Credentials from Canada & USA: All 300 & 400 level courses, irrespective of what year they were completed.

Credentials from outside of Canada & USA: All undergraduate courses are used to calculate the GPA. As an international student, there are specific requirements for each country, which can be found online at the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Web site. Please follow this link, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select the country. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements set out for their particular country/university.

No. The MPH Admissions Committee agreed in March 2010 that this option is no longer acceptable for admission to the program. All applicants will be compared against the same standards of GPA calculation.

We will use all eligible degrees to calculate GPA for admission. For example, if an applicant has two Degrees (at any level), and only one degree meets the minimum academic requirement set out by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the applicant is eligible for admission. If both (or all) degrees meet the minimum requirement, then the applicant is eligible for admission. If neither/none of the Degrees meet the minimum academic requirement, the applicant is not eligible for admission.

Generally speaking, if applicants don’t meet the minimum academic requirements, they are not eligible for admission to any UBC graduate program. However, if an applicant has taken a couple of additional undergraduate or graduate courses and achieved a B+ or higher to demonstrate academic ability, AND the applicant has an extensive track record of working in public health, excellent reference letters and a focused letter of intent, the MPH Admissions Committee will review the application and if successful, write a letter requesting consideration of the applicant by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies may or may not respond affirmatively to the letter.

Many applicants are working professionals in the field of public health who wish to extend their knowledge in public health, planning, research, evaluation, and leadership. Others have recently completed a Baccalaureate degree in areas which are relevant to the field of public health. Some of these areas are (but not limited to): medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, nutrition, pharmacy, midwifery, kinesiology, environmental sciences, microbiology, biology, statistics, sociology, psychology, anthropology and engineering or business.

Our successful applicants usually have some experience in the field of public health, including participation in research activities (research assistantships, published papers, conference abstracts, invited presentations) or teaching (teaching assistantships, teaching courses, developing teaching materials or curriculum, informal peer-based teaching, participation in or development of community-based teaching). We are also looking for evidence of leadership and initiative in working with people, whether or not this is directly focused on public health.

The deadline is firm for the completion of the online application as well as the receipt of all application documents. This is due to the high volume of applications we need to process and our responsibility to meet deadlines set by UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Please take into account the timescale if applicants are applying from overseas or the originating country’s mail system is unreliable, and allow ample time for transit time.

No. The application deadline cannot be extended for anyone due to time constraints on the MPH Admissions Committee. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure their referees have sent references in on time.

The LOI should be no longer than 500 words.

Applicants should use the letter of intent to articulate their reasons for pursuing the MPH at UBC. It should identify specific and focused goals in the field of public health and how the applicant will use the skills and knowledge gained in the MPH program to achieve these goals. It’s important not to duplicate information in the curriculum vitae. The LOI should demonstrate understanding of the field of public health.

Hard copies are not required to be mailed to the MPH office. We accept the LOI via upload in the  Program-Specific Questions section of the application.

Applicants can address their LOI to the MPH Admissions Committee.

We ask that referees provide comments that offer a picture of the applicant’s abilities and potential to succeed as a graduate student, public health professional and/or researcher. Specifically, we seek input on the applicant’s:

• Academic ability and initiative
• Quantitative, analytical and reasoning skills
• Critical thinking and complex problem solving skills
• Ability to interpret and communicate data clearly and effectively
• Demonstrated compassion, professionalism, integrity, and sense of social justice

If possible, please provide examples for your assessment of the applicant on these criteria. It is also useful to provide information on the context in which you have gotten to know the applicant (e.g., work environment, applicant’s role and responsibilities or the educational/course setting). The admissions committee finds it helpful if the referee can compare the applicant to other students or staff in a quantitative way, i.e. this student is in the top 10% of students I have previously taught or supervised in the past number of years.

Yes. Referees have the option to complete an electronic reference in the online application system, or write and upload a letter. If a referee would like to send us a letter, they can attach and upload a PDF letter online. If applicants list the referee’s email address on their application, an email will be sent to the referee after the applicant has submitted the application. Emails must come from an institutional or a business email account (eg. @ubc.ca). Referees with web-based email addresses (ex. Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) can not complete the electronic reference in the online application. We will not accept any non-institutional emails. Please note that  applicants must submit their application online well in advance of the deadline so their referees have enough time to complete the reference.

Please note that due to the current covid-19 situation, we will not be accepting hard copies of references. References are due before the deadline of December 31st, 2022.

We prefer academic references, but would also accept a reference that speaks to your academic potential.

Referees can write and upload a letter in lieu of the electronic reference.

Degree: Master
Program: Public Health
Field of Study: Public Health

You have the option to change a referee in your online application yourself. Alternatively, you can submit a request to change the referee in your application by contacting mph@spph.ubc.ca, clearly indicating who will no longer be sending through a reference letter and details on the replacement referee.

An excellent online guide to developing and organizing the CV is provided by the UBC’s Centre for Student Involvement & Careers.

No. Due to the high volume of emails that come through during admissions, the MPH program does not have enough email capacity to accept hundreds of applicants’ attachments. We accept CVs via upload in the Standard Questions Section in online application.