How to Apply to Public Health at the University of Washington (Seattle): You Enter the University First, Then Apply to the Public Health-Global Health Major (BA/BS) or Declare Environmental Public Health (BS), and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, the undergraduate public health programs are offered by the School of Public Health. Unlike our general life-sciences guide for UW, this one covers public health only: which degrees exist, how you get into the major, what you study and what it costs. The key point comes first: the Office of Admissions’ list of majors that admit first-year students directly does not include a public health major. High school applicants apply to the university and then apply to or declare a major after enrolling, under each major’s own conditions. This guide summarises the university’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Degrees and programs

• The School of Public Health lists four undergraduate majors: Public Health-Global Health (PH-GH), Environmental Public Health, Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health, and Health Informatics and Health Information Management (HIHIM, an evening program run by the Department of Health Systems and Population Health). This guide covers the first two in detail; for the other two the pages we read give only an overview, so check the website. There are also Environmental Health, Global Health and Nutrition minors.
• Public Health-Global Health: described as a school-wide liberal education major leading to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS). The difference is in the selectives: the BA has 20 credits of selectives (health economics, health promotion, social justice competencies); the BS has 40 credits (two year-long introductory science sequences plus 10 more credits).
• Environmental Public Health: a Bachelor of Science. The department says environmental health is a federally designated STEM discipline (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) and calls this the only STEM-designated undergraduate program in the School of Public Health; it also says it is one of 29 undergraduate programs accredited by the National Environmental Health & Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC). A 400-hour internship (ENV H 482) is required.
• Honors and research: the PH-GH site has Honors and Experiential Learning sections, but we did not read their details (the experiential learning page returned “access denied” and we did not retry). The Environmental Public Health page says students can work with faculty on research such as wildfire smoke, worker safety and environmental justice.
• Combined bachelor’s-master’s (4+1 or 3+2): not stated on the pages we read; not published there. Ask the School (phgh@uw.edu and similar).

2. How you get into the major, and the thresholds

• No direct admission to public health at entry: the “admission to majors” page lists the majors admitted directly as first-years (architectural studies, biochemistry, business administration, computer science, computer engineering, engineering, informatics, neuroscience, statistics and some music programs). No public health major is on the list. It says the vast majority of students enter their major through the standard process after enrolling. The first-year application asks for first- and second-choice majors, which “may be used as factors in your admission decision,” but the second choice is not used for direct-to-major placement.
• PH-GH requires a separate application (upper division admission): by the application deadline you need at least 60 college credits and a 2.5 cumulative GPA; at least 2.0 in one 5-credit English composition course; at least 2.5 in one introductory public health course (ENV H 205, ENV H 111, EPI 201, EPI 220, G H 101, HSERV 100, NUTR 200, PHG 200, or a 5-credit course from designated social science departments). BA-path students need at least 2.5 in one introductory science (BIOL 118, BIOL 180, CHEM 120, CHEM 142, CHEM 145 or MICROM 301/302). BS-path students need at least 2.5 in two courses of the same year-long sequence (biology BIOL 180/200/220, chemistry CHEM 142/152/162, organic chemistry, physics or MATH 124/125/126); the major strongly recommends being done with, or well into, the biology and general chemistry sequences.
• PH-GH early admission: for students already at UW who find the major early: at least 30 credits and a 3.0 cumulative GPA, 2.0 in English composition, and 3.0 in both the introductory public health course and the introductory science. The page says students who expect to graduate three years after starting the major are generally early admits; those expecting two years are upper-division.
• What they look for: beyond the minimums, the page lists overall academic record, grades in relevant coursework, choice of and preparation for the BA or BS path, ability to make satisfactory progress, and understanding of and fit with the major shown in short-answer questions. Acceptance rates and class size are not published on the pages we read.
• PH-GH timing: the deadline for autumn entry is the first Friday of spring quarter; for winter entry the third Friday of autumn quarter; notification comes 5–6 weeks after the deadline. Windows: winter 2027 entry September 18 to October 16, 2026 (already closed when this was written); autumn 2027 entry March 5 to April 2, 2027. The application requires a UW NetID sign-in, so you must already be a UW student. It asks for short-answer responses, transcripts for non-UW courses, and a required written degree plan listing the courses you will take each quarter.
• Environmental Public Health is a “minimum requirements” major: all students who meet the minimum requirements, and can finish within the UW’s maximum time frame, are admitted. You can submit a declaration at any time and usually hear back within 10 business days; windows exist each quarter (autumn 2027 entry: June 21 to September 29, 2027).
  • 30–90 credits and/or fewer than 6 quarters: early admission needs CHEM 142 and 152, ENGL 131 or equivalent, and a 3.0 cumulative GPA;
  • 90+ credits and/or 6+ quarters: the above plus BIOL 180/200/220 (15 credits) and a general-plus-organic chemistry sequence, with a 2.5 cumulative GPA;
  • at least 2.0 in each prerequisite (prerequisites may be in progress); a personal statement of about 500 words is required, but the department says it is not used to decide admission.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school: the public health majors list no special high school courses on the pages we read. All first-year applicants must meet minimum preparation in six areas (CADR): English 4, mathematics 3, social sciences 3, world languages 2, science 3 (including 2 lab), a senior-year math-based quantitative course 1, fine/visual/performing arts 0.5 and an academic elective 0.5. The Environmental Public Health page says the math graduation requirement (MATH 111, MATH 120 or a department-approved course) need not be finished before applying, but recommends taking math before PHYS 114 (algebra including trigonometry and exponential functions) and CHEM 142 (good working knowledge of algebra).
• PH-GH curriculum (the “Purple Curriculum” for students entering autumn 2024 onward): 180 credits in total, 84 of them School general education; a minimum 2.0 GPA in public health courses. Structure: integrated core 20 credits (SPH 380 Public Health Principles and Practice, SPH 381 Science and Public Health, SPH 480 Research Methods, SPH 481 Ethics, Social Justice and Policy, taken in consecutive quarters; SPH 380 must be taken the quarter after admission to the major); public health foundation 8 credits (BIOST 310 Biostatistics plus EPI 320 Epidemiology; other listed statistics courses may replace the statistics); structural racism 5 (SPH 389); service learning 6 (SPH 391+392 or SPH 396); social and behavioral sciences breadth 15; natural science 10 (one 5-credit introductory biology and one chemistry); BA selectives 20 or BS selectives 40; public health electives 20; public health portfolio 3 (SPH 493). STAT 290 (AP Statistics) appears in the statistics options; other AP/IB credit is not stated on the pages we read.
• Environmental Public Health curriculum: supporting science: math (MATH 111 or 120), biology BIOL 180/200/220 (15 credits), physics PHYS 114/117, one of three chemistry sequences, statistics (BIOST 310 recommended); core courses include ENV H 311, 312, 320, 405, 432, 433, 472, 473, 480, 482 (the 400-hour internship), EPI 320 and MICROM 301/302; plus at least 3 selectives (4 for students who entered before winter 2026). A minimum grade of 2.0 in all courses.
• Practice requirements: PH-GH has 6 credits of service learning and a portfolio; Environmental Public Health has the 400-hour internship, and the department says graduates are job-ready.

4. Rounds, fees and materials (first-year)

• Dates: the application opens August 15; the deadline is November 15 (summer and autumn quarters); test scores are due December 31; decisions come March 1–15. The UW does not offer early decision or early action.
• Platform and essays: the Common App; the personal essay has a 650-word maximum; courses and grades are self-reported through STARS, with no transcripts sent unless requested.
• Recommendations and interviews: the UW asks applicants not to send letters of recommendation or supplemental materials, and does not interview or consider demonstrated interest.
• Testing: SAT/ACT is no longer required for most applicants; homeschooled applicants and applicants from schools with no letter or numeric grades must still submit scores.
• Application fee: $85 for U.S. students (waivers available); $95 for international students, no waivers.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. applicants

• 2026-27 estimated cost for the nine-month year (October–June), Washington residents: tuition $13,406; total $36,746 living on or off campus ($24,044 with parents). Non-residents: tuition $44,460; total $67,800 ($55,098 with parents). The page says “some majors or programs may have additional fees”; whether the School of Public Health charges extra is not stated on the pages we read, so ask the School or financial aid.
• The FAFSA + WASFA priority date is February 1; the Office of Admissions site has a scholarships page (we did not read it). In-state preference for public health is not stated on the pages we read.

International applicants

• English: an official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (DET) score is required. Minimums: TOEFL iBT 76 for tests before January 21, 2026 and 4.0 on the new scale after that; IELTS 6.0; DET 110. Exams must be taken on or before December 31 of the application year, are valid two years, MyBest and superscoring are not accepted, and there is no conditional admission. You are exempt if both primary and secondary education were in Australia, Canada (English-speaking provinces), the UK, Ireland, New Zealand or the U.S.; being born there but educated elsewhere does not qualify. An alternative: an average of B or better in high school English writing/literature plus SAT EBRW 580 or ACT English 22.
• The winter quarter is not open to international first-year applicants. The fee is $95 with no waiver.
• Costs and aid: international students pay non-resident tuition. The UW states that it does not provide financial aid or scholarships to undergraduate international students, who should be prepared to cover all expenses. Proof-of-funds details are not stated on the pages we read; see the Office of Admissions’ international pages.
• Limits on internships or employment for international students in public health: not stated.

Applicants from China

• Not stated on the pages we read: whether the Gaokao is considered, what is required for high school-leaving (Huikao) records, and any UW statement specific to Chinese applicants.
• General rule on the page (not written specifically for Chinese applicants): applicants from schools outside the U.S. that follow a national compulsory curriculum must upload a scanned, unofficial transcript for grade 9 and above (in English, or in the original language with an official English translation); English proficiency must meet the TOEFL/IELTS/DET minimums above. Whether this covers each type of Chinese high school should be confirmed with the admissions office (“find your counselor” page).

6. Transfer students

• Transfer to the UW: the application opens December 15 and the deadline is February 28 (summer and autumn); decisions May 1–June 30. Fee: $85 (U.S.) or $95 (international, no waivers). A personal statement and college transcripts are needed; recommendations are not considered; spring quarter is open only to specific engineering and computer science programs. International transfers also need English proficiency.
• Transfer into PH-GH: the PH-GH admissions page says transfer students must be admitted to the UW first and then apply separately for the major under the upper-division conditions. It gives UW deadlines of February 15 (autumn) and September 1 (winter) (page marked updated February 2025), which conflicts with the February 28 on the Office of Admissions dates page; confirm with the Office of Admissions and the School.
• Transfer into Environmental Public Health: declare after admission to the UW; transfer students admitted for autumn apply in the June 21 to September 29 window.
• How transfer credit maps to public health prerequisites is not stated on the pages we read; use the Office of Admissions’ transfer equivalency guide and the School’s advisers.

7. Pre-health and graduate school

The PH-GH page says the degree is a foundation for a Master of Public Health, Master of Science, Master of Health Administration or doctoral study, and that graduates also go on to medicine, nursing, pharmacy and other graduate or professional schools. For pre-health advising, see our general life-sciences guide for the UW.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply to the UW through the Common App by November 15; after enrolling, finish 60 credits with a 2.5 GPA and apply to PH-GH (or 30 credits and a 3.0 for the early route)
• For Environmental Public Health: the department says students who meet the prerequisites and GPA are admitted

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 76 (4.0 on the new scale) / IELTS 6.0 / DET 110 by December 31; $95 fee with no waiver; no UW undergraduate aid for international students
• China: grade 9 and above transcripts; Gaokao use not stated, ask the admissions counselor

Transfer students:

• Be admitted to the UW first (February 28; please verify), then apply to PH-GH or declare Environmental Public Health

Sources: University of Washington (Seattle), School of Public Health: undergraduate programs; Public Health-Global Health major; Major requirements (Purple Curriculum); How to apply to the major; Major admission prerequisites; Application checklist; BS in Environmental Public Health; Declaring the major; Degree requirements; First-year applicants; How to apply; English proficiency; Admission to majors; Dates and deadlines; Transfer application; Cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 estimates). The Office of Admissions first-year and transfer deadlines (November 15, February 28 and so on) show no year on the pages; check the University of Washington’s website to confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry.