Admissions Blog

The Internet is a wonderful thing - especially when it comes to sharing knowledge.

We at the Bloomberg School share through an ever-growing catalog of online courses and programs.

Online Courses

The Online Learning section of our website provides a convenient list of online courses sorted by term. To find official course listings, visit the School’s course catalog and choose “Internet” as your location.

If this is the first time you’re taking an online class with the Bloomberg School, you’re required to complete the mandatory prerequisite: Introduction to Online Learning. 

Non-degree students welcome!

To register for a class (online or otherwise) as non-degree student, see the instructions provided by the Office of Student Accounts and Business Services.

Online Certificates

Our school offers a number of public health certificates for a variety of audiences. The following certificates are available online:

• Environmental and Occupational Health
• Global Health
• Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Control
• Public Health Informatics
• Population and Health
• Training Certificate in Public Health

Online Degrees

The Bloomberg School offers two degree programs in an Internet-based format. They are the Schoolwide Master of Public Health (MPH) and the Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene offered through the Department of Environmental Health Sciences.

Both degrees require a small portion of coursework to be completed on-campus.  This is easily arranged through a variety of venues including our Summer and Winter Institutes.

Did you say free?

Regular tuition and fees apply to all of the above. 

Were you looking for a little tuition-free knowledge?  We have that too. Help yourself to materials stored within the OpenCourseWare program.  Listen to a lecture on iTunes U. Participate in a course from your own kitchen table through Coursera.

Share your knowledge!

Not interested in pursuing a degree, but wanting to further your public health education?

Institutes provide short-term, intensive educational opportunities for public health practitioners and other professionals whose schedules demand a flexible, nontraditional approach. They’re also a convenient method for students to delve into a variety of public health disciplines or receive an introduction to a new field of study.

Various departments within our School sponsor Institutes at different times throughout the year. The next series of Institutes begins this summer. Topics include leadership in strategic health communication, mental health, and tropical medicine, among others.

Check out these upcoming opportunities!

Some Institutes accept walk-in registration, but others have applications with deadlines just around the corner. So, read the application process for your Institute carefully.

Questions may be directed to the Office of Continuing Education and/or the contact listed for your individual Institute.

Do you have questions you’d like to ask us in person?

Our representatives travel to graduate fairs and open houses all over the country to answer your questions about our School.

 It’s true we do most of our travelling in the fall, but we have a number of events scheduled this spring. . .  and we’re always adding to the schedule.

Visit our recruitment schedule now, but check back in periodically. We’re sure to have added more events!

A few of you have emailed wondering why you can no longer select a 2013 start date for your program of interest in the online application.

Most likely, this is because the application deadline has passed and your program is no longer accepting applications.

The following are closed to new applications for the 2013-2014 academic year.

• MPH full-time
• MPH part-time/Internet-based (June start)
• Biostatistics – PhD, MHS, & ScM
• Environmental Health Sciences – PhD
• Epidemiology–DrPH, PhD, & ScD
• Health, Behavior and Society–DrPH, PhD, ScD, MSPH, ScM
• Health Policy and Management– DrPH, PhD
• International Health–PhD, MSPH, MA/MSPH
• Mental Health-DrPH & PhD
• Molecular Microbiology and Immunology–PhD
• Population, Family and Reproductive Health–DrPH, PhD

If you don’t see your program above and the deadline has passed, that program may still be accepting applications. HOWEVER, there are no guarantees. The application may close at any time.

Once the deadline has passed, we can no longer guarantee an admissions review.  Submitting materials after the deadline may also hurt your chances of student funding awarded through the departments. 

A number of application deadlines are still to come.

Know your deadline and APPLY EARLY!

Last month, I kept a tally of questions directed to admiss@jhsph.edu and wrote a post addressing the top five. It was a popular post and I hope that means it was helpful, especially because I plan to make it a monthly thing.

Five was a few too many, so I will address the three most asked questions of the past week.

1.  Have you received my materials?

Just as it was last month, this was by far the most asked question.

If your application is submitted, the easiest way for you to check your materials is to log back into your online application. 

If you JUST submitted, it may take up to ten days for us to match your materials to the online record.  We appreciate your patience.

If you have not yet submitted your application, your materials will be placed in a holding file. Remember, we don’t process supporting documents until your application is submitted and the application fee paid. This is yet another reason to submit early. If you wait until the last minute, there may not be time to resolve any potential issues.

For more information, see “Welcoming the Flood” and “Our Process – Part 2: What Happens When I Click Submit?”

2.  When will a decision be made on my application?

It typically takes eight to ten weeks for the admissions review committees  to reach an admissions decision. 

If you have any questions or need a more specific timeframe, you should contact your program directly.

For more information, see “Waiting” and “Our Process-Part 3: Under Review.”

3.  My application says I need to submit final transcripts. What does that mean?

Generally, this notation appears in the applications of those currently completing coursework or a degree. Your school likely sent us an “in progress” transcript, showing your coursework to date.

While your “in progress” transcript is usually sufficient for our admissions review, it will not fulfill the University’s final transcript requirement.  If you are admitted and before you begin classes at the School of Public Health, you will need to provide an official final transcript showing your newly completed courses and grades you earned. Admitted students who do not provide final documentation may not be able to register for classes or receive federal funding.

See the Admitted Student website or contact admissions if you have any questions.

Best wishes to you!