How to Apply to Public Health at Binghamton University: There Is No Public Health Bachelor’s Major, Only a 24-Credit Public Health Minor Open to Any Undergraduate (2.5 GPA) and a Five-Year Harpur-MPH 4+1 Program, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The short answer: on the pages we read, Binghamton University (a SUNY member) has no public health bachelor’s major. Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ undergraduate degrees are in nursing (traditional, transfer, accelerated and RN-BS), and the rest are minors. The closest routes are (1) the Public Health minor run by Decker’s Division of Public Health, open to undergraduates in any major, and (2) the Harpur-MPH 4+1 program, which pairs a Harpur College bachelor’s with a Master of Public Health in five years. In practice you apply to a Harpur College (or other college) major and add the minor or the 4+1. 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 minor: the Decker and Division of Public Health pages describe a 24-credit undergraduate minor that uses a hands-on, active-learning approach to introduce the scientific foundations and core epidemiologic principles of public health. It is open to all Binghamton undergraduates, augments many bachelor’s programs and is described as good preparation for graduate programs in public health.
• The six courses (4 credits each): PH 320 Disease Detectives: Investigating Epidemics around the World (spring), PH 312 Adopting Healthy Habits: The Art and Science of Health Behavior Change (fall), PH 322 Communicating Health Information in the Digital Age (fall), PH 318 Health and Place: How Neighborhoods Shape Our Lives (spring), HWS 341 Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Health Education Programs (fall and spring), and one public health minor elective (fall and spring). The page says none of the courses has prerequisites and all are in traditional format. The sample plan spreads them over sophomore to senior years, but students may apply and start as early as the first or sophomore year.
• Minor rules: only courses passed with C- or better count; at least 12 credits must be taken in residence at Binghamton; the courses may not satisfy Binghamton’s Liberal Arts requirements, so students must check their DegreeWorks audit and consult their college’s advising office.
• Harpur-MPH 4+1: Harpur College students in any Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Fine Arts major can apply (the Bachelor of Music is excluded). You take undergraduate classes for three years, combine bachelor’s and master’s courses in the fourth year and graduate with the bachelor’s, then in the fifth year are admitted to the Graduate School and finish the MPH, paying graduate tuition for one year. The sample plans list MPH courses such as PH 510 Foundations of Public Health, PH 520 Epidemiology I, PH 515 Introduction to Biostatistics, PH 524 Program Planning and Evaluation, PH 595 Internship Practicum and PH 598 Capstone Project. Whether international students may enter the 4+1 is not stated; not published on the pages read.
• The MPH: the program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health and is a generalist master’s with selective scholarship in population/global health. Direct entry requires a bachelor’s degree in any field and a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA (or a 3.0 average over the last 60 semester credits).
• STEM designation: not stated on the pages read.
• Other minors nearby: Decker’s Health and Wellness Studies minor (3.0 cumulative GPA) and Forensic Health minor (3.0 and at least 45 credits). The College of Community and Public Affairs offers undergraduate majors in social work and human development, not covered here. Pre-health advising pages were not read.

2. How you enter

• There is no public health major to select at entry: first-year and transfer applicants apply to a Binghamton college and major (such as a BA or BS in Harpur College). The admissions office says students who meet deadlines receive a decision about admission to Harpur College of Arts and Sciences (School of the Arts BFA and BMus programs have portfolios and auditions).
• Applying for the minor: open to students in any major with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA and no prerequisites, using the online application on the Division of Public Health page (we did not open the form). The contact is the division’s founding director, Yvonne Johnston (publichealth@binghamton.edu).
• 4+1 conditions (two-step application): (1) apply in the junior year; the page says you should have 88 or more undergraduate credits by the end of the junior year with all or most of your major and general education requirements done, and with either a 3.5 cumulative GPA, or a 3.5 GPA in the major and a 3.2 cumulative; meet the CCPA director of undergraduate student services, then submit a 2–3 page personal statement, a résumé and two letters from university faculty or instructors; advisors from the MPH program and your Harpur major must approve your degree plan; (2) with “second semester senior standing,” apply to the Graduate School through the graduate application process, and keep at least a 3.0 GPA in the MPH courses you take as a senior.
• Capacity: no seat limits for the minor or 4+1 are stated on the pages read; not published there.

3. Preparation and curriculum

• High school requirements: the first-year page we read does not list subject requirements; not published there. Ask the admissions office (admit@binghamton.edu).
• Minor prerequisites: the page states “no prerequisites.”
• Core courses: the six minor courses and the MPH courses are in section 1.
• Statistics or math: the minor page lists none; the 4+1 plan includes PH 515 Introduction to Biostatistics at the master’s level.
• AP/IB credit: not stated on the pages read. Harpur’s advising pages and Decker’s AP-equivalencies page carry this information but were not read; check them there.

4. Rounds, fee and materials (fall 2027)

• Domestic first-year deadlines: early action application November 1 with other materials by December 1 and decisions by January 15; regular admission January 15 with decisions by April 1; later applications are reviewed on a space-available basis.
• Platforms and fee: Common App, SUNY App or Coalition; the $50 fee is non-refundable. The page also advertises “Free Application Weeks” (October 19 to November 2, with no year printed) when the fee is waived without special codes and fee-waiver forms are not accepted.
• Materials: high school transcript; one teacher or counselor recommendation; SAT/ACT optional (SAT code 2535, ACT code 2956); no interview is required and a 60–90 second video is optional. Essay: the first-year page we read does not say whether one is required; not published there.
• Test policy: Binghamton is test-optional and supports SUNY’s decision to suspend SAT/ACT requirements; applicants must indicate whether they want scores included in the review.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. students

• Admission: through the application in section 4 to Harpur College, then the minor or 4+1 in section 2. Tuition differs for New York residents and out-of-state students (section 6). An in-state admission preference is not stated; not published there.
• Scholarships: all applicants are considered; top students may receive a President’s, Provost’s or Dean’s Scholarship (four-year commitments, no application, amounts vary); twenty incoming first-year students receive the Achievement Scholarship of $10,000 a year for up to four years, and five receive a four-year award up to the in-state full cost (about $30,000 a year). New York residents may use the Excelsior Scholarship and the STEM incentive program. The page was last updated in August 2024, so confirm amounts.

International students

• Application and deadlines: for non-U.S. citizens who will hold an F-1 or J-1 visa. International fall first-year deadlines are early action November 1 (decision January 15) and regular admission March 15 (decision by April 1), which differs from the January 15 regular deadline for domestic applicants. The fee is $50 and international students are not eligible for fee waivers.
• Transcripts: official transcripts for each of the three most recent years of schooling, listing all courses and grades, sent directly by a school officer (through the application, by email from a school email domain to international@binghamton.edu, or by mail); non-English documents need English translations.
• English proficiency: required of every non-native speaker, even those attending English-medium schools or going SAT/ACT test-optional. Accepted: TOEFL (iBT and Home Edition), IELTS, Duolingo, Pearson PTE, Cambridge (B2, C1, C2), SAT, IB higher level, O-level English and ACT. Scores must be less than two years old and sent directly by the testing body. The table shows the mid-50% range of admitted students, not minimums: TOEFL iBT 80–95 (exams before January 21, 2026; 4.0–5.0 on the new scale after), IELTS 6.5–7.0, Duolingo 110–120, SAT EBRW 530–640, ACT English 21–27, Cambridge 176–185, PTE 53–65. Students who attended four years of English-medium schooling may request a waiver by email.
• Proof of funds: an International Student Financial Statement signed by any sponsors plus official bank statements showing adequate funds for the first year; the Office of International Student and Scholar Services issues the I-20 or DS-2019 only after admission and receipt of the documents.
• International scholarships: the scholarships page does not describe awards specific to international students; not published there.
• Work or internship limits: not published on the pages read.

Applicants from China (separate section)

• Whether the Gaokao is considered: the international first-year page does not say; not published there.
• Transcripts and exit-exam materials: the page asks only for official transcripts for the last three years with English translation; it has no China-specific entry, and whether senior-high exit exam results are required separately is not published there.
• Any note for Chinese applicants: none on the pages read. The international contact details are phone 01-607-777-2171, international@binghamton.edu, WhatsApp +1-607-759-8764 and WeChat “Binghamton University,” and you can book a virtual personal meeting.

6. Costs (2026-27)

• Annual budget (marked July 2026 and subject to change): tuition $7,070 for New York residents, $29,840 out-of-state and $29,840 international; fees $3,497, with $6,485 for international students (not including the SEVIS fee); housing and meals (standard double, average meal plan) $20,179. Estimated cost of attendance: $30,746 in-state; $53,516 out-of-state; $56,504 international. Transfer students are not required to live on campus.
• Minor or 4+1 surcharge: not stated on the pages read; not published there. The 4+1 page says you pay graduate tuition for one year; see the Student Accounts site for rates.

7. Transfer

• Transferring into Harpur College: admission looks at rigor of coursework and grades with emphasis on recent courses, and at prerequisite performance; most previous successful applicants had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, a 3.0 being preferred, and requirements vary by school. For Harpur there are no necessary course prerequisites, and a completed general education curriculum is preferred. More than 2,800 undergraduates are transfers.
• Deadlines (domestic): priority spring November 1 and fall March 1; later applications are reviewed on a space-available basis. Social work, all engineering programs and Decker nursing accept fall applications only. The fee is $50.
• Materials: official transcripts from every institution attended; a final high school transcript if you have fewer than 24 college credits; with more than 24 credits you must still send a final high school transcript or GED after enrolling. After admission you see a preliminary transfer evaluation and can use the SUNY appeals process.
• International transfer: priority spring November 15 and fall March 1. For English proficiency you may submit two complete non-ESL English courses at a U.S. college with grades of B or better, or one test score of the types in section 5; all students take an English placement exam at orientation and may be placed on an ELI track at no extra cost. Proof of funds is as for first-year students.
• Taking the minor or 4+1 as a transfer: the same rules as section 2 apply; the 4+1 needs 88 or more credits by the junior year, and whether transfer students can fit that timeline is not published.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• No public health bachelor’s major; apply to Harpur College or another college; early action November 1, regular January 15; $50 fee; one recommendation; testing optional
• Public Health minor: any major, 2.5 cumulative GPA, 24 credits, no prerequisites
• 4+1 MPH: Harpur BA/BS/BFA students, junior-year 3.5 GPA (or 3.5 in the major and 3.2 cumulative), personal statement, résumé, two letters

International applicants (including China):

• Early action November 1, regular March 15; English proficiency required; financial statement and bank statements before the I-20
• The Gaokao’s role, exit-exam materials and China-specific notes are not published; WeChat is listed as a contact

Transfer students:

• Harpur has no required prerequisites and prefers a 3.0 GPA; fall priority March 1 for domestic and international transfers; Decker nursing is junior-entry only

Sources: Binghamton University, Decker College academic programs; Division of Public Health; Public Health minor; Harpur-MPH 4+1 program; Schools and colleges; First-year applicants; International first-year; Test policy; Transfer; Transfer application instructions; International transfer; Cost and aid; Scholarships. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27). Some pages print dates without a year, so confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry; check Binghamton’s website for the latest.