We are so excited about your interest in our Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health degree here at the UNLV School of Public Health. Regardless of whether you are interested in overseas fieldwork or heavy quantitative lab-based research experience, our outstanding faculty will help you further public health at the graduate level.

Our faculty in Public Health have advanced renowned research on topics such as:

  • The development of a new polymerase chain reaction assay for the rapid detection of oral pathogenic bacterium.
  • The impact of a congregation-based intervention to increase HIV testing and reduce mother to child transmission in resource-limited settings such as Nigeria.
  • Cancer incidence among populations in the United States.
  • Efficient non-inferiority testing procedures for simultaneously assessing sensitivity and specificity of two diagnostic tests.
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Admissions Requirements

Admission into the Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health program at UNLV requires that you meet the standard criteria of the UNLV Graduate College. Your admission will be contingent upon your qualifications and the availability of openings for new students.

In addition to the requirements of the UNLV Graduate College, you will be expected to have:

  • Earned a bachelor's degree and a Master of Public Health (MPH) or a master's in an equivalent field from an accredited university. If you are educated outside of the United States, you will need to demonstrate proof of equivalent education and advanced degrees.
  • A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (4.0=A) in a masters' program of study. The most competitive students will have a master's level GPA of 3.5 or higher.
  • Competitive Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores on verbal, quantitative, and analytical measures. GRE scores will be assessed relative to other applicants in the pool as well as relative to other graduate programs at UNLV. The exam must have been taken with the institutions' graduate school/college requirements. The most competitive students will have a combined verbal/quantitative GRE score of 1,200 (old test)/300 (new test) or higher. You must request to have their scores sent electronically from ETS to UNLV. Students must use our institution code 4861.
  • Oral and written language competency. Applicants from countries where English is not the native language, or who do not receive degrees from institutions where English is the language of instruction, must show competency in English, meeting the Graduate College or Graduate School requirements: "a minimum score of 550 on the written or 213 on the computerized Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 85 on the Michigan Test."
  • Three letters of recommendation from faculty and other individuals who can evaluate your motivation, academic capability, scholarship potential, and personal goals for doctoral study.
  • A written statement of personal, career, educational, and scholarship goals, including identification of research interests. The most competitive students will clearly identify their plans for dissertation research and its contribution to the field of public health.
  • You may be asked to participate in an interview with member(s) of the admissions committee, either in person, via skype, or by telephone. You may also be asked to submit writing samples.

How to Apply

Public Health doctoral students are admitted once a year for the fall semester. You must have submitted all required materials by March 1st for admission in the following fall semester.

You must identify an Area of Emphasis (sub-plan) at the time of application.

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Next Steps

You will be notified by the graduate college in writing before the start of the semester. For more questions about becoming a UNLV graduate student, please see the Graduate College's Become a Graduate Student page.