Admission to Program
Students typically apply to the Pathway in the fall of their second year, but should already have discussed their plans in the first year. MPH coursework may begin prior to spring of year three, 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 fall and spring semester, and once accepted, new Double Dawgs students may enroll in graduate courses the following semester.
Curriculum
Graduate-level courses that may be used to satisfy undergraduate and graduate program requirements.
1. HPAM 7010 will replace HPAM 3060 in the undergraduate curriculum
2. HPRB 7010 will replace HPRB 3010 in the undergraduate curriculum
3. EPID 7010 will replace EPID 4070 in the undergraduate curriculum
4. BIOS 7010 will replace BIOS 2010 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 four, for a spring year four official start term. Applications should be made to the BS/MPH program (Biostatistics) 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,
• And three letters of recommendation (2 academic and 1 professional recommended),
• Prerequisite courses for Biostatistics Concentration: deferential and integral calculus (MATH 2250 and MATH 2260 at UGA).
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. Once accepted, students are subsequently enrolled in the MPH program in Spring year-4. Students who are eligible to enter the MPH program in Spring year-4 must ensure that timely graduation of the Bachelor’s degree occurs in year-4. 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 BS Environmental Health and MPH Biostatistics pathway.