Q1. How do I apply to the 4 + 1 program? A1. You will apply to the 4 + 1 program through the online SOPHAS application.The application is an online centralized application service and consists of the following items. All of these items must be submitted before your application will be reviewed. 1. Application information: This includes the entering of your biographical data, education, coursework, volunteer/work experience, etc. You may upload a resume as well. 2. Personal statement: 1-2 page statement of your “personal goals and objectives” that outlines what you hope to do with your graduate degree in public health. You should draw on your personal experiences and discuss your future goals and objectives. 3. Official GRE scores: official GRE scores must be submitted directly to SOPHAS at the address they provide. They have a “designation code” so that you can send them directly to SOPHAS. If you are planning to matriculate in fall 2008, I would recommend that you take them in fall 2007/winter 2008. 4. Official transcripts from all previously attended universities: official transcripts must be submitted directly to SOPHAS at the address they provide. These must be signed and sealed from the university’s Office of the Registrar, and not a personal unofficial copy. 5. Three letters of recommendation. These may be electronically uploaded or manually entered into the SOPHAS system by your recommenders. Good examples of people to write recommendations for you include: past or current professors/academic advisors that can speak to your academic abilities, past or current employment supervisors, and past or current volunteer or extracurricular event supervisors. In general, it is better to provide a recommendation from someone that can thoroughly and accurately describe your academic abilities, work ethic, personality, etc – as opposed to someone who may have a prestigious title but doesn’t know you well enough to provide a thorough and informative recommendation. 6. Application fee: If you are applying to Tulane only, the fee is $95, payable to SOPHAS (by credit card or check at www.sophas.org) If you are applying to additional schools through SOPHAS, there are additional fees based on a pay-scale. 7. If you are applying for fall 2008, I would recommend that you apply to the school by March/April. There is no strict application deadline, but applying in advance will allow you time to prepare, secure financial aid if necessary, find housing if necessary, etc. Students matriculate into the School of Public Health in the fall, spring, and summer. As a general rule, it is recommended that you apply at least six months in advance of the time you anticipate matriculating. Q2. May I begin taking graduate courses as an undergraduate? A2. As you know, many of the courses that you are taking as part of the advanced core in the BSPH program are counting towards your graduate degree. Therefore, when you begin your graduate program here, you will only need an additional 30 credit hours – as opposed to the 45 credit hours that our other graduate students must take for the MPH program. *You can only transfer in the 15 credits from the advanced core. This is the maximum amount of credits that you can transfer in to the 4 + 1 program.* Q3. What type of flexibility (in coursework) is offered in the seven different academic departments? A3. There are seven different academic departments at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. They are: 1. Biostatistics 2. Community Health Sciences (Tracks in: Nutrition, Health Education/Communication, and Maternal and Child Health) 3. Epidemiology 4. Environmental Health Sciences 5. Health Systems Management 6. International Health and Development 7. Tropical Medicine When applying to the school, you must select both a department and a degree (MPH or MS.) The degrees vary in the amount of credit hours required to graduate, and not all degrees are offered in each department. Please check on their individual websites to see what degrees they offer.
All of the seven academic departments require that all students complete the following to graduate: The six mandatory core courses (18 credit hours in total), department-specific requirements, a “practicum experience,” and a “culminating experience.” Please note that the BSPH program requires that you take five of the six graduate core courses as part of your advanced core. Once admitted, you must take the sixth core course, “Biological Basis of Disease.” (SPHL 601.) Some departments have many department (and track) specific requirements, while others have very few. Deciding which department is the right fit for you may depend on their flexibility of their program (or, conversely, on the structure), so check each department’s websites to find out what their specific requirements are for their students. You can view all departments here. The 300 hour required “practicum experience” is similar to an internship, which provides students with work experience in a public health agency or organization. The practicum is a practical application of the knowledge and skills acquired through coursework. It must be approved by the student’s academic advisor, and is normally completed in the final semester of the program, prior to graduation. Most departments allow students to complete their practicum experience in a number of different environments and settings, including those that are international. The “culminating experience” is the final project required of all graduating students, and consists of either a thesis or final exam which covers all previously learned material. Students should discuss these options with their academic advisor, as specific requirements may vary within departments. Q4. What benefit does an MPH have if I go on to no further degrees, will I be specialized enough to get a job? What about an MPH & TM? A4. For many of our students, the MPH is their final degree. Most of these students become employed as: program managers (both internationally and domestically), administrators, city/state health office workers, researchers, consultants, scientists, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians. Other students continue their education after receiving their MPH and either pursue an advanced degree in public health (PhD, DrPH or ScD), or pursue advanced degrees in other disciplines that compliment their public health background (MD, DVM, RN, etc.) The MPH&TM is a degree that is reserved for medical professionals only – that is, those that have an MD, PA, DVM or RN. If you are interested in a degree in Tropical Medicine, you should start with an MSPH in Tropical Medicine (Parasitology.) Q5. My main concern is the cost of tuition at Tulane. I'm planning on pursuing my MD/MPH and I would be interested to know about any scholarships/grants offered through Tulane or outside organizations. A5. As a private institution, Tulane is more expensive than public universities. Many of our graduate students here receive financial aid to fund their education, primarily made up of federal loans. There are a small number of grants available to master’s level students based upon merit, that all applicants are automatically considered for. In addition, there are grants available to students doing the Master’s International/Peace Corps program and to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. However, as a 4 + 1 student, you are only required to take 30 hours (as opposed to 45), which means that your final tuition bill will be much lower than other students, as tuition is based on credit hours – not semesters. The most significant amount of student funding (in terms of grants and scholarships) are reserved for doctoral students. In regards to the MD/MPH program, if this is something that you are interested in, then your first step is to apply to the Tulane School of Medicine – and NOT to apply to the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. If you are accepted to the School of Medicine, then you will be given the option to do the joint MD/MPH program and will fill out a small supplementary application form. The other joint degrees that we offer are: MSW/MPH, RD/MPH, JD/MPH, MBA/MHA. | 
