Admission to Program
Students typically apply to the College of Public Health Double Dawgs pathway at the end of their second year, but should discuss their Double Dawgs plans with their undergraduate academic advisor before the application. MPH coursework may begin prior to Year 3, but students must first complete all pathway application and advising prior to enrolling in any MPH coursework. Applicants to the Double Dawgs program are expected to have an excellent academic record and an undergraduate overall GPA of 3.5. Applications are evaluated each semester, and once accepted, new Double Dawgs students may enroll in MPH courses the following semester. More information on the pathway application can be found on the College of Public Health Double Dawgs website: https://publichealth.uga.edu/apply-now/double-dawgs/
Once accepted to the Double Dawgs Pathway, students must earn a “B-” or higher in all Double Dawgs courses and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 to remain in the College of Public Health Double Dawgs program.
Curriculum
Graduate-level courses that may be used to satisfy undergraduate and graduate program requirements.
1. BIOS 7010 will count as a general elective in the undergraduate curriculum.
2. HPRB 7010 will count as a general elective in the undergraduate curriculum.
3. HPRB 7510 will count as a general elective in the undergraduate curriculum.
4. HPRB 7920 will count as a general elective in the undergraduate curriculum.
Additional requirements that are unique to this Double Dawgs program:
The MPH is a 44-credit hour, non-thesis degree program. The typical pathway student must express interest in the pathway their freshman year and be willing to take summer courses, in order to successfully complete the undergraduate credit hour requirements as well as the MPH credit hour requirements within the allowable 4+1 pathway model. Students are encouraged to first speak with their undergraduate coordinators and advisors and establish a preliminary program of study, prior to reaching out to the MPH program to formalize the program of study and successfully complete the application process.
Admission to Graduate Program
After completion of up to 12 graduate hours of coursework, students must then apply for official acceptance into the MPH program. This process occurs no later than October 15 of Year 4, for a Spring Year 4 official start term. Due to the prerequisite order and course rotations of the HPRB course sequence, students will enroll in one hybrid semester during Spring of Year 4. A hybrid semester means that the student will be enrolled in the undergraduate and graduate programs concurrently. The graduate courses in Spring of Year 4 can only be applied to the graduate degree, and they cannot be used to complete the undergraduate degree. Students must graduate with their undergraduate degree at the end of the hybrid semester. Applications should be made to the BS/MPH program (Area of Emphasis in Health Promotion and Behavior) through SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Service). The application process is detailed at https://publichealth.uga.edu/apply-now/master-of-public-health-program/, and requires:
- A current CV or Resume
- A statement of interest (max. 1,500 words)
- Academic transcript verification
- Three letters of recommendation (2 academic and 1 professional recommended)
Double Dawg Pathway students are NOT guaranteed admission to the MPH program, and are required to apply to the MPH during the semester of their enrollment in the 12th graduate credit hour. Admission to the graduate program requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a completed application packet that is reviewed by the department’s faculty to determine whether the students’ academic records align with the program requirements. Students who fail to follow the established pathway in any way, may be subject to loss of credit hours towards either degree program completion, extended time in the MPH program, or expulsion from the Psychology BS/MPH pathway.