How to Apply to Public Health (BSPH) at the University of Miami: It Sits in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, First-Year and Transfer Applicants Are Admitted Straight to the Major by Undergraduate Admission, and On-Campus Switchers Need a 3.0 UM GPA and May Be Waitlisted, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Miami (UM), public health is not in the College of Arts and Sciences. It is in the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS), which offers three bachelor’s degrees: Health Science (BS), Nursing, and the Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH). The Bulletin says the BSPH is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) through December 31, 2030. This guide covers public health only; see our separate guides for UM nursing and for life sciences in general. Program rules come from UM’s own CourseLeaf Academic Bulletin (2026-2027 edition) and admissions details from the Undergraduate Admission website.

1. Degrees and programs

• Degree: BSPH. The Bulletin says public health can be a primary major or an additional major. It also lists a double major and a dual degree with Microbiology and Immunology (BS), a Public Health minor, and a Health Communication minor offered with the School of Communication. Concentrations: not listed on the pages we read; not publicly stated.
• Curriculum basis: the Bulletin says coursework follows the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research’s (2008) recommendations for undergraduate public health.
• Honors: the SONHS Foote Fellows Honors Program is by invitation only. Candidates are considered with a weighted high school GPA of 4.5 or higher and an SAT of 1300 or higher (verbal and math) or an ACT of 30 or higher, plus a portfolio (an essay on decreasing health disparities, a history of community service, volunteer and leadership experience, and short- and long-term goals). Fellows must keep a 3.5 undergraduate GPA and complete a capstone portfolio. They are exempt from the Areas of Proficiency, the Areas of Knowledge (cognates) and the Advanced Writing and Communication requirements.
• 4+1 programs: the Bulletin lists BSPH/MPH, BSPH/MSPH and BSPH/online MPH 4+1 programs with the Department of Public Health Sciences in the medical school. For the BSPH/MPH: academically qualified juniors already in the BSPH apply separately through SOPHAS by February 15 of junior year to start in the fall; the GRE is waived; seniors take 12 credits of 600-level public health courses (no more than 6 a semester) that count toward the MPH, and need at least a 3.0 GPA in them to matriculate; 3–6 more graduate credits may be taken the summer after the BSPH; the MPH is 42 credits and the combined total is 163. Acceptance to the BSPH does not guarantee MPH acceptance; the Department’s admissions committee decides. A recommended minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 in public health coursework is stated; prior public health experience is not required. Whether international students are accepted into the 4+1 is not stated on that page.
• Practicum: the core includes BPH 490, Field Practicum in Community Health (4 credits), with prerequisites BPH 206, 208, 321 and 465. The course description says students apply community health assessment, program development, implementation and evaluation under faculty supervision to a public health issue; the number of hours is not stated. Research can be done through SONHS or the Office of Undergraduate Research and Community Outreach.
• STEM designation: not stated on the pages we read. The school also says seniors in its majors may be required to take general or major-specific assessments lasting up to several hours; scores do not affect GPA or graduation, but failing to complete them may delay graduation.

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

• First-year and outside transfer applicants: the Bulletin says admission as a new freshman or transfer student to the BSPH is handled by the Office of Undergraduate Admission and is open to applicants who meet UM’s general admission requirements. There is no separate program application.
• Current UM students switching in or adding a second major: a minimum 3.0 UM GPA is needed to be considered. The Bulletin also says SONHS may have a waitlist and meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission. Seats are allocated from the waitlist through holistic review, with four factors strongly considered: seats available in the student’s intended year of graduation, the date the student joined the waitlist, UM GPA, and whether the degree can be finished on time. Ask the Office of Student Services (OSS) advisors about the waitlist.
• Once in the major: each course for the major needs a C- or higher for progression; students with less than a 2.5 UM GPA after 15 credits in the major are strongly encouraged not to continue with the BSPH; graduation needs at least a 2.0 UM GPA and a 2.0 major GPA. Prerequisites need a C or higher before a nursing course and a C- or higher before a health science or public health course.
• Seat numbers and acceptance rate: not publicly stated.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school prerequisites: the first-year admissions page lists no specific high school subjects; not publicly stated. For BPH 202 (Introductory Statistics in Health Care), the prerequisite is MTH 101 or higher, or ALEKS 40 or higher, or SAT 550 or higher, or ACT 22 or higher.
• Major core (the Bulletin says the major requires 34 public health credits: 31 core plus 3 elective): BPH 206 Introduction to Public Health, BPH 208 Introductory Epidemiology, BPH 305 Issues in Health Disparities, BPH 309 Health and Environment, BPH 310 Global Health, BPH 321 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, BPH 322 Introduction to Health Policy, BPH 352 Biological Principles of Public Health, BPH 465 Public Health Statistics and Data Management, and BPH 490 Field Practicum in Community Health, plus one 3-credit elective (BPH 301, 303, 306, 317, 319, 355, 365, 402, 419, 461 or 487, or courses from GEG, SOC, COS, KIN and other departments on the Bulletin list).
• Math and statistics: the Quantitative Skills requirement is met with BPH 202, and MTH 107 or higher is also required. The Bulletin says AP, IB, A-Level and Cambridge Pre-U results may satisfy the quantitative requirement; the score table is on another page that we did not read.
• Science and social science: BIL 150 and BIL 151 (General Biology and lab, 5 credits), one chemistry option (CHM 103 + CHM 105, or CHM 121 + CHM 113), 9–10 credits of natural science in all; PSY 110 plus one more approved social science course; one modern language course at the 200 level or above (3 credits).
• General education: WRS 105 and WRS 106/107 or ENG 106 (SAT or ACT verbal scores can waive WRS 105 without credit; students with credit may take WRS 208); a 9-credit Arts and Humanities cognate and a 9-credit STEM cognate, with the People and Society cognate fulfilled through the major; and five writing-intensive courses with a grade of at least 70%.
• Credits: the Bulletin text says the BSPH needs at least 120 credits, while the curriculum table totals 121. The major is also described as both 34 credits and 33 credits (the residency footnote refers to “33 credits required of the major”). The website contradicts itself here; check the Bulletin for your entry year and ask an advisor. Residency: at least half the major (18 credits) must be taken in residence at SONHS, and up to 6 study-abroad credits can count toward the major.
• The Bulletin includes a sample four-year plan (first fall: BPH 206, WRS 105, MTH 101, PSY 110, SPA 101; spring: BPH 208 and so on); it is only an example.

4. Rounds, fees and materials (first-year, fall 2027)

• Deadlines (Fall 2027): Early Decision I (binding) application November 1, final credentials November 13, decision mid-December; Early Action (non-binding) November 1, final credentials November 20, decision late January; Early Decision II (binding) January 5, final credentials January 25, decision late February; Regular Decision January 5, final credentials February 5, decision April 1. Financial aid deadlines: November 15 (ED I and EA) and January 5 (ED II and RD). Admissions says first-year files still incomplete at the final credentials deadline may not be admitted under current practice.
• Platform and fee: the Common Application; a nonrefundable $75 fee on submission.
• Essay: one Common App personal statement (one of seven prompts, 650 words or fewer); UM does not require a supplemental essay. You list extracurricular activities.
• Recommendation: one letter from a counselor or teacher, plus the School Report and an official transcript.
• Testing: UM requires SAT or ACT scores, which may be self-reported in the Common App or the applicant portal (official reports only if admitted and enrolling). Students graduating from a high school or secondary school outside the United States may choose whether to apply with or without scores. The architecture, music and BFA rules do not apply to public health.
• Admissions says all applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships, and ED I and EA applicants are also considered for Premier Scholarships.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. applicants

• UM is a private university. The cost page lists a single tuition figure for 2026-27 ($66,312) and does not split in-state and out-of-state; any in-state preference is not stated.
• 2026-27 estimates: tuition $66,312, fees $2,030; on campus, housing $16,958 and meals $9,400, for direct costs of $94,700 and an estimated total cost of attendance of $98,872. A public-health-specific program fee is not stated on the cost page we read.
• Non-local first-year students must live in university housing for two semesters if space is available (not for first-year students living with parents or guardians in Miami-Dade or Broward counties).
• Need-based aid for U.S. citizens and eligible non-residents requires the FAFSA, CSS Profile (custodial and noncustodial parents) and tax documents; aid offers come with the admission decision.

International applicants

• English: non-native speakers must submit official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test (DET) scores; TOEFL Essentials is not accepted; scores are valid for two years. The website says competitive applicants generally score above: TOEFL iBT 80 (on the 0–120 scale, before January 21, 2026), 4.5 on the 1–6 scale (after January 21, 2026), IELTS 6.5, DET 120. This is a typical competitive level, not a stated hard minimum. Academically qualified applicants who do not meet the requirement may be offered admission for the following year if they complete level five of UM’s Intensive English Program within a year.
• Waivers: the requirement may be waived for any one of: a grade of A or B in AP or IB HL English; at least three years (including graduation year) at a U.S. high school; completing IEP level five; IB English A1 SL/HL predicted 4+ or English B HL predicted 5+; a C or better in IGCSE/GCE O or A Level English as a first language; three years at a high school outside the U.S. taught in English; an official SAT EBRW of 650+ or ACT English of 27+; or 24 or more U.S. post-secondary credits including 6 credits of English composition at B or higher.
• Transcripts: transcripts not in English need an official English translation from a school official or accredited agency; self-translations and photocopies of translations count as unofficial. The site names several U.S. agencies and mentions EducationUSA offices.
• Funding and scholarships: foreign nationals who want need-based aid must submit the CSS Profile, and the scholarships page says international students need it to be considered for institutional need-based aid; all applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships. UM’s estimated cost for international students is $104,091, which includes the mandatory university health insurance ($4,483) and a higher transportation allowance; all international students must enroll in the university insurance regardless of credit load.
• Limits on internships or work, and the specific amount of funds to show: not stated on the pages we read; ask intladmission@miami.edu.

Applicants from China

• Admissions has a “requirements by country” page with expectations for British, IB, French Baccalaureate, West African, Indian and Caribbean curricula. The text we read has no China-specific note; a “Curricula by Country” list at the bottom loads dynamically, and we did not use it or call its data source. The page says that if your country or curriculum is not listed, email intladmission@miami.edu.
• Whether the Gaokao is considered and how to submit Huikao records: not publicly stated; ask that address. The general transcript, translation and English requirements are in the “International applicants” section above.

6. Transfer students

• Transfer to UM: Common App transfer application with the $75 fee; a 250-word essay on why you are transferring; extracurricular activities; official transcripts from all colleges attended; a College Report from each U.S. institution attended; a recommendation is optional. If you will have fewer than 24 college credits (excluding dual enrollment) by your first UM semester, you must also send your final high school transcript; every transfer applicant must submit a final high school transcript before enrolling. With 24 or more post-secondary credits, test scores are not required; below that they are, though SAT/ACT is optional for those finishing secondary school outside the U.S. Non-native English speakers submit English proficiency scores.
• Deadlines: fall transfer April 1 (financial aid April 15), rolling decisions; spring transfer November 1. The page gives no separate international transfer deadline; there is an international evaluation requirement page, which we did not read.
• Into public health: transfer students entering the BSPH need a minimum 3.0 transfer GPA to be considered. The Bulletin says public health courses from other institutions may transfer with OSS approval; detailed course descriptions or syllabi are needed for equivalency review. The transfer page only says applicants who studied outside the U.S. should see the international evaluation page; whether international transfers are accepted into the BSPH, or limited, is not publicly stated.

7. Pre-health and graduate school

The Bulletin says the BSPH provides a foundation for further education in public health and specialized health professions; the 4+1 programs are described above. For pre-medical advising, see our general life-sciences guide for UM.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply through the Common App and pick public health; ED I/EA November 1, ED II/RD January 5; $75; one recommendation; SAT or ACT
• Once in, plan BIL 150/151, chemistry, BPH 202, MTH 107 or higher and the BPH core

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL/IELTS/DET (typical competitive levels TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.5, DET 120, or check the waiver list); test scores optional if you finish school outside the U.S.; CSS Profile if you need aid
• Gaokao use and Huikao: not stated; write to intladmission@miami.edu

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline April 1; outside transfers need a 3.0 transfer GPA for the BSPH; on-campus switchers need a 3.0 UM GPA and may be waitlisted

Sources: University of Miami, Academic Bulletin: Nursing and Health Studies; Bulletin: Public Health; Bulletin: Public Health BS requirements; Bulletin: BSPH/MPH 4+1; Undergraduate Admission: plans and deadlines; First-year requirements; Transfer requirements; English proficiency; Requirements by country; Cost of attendance; Scholarships. Information is for fall 2027 entry (the admissions deadlines page is labelled “Fall 2027”; costs are 2026-27 estimates). The Academic Bulletin is the 2026-2027 edition.