Admissions

Application

Applicants are required to complete the online Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) application. All application materials need to be submitted through SOPHAS.

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Prerequisites

All applicants must hold (or be awarded before entry) a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related field from an accredited college or university, with a GPA of at least B (3.0 on a 4.0-point scale). Applicants need to have taken undergraduate courses in calculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and introductory statistics, each with a grade of B (3.0 on a 4.0-point scale) or higher.

NOTE: Applicants without one or more of the stated prerequisites may be considered for admission to the MS but should conditional admission be offered, the prerequisites must be fulfill before full admission is granted and registering in the core curriculum.

Transcripts

We require official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities.

Domestic or US Transcripts

Domestic or US transcripts must be sent from the institution's Registrar’s Office directly to SOPHAS at the following address:

SOPHAS Mailing and Contact Information
SOPHAS | P.O. Box 9111 | Watertown, MA 02471
617-612-2090 | Email | Website

• This applies to current or former UNMC students.
• Photocopies of transcripts will not be accepted.

International Transcripts

All non-US transcripts must be evaluated by the World Education Service (WES) using their ICAP Course-by-course evaluation service. For further instructions, you may visit www.wes.org/sophas.

• WES reports should be sent directly from WES to SOPHAS.
• Please ensure that you enter your SOPHAS ID number on your WES evaluation request to ensure your evaluation can be matched to your application.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation must be submitted. At least one of the references must be academic (from a professor, instructor, or faculty mentor).

Statement of Intent

A one-page personal statement describing the applicant’s:

• Interest in and potential for contributing to the field of biostatistics
• Career objectives
• Self-assessment of computer, quantitative analysis, personal skills, and general preparation for succeeding in a biostatistics MS program

Resume or CV

A resume or curriculum vitae.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

• The GRE is optional for students who meet the minimum GPA (3.0) and prerequisite grade (B) requirements.
• The GRE is required for applicants whose overall GPA is less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or have received a C in one or more of the pre-requisite courses. Many factors are considered in evaluating an individual's application, but many successful applicants will have verbal, quantitative, and analytic writing GRE scores at or above the 40th percentile.
• GRE scores should be sent by ETS directly to SOPHAS using the UNMC COPH SOPHAS GRE Code: 0695
• Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores must be from within the last five years.

English Proficiency Requirement 

Test of English as a Foreign Language, IELTS, or Duolingo scores are required of all applicants who have not received a previous degree from a US institution or a country where the only official language is English, such as U.K., Australia, or Canada (excluding Quebec).  

Minimum Requirements: 

• TOEFL: 550-Paper, 213-computer, 80-internet 
• IELTS: 6.5 
• Duolingo: 120 

Scores must have been earned within two years prior to the desired term of entry. 

Submitting your official scores: 

Test of English as a Foreign Language 

Educational Testing Services send official scores to the SOPHAS TOEFL code: 5688. 

IELTS 

• An institution code is not required 
• IELTS Taken in a Test Center: Inform your IELTS test center that you wish to send your results to SOPHAS. You can do this during the test booking process by selecting SOPHAS or asking your test center to select SOPHAS after you receive your results. IELTS results are sent to SOPHAS electronically. 
• IELTS Online: Send your results to SOPHAS using the IELTS test taker portal. You can send your IELTS results to as many organizations as you wish with no additional fee. IELTS Online results are provided in an electronic format. 

Duolingo

You will receive the certified test results a few days after taking the exam. When you receive them, log on to your account, click the “send results” button next to your test results, and select the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health. This will send your results to us. For additional information, please review Duolingo’s frequently asked questions. 

Information on Preparing for the Exam 

Take the Exam or Practice Exam