How to Apply to Emory University for Public Health: There Is No Undergraduate Public Health Degree on the Pages We Read, Rollins Is Graduate-Only, and the Closest Path Is the Human Health Major in Emory College With an Epidemiology Focus and a 4+1 BA/MPH, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The short answer first: the Emory pages we read list no undergraduate public health degree (no BS, BA or BSPH). The Rollins School of Public Health lists graduate-level programs (MPH, MSPH, MHA, DrPH, PhD and others), and for Emory’s own undergraduates it offers a guaranteed-admission graduate route. The closest undergraduate content sits in Emory College, in the Center for the Study of Human Health: the Human Health major, a Focus in Epidemiology, a Global Health, Culture, and Society minor, and a Human Health BA + Epidemiology MPH 4+1. This guide describes that path without calling it a public health major; if you want a degree literally named public health at the bachelor’s level, Emory is not that type, so please confirm this first. Below are the published details for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students.

1. Degree and program

• Human Health Major: offered by the Center for the Study of Human Health. Emory describes an integrated, interdisciplinary study of the scientific and social problems involved in health and well-being, a liberal arts program drawing on faculty from the College and University, including the schools of medicine, nursing, theology, law and public health. Listed competencies include the humanities in expressing and experiencing health, social determinants of health and health disparities, biological mechanisms, diverse methodologies in health research and implementation, ethical issues, environmental influences and the historical context of illness and health.
• Degree type: the major page does not say BA or BS. The 4+1 page is titled “Human Health BA”, so that joint program at least is a BA; confirm the degree type of the major itself with the Center (human.health@emory.edu).
• Focus in Epidemiology: Emory says it is not a degree-granting program but a portfolio of elective courses within the Human Health major: HLTH 207 Fundamentals of Epidemiology, HLTH 279 Critiquing HLTH News, HLTH 306 Designing Health Research and HLTH 408 Epidemiology in Action.
• Other related programs: a Human Health and Economics joint major; a Global Health, Culture, and Society minor (core courses HLTH 207, HLTH 250 Foundations of Global Health and HLTH 350 Core Issues in Global Health); Nutrition Science and Predictive Health minors; and a Health Innovation concentration with the Goizueta BBA program.
• Human Health BA + Epidemiology MPH 4+1: accepted students begin graduate-level epidemiology coursework in the fourth year at Emory College and complete the BA and MPH in five years; students are invited to apply in the fall of the junior year. The page gives no GPA line, seat count or answer on international eligibility; ask the Center.
• Rollins guaranteed-admission route: Rollins says any Emory undergraduate who meets Emory College graduation requirements and is in good standing on integrity, conduct and character has guaranteed admission to the MPH or MSPH, provided they expect to graduate in the spring or summer before enrolling at Rollins (or are in a 4+1 program), meet the prerequisites of the program, and complete a short application with two recommendation letters. Emory states that this route does not apply to the MHA or DrPH.
• Practicum hours, STEM designation, honors or research programs: not on the pages we read for the Human Health major; ask the Center. The Center’s site has a student-opportunities page (Peer Health Partners, Healthy Eating Partners, a news team, the Quave Research Group), not covered here.
• Health 100: described as the foundational course in the Human Health program and required of all first-year Emory students, fulfilling the general health education requirement.
• The MPH itself and pre-med are outside this guide. The Human Health major page lists graduate pursuits including public health, global health, epidemiology, environmental health and maternal and child health, and also medicine, nursing and dentistry.

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

• You do not choose Human Health when applying: the Plans and Deadlines page says you may apply to Emory College only, Oxford College only, or both. We found no option to apply directly to the Human Health major and no published declaration time, minimum GPA, seat limit or prerequisite. Emory’s catalog (college.catalog.emory.edu) runs on a third-party system that we did not visit; check with the Center or a College academic adviser.
• Separate application for the major: not stated on the pages we read.
• Internal transfer rules: not stated on the pages we read.

3. Prerequisites and courses

• High-school prerequisites: the Human Health and admission pages we read give no specific high-school math or biology requirement. The first-year page says only that course rigor and grades matter, judged against each high school’s standards. Program-level requirements are not published there.
• Courses: the pages list the focus and minor courses above (HLTH 207, 250, 350 and others). Whether biostatistics, environmental health and health policy are required in the major is not listed on the pages we read.
• AP/IB credit: Emory says entering first-years may receive a combined total of 18 credit hours, with a maximum of 12 from AP and IB and 12 from A-Levels and other international exams; it typically awards three semester hours per AP score of 4 or 5; credit is reviewed only after the deposit; AP/IB may be used for general credit, prerequisites for advanced courses, the First-Year Communication requirement, one Intercultural Communications course, and major or minor (subject to departmental rules), but not other General Education Requirements. The full AP/IB chart is a PDF we did not read.

4. Rounds and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Deadlines: the Plans and Deadlines page lists Early Decision I on 1 November (decision by 15 December), Early Decision II and Regular Decision both on 1 January (decisions by 15 February and 1 April), and Transfer on 15 March. The Emory University Scholar Programs deadline is 15 November with notification by 1 March. The page prints no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry. Both ED plans are binding: if the education is affordable you must pay the deposit and enroll.
• Platform and fee: the Common Application; the application fee is $75, with waivers available.
• Essays: the Common App personal essay plus two Emory short-answer questions.
• Recommendations and transcripts: two evaluations from core academic teachers; school reports and transcripts must come from a school official, not the applicant.
• Testing: Emory is test optional for the 2026–2027 cycle and states SAT/ACT scores are not required for first-year students starting in fall 2027; submitted scores are read as evidence of academic preparation, and Emory superscores both the SAT and ACT. Admitted students who enroll on self-reported scores must submit official scores before enrolling.

5. Three types of applicant

U.S. applicants

• Emory is private. The cost worksheet we read shows one tuition figure with no in-state/out-of-state split, and we found no statement of in-state preference.
• For need-based aid, see Emory’s Office of Financial Aid (studentaid.emory.edu).

International applicants

• English proficiency: applicants whose primary language is not English can demonstrate it by any one of: SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 700+; ACT English 30+; or the most recent four years in a school where English is the language of instruction for all academic subjects (excluding world languages). Otherwise one additional exam is required. Emory says it uses no strict cutoffs and recommends roughly: TOEFL iBT 100 on the old 0–120 scale, or 5.5 or higher on the new 1–6 scale from 21 January 2026; IELTS 7.5; Duolingo English Test, with the most competitive applicants typically above 130 of 160; TOEFL ITP at CEFR C1.
• Proof of funds: international students must certify sufficient funds through a Documentation of Finances or a bank statement; applicants seeking aid must still submit it, but it need not show funds covering the full first year.
• Aid: Emory offers need-based aid to a select group of international students each year. Aid must be requested when you apply, and Emory says to apply under the Regular Decision plan; the CSS Profile is due before 5 February and tax documents go through College Board IDOC (no year printed, so check). Only students who apply for and receive aid in the first year are eligible later. International students can also compete for merit-based Scholar Programs awards (the aid page says apply “before December”; selection is highly competitive and funding limited).
• Internship or work limits: not on the pages we read; Emory points to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) for visa and immigration matters.
• Health insurance: mandatory for enrolling international students; you are enrolled automatically in the university plan unless you show equivalent coverage.

Applicants from China

• Gaokao: not mentioned on the pages we read; not published there.
• Interview: for applicants from Mainland China Emory strongly recommends the InitialView virtual interview and calls it the preferred option; it is not required and does not replace English testing.
• English tests: besides the general guidance, Emory lists the TOEFL ITP Plus (Mainland China only), acceptable at CEFR C1, typically 63–68 in each section (Listening, Reading, Structure and Written Expression).
• Transcripts and school-exit exams: the international page says applications are read in the context of each national system and links an “approved international curriculum by country” PDF, which we did not read. Specific requirements for Chinese transcripts and the huikao are not published there; ask your regional admission officer.

6. Costs and scholarships

• Emory’s 2026–27 cost worksheet (estimates): tuition $70,300 ($35,150 per semester, a fixed charge for 12 or more credit hours); fees $1,148; housing averaging $13,222; food $9,184; plus travel $1,100, personal $1,620, books $1,286 and direct loan fees $88, for an estimated total of $97,948. The worksheet notes the total does not include Emory’s health insurance.
• No program-specific surcharge for the Human Health major appears on the pages we read.
• International scholarships: see the international section above.

7. Transfer students

• Eligibility: you have graduated from high school and completed one year of full-time study in a degree-seeking program at another two- or four-year institution (or are in the second semester of that first year); at least 28 credit hours completed or in progress before applying (excluding AP, IB and dual enrollment); a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all college work (most admitted students have 3.5 or better); and the ability to complete four semesters at Emory. Up to 62 semester hours may transfer.
• Prerequisites: no required courses to apply, and credit is evaluated only after admission. We found no transfer condition specific to the Human Health major.
• Deadline: fall enrollment only; application 15 March, financial aid 17 March, decision by early May (no year printed, so check). Oxford College does not accept transfer applicants.
• Materials: the Common App, a college official report, official transcripts from all colleges and high schools, one faculty letter or academic evaluation, and the $75 fee; testing optional.
• International transfers: Emory states need-based aid is not available for international transfer students, and merit-based aid is not available for transfer students. Whether international transfers are admitted is not stated directly on the page we read; ask admission.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Confirm the goal: Emory has no undergraduate public health degree; the closest is the Human Health major in Emory College (optional Focus in Epidemiology)
• Apply to Emory College (or Oxford College) through the Common App: ED I 1 November, ED II and RD 1 January; testing optional
• Master’s level: Rollins guarantees MPH/MSPH admission route for Emory undergraduates; the 4+1 invites applications in the fall of junior year

International applicants (including China):

• English: SAT reading/writing 700+, ACT English 30+, or four years of English-medium schooling; otherwise TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo; no strict cutoffs
• Submit proof of funds; to seek aid, request it at application and apply Regular Decision (aid is limited)
• Mainland China: InitialView is strongly recommended; how the gaokao is used is not published, so ask your admission officer

Transfer students:

• 28 credit hours, a 3.0 GPA (most admits 3.5+), 15 March deadline; no need-based aid for international transfers

Sources: Emory University, Center for the Study of Human Health: Academic Programs; Human Health Major; Focus in Epidemiology; Human Health BA + Epidemiology MPH 4+1; Global Health, Culture, and Society Minor; Health 1,2,3,4; Rollins: Admission for Emory Undergrads; Plans and Deadlines; Requirements; First-Year Applicants; Standardized Exam Policies; AP, IB, and College Credit; International Applicants; Transfer Applicants; Undergraduate aid for international students; 2026-27 cost of attendance worksheet. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures); check Emory’s website for the latest.