How to Apply to the University of Illinois Chicago’s Public Health Program: Two Undergraduate Degrees in the School of Public Health — a BA in Public Health Practice and a BS in Public Health Sciences — Applied for Directly or as “Public Health–Undecided”, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is in downtown Chicago. Unlike our general life-sciences and medicine guide for UIC, this one covers public health only. UIC’s School of Public Health (SPH) offers two undergraduate degrees: the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Practice and the Bachelor of Science in Public Health Sciences, plus a public health minor open to students in other majors. Below are the points for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students.

1. Degrees and programs

• BA in Public Health Practice: 120 semester hours. The catalog says it is geared toward students interested in the socio-cultural determinants of health, preparing them for public health practice, community-engaged work and careers and graduate education focused on social justice in health and well-being. The school’s page adds that BA students choose a focus of study reflecting their own interests.
• BS in Public Health Sciences: 120 semester hours. The catalog says it is geared toward students seeking a deeper understanding of basic and applied sciences, preparing them for graduate and professional degrees and careers in fields such as epidemiology and biostatistics, dentistry, environmental and occupational health sciences, medicine and pharmacy. The school’s page says BS students are expected to fulfill their selectives and electives with STEM courses.
• Focus area (9 hours): both degrees require 9 hours of upper-level coursework. For the BS the purpose may be premedical or preprofessional studies, a minor, a specific public health discipline, or progression into the joint BS-MPH. For the BA the options also include foreign language or language-area courses.
• Minor: the Minor in Public Health is 15 hours, open to students from other majors (except public health majors), with a 2.50 cumulative GPA required at the time of the request, and confirmation with the home college that credit applies; a 2.00 GPA in the minor coursework is needed to complete it.
• Joint degrees (BA or BS plus MPH): the catalog describes them as designed for high-performing undergraduates who want an MPH, with four concentrations (Community Health Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Administration) and 9 to 11 shared hours depending on the concentration. Students apply early in the spring semester of the junior year through an internal process; successful applicants typically have a cumulative GPA of 3.40/4.00 or higher; a brief application form and personal statement are required. Whether international students can apply is not stated: not published.
• Practice requirement: both degrees include an “Experiential Learning” requirement (0–3 hours), which can be met with courses such as PUBH 393 Public Health Fieldwork or with non-credit experiences in consultation with an advisor, plus the Baccalaureate Project in Public Health (PUBH 397, 3 hours). The number of practice hours is not stated on the pages we read: not published.
• STEM designation: not stated on the pages we read: not published. Honors: the catalog says Honors College students may pursue any undergraduate major; the pages we read do not describe a public-health-specific honors program.
• Pre-med and graduate school: the school’s page links to a “Clinical careers” page about completing prerequisites for careers such as doctor, pharmacist and dentist, which we did not read. For the MPH see joint degrees and GPPA.

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

• Direct admission to public health: the catalog says first-year applicants can apply directly to the BA or the BS; if unsure, they can apply as Public Health–Undecided, complete introductory public health and General Education courses, then declare the BA or BS. Transfer applicants (outside transfers and intercollege transfers) can likewise apply to either degree or to Undecided.
• Progression threshold: grades of C or better in prerequisite coursework are required before upper-level major courses — PUBH 100 and PUBH 110 for the BS; PUBH 100, PUBH 110 and PUBH 120 for the BA.
• GPA: a cumulative 2.00 in all work at UIC, a combined 2.00 with transfer work, and a 2.00 minimum for public health major coursework.
• Whether first-year admission to public health is capped or separately applied for is not stated on the pages we read: not published. The school’s application page says first-year applicants follow the admissions office’s core requirements.
• Intercollege transfer: current UIC students apply as intercollege transfers (deadline for fall 2027: August 1, 2027; spring 2027: December 1, 2026), reviewed after final grades are available. A specific GPA threshold is not stated: not published.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school course recommendations (admissions; not requirements): for all majors, English 4 years, mathematics 3–4 years (including algebra, geometry, advanced algebra/trigonometry), science 3 years, social science 3 years, second language 2 years. Admissions adds that for STEM and business majors it recommends four years each of mathematics and science, with coursework at or above precalculus highly recommended, and says STEM fields such as biological sciences and pre-health majors may have different expectations for high school math and science. Whether public health counts in that group is not stated: not published.
• Mathematics/statistics: both degrees require one quantitative reasoning course — PUBH 130 Introductory Public Health Statistics (preferred), STAT 101 or STAT 130 — with a C or better (4 hours).
• General Education and writing: at least 24 hours of General Education Core (one course from each of six categories); ENGL 160 and 161 (grades of B or better preferred); first-year students and transfers entering with fewer than 24 hours must take the first-year seminar PUBH 105 in their first term.
• BS courses: 27 hours of university and General Education requirements, 46–50 hours of major requirements, 43–47 hours of free electives. It includes PUBH 100 Health and the Public, PUBH 110 Public Health and Global Societies, and a life science course with a lab (BIOS 110 or 120). The major core has PUBH 200 Exploring Connections between Human Health and the Environment, PUBH 301 Epidemiology, PUBH 320 Public Health Biology, PUBH 330 Health Equity and Health Disparities, PUBH 345 Critical Thinking and Public Health Communication, PUBH 350 Health Systems, Policy, and Advocacy, PUBH 370 Applied Public Health Methods, PUBH 420 Public Health Problem Solving: Epidemiology in Action, PUBH 397 and the seminars PUBH 105, 205 and 395 (1 hour each), plus one community health course (PUBH 310, 360 or 415).
• BA courses: 30 hours of university and General Education requirements, 44–47 hours of major requirements, 43–46 hours of free electives. Besides PUBH 100 and 110 it requires PUBH 120 Public Health and the Study of Disease and Epidemics; the life science lab course can be ANTH 105, BIOS 104, 110 or 120. The major core has PUBH 310, 330, 345, 350, 360 (4 hours), 370, 397, 415 and the three seminars, plus one public health sciences course chosen from PUBH 200, 301 and 320.
• AP/IB: the catalog’s academic standing page says UIC awards credit on the basis of AP and IB exam scores, with subject-by-subject tables; we did not check which subjects apply to public health, so consult that page.

4. Rounds, deadlines, fee, essays, testing (first-year)

• Fall 2027: Early Action November 2, 2026; Regular Decision February 1, 2027. For spring 2027 the first-year deadline is October 1, 2026. Applications open August 1. Applications and supporting documents must be postmarked (or electronically dated) by the deadline. The scholarship priority date is November 2, 2026, described as a recommendation rather than a hard deadline.
• Platform and fee: the Common App, including UIC-specific questions and essays; application fee $70, non-refundable (fee waivers exist, but only for domestic applicants).
• Testing: ACT/SAT is optional; if you submit a score you must provide a score report — self-reported scores and superscores are not accepted; AP/IB scores are not required but are reviewed if provided.
• Recommendations and essays: admissions lists letters of recommendation (teachers, counselors or activity supervisors) as a recommended extra and suggests sending the Common App mid-year report; Honors College and GPPA applicants must also submit an essay and two recommendations.
• Review: high school performance, course selection and rigor, GPA, essays and choice of major; each college has its own criteria. In the middle 50% of the admitted fall 2026 class, the School of Public Health’s test-optional group had an unweighted GPA of 3.1–3.5 and an average of 6–9 AP/IB/honors classes; its test-inclusive group had a GPA of 3.4–3.9 and SAT 1240–1430 (ACT 26–32). UIC says these are not cut-offs and that about two-thirds of applicants chose to be reviewed without a test score.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. applicants

• Same process as above. The school’s page lists tuition of “starting at $18,570 per year” in state and “$34,500 per year” out of state (no academic year is printed and the page does not say which fees are included). The catalog describes a four-year guaranteed tuition program for undergraduate degree-seeking students; see the catalog for the details.
• In-state help: the admissions office says the new UIC Aspire program means new undergraduate Illinois residents from households with incomes under $75,000 (another line on the same page says $75,000 or less) pay $0 in tuition and fees for fall 2026; applicants are automatically considered for most university and college scholarships once they apply.
• Out-of-state U.S. students: the School of Public Health’s Out-of-State Tuition Premium Waiver considers domestic out-of-state applicants to a public health undergraduate major or pre-major for a four-year waiver of the out-of-state premium, so they pay the equivalent of in-state tuition. Students must be full-time and intend to graduate in four years; offers are first-come, first-served by academic merit and require a written offer. UIC also has a Merit Tuition Award for nonresident U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

International applicants

• Fees and status: first-year international applicants pay a mandatory, non-refundable total of $170 ($70 application fee plus a $100 international evaluation fee) on submitting the Common App; application fee waivers are not offered to international students. The catalog says students needing F-1 or J-1 status must register as full-time degree-seeking students and are not eligible for financial aid, and that international students pay a higher tuition rate than Illinois and U.S. residents (an international tuition surcharge); the amount is not stated, and whether the school page’s $34,500 includes it is not published.
• Transcripts and documents: transcripts, marksheets and other credentials from all post-secondary schools must be official and sealed by the school; documents not in English need an ATA-certified translation; a syllabus of international coursework (in English or translated) is required. Documents become the property of the university and are not returned. Transfer applicants must submit syllabi for all coursework.
• English proficiency (admissions): only these tests are accepted — TOEFL iBT total 80 (the same cell also prints “4.5”, unexplained); IELTS Academic overall 6.5 with 6 in each section; PTE Academic overall 54 (listening 47, writing 56, reading 51, speaking 53); Duolingo total 120 with 115 in each subscore (Duolingo is accepted only for fall 2027 and later). TOEFL institutional code 1851; scores are valid for two years. Applicants who cannot take any of these can use the UIC Tutorium in Intensive English (TIE) assessment. Scores below the published minimums are not automatically denied, but colleges may set higher minimums for some programs. The School of Public Health’s own international page lists TOEFL section minimums (listening 17, writing 21, reading 19, speaking 20) and names only TOEFL, IELTS and PTE, with no Duolingo; this differs from the admissions page.
• Exemptions: two consecutive years of full-time high school or university study in the U.S. or another country where English is the only official language; at least one year of full-time employment with an employer letter; or SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 570, ACT English 24, AP English Language and Composition 4, IB English Language and Literature 5, or at least five IGCSE/O-Level subjects at A–C. Admissions says the requirement is not waived based on the medium of instruction at a previous institution.
• Proof of funds: admissions says international applicants must show English competency and “financial certifications”; the documents and amounts are not on the pages we read: not published. International scholarships: none are described on the pages we read; the School of Public Health’s out-of-state premium waiver is for domestic applicants only.
• Limits on international students in public health practica or employment: not published; ask the Office of International Services (OIS), which handles visa paperwork after admission.

Applicants from China

• The admissions office has a country-by-country table (enter the country where you studied to see credentials, qualifications and English requirements). It loads dynamically and was not used here, so whether the gaokao is considered, huikao records, and any China-specific statement are not on the pages we read: not published. Open the admissions international requirements page and enter “China”, or write to admissions.
• General requirements that do apply: official sealed transcripts; ATA-certified English translations; syllabi for international coursework; English test scores (above); a combined $170 fee for first-year international applicants.

6. Costs and scholarships

See the U.S. applicants section. The school’s page gives yearly figures without an academic year; whether public health carries a program fee is not stated on the pages we read: not published; see the registrar’s tuition tables. Scholarships: admissions says UIC undergraduates received nearly $200 million in financial aid and scholarships last year, and nearly two-thirds of students received grants or scholarships; the Honors College has its own scholarships and requires a separate Honors College application.

7. Transfer

• Deadlines: fall 2027 transfer (outside) April 1, 2027; applications for fall 2027 transfer open December 15, 2026; spring 2027 is October 15, 2026. The School of Public Health’s application page gives the same dates.
• Materials: the UIC transfer application and $70 fee; official transcripts from every college attended; for public health, a personal statement in the program-choice prompt explaining your desire to pursue the major (life experiences, activities and academic work), a resume (employment and volunteer/service) and one letter of recommendation. Admissions lists public health among programs requiring supplemental documents.
• Prerequisites and GPA: C or better in prerequisite coursework; the minimum hours and GPA are in the transfer guides, which we did not read: not published here. Admissions also says transfer applicants with fewer than 36 graded, transferable hours need high school transcripts (the heading says fewer than 25 hours; the two differ).
• Credit: UIC takes part in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), under which the General Education Core transfers between participating institutions; credit from a community college requires at least 60 hours at UIC or another accredited four-year institution.
• International transfers: applicants with coursework outside the U.S. pay a $100 international credential evaluation fee (once per application term) and submit syllabi.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Common App: Early Action November 2, 2026 or Regular Decision February 1, 2027; $70 fee; ACT/SAT optional; apply to the BA, the BS or Public Health–Undecided
• C or better in PUBH 100 and 110 (and 120 for the BA) before upper-level major courses; out-of-state domestic students can be considered for the tuition premium waiver

International applicants (including China):

• $170 in fees; sealed official transcripts with ATA-certified translation; syllabi; English scores (TOEFL 80, IELTS 6.5, PTE 54, Duolingo 120 from fall 2027)
• Gaokao use and proof-of-funds amounts: not published; confirm with admissions

Transfer students:

• April 1, 2027 for fall 2027; personal statement, resume and one recommendation; C or better in prerequisites; minimum GPA in the transfer guides

Sources: University of Illinois Chicago, Catalog: School of Public Health; Catalog: BS in Public Health Sciences; Catalog: BA in Public Health Practice; Catalog: Joint degrees; Catalog: Minor in Public Health; Catalog: Admissions; Catalog: Tuition and fees; Catalog: Academic standing and credit by exam; Admissions: first-year requirements; Admissions: deadlines; Admissions: transfer requirements; Admissions: international requirements; Admissions: tuition and aid; School of Public Health: undergraduate programs; School of Public Health: application process; School of Public Health: GPPA; School of Public Health: out-of-state tuition premium waiver; School of Public Health: international students. Information is for fall 2027 entry; the tuition figures on the school’s page print no academic year, so check the university’s website. The admissions office’s country-by-country international requirements table loads dynamically and was not used; the transfer guides were not read.