How to Apply to Public Health at the University at Buffalo: The School of Public Health and Health Professions Offers a Public Health BS You Choose on the UB Application With No Separate School Review at Entry, Plus 3+2 Combined Degrees, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University at Buffalo (UB, part of SUNY) teaches undergraduate public health in its School of Public Health and Health Professions (SPHHP), which awards a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (course code PUB). The school’s undergraduate page also lists Exercise Science BS, Nutrition Science BS and Statistics BA, a public health minor, and 3+2 combined programs: Public Health BS/MPH, BS/Epidemiology MS and BS/Community Health and Health Behavior MS. For the wider life-science and medicine picture, see our separate overview. Below is what the pages say for fall 2027 entry, split into U.S., international, Chinese and transfer applicants.

1. Degree and program

• Public Health BS: the school says the degree gives students the skills to understand the complex factors that influence health of individuals, families, communities and populations and to take a public health approach. Its learning outcomes cover nine areas: public health; data; identifying and addressing population health challenges; human health; determinants of health; project implementation; health systems; health policy, law, ethics and economics; and health communication. The pages do not list concentrations; not published there.
• Courses: the course-description page lists PUB 101 Introduction to Public Health, PUB 102 Historical and Contemporary Problems, PUB 210 Global Public Health, PUB 220 Behavioral and Social Influences, PUB 230 Stress and Population Health, and PUB 310 (Health and Disease), PUB 315 (Asking and Answering Scientific Questions, 4 credits), PUB 320 (Models and Mechanisms), PUB 325 (Interventions), PUB 330 (Systems and Policies), PUB 340 Introduction to Epidemiology and PUB 350 Introduction to Environmental Health, with upper-level electives such as Social Determinants of Health, Public Health Ethics, vaccines, nutrition, incarceration, maternal and child health, cancer and disability. PUB 494 Capstone (4 credits) satisfies the major’s capstone requirement. Which courses are required and which are electives sits in the university catalog (catalogs.buffalo.edu, which previously returned 202 and which we did not access); check it there.
• Total credits and STEM status: not stated on the pages read.
• Internship or practicum: no required internship or hours are stated on the pages read; not published there. The school links to a public health jobs page for career support.
• Minor: the public health minor is at least 19 credits: PUB 101, PUB 340, STA 119 Introduction to Biostatistics (4 credits), one 200-level PUB course and two 300/400-level PUB courses (PUB 350–480 or designated courses).
• 3+2 combined degrees: Public Health BS/MPH (five years: three undergraduate, two MPH), BS/Epidemiology MS and BS/Community Health and Health Behavior MS; there is also a Psychology BA or BS/MPH. The school also mentions Dean’s Scholars, public health undergraduates admitted into the MPH. Conditions for the BS/MPH are in the next section; whether international students may apply is not published on the pages read.
• Honors or research track: the SPHHP pages read do not describe one for the Public Health BS; UB has a University Honors College, with application details on the admissions pages.
• Pre-health and graduate study: the SPHHP pages read give no separate pre-health advising for the Public Health BS; graduate options are the combined programs above.

2. How you enter the major

• First-year and transfer students: the school says admission to the public health major is part of the overall UB admission process, and you select “Public Health” from the list of UB majors when you apply. The future-students page says SPHHP “does not undertake a departmental review of applicants to our undergraduate programs initially”; admitted students who indicated an SPHHP major can take that program’s prerequisite coursework. No minimum GPA, prerequisite or seat limit is stated; not published there.
• Current UB students (change of major or second major): eligible after at least one semester at UB with a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, overall and at UB, using the SPHHP undergraduate program change form.
• Grade standard once in the major: the transfer supplemental-criteria page says students must maintain a 2.0 overall GPA and a 2.5 major GPA. That page does not say whether this applies only to transfer students.
• Prerequisites: the program and future-student pages list no specific prerequisite courses; not published there. The requirements page mentions that PUB 310, 315, 320, 325, 330 and 494 use a force-registration form.
• BS/MPH (3+2) conditions: be enrolled in UB’s Public Health BS; complete the required BS courses (excluding the PUB 494 capstone); keep at least a 3.0 overall GPA; complete at least 90 undergraduate credits before starting the MPH; not be in another UB graduate degree; submit a personal statement; no GRE; $50 fee. The school advises meeting an advisor two semesters before applying. The deadline is stated two ways: the admissions page says August 1 (fall admission only), the FAQ says to apply in your junior year by January 15 to begin the MPH that fall; confirm with the school. The program is in person and full time, 138–150 credits, five years.

3. Preparation and curriculum

• High school coursework: the SPHHP FAQ says to take as much science and math as your high school offers (it names chemistry, physics and calculus only for exercise science, and other subjects for other programs). The admissions office lists courses that are not required but suggested: four years of English, four of social studies, three of college-preparatory science, three of a second language and at least three of college-preparatory mathematics.
• College math or statistics: the Public Health BS statistics and math requirements are in the catalog, which we did not read; the minor uses STA 119 Introduction to Biostatistics.
• AP/IB credit: the admissions credits page says AP scores of 3 or higher earn university elective credit, sometimes counting toward the major or UB Curriculum; an IB diploma of 30 earns up to 30 credits, and higher-level IB scores of 5 or above are guaranteed credit; GCE A or AS grades of E or better earn elective credit; CLEP credit follows UB’s minimum scores. Credit is posted after enrollment. Whether it replaces a public health required course is not stated; ask SPHHP advisors.

4. Rounds, fee and materials (fall 2027)

• First-year fall dates: application opens August 1; early action November 1 (non-binding, with a May 1 deposit date); Honors College priority December 15; regular decision application completion deadline February 1, after which applications may still be submitted “until capacity is reached”; FAFSA priority March 1; enrollment deposit May 1. The pages do not print a year, so confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• Platforms and fee: ApplySUNY, Common Application or Coalition (use one); the non-refundable fee is $50.
• Materials: high school transcript, or a self-reported transcript (STARS) on the UB applicant status page, with a final official transcript still required after you commit; recommendation: UB “strongly recommends” at least one (counselor, teacher, community member or employer), up to three; essay: the first-year page lists no essay requirement (not published there), while the international first-year page says review considers marks, test scores, an essay and recommendations.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are not required for admission or scholarship consideration; you choose whether scores are considered (SAT code 2925, ACT code 2978). The page adds that most admitted applicants who submit scores have an SAT reading/math composite of 1170 or above or an ACT composite of 25 or above.
• Intended major: indicate it on the application; Common App applicants are encouraged to select a second choice. The page says the admissions process is generally the same for most majors.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. students

• Admission: through the UB application in section 4, selecting Public Health. Tuition differs for New York residents and out-of-state students (section 6); New York residency requires a permanent and principal home in the state for at least 12 months before the semester, and “simply living in New York to attend college does not establish residency.” An in-state admission preference is not stated; not published there.
• Domestic scholarships: high-achieving out-of-state first-year students are automatically considered for the Provost Scholarship; New York first-year students for the Pride of New York Scholarship (non-tuition costs only); the Presidential Scholarship needs a separate application through the Honors College.

International students

• Application and deadlines: the same platforms as above; international fall first-year deadlines are early action November 1 and regular decision February 1; spring 2027 recommended date October 1. UB says it expects the equivalent of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (a B, or 83 on a 100-point scale).
• English proficiency: minimum scores TOEFL iBT 70 or 4 (new scale), IELTS Academic 6.0, Duolingo 105, PTE 50, ACT English and reading 18, SAT ERWS 500, IB English A grade 5, AP English Language 4 or a class grade of B, (I)GCSE English First Language C, GCE English C. Scores must be less than two years old; self-reported scores may be used for initial review and official scores sent directly (TOEFL code 2925). Exemption requires all three: citizenship of Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Guam, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore or the United Kingdom; native English speaker; and education entirely in English. The pages do not say public health has a higher English requirement.
• Proof of funds: F-1 and J-1 students must affirm the ability to cover the first year of study through financial documentation for the estimated total ($61,030 for fall or spring entry) before UB issues the I-20 or DS-2019. Documents must be on official letterhead, show liquid assets, be dated within six months, and be in English or officially translated; admitted fall or spring 2027 students use the 2027 financial form.
• International scholarships: the Flagship Scholarship is for incoming first-year international students with no completed postsecondary coursework; amounts vary, it can be combined with other UB scholarships and renews up to four years with continuing eligibility. All admitted international students are automatically considered in the holistic review, and awards appear on the applicant status page. The Presidential Scholarship requires a separate application. International transfer students can be considered for transfer scholarships.
• Work limits: the scholarships page says F-1/J-1 students may work up to 20 hours a week on campus during classes and up to 40 during breaks; off-campus work is not permitted without special government permission. The pages read do not say whether the Public Health BS has a required off-campus internship or how it works for international students; not published there.

Applicants from China (separate section)

• Whether the Gaokao is considered: the pages read do not say, and the Gaokao is not listed as an English-proficiency option; not published there.
• Transcripts and exit-exam materials: the international first-year page says academic documents are required by country and shows a country-by-country table generated by the page script, which we did not request; select China on that page. Any document not in English needs an English translation.
• Any note for Chinese applicants: none on the pages read; contact the undergraduate admissions office (ub-admissions@buffalo.edu, 716-645-6900).

6. Costs (2026-27 estimates)

• Tuition: $7,070 for New York residents, $29,070 for out-of-state students and $29,070 for F-1/J-1 international students. Fees: $3,966 for in-state and out-of-state students and $6,466 for international students (including the international student fee and SUNY health insurance).
• Housing and related: on-campus housing and dining allowance $18,606 (double room, Flex 19 meal plan); estimated related expenses $6,888. Estimated total: $36,530 in-state; $58,530 out-of-state; $61,030 international.
• International financial-documentation breakdown (fall or spring): tuition $29,070, fees $4,166, student health insurance $2,300, housing and dining $18,606, related expenses $6,888, total $61,030; summer entry totals $74,246.
• Program surcharge: none stated for the Public Health BS on the pages read; not published there. Check Student Accounts.

7. Transfer

• Entering public health: the supplemental-criteria page says students who transfer to UB from another institution are directly admitted to the BS in Public Health, courses must articulate to UB as equivalent courses to count toward the major, and students must keep a 2.0 or higher overall GPA and a 2.5 major GPA. The international transfer page reads differently: it groups the School of Public Health and Health Professions with architecture, biomedical sciences, management, nursing and pharmacy as competitive, selective programs and tells you to ask the department about requirements.
• Dates and credits (domestic transfer page, marked “domestic only”): fall regular decision completion deadline May 1 and priority scholarship consideration March 15; spring priority scholarship consideration November 1 and recommended date December 1. With more than 24 college credits UB reviews your college record; with fewer, it also reviews your high school transcript. UB accepts all college-level credits from regionally accredited two- and four-year institutions; check TAURUS for equivalencies.
• GPA: the pages ask for good academic standing and say requirements vary by program; no minimum GPA for public health is stated; not published there.
• International transfer: UB expects the equivalent of a 2.5 on its 4.0 scale; no transcript evaluation is needed, only official transcripts with an English translation. Dates match the international first-year dates (the page headings read spring 2027 and fall 2026, so confirm the fall 2027 dates); costs and proof of funds are as in section 6.
• Transfer scholarships: admitted students are automatically considered, based on transfer GPA, renewable for up to two years; decisions go out in late November for spring and early April for fall.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Select Public Health (BS) on the UB application; the school does no departmental review at entry; early action November 1, regular February 1 (confirm the year); $50 fee
• Testing optional; at least one recommendation strongly recommended; current UB students switch after one semester with a 2.0 cumulative and UB GPA
• BS/MPH: 3.0 GPA, at least 90 credits, personal statement; the deadline is stated two ways

International applicants (including China):

• English: TOEFL iBT 70, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 105 or PTE 50 and others; proof of funds for the first year ($61,030 estimated) before the I-20
• Flagship Scholarship considered automatically; no off-campus work; the Gaokao’s role and China-specific notes are not published

Transfer students:

• One page says direct admission to the Public Health BS, another says competitive selection; fall deadline May 1; 2.0 overall and 2.5 major GPA to maintain

Sources: University at Buffalo, School of Public Health and Health Professions: Undergraduate and Minors; Public Health BS; BS admissions; Course descriptions; Requirements and curriculum; Public health minor; BS/MPH; BS/MPH admissions; BS/MPH FAQ; BS/Epidemiology MS; BS/Community Health and Health Behavior MS; Future students; Undergraduate advisement FAQs; First-year; International first-year; International English proficiency; International standardized tests; Transfer; Transfer supplemental criteria; International transfer; Alternative credit; Tuition; International financial details; Scholarships. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 estimates). Some pages print dates without a year, so confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry; check UB’s website for the latest.