PhD Degree 

Early application is recommended.  Applications are accepted year round and admissions are given on a rolling basis.  Applications that are not complete by June 1st run the risk of not being reviewed for fall admission.

The following are required of students applying for the PhD in Epidemiology:

• A Master's degree in Epidemiology from an accredited college or university.  (If a student enters with a MS or MPH from another institution, the department will make an individual assessment as to what additional courses will be added to their program to make up for deficiencies, if any.)
• If a student enters without a Master's in Epidemiology, the student must complete the master's degree program.
• Satisfactory performance on the General GRE and GRE Writing Assessment (scores not older than 5 years)*, or the MCAT.  This requirement may be waived for individuals possessing an earned doctoral degree from a university in the U.S. or Canada.  (*Beginning October, 2002, the General GRE test will be composed of verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections.  Therefore, if the GRE is taken after October 1, 2002, you will not be required to submit the GRE Written Assessment.  However, if the GRE was taken prior to October 1, 2002, you must submit the GRE Written Assessment.)
• Required GPA of 3.5 or better.
• 1-page Statement of Purpose.

• Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from either an academic advisor or thesis advisor. The Department of Epidemiology does not require any special forms or instructions for letters of recommendation.  The MSU Recommendation for Admission form can be found  by clicking here.

• International applicants must show satisfactory performance on the TOEFL (scores not older than 2 years).
• Letter of support from the MSU Department of Epidemiology faculty member that you will be working with for the duration of your PhD studies.