How to Apply to Public Health at the University of Missouri: A Bachelor of Health Science (BHS) in Public Health That Is Direct Admit With No Second Application, Declarable at Any Point After Enrolling, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Missouri (Mizzou) does have an undergraduate public health major, but the degree is not a BA or BS; it is the Bachelor of Health Science in Public Health (BHS in Public Health). It sits in the Department of Public Health in the College of Health Sciences. The department’s site says the BHS-PH degree was formed in 2017 and the Department of Public Health was created in 2019 as the home for the BHS-PH and MPH degrees. This guide covers only what the websites say; where they do not, it reads “not published” and tells you where to ask.

1. Degree and program

• Degree: BHS in Public Health. The catalog says the mission is to teach students to advance public health knowledge, promote healthy behaviors and environments, address and eliminate health disparities and prevent disease; it prepares students for introductory careers in health education, epidemiology, health policy and environmental health, and focuses on the links between public health and human rights.
• Accreditation: the department’s FAQ says the program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
• Versions and minor: the standard BHS in Public Health, and a Pre-Professional Studies emphasis for students aiming at medicine, dentistry, physician assistant studies and other health professions; there is also a public health minor. The emphasis adds courses such as biology, genetics, microbiology, college algebra, two semesters of college chemistry with labs, organic chemistry, physiology and human anatomy; the full list is on the catalog page.
• Core courses (catalog, 2026-27 edition): Introduction to Public Health and Health Promotion (P_HLTH 2200), Social and Behavioral Health Theory and Practice (3310), Introduction to Epidemiology (3450), The U.S. and Global Health Systems (3470), Public Health Promotion and Program Planning (3620), Public Health Research Methods (3800), Public Health Internship (4000), Principles of Environmental Health (4350), Race, Ethnicity, and Health (4610), and a capstone (4975 Emerging Issues in Public Health, or 4970 Digital Storytelling). The degree also needs English writing, biology (BIO_SC 1010/1020 or alternatives), a physical science course, statistics (STAT 1200 or 2500), and one psychology and one sociology course.
• Grade requirements: public health core courses need C or higher, except P_HLTH 2200, which needs B- or higher; statistics needs C or higher; biology, the physical science, psychology and sociology courses need C- or higher; at least 30 credits must be at the 3000/4000 level, and lower-division transfer courses accepted as upper-division courses cannot be used for those 30.
• Total credits: the catalog’s sample semester plan shows Total Credits: 120.
• Internship: the catalog says P_HLTH 4000 Public Health Internship is 1 credit with “a minimum of 50 supervised work hours,” and its prerequisite is P_HLTH 3620. The department’s site says students complete a required internship; there is also a faculty-led study abroad program in Greece.
• Minor and master’s: the public health minor; the department also has a 42-credit MPH with two emphases (Health Promotion and Policy, Veterinary Public Health), mentioned only in passing. A combined bachelor’s/master’s (such as 4+1) is not described on the pages read; not published.
• STEM designation: not stated on the pages read; not published.
• Pre-medical path: the department’s site says students can pursue any major while preparing for medical school; the Pre-Professional Studies emphasis is designed for those heading to medicine, dentistry, physician assistant and other health professions. The international FAQ says pre-medicine is not an official degree program and that Mizzou’s MedOpp advising office has resources to help students seek medical school admission.
• Credential: the department’s site mentions the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).

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

• Direct admit, no second application: the department’s FAQ says plainly: “this degree is direct admit. If you are admitted to the University of Missouri, you will be admitted to the Public Health degree program,” and no secondary application is required. The catalog also says students seeking admission to the BHS program must be admitted to the university and comply with the program’s rules.
• On the application or after enrolling: new students apply to Mizzou and choose Public Health as their major; the department’s site also says you can declare Public Health “at any point during your career at MU without a separate application,” using the university’s declare or change-major process.
• Minimum GPA and caps: beyond the university’s admission requirements, the pages read give Public Health no separate minimum GPA or quota; not published.
• Prerequisites and the bar: see the next section; the course grades in the degree (C, B-, C-) are requirements for enrolled students to graduate, not application thresholds.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school courses for new freshmen (fall 2027): the freshman requirements page lists 17 units: English 4 (two on composition or writing), mathematics 4 (Algebra I or higher), science 3 (at least one laboratory course), social studies 3, foreign language 2 (same language; ASL acceptable), fine arts 1. The page says students missing one of the core course requirements may still be considered if all other requirements are met.
• Courses once enrolled: see section 1; the degree needs statistics, a biology course and a physical science course, and the emphasis adds chemistry, organic chemistry and physiology. In the catalog’s sample plan, first-year students take English writing, biology, psychology, sociology and similar courses, and P_HLTH 2200, 3470, 3620 and statistics start in the second year.
• AP/IB credit: the international requirements page says AP or IB exams may earn credit, with the rules on the College Credits page; A-level scores of C or higher also earn credit. The conversion tables were not read; not published on the pages read.

4. Rounds and deadlines (fall 2027 entry)

These dates come from the Dates & Deadlines and related pages. The pages print no year, so confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry.

• Freshmen: applications open August 1; decisions are released from October 1 on a rolling basis; December 1 is the deadline for priority scholarship consideration and for general, competitive and departmental scholarships; the FAFSA priority date is February 1; May 1 is National Decision Day; July 1 is the application deadline. The Honors College has its own dates (application deadline February 1; Honors scholarship deadline December 1).
• Platform: you can use Mizzou’s own application or the Common App; the school says it gives no preference. Application fee: the freshman page says only “pay the application fee,” with no amount (the international page says $65); the freshman amount is not published, so check the application system.
• Testing: two options: submit ACT/SAT scores, with qualifying scores giving “automatic admission,” or choose the test-optional review, which uses the high school transcript and short essay questions. The writing sections do not affect admission. Mizzou superscores; once you apply with scores and receive a decision you cannot switch to test-optional.
• Score requirements (freshmen): with scores, an ACT of 24+ or SAT of 1160+ with any rank and a 2.0+ core GPA meets the standard; lower scores need a class rank (for example ACT 23 / SAT 1130–1150 needs the top 52%) or, at non-ranking schools, a core GPA (ACT 23 needs 2.80). Applicants who do not meet the published requirements automatically receive a comprehensive review.
• Recommendations: not mentioned on the freshman pages read; not published (the international page says they are not required but accepted as supplements).

5. Three kinds of applicants

U.S. applicants

• Tuition (2026-27, costs page, per year, 12–18 credit hours per semester): Missouri residents, estimated tuition and fees of $16,162–$20,290 and housing and dining of $15,780, with total estimated billed costs printed as $31,942–$36,070; non-residents, tuition and fees of $39,324–$43,452 with a printed total of $55,104–$59,232. The page says tuition is determined by major, in three tiers; which tier Public Health falls in is not stated on the pages read, so ask student financial services or the department.
• In-state preference: the page says many out-of-state students become Missouri residents to get in-state tuition; it does not state an in-state admission preference; not published.

International applicants

• Applying and dates: the international how-to page says “there are no application deadlines” and recommends applying 6–12 months before the start of the term; the FAQ page says “our application submission deadline for the fall semester is July 1” and gives scholarship deadlines of December 1 for competitive and departmental scholarships and March 1 for International Admissions scholarships. The international scholarships page says fall applicants must submit all materials by December 1 to be considered. These statements conflict (whether there is a deadline, and December 1 versus March 1 for scholarships); confirm with the international admissions office.
• Application fee: $65 (credit card or U.S. bank account).
• Academic requirements: the international requirements page asks for 13 core units: mathematics 4 (algebra or higher), science 3, social studies 3, languages 2, fine arts 1. Core course grades must meet one of: GPA of 2.5 or higher on a U.S. 4.0 scale; 3.5 or higher on a 5.0 scale; an average of 80 or higher on a 100-point scale; an average of 8 or higher on a 10-point scale; or IGCSE scores of C or higher in five or more subjects and three A-level certificates with C or higher. Course difficulty and grade distribution are also considered. Note that the freshman page lists 17 units and the international page 13; the two pages differ.
• Materials: transcripts from every high school (grades 9–12) and college attended; for non-English records, originals and English translations; a transcript uploaded by the student counts as unofficial, and an official final transcript is required after admission. SAT/ACT are not required but are preferred for international freshman scholarships; recommendations are not required but are accepted as supplements.
• English proficiency (one of): Duolingo, TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency, or PTE; or an IGCSE English exam with grade B or higher; or an IB English A Language & Literature SL or HL score of 5 or higher. Mizzou does not accept the TOEFL Essentials or IELTS Online. Minimums: Duolingo 110 (each part 100); TOEFL new scale 4.5 (no section below 4.0); old scale 79 (no section below 17; the page ties it to tests taken “prior to January 26th, 2026” although the same page says the new scale starts January 21, 2026, so check the dates); IELTS 6.5 (no section below 6.0). The minimums above are the College of Health Sciences row of the page’s tables (its Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences major requires the higher Journalism-level score).
• Proof of funds: after admission you must show resources to cover the estimated undergraduate expenses for a full year (from yourself, a family member or friend, a government sponsorship or scholarships), or you cannot get immigration documents.
• Costs (2026-27, international table): tuition and fees $39,688–$43,816 a year ($19,844–$21,908 per term), books and supplies $918, housing and food $12,734, personal expenses $3,466, medical insurance $2,818; the page prints a yearly total (12 months) of $62,124–$66,252 including $2,500 of summer housing; there is also a one-time enrollment fee of $300. F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week.
• Scholarships: automatic. International freshmen: International Honors Scholarship $20,000 a year and International Merit Scholarship $10,000 a year (academic year 2027-28), applying only to the non-resident portion of tuition and generally not combinable. International transfer students: Nonresident Transfer Scholarship Level 1 $20,000 (3.90 GPA, 24+ transferable hours) and Level 2 $10,000 (3.00 GPA, 24+ hours).
• Internship or work limits, Social Security number: the pages read do not say how the public health internship works for international students; not published. Ask the department and the International Center.

Applicants from China (separate section)

• Whether the Gaokao is considered: the pages read do not mention it; not published. Ask International Admissions (inter@missouri.edu).
• Transcripts and exit-exam materials: the FAQ asks for transcripts equivalent to U.S. grades 9–12 (four years of academic work; the last year may be in progress), originals plus English translations; transcripts the student uploads are unofficial and those sent by a school official are official. National examination certificates must come from the testing agency or a verifiable counselor or registrar; emails from students or parents are not accepted. There is no China-specific note on senior-high exit exams; not published.
• Any school note for Chinese applicants: none found.
• English scores: see the international section; whether other tests common in China are accepted is not published.

6. Costs and scholarships, a note

Costs and scholarships are in section 5. Freshman scholarships (including the December 1 general scholarship deadline) are on the Dates & Deadlines page and the university’s scholarship pages, which were not read item by item; the tuition tier for Public Health is not published on the pages read.

7. Transfer

• Admission standard: the transfer requirements page says a 2.5 GPA on completed college-level credits plus either a C- or better in a transferable math course (intermediate algebra or higher, or statistics) or a C- or better in a transferable English composition course. Applicants with fewer than 24 college-level credits must also meet freshman admission requirements. Applicants from an accepted U.S. two-year college with a 2.0 GPA and either an Associate of Arts degree or the Missouri CORE 42 are accepted with general education considered fulfilled.
• Entering Public Health: the page says admission to the university does not guarantee admission to a specific program, which often has its own requirements, and that students with 60 or fewer transferable credits who meet general requirements but not the program’s are admitted as Exploring students in the MU Discovery Center. The department’s page, however, calls the degree direct admit with no secondary application. Any Public Health-specific transfer requirement is not on the pages read (the page mentions “MU Major Specific Transfer considerations,” which was not read); not published.
• Dates: the Dates & Deadlines page gives transfer dates: spring 2027 applications opened May 1, 2026, fall 2027 applications open August 1, 2026; the fall deadline for general, competitive and departmental scholarships is February 1, 2027; the FAFSA deadline is February 1, 2027. The application deadline for transfers is not on the pages read; not published.
• International transfer: apply with the Mizzou Application; 24+ completed college-level credits with a 2.5 GPA and a C- or better in math or English composition; materials are official transcripts from all colleges attended and English proficiency scores. Completing 24 or more transferable credits from an accredited U.S. two- or four-year institution (within the past two years) can waive the English exam. F-1 students already in the U.S. transfer their immigration record to Mizzou.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Mizzou application or Common App; December 1 is the scholarship deadline and July 1 the application deadline; testing optional with short essay questions, or scores that may give automatic admission
• High school: 17 units (English 4, math 4, science 3, social studies 3, foreign language 2, fine arts 1)
• Public Health (BHS) is direct admit with no second application, and can also be declared after enrolling; the sample plan totals 120 credits, with a 1-credit internship of at least 50 hours; P_HLTH 2200 needs B-, the other core courses C

International applicants (including China):

• 13 core units with grades meeting one of the GPA 2.5 / 80% / 8 of 10 standards; $65 fee; Duolingo 110, TOEFL new scale 4.5, IELTS 6.5 and others
• The how-to page says no deadline, the FAQ says July 1 for fall, and the scholarship dates differ between pages; confirm with International Admissions; proof of funds comes after admission
• Gaokao and exit exams not published; transcripts need originals plus English translations

Transfer students:

• 24+ credits and a 2.5 GPA with C- or better in math or English composition; under 24 credits you must also meet freshman requirements

Sources: University of Missouri, Department of Public Health: Bachelor’s Degree; Department of Public Health; Catalog: Public Health; Catalog: BHS in Public Health; Catalog: BHS in Public Health, Pre-Professional Studies emphasis; Freshmen: How to Apply; Freshman Admission Requirements; Dates & Deadlines; International: How to Apply; International Admission Requirements; English Language Requirements; International FAQ; Transfer Admission Requirements; Costs; International Student Scholarships. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27; the catalog is the 2026-27 edition). Some pages print dates without a year, so confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry; check Mizzou’s website for the latest.