Every application completed by January 1st is eligible to be nominated for competitive fellowships sponsored by the Graduate School. These fellowships are typically only for a single year and are used as an incentive to encourage the most competitive applicants to matriculate. The Department has some limited funds available from the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau and other sources. Finally, all applicants should check the website for the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid for other funding opportunities.

For International Students

1. Do I need to take the TOEFL?
   • If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, and you have not earned a degree in a country in which English is the official language of instruction, then you must take the TOEFL. If you take the paper-based version of the TOEFL, the minimum passing score is 550, with a minimum score of 50 on each subsection. If you take the computer-based exam, the minimum passing score is 213, with a minimum score of 18 on each subsection. Official scores are required, and can be reported up to two years after completing the exam.
2. Do you have scholarships for International Students?
   • While the Department does not have any funds earmarked specifically for international students, they are eligible to compete for many of the awards that are available to domestic students.
3. What is the definition of an international student?
   • Someone who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the US is an international student and should follow the application guidelines for international students.
4. I have a degree from a university outside the United States. What supporting documentation do I need to send?
   • The Graduate School requires an official copy of your transcript, which shows when the degree was awarded as well as a certified English translation. These official copies will remain on file at the Graduate School. Policies regarding international transcripts are determined by the Graduate School and not by the individual departments so please contact them if you have specific questions.