Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health (BS/MPH)

The Bachelor of Science/Master of Public Health (BS/MPH) degree program is a joint program offered by Boston University’s College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College and the School of Public Health (SPH). The program seeks to enroll outstanding undergraduates who will be fully capable of successfully completing their undergraduate degree requirements while beginning a master’s degree. The selection process is rigorous and designed to identify students capable of excelling in a dual undergraduate/graduate course of study.

The BS/MPH program is available to Sargent students, except those majoring in the combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Physical Therapy degree programs and those students in the BU Dual Degree program. The BS/MPH program requires a minimum of five years of full-time study—four years to acquire a Bachelor of Science degree in one of the specified concentrations at Sargent College, and a minimum of one year for the Master of Public Health degree in any concentration at the School of Public Health. Once students matriculate in the School of Public Health, they may choose to complete the degree requirements on a part-time basis, which will increase the duration of their studies.

All BS/MPH degree candidates must complete a minimum of 48 graduate-level credits i.e., courses numbered SPH •• 700 and above, to earn the Master of Public Health degree. During their undergraduate years, BS/MPH students may enroll in any School of Public Health courses for which they satisfy prerequisite requirements. However, a maximum of 16 credits of graduate-level BUSPH coursework may be applied jointly towards the two degrees.

At the completion of the BS degree requirement (128 credits) at Sargent College, the Bachelor of Science degree will be awarded, and BS/MPH students’ primary school of registration will change to the School of Public Health. BS/MPH students must meet all remaining concentration, core, and degree requirements for the Master of Public Health. Depending upon course sequencing and availability, students will be full-time students at the School of Public for a minimum of two semesters and until they complete the 48 credits required for the Master of Public Health degree.

Admission to the BS/MPH Program

Students in the second semester of their sophomore year or first semester of their junior year are eligible to apply to the BS/MPH program, though they may enroll in courses at SPH prior to applying. Sargent sophomores and juniors who wish to apply to the BS/MPH program must first complete the Sargent College BS/MPH Application Approval Form and meet with the Sargent College BS/MPH faculty advisor before initiating an application to the School of Public Health in SOPHAS, the centralized application service for the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH). Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, and successful applicants will generally have a GPA above 3.5.

Application deadlines and decision dates are as follows:

Second-Semester Sophomores

Apply by: April 1
Transcript submitted: no later than June 1
Decision by: July 1

First-Semester Juniors

Apply by: October 15
Transcript submitted: no later than January 8
Decision by: February 15

Application to the BS/MPH program will consist of:

  • a completed Sargent College BS/MPH Application Approval Form, signed by the Sargent College BS/MPH faculty advisor, submitted to the Admissions Office at the School of Public Health
  • a SOPHAS application to Boston University School of Public Health
  • an official Boston University undergraduate transcript, submitted at the end of the semester in which you apply
  • three letters of reference, including at least two from faculty members at Sargent College specifically addressing the student’s capacity to do graduate-level work.

Students who are accepted into the BS/MPH program must send a written confirmation of their intention to join the BS/MPH program to the Assistant Dean of Admissions at the School of Public Health within ten business days of receiving an offer of admission. Mutually accepted students in the BS/MPH program who have declared the public health minor at Sargent must undeclare the minor.

Students who are not accepted into the BS/MPH program may apply for entrance to the MPH program during their senior year. At that time, they may meet with the Sargent Student Records staff and SPH Registrar’s Office staff to determine which SPH classes they completed may count towards the MPH degree if they are accepted to the SPH.

Requirements and Review Prior to Matriculation to the SPH

Students accepted to the BS/MPH are required to meet certain academic standards and undergo further review prior to entering the SPH for their final year of study. BS/MPH students must maintain the GPA graduation requirement and other degree requirements for their particular major at Sargent College. Additionally, they must achieve a grade of B- or better in all SPH courses in which they enroll while undergraduates, and have attained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all SPH courses. Students who achieve less than a B- in any SPH courses will be subject to dismissal from the dual degree program and must petition the SPH Associate Dean for Education for permission to remain in the dual degree program. Upon completion of the BS degree, the student’s academic record will undergo a review by the SPH Assistant Dean for Education, who will make a final determination regarding a full transition to the School of Public Health.

By the time of graduation from Sargent College and as a condition of entry into the SPH students must have completed the following:

  1. CAS MA 115 and CAS MA 116 or CAS MA 213 and MA 214 or CAS MA 684 or SPH BS 701 or SPH BS 703.
  2. SPH EP 711 or SPH EP 712. Students who plan to concentrate in Epidemiology or Biostatistics at the School of Public Health must enroll in SPH EP 712.
  3. SPH LW 707 or SPH LW 751. Students who plan to concentrate in Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights at the School of Public Health must enroll in SPH LW 751.

Course Planning

Students are required to meet with the Registrar at the School of Public Health shortly after being accepted into the dual degree program in order to plan their public health courses in advance. Proactive planning is essential for timely completion of all MPH requirements. The tentative schedule of courses should then be reviewed with the student’s advisor at Sargent College.

The six core courses required of all MPH candidates provide a broad exposure to the field of public health, and it is strongly recommended that students focus on MPH core courses during the undergraduate years. However, there may be variation in schedules due to course sequencing.

Undergraduate Courses That Waive MPH Core Course Requirements

Students may complete the following undergraduate courses to waive particular MPH core course requirements. Students must note that courses that waive MPH requirements do not count towards the minimum 48 graduate credit requirement for the MPH degree. Students will need to take additional coursework that will provide them with greater depth or breadth to meet the minimum 48-credit requirement.

  • Students who attain a grade of B or higher in both CAS MA 115 and CAS MA 116 or CAS MA 213 and CAS MA 214 or CAS MA 684 will have fulfilled the MPH Biostatistics requirement.  The preferred course to meet the MPH Biostatistics core course requirement for Epidemiology and Biostatistics concentrators is SPH BS 703.
  • Students who attain a grade of B or higher in SAR HP 353 will have fulfilled the Health Policy & Management core course requirement for non-Health Policy & Management and non-International Health students. Students who plan to concentrate in Health Policy & Management or International Health must enroll in SPH PM 702 or SPH IH 704 respectively.

Checklist for Students

  • Meet with Sargent Faculty in the fall of sophomore year to discuss application to BS/MPH Program
  • Complete required Sargent College BS/MPH Application Approval Form, have the form signed by the Sargent College BS/MPH faculty advisor, and submit form to the Admissions Office at the School of Public Health
  • Submit completed application through SOPHAS services by April 1 of sophomore year or October 15 of junior year
  • Request an official BU transcript be sent to the SPH Admissions Office at end of semester in which applied
  • If accepted, undeclare public health minor
  • If accepted, schedule a meeting with the SPH Registrar’s Office

Contact Information

For detailed information and application materials, please contact:

BU College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
Academic Services Center
635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 207
Phone: 617-353-2713
Email: sargrad@bu.edu

For more information about the Boston University School of Public Health, visit http://sph.bu.edu/admissions/programs/bsmph, or contact Dr. Wayne LaMorte, Assistant Dean for Education at the School of Public Health, at wlamorte@bu.edu.