Applications for Fall 2026 Admissions Opens June 1, 2025

Early Deadline: July 15th | Final Deadline: November 15th

The Master of Public Health program is offered by the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Our admissions committee uses a holistic application review process. The MPH program welcomes incoming University of Illinois undergraduate majoring in Community Health, Kinesiology, and Interdisciplinary Health (I-Health). Those who eligible and interested should apply before the start of their final year at the University. We expect to notify applicants within 4-6 weeks after each application deadline has passed.

Applying by July 15th gives students who are admitted their entire Fall and Spring semesters to take courses that count towards both their BS and MPH degrees. Applying by November 15th gives students who are admitted the just the Spring semester to take courses that count towards both their BS and MPH degrees.

• Applicants to the BS-MPH program should submit their application through the Graduate College. See application instructions below.
• Only students who are in their final year of undergraduate study during the 2025-2026 Academic Year in Community Health, Kinesiology, Interdisciplinary Health (I-Health) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign may apply for this application cycle.
• Applicants must be able to complete all BS requirements by the end of the UIUC summer session in 2026 in order to advance to the MPH in Fall 2026.

Apply here!

For more details on eligibility and curriculum overlap with BS and MPH, should visit the BS-MPH Information webpage.

Online Graduate College Application

• Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Please specify early in your statement whether you are applying to the BS-MPH in Epidemiology or the BS-MPH in Health Behavior & Promotion.
• Resume
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• Unofficial Transcripts

Prerequisite requirements: Before applying for the BS-MPH program, all Community Health and Interdisciplinary Health (I-Health) major applicants are required to complete the course HK 207: Introduction to Epidemiology, and MUST obtain a B or higher grade in it. This prerequisite does NOT apply to Kinesiology majors. HK 416 is also recommended.

Step 1: Create an Online Application. Once you log in, select "Start New Application" and "Create Application" on the pop-up window.

Step 2: Complete the application. Use the information below to help you address each section in the application.

Instructions Section:

• Please read all of the information in this section carefully. 
• Application Fee:  After you submit your online application, you will be prompted to pay a non-refundable application fee ($70 for domestic applicants, $90 for international applicants). Your application will not be reviewed until this fee has been paid. If you do not pay your application fee within 3 weeks of submitting your application, your application will be not be submitted. The University of Illinois does offer application fee waivers for certain applicants.

Personal Information Section: Follow the prompts or instructions accordingly

Residency Section: Follow the prompts or instructions accordingly

Program Section:

Previous University of Illinois Affiliation

• You will be asked if you have ever applied or attended any University of Illinois campus. You must respond yes and enter the last term you attended
  • If applying for the July 15th deadline, enter Spring 2025
  • If applying for the November 15th deadline, enter Fall 2025
• You will be asked if you are a current or previous employee of the University of Illinois, please answer accordingly.
• You will be asked to enter your UIN, so please have that ready.

Proposed Program of Study

• For Program, select "Health and Kinesiology"
• For Degree, use the list below to select the degree the correct degree option:
  • For Community Health undergrads
    • EPI: Master of Public Health in Epidemiology/Community Health-BS/MPH
    • HBP: Master of Public Health/Community Health-BS/MPH
  • For I-Health undergrads
    • EPI: Master of Public Health in Epidemiology/I-Health-BS/MPH
    • HBP: Master of Public Health/I-Health-BS/MPH
  • For Kinesiology undergrads
    • EPI: Master of Public Health in Epidemiology/Kinesiology-BS/MPH
    • HBP: Master of Public Health/Kinesiology-BS/MPH
• You will be asked to verify that you are a current University of Illinois undergrad and indicating what your undergrad major is.
• If you applied for an application fee waiver, you will be asked to indicate if you are eligible here.

 Academics Section:

• Fill out the requested information on all of the universities you have attended or are currently attending.
• Upload unofficial transcripts (your own copies) from all colleges you have attended, including community colleges
  • As a University of Illinois undergraduate, you are able to access an unofficial copy of your transcript through Self-Service. Once logged in, under Student Services, you can select View Academic History/Unofficial Transcript, print & save as PDF, and upload that to satisfy this section.

Test Scores Section:

• GRE and any other test scores are not required for the MPH program. If you have taken, and which to upload, your GRE Scores, you are welcome to do so.

Resume Section:

• A detailed resume must be submitted for admission consideration. While experience is not required, previous health experience is beneficial to the application and will be considered by the admission committee. Please limit resume to 1-2 pages.
• Applicant's professional resume should include: personal information, educational background, work experience (start and end dates for each position and brief description of responsibilities), internship experience (start and end dates and brief description of responsibilities), educational training, professional associations, leadership experience.

Statements Section:

• You may skip the Academic Statement in this section.
• Please respond to Personal Statement Short Answer Essay questions #1 and #2. These questions are required by our Illinois Graduate College.

Program Essay section:
All applicants will be required to respond to a series of short personal essays. Each short personal essays should be a maximum of 1,500 characters (roughly 250-500 words). Applicants should be prepared to answer the following questions: 

• Question 1: Why are you interested in an MPH degree? Why are you specifically interested in the MPH at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
• Question 2: How do your past experiences make you an excellent fit for this program? How do your education & skills set you up for professional & academic success?
• Question 3:
  • A) As an MPH student concentrating in Epidemiology, what past experiences do you have with quantitative work? What do you hope to gain from the MPH program relevant to this concentration? How will the training you will receive during this program prepare you for your career goals? OR 
  • B) As an MPH student concentrating in Health Behavior & Promotion, what past experiences do you have with health promotion or education? What do you hope to gain from the MPH program relevant to this concentration? How will the training you will receive during this program prepare you for your career goals?
• Option Essay: Please use this optional essay to discuss any abnormalities in your transcript that you would like the admissions committee to consider when reviewing your application. 

References Section:

• Recommendation Letter Requirements: The MPH program requires three letters of recommendation. At least one must come from a professor or instructor attesting to the applicant’s ability for graduate studies, preferably from the final 60 credit hours. Epidemiology applicants should ensure a recommender addresses quantitative, analytical, or research skills. The other letters can be from academic or professional sources highlighting education, work, internships, or leadership skills. 
• Submitting without Letters: Submit your application before the deadline, even if letters are pending. Applications won't be reviewed until all letters are received. Letters requested fewer than 10 days before the deadline risk not being considered. Please note: If the application deadline passes and your letters have not yet been received, the program will not consider applications with recommendation requests sent less than 10 days before the deadline.
• Recommender Follow-Up: The system will not remind recommenders automatically. To send a reminder, revisit the references section of your application, click "Edit," update the email if needed, and select "Send Reminder."

Signature Section: Follow the prompts or instructions accordingly 

Review Section: Follow the prompts or instructions accordingly 

Step 3: Submit!