Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Health (BA/MPH)

The BA/MPH program offered jointly by the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Public Health is a blend of the undergraduate experience and graduate professional study leading to increased career opportunities in the field of public health. Students complete all degree requirements for the BA (128 credits) and all requirements for the MPH (48 credits). Up to 16 credits of graduate-level School of Public Health coursework completed in the final two years of undergraduate study may be applied both as elective credit toward the BA and as credit toward fulfillment of core requirements for the MPH. Careful planning and full-time enrollment can result in students’ receiving the MPH after a total of five years of study, rather than the usual minimum of five-and-a-half years. The BA is awarded at the completion of all BA requirements; the MPH is awarded once students have completed all MPH program requirements and requirements for one of the eight MPH concentrations (biostatistics; environmental health; epidemiology; health law, bioethics and human rights; health policy & management; international health; maternal and child health; social and behavioral health).

Public health is a diverse field that draws on expertise from many disciplines, including math, science, law, ethics, psychology, sociology, political science, and communications. Students applying to the BA/MPH program will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to public health as evidenced by their previous coursework, personal statement in the SOPHAS application, and past employment and extracurricular activities. Nevertheless, students in all CAS undergraduate concentrations are eligible to apply for the BA/MPH program, provided that they are not concurrently enrolled in the Boston University Dual Degree program or in another dual undergraduate/graduate degree program such as the BA/MA or the BA/MD. Students pursuing an undergraduate minor in public health must drop that minor if they are accepted and choose to enroll in the BA/MPH program.

Students must apply for the program by April 1 of their sophomore year (for July admission) or by October 15 of their junior year (for January admission) and may apply prior to taking any courses at the School of Public Health. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.20, and successful applicants will generally have a GPA above 3.50.

Application to the dual degree program will consist of an application approval form signed by the director of Prehealth Studies in CAS Room B2; a completed SOPHAS application to the School of Public Health; an official Boston University undergraduate transcript; three letters of reference, including one from a faculty member at CAS specifically addressing the student’s capacity to do graduate-level work; and SAT scores for critical reading, math, writing, essay, and two subject tests (or corresponding ACT scores). GRE test results will not be required as part of the application.

Students accepted to the MPH program will be required to meet certain standards and undergo further review prior to entering the SPH for their final year of study. They must maintain the GPA graduation requirement and fulfill all other requirements for their particular major in CAS. Additionally, they must achieve a grade of B- or better in all SPH core courses in which they enroll as undergraduates and must attain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 in all SPH courses. Upon completion of the BA degree, the student’s overall record will undergo a review by the assistant dean for education and the director of undergraduate education, who will make a final decision regarding a full transition to the School of Public Health. This review may be referred to the SPH Admissions Committee.

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

1. Statistics: CAS MA 115 and 116; or CAS MA 213 and 214; or CAS MA 684; or SPH BS 701 (Elementary Biostatistics, 3 credits); or SPH BS 703 (Biostatistics, 4 credits). Students who attain a grade of B or higher in both CAS MA 115 and CAS MA 116, or in both CAS MA 213 and CAS MA 214, or in CAS MA 684 will have fulfilled the MPH biostatistics requirement and are not required to take an SPH biostatistics course. Credit received for these CAS statistics courses does not count toward the minimum total of 48 credits of SPH coursework required for graduation with the MPH; and SPH BS 703 is the preferred biostatistics course for all MPH candidates concentrating in epidemiology or biostatistics.
2. Epidemiology: SPH EP 713 (Introduction to Epidemiology, 3 credits). Students who previously took EP711 or EP712 may “count” these courses.
3. Either SPH LW 740 or the MPH Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights core course requirement (LW707 or LW751). Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights concentrators must take either LW740 or LW751. All students will have to take the MPH Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights core course requirement eventually to meet the MPH requirements, and they may complete this requirement after they graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Students are required to meet with the director of undergraduate education or a staff member in the Office of 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. Students are also expected to review this tentative schedule of courses with their academic advisor at CAS. Students who have previously declared an undergraduate minor in public health must formally “un-declare” it in the CAS Records Office, since courses taken toward the minor cannot also be counted toward the MPH degree.

Additional information about the BA/MPH program may be obtained by making an appointment with the director of prehealth programs at the College of Arts and Sciences. Students must meet with the director of prehealth programs well in advance of application to discuss their interest in the BA/MPH program and obtain the director’s signature on an application approval form.

For more information about the Boston University School of Public Health, visit http://sph.bu.edu or contact Director of Undergraduate Education Sophie Godley at the School of Public Health (sgodley@bu.edu).