Online MPH Programs with No GRE Requirements
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Nursing Nursing Ed.Many of today’s online MPH programs have adopted a more holistic approach to admissions — one that bypasses standardized testing and focuses on academic achievement and professional experience. But which programs fall into this fast-growing bucket? In this guide, EduMed experts break down the different types of online MPH programs with no GRE requirements, how they work, and which stand out for quality and affordability.
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Comparing Online MPHs with No GRE
The GRE is going out of style. Many excellent programs are moving away from the GRE requirement for applicants, opting instead for a more holistic evaluation. This means you’ll have more opportunities to shine with your personal statement, references, and professional experience.
Are no-GRE schools as good as schools that require the exam? Yes. Ever heard of Georgetown? What about MIT? Those are just two top-tier schools that no longer require the GRE. Here are six more to consider as you search for a MPH program.
Baylor University
The Online MPH at Baylor University is defined by its commitment to public engagement. Whether you study in person or online, you can count on regular opportunities to engage with your community’s most pressing public health concerns through your coursework and extra-curricular opportunities.
- Give back to your community: As part of Baylor’s outreach efforts, you’ll complete a 3-credit practicum working directly with a public health organization in your area. This opportunity allows you to give back to your community and develop real world skills.
- Focus on health equity: Baylor’s curriculum is heavily focused on health equity. Students can explore how environmental, structural, and practical concerns contribute to health inequities and how public health professionals can help address these issues.
- Flexibility: The 42-credit online MPH can be completed asynchronously on your own timeline. Accelerated program students can complete their degree in as few as 12 months while part-time students can opt to extend their coursework over two years.
Programs that might interest you:
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GSU) is committed to the advancement of public health study. So, their Online Master of Public Health program is constantly evolving to incorporate new research and technology.
GSU’s dynamic curriculum and course offerings ensure that graduates are up to date with cutting edge skills when they begin their public health careers.
- New concentration: If you want proof of GSU’s commitment to keeping things current, look no further than their new concentration in public health informatics. GSU recognized that the field needs more professionals in this area and developed a new curriculum accordingly.
- Designed for working students: While GSU’s MPH program is always evolving, their commitment to student support stays constant. All GSU’s online master’s programs are designed with working students in mind. This means that the school offers flexible course formats and pacing.
- Hands-on training: The school also works with students to ensure that they can get hands-on field experience close to home. New online learners can rest easy knowing that GSU’s online learning professionals will be there to provide technical, logistical, and moral support.
Ohio University
The Online Master of Public Health program at Ohio University is one of the top MPH programs in the country. And they have receipts: the school is ranked as the top online college in Ohio, has been recognized by Forbes as a top research university, and holds the specialty CEPH accreditation.
Ohio University is committed to providing students with a top-quality education with an academic reputation to match.
- Specialty options: Ohio University’s MPH focuses on public health leadership, providing students with the hard and soft skills they need to excel in the field. Students can further bolster their credentials by earning a graduate certificate in epidemiology — without having to take any added credits.
- Flexibility: Ohio University’s accelerated seven-week courses let students take fewer classes at a time. This means you’ll be able to immerse yourself in a single subject and engage deeply with your class materials. This schedule also makes space for more hands-on learning opportunities.
- Hands-on experience: Online MPH students take part in at least 200 field hours with a health organization in their community. This commitment to public service and developing real world skills speaks well of the school and gives you a leg up when it comes time to apply for jobs.
Expert Insight
If you’ve already been working in the public health sector prior to grad school, whether as a health educator, research assistant, or other health professional, your field experience is often enough to prove your academic and professional readiness to implement the research and leadership projects often tackled in grad school. Many schools recognize this and eliminate the GRE requirement.
The George Washington University
The George Washington University (GW) ensures student success by offering custom programming, strong peer and faculty support, and assistance building the connections necessary to start your public health career.
- Flexibility: The Online Master of Public Health program at GW starts by letting students define their own timelines. Whether you opt for the accelerated 12-month track, the accelerated 18-month program, or the traditional two-year option, you’ll be part of a close-knit cohort with whom you’ll progress through your coursework.
- Concentration options: During your time at GW, you can opt for a concentration in health informatics, or you can tailor your coursework to your goals by focusing on one of six elective tracks.
- Networking opportunities: Throughout your time at the school, you’ll have ample networking opportunities – both with the D.C. elite near campus and through public health organizations in your community. You couldn’t ask for a better foundation to launch your career from.
- Financial assistance: Aside from waving the GRE requirement for the program, GW works to make sure it’s MPH is accessible by offering a guaranteed $10,000 scholarship to all students accepted to the program. Students also have the support of dedicated advisors throughout their studies to help them navigate financial aid, enrollment, and coursework.
UNC – Gillings
We love UNC – Gillings (UNCG) for the wide variety of concentrations they offer to students in their no-GRE Online Masters of Public Health program. Each concentration is relatively unique for an online MPH program so the program tends to attract highly motivated students with clear goals in mind.
- Unique concentrations: Depending on your interests, you can dedicate your studies to leadership, nutrition, applied epidemiology, or work toward becoming a registered dietitian.
- Set your own timeline: Regardless of the specialty you choose, you’ll have the luxury of setting your own timeline. UNCG has rolling admissions, and three different start dates each year.
- Flexibility of pace: Motivated full-time students can complete the program in as few as 16 months, while students who need to pace themselves can take up to five years to finish their coursework.
- Field work opportunities: During your studies, you’ll benefit from ample field experience designed to equip you with real-world skills, help you build connections in your community, and provide opportunities to contribute to emerging research in public health topics.
University of Bridgeport
The University of Bridgeport (UB) is committed to offering an online MPH program that trains future public health leaders in equity and social wellbeing.
- Diversity: UB takes steps to make the MPH program more accessible, contributing to a diverse student body where scholars of all backgrounds can come together to address pressing public health problems at local, regional, national, and global levels.
- Concentration options: UB’s Online Master’s in Public Health Program offers three concentrations: global health, community health, and health policy and management. The broadness of these specialties gives students room to customize their curriculum and ensure their coursework and research align with their long-term goals.
- Fee waivers: Applying to grad programs can be expensive, then there’s the GRE, then there’s tuition. Not at UB! The school takes the pressure of applicants by waiving both the GRE and application fees and providing over 1.5 million dollars in MPH scholarships alone.
Programs that might interest you:
Types of Online MPH Programs with No GRE
Why do schools offer the very important MPH with no GRE requirement attached? There are several reasons for this, as evidenced by the application requirements. Here’s what to expect from a school that doesn’t require the GRE.
Online MPH Programs with No GRE Requirement
Some programs have phased out the GRE altogether. Though there are some schools that have created other requirements to make up for the information the GRE might be able to provide, many of them have simply done away with the test, claiming it is too biased, doesn’t provide an accurate view of a student’s abilities, and is prohibitively expensive.
- Reliance on GPA and other metrics: Many schools simply rely on the other traditional information found in an application, such as GPA earned at the undergraduate level or the coursework completed before applying, to help them make a choice on students to admit.
- GRE scores not factored into evaluation: In some schools, students can simply submit GRE scores if they want to present a more complete package to the admissions office – however, the GRE is considered as part of the overall application, not as something that gives a student an advantage over others who chose not to take the GRE scores.
- GRE scores up for consideration in some cases: Some schools allow students to submit their GRE scores to make up for something they might not have in the application process. This is especially true for those students who might have a lower GPA than the typical 3.0 required by most programs, or those who have not completed certain perquisite math and science courses.
Online MPH Programs with GRE Waivers
Some schools look to certain other criteria in order to waive the GRE requirement. This way, students still prove that they are academically ready to enter the program.
- Years of field experience: A school may look for a certain number of years of experience – often three to five years of work in the field – before the student applies to graduate school. In this case, that experience is considered more than enough to waive the GRE requirement that might otherwise be in place.
- Advanced coursework: Schools may also waive the GRE if a student has a certain amount of advanced coursework in public health, enough that they have learned a significant amount of information that holds them in good stead in the field and allows them to move seamlessly into the master’s coursework.
