Admission Requirements
All of our programs are competitive and you may require a higher grade point average (GPA) for admission.
MSc and MPH Degree Programs Requirements
Before you submit an online application you must meet these requirements for your application to be considered:
- Previous degree - A baccalaureate degree, or its academic equivalent, from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta
- Grade Point Average (GPA) - A GPA of at least 3.0 on most 4-point scales, or B on most letter grading systems, based on your most recent two years or last 60 credits of full-time study (or equivalent) is required.
- Experience - Preference will be given to those applicants with experience in a public health-related field. For more information, visit What is Public Health?
PhD Degree Program Requirements
Before you submit an online application you must meet these requirements for your application to be considered:
- Previous degree - A master's (thesis or course-based) degree, or its academic equivalent in a relevant field from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta.
- Grade Point Average* (GPA) - A GPA of at least 3.4 on the 4-point scale over the last 60 credits of full-time study (or equivalent) is required.
- Experience - Preference will be given to applicants who have demonstrated high-level research aptitude and competence in the application of their discipline to research. The evidence for aptitude and competence includes previous engagement with in-depth public health research/practice, research scholarships or fellowships, and/or a research publication track record.
*The School's minimum GPA requirements for the doctoral degree (PhD) are higher than those set out as acceptable standards by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.
Thesis Supervisor
PhD applicants, before being accepted, you must identify a supervisor from amongst School of Public Health faculty members who agrees to supervise your thesis research.
Detailed Profiles of Faculty Members
Application Deadlines
MPH programs (course-based)
- Fall 2025 Admission - October 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025.
- Applications and all supporting documents including reference letters must be received by January 31, 2025.
MSc and PhD programs (thesis-based)
- Fall 2025 Admission - October 1, 2024 to January 31, 2024
- Applications and all supporting documents including reference letters must be received by January 31, 2025.
English Language Proficiency
English is the primary language of instruction and communication at the University of Alberta (except for the Facultyé Saint-Jean); proficiency in English is a prerequisite for graduate admission.
Exemptions
Applicants with qualifications from certain countries and international universities are exempt from English language requirements.
Minimum Score
The School of Public Health minimum score on an approved English language proficiency exam is:
- PTE (Academic) - Overall score of 61 (with a minimum band score of 60)
- TOEFL (Paper-based) - Minimum score of 580
- TOEFL (Internet-based) - Total score of 92 (with a score of at least 21 in each of the individual skill areas)
- IELTS (Academic) - Minimum overall band score of 7.0 (with at least 6 on each test band)
Letters of English proficiency are not sufficient to meet the School of Public Health's English language requirement. All international applicants whose institutions and countries do not appear on the FGSR exemption list are required to provide acceptable English language proficiency exam scores by the application deadline.
Duolingo Test as ELP Alternative
If you're in a region impacted by Pearson, IELTS, or TOEFL test centre closures due to COVID-19, the university will temporarily accept the Duolingo English Test (taken after February 1, 2020) as one of the ways to meet our English Language Proficiency requirements. Minimum Duolingo English Test scores required by University of Alberta are as follows:
- 125 for English Language Proficiency, with no subscore below 105
Notwithstanding the above, graduate programs reserve the right to require a further demonstration of English language proficiency.