How to Apply to Public Health (BS) at Drexel University: A Co-op Degree in the Dornsife School of Public Health, but the Website Says the In-Person BS Is Not Offered to New First-Year Applicants in the 2026–2027 Recruitment Cycle and an Online Part-Time Version Exists for Students With College Credit, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Drexel University is in Philadelphia. The undergraduate public health degree (Bachelor of Science in Public Health, BSPH) is offered by the Dornsife School of Public Health, which is accredited by CEPH. First, the fact that matters most for timing: Dornsife’s BS page states that “Drexel Dornsife’s in-person BS in Public Health will not be offered to new first-year applicants in the 2026-2027 recruitment cycle” and encourages interested students to explore the online BS or to check back in August 2027 for the next admissions cycle. The page does not literally say “fall 2027 entry,” but as worded, the current cycle’s new first-year applications do not include the in-person version. We recommend checking with Dornsife admissions (sphadmissions@drexel.edu) or the university admissions office (enroll@drexel.edu) before you prepare. Below, what the website says is split into U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China; where it says nothing, we say so and point to where to ask.

1. Degree and program

• Degree and school: BS in Public Health, Dornsife School of Public Health. The catalog lists a Bachelor of Science with a minimum of 180 credits on a quarter calendar, CIP code 51.2201. Co-op options: three co-ops over five years (face-to-face only); one co-op over four years (face-to-face only); part-time without co-op over five years (online only).
• Move to semesters: the online program page says Drexel is transitioning to a semester calendar as of fall 2027 and links a semester program of study, and the transfer deadlines page says applicants for 2027–2028 and beyond follow semester-based deadlines. How the catalog’s quarter-based plan and 180 credits map onto fall 2027 entrants is not spelled out on the pages we read; ask the Dornsife advising team (dsphadvising@drexel.edu).
• Content: courses across the core public health disciplines: epidemiology, community health and prevention, environmental and occupational health, and health management and policy; the website says students gain depth in a chosen discipline through co-op and the senior capstone. The school stresses health as a human right and social justice, and the Global Public Health Initiative offers global experiences.
• Minors: the Dornsife page lists five public health minors (Public Health, Environmental Public Health, Epidemiology, Global Public Health, Health and Social Justice); the catalog page also lists a Health Data Analytics minor, so the two disagree on the number.
• Honors/research program: no undergraduate honors program is described on the Dornsife or catalog pages we read; the website does not say.
• Combined degree: the catalog lists an Accelerated Public Health BS/MPH: 236 credits, one co-op, BS and MPH in five years. Students study undergraduate courses for two years, then begin MPH coursework; years three and four mix undergraduate and graduate courses; after year four they receive the BS and typically need one more year (about three graduate quarters) for the MPH, which has 56 graduate quarter credits. Students must confirm participation with an advisor by the end of spring of year two and submit a formal MPH application during year three; students who do not meet the graduate entrance requirements finish year four and receive the BS. The Dornsife page calls it a “4 + 1.” Whether international students are eligible is not stated.
• STEM status: the page says only that many of the school’s graduate programs are STEM-designated; for the BS, the website does not say.
• Co-op/practicum: the Drexel Co-op is a key component of the curriculum. The catalog says students can gain 6 to 18 months of career-related experience, and that successful completion of co-op is a graduation requirement for students in a co-op degree program. In the sample plan for four years with one co-op, the third-year spring and summer terms are co-op; the five-year, three-co-op plan also schedules co-op terms. The Dornsife page also describes global public health field experiences and education abroad. The catalog gives co-op length only as a range of months.
• Writing: graduation requires three writing-intensive courses after the freshman year (two in the major).

2. How you get into the major and its requirements

• Direct admission to public health: applicants choose a major on the application; Drexel encourages first-year applicants to list two different majors as first and second choice, or to ask for the undeclared First-Year Exploratory Studies program; changing a major after applying is done by emailing enroll@drexel.edu. As above, the in-person BS is currently not offered to new first-year applicants.
• Internal transfer into the major, minimum GPA, seats: the pages we read do not describe internal entry conditions, a GPA cut-off or seat counts for public health; the website does not say.
• Separate application: none; applicants use Drexel’s undergraduate application (Common App or Coalition App with Scoir).
• Online version (www.online.drexel.edu): 100% online, part-time, no co-op; classes begin August 23, 2027 and the page shows the next application deadline as July 30, 2027 (Fall 2027); average duration 2–4 years. Criteria: transfer students need at least 24 semester credits (36 quarter credits) with a C or better from a regionally accredited institution; first-year students are those with 0–23 semester credits and need a high school diploma or GED. Documents: an application, a personal essay, and official high school and all college transcripts. Up to 90 quarter credits (60 semester credits) can be transferred. The page also says standardized test scores are optional; the program is eligible for financial aid for the current academic year (eligibility for the next year has not been determined); special tuition rates exist for Drexel alumni, military members and partner-organization members, to be requested from applyDUonline@drexel.edu within the first two weeks of the term, and special rates cannot be combined. The page’s “additional requirements for international students” section shows no content, so those are not stated there.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school coursework (Dornsife page): the high school curriculum that best prepares for first-year college studies, with three years of mathematics (algebra I and II, geometry) and at least one year of a laboratory science (biology, chemistry or physics). The university prerequisites table does not list public health separately (it has categories such as humanities and social sciences, health administration, and nursing and health professions); the Dornsife page governs.
• General education: Introduction to Civic Engagement, Techniques of Speaking, Science Writing, career management (the co-op course), three English composition courses, General Psychology I, Introduction to Sociology and The Drexel Experience.
• Major requirements: PBHL 101 Public Health 101 (3), PBHL 210 Biostatistics I (4), PBHL 301 Epidemiology in Public Health (3), PBHL 302 History of Public Health (3), PBHL 303 Overview of Issues in Global Health (3), PBHL 304 Introduction to Health & Human Rights (3), PBHL 308 The U.S. Public Health System (3), PBHL 314 Environmental and Occupational Health (3).
• Interdisciplinary public health courses: one PBHL course from each of four categories (community health and prevention; environmental and occupational health; epidemiology and biostatistics; health management and policy), 12 credits in all, plus four more PBHL courses at the 100–499 level (12 credits).
• Math and science: any MATH 100–499 courses for 6 credits; one BIO course (3); science courses totalling 12 (biology, chemistry, environmental science, geoscience, nutrition, physics and others); 36 credits of social science electives; a three-course capstone, PBHL 497 (2), 498 (3) and 499 (3); 42 credits of free electives; 180 credits in total.
• Statistics/math: Biostatistics I is required and the math requirement is any 6 credits, with no named course; any grade requirements are not stated.
• AP/IB credit: not on the pages we read; the website does not say.

4. Rounds, fees and materials (first-year, university level)

• Rounds (the pages describe the 2026–2027 application cycle; the ED/EA/RD dates print no year, so check that they are for fall 2027 entry): Early Decision (binding) and Early Action both November 15, decisions mid-December; Regular Decision January 15, decisions by April 1; deposit January 15 for Early Decision and May 1 for others; the Winter Entry Program deadline is October 1.
• Application and fee: Common App or Coalition App with Scoir; the application fee is $65, non-refundable, waived for U.S. veterans or their dependents, children of Drexel employees and Pennsylvania residents, and other applicants can request a fee waiver through the application.
• Essay and recommendation: an essay of 250–650 words; one letter of recommendation from a school or college counselor, which can also be sent directly by the recommender to enroll@drexel.edu.
• Transcripts: official high school transcripts covering grades 9, 10 and 11 plus grade 12 courses in progress, sent directly by the school; self-submitted transcripts are not accepted.
• Testing: the dedicated testing policy page says “No Harm” test-optional, so applicants need not submit SAT/ACT. The first-year instructions page contradicts itself: one passage says Drexel requires all first-year applicants to submit standardized test scores, another says No Harm test-optional. Rely on the testing policy page and confirm with admissions. SAT or ACT is accepted (the ACT science and writing sections are not required).
• Materials listed by Dornsife: application, fee, personal essay, official transcripts, recommendation letters and financial aid information (FAFSA); test scores are optional for most applicants.

5. U.S. applicants

• Preference for in-state applicants: the website mentions only the fee waiver for Pennsylvania residents; whether in-state applicants get an admission preference is not stated.
• Tuition (2026–27, full-time four- and five-year programs): tuition is $21,026 per term with a general fee of $790 per term (billed in all terms, including co-op); a first-year program fee of $300 applies in the first year only. Part-time undergraduate tuition is $1,419 per credit with a $150 per-term fee. The online BS in Public Health is $497 per credit (the page describes this as 52% below the regular $1,035 rate, for new students only, and says online students are not eligible for most Drexel-specific scholarships). Public health program fee: the tuition page’s program-fee table lists only College of Nursing and Health Professions programs and has no public health or Dornsife entry, so whether a public health program fee exists is not stated; ask Dornsife admissions or the tuition and fees office. Also, the tuition page’s online-program rate table does not list public health, while the online public health page itself states $497; if the two differ, rely on the program page and verify.
• Scholarships (undergraduate scholarships page): institutional merit scholarships are decided by the Admissions Committee at admission: $20,000–$35,000 for Early Decision/Early Action and $10,000–$35,000 for Regular Decision (the page gives no unit), renewable while enrolled but not paid during co-op; the Dragon Alumni Scholarship is $500 per term. The Dornsife page says that in 2025–2026 Drexel offered financial support to 100% of incoming first-year students, with an average scholarship and grant offer of $40,814 (federal, state and institutional aid). U.S. citizens and permanent residents seeking need-based aid file the CSS Profile and FAFSA.

6. International applicants

• In-person BS: as above, new first-year applications are currently not offered; international students use the same application materials.
• Online BS: the website states that international students living outside the U.S. are not eligible to apply to this part-time online program.
• English: required of international applicants whose first language is not English and who have not completed three full years of English-medium instruction; accepted tests are TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo, and Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. Exemptions: English as the first language; three full years at a high school where English is the main language of instruction; or an SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing of at least 600 or an ACT English of at least 27. Minimum scores are not on the admissions international pages; ask enroll@drexel.edu. The online programs site (www.online.drexel.edu) international requirements page gives a different set for “all other undergraduate programs”: TOEFL 550 paper / 79 internet-based, IELTS 6.5 overall, scores valid for two years; it also lists waivers such as three years at a high school or university taught in English, or SAT 600 / ACT English 27 within two years. That is the online site’s page, and whether it applies to the in-person BS is not stated.
• Work and co-op (international FAQ): F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week; Drexel cannot guarantee a job, and on-campus pay cannot be listed as a funding source on the I-20/DS-2019. Co-op is part of the curriculum, so F-1 students can take part through Curricular Practical Training (CPT); with the three-co-op, five-year option, doing all three full-time in the U.S. affects OPT (the page says students often do one part-time or abroad), while the one-co-op, four-year option does not. Confirm with ISSS (isss@drexel.edu). These are university-wide statements; any extra limits for public health are not stated.
• Online programs and visas: the online programs site states that Drexel cannot provide visa support for international students in fully online or hybrid programs; visa support is only for full-time, on-campus programs.
• Transcripts: applicants who attended any part of secondary school outside the U.S. submit an official academic record (with a notarized English translation) from every secondary or post-secondary school attended, showing grades 9–11 and grade 12 courses in progress; country-specific requirements are on the international transcript requirements page.
• Proof of funds: international applicants must show financial responsibility: the I-20 application form, a passport photo page, and either a bank letter signed by a bank official stating the funds available or a non-Drexel scholarship letter. The website’s estimate for 2026–27 (three quarters, full-time undergraduate, all programs): tuition and fees $65,798, living expenses $19,398, other costs $3,200, total $88,396.
• Financial aid: international applicants must submit the CSS Profile to be considered for institutional need-based aid; the scholarships page says merit scholarships are open to domestic and international first-year and transfer applicants. The international FAQ adds that all international students are automatically considered for merit aid during application review, with no additional application, and are notified with their admission offer. The website does not list a scholarship reserved for international students (none on the scholarships or international pages we read).
• Other routes: the international instructions also list the International Gateway Program and the Winter Entry Program; The Winter Entry page (it says January 2027 entry) lists majors that are not eligible, and public health is not on that list, but since the in-person BS is not open to new first-year applicants this cycle, confirm with admissions whether this route is possible. The Gateway program’s instructions link (under drexel.edu/elc) returned 404 when rechecked, so whether public health takes part is not stated.
• Seats for international students in public health, co-op or work limits: not stated on the pages we read; ask Dornsife admissions.

7. Applicants from China

• Is the gaokao considered: the transcript requirements page lists only transcripts and a graduation certificate for China and does not mention the gaokao; the website does not say. Ask enroll@drexel.edu.
• Transcripts and the school-leaving exam: for “China,” current high school students send the official transcript for junior year 3 and for years 1 and 2 of senior school; graduates send junior year 3 and final senior years 1, 2 and 3 transcripts plus official copies of the original Chinese Graduation Certificate; anything not in English needs a certified translation. The translation wording differs between pages: the first-year instructions say “notarized” English translation and the transcript requirements page says “certified”; confirm with admissions. The academic proficiency (huikao) results are not mentioned.
• Special notes for Chinese applicants: none on the pages we read.
• The rest (English scores, proof of funds) is in section 6.

8. Costs and scholarships

See sections 5 and 6. Merit scholarships are not paid during co-op terms; the website lists no scholarship reserved for international students (international and domestic applicants are alike automatically considered for merit scholarships), and the tuition page has no public health program-fee entry, so whether one exists is not stated.

9. Transfer

• Transferring into the in-person public health major: the Dornsife page’s notice concerns new first-year applicants; whether transfer students can enter the in-person BS is not stated on the pages we read. The university’s transfer prerequisites table does not include public health (it lists biological sciences, biomedical engineering, computer science, engineering, health sciences, accelerated nursing and nutrition sciences), so the prerequisites and GPA for public health are not stated.
• Transfer deadlines (semester calendar, 2027–2028 onward): for the fall semester (August 2027), April 15 is the priority deadline (application fee waived for applications by then), with rolling review until one month before the term; for spring semester (January 2028), October 15 is the priority deadline. Separate international deadlines for fall 2027 are not listed on the transfer page (only the 2026–27 quarter-system international dates appear: April 15, a June 14 I-20 deadline and July 15 as the last date for consideration), so fall 2027 international transfer dates are not stated.
• Online version for transfer students: see section 2 (24 semester credits with a C or better; up to 60 semester credits transfer).
• Drexel Promise: transfer students with an associate degree from an accredited community college who apply to a full-time on-campus program can receive a renewable scholarship for 50% of tuition. Whether international transfer students qualify is not stated.

10. Pre-professional and graduate study

The Dornsife page says public health majors take the prerequisite courses needed to apply to medical school and other clinical graduate programs; this is the website’s general statement, and individual medical schools’ requirements should be checked separately. The BS/MPH is described in section 1.

11. Not found on the pages we read

• Whether the in-person BS will accept new first-year applications for fall 2027 entry, and whether transfer students can enter it;
• The curriculum and credits for fall 2027 entrants under the semester calendar;
• Grade requirements for prerequisites, internal entry conditions, AP/IB credit;
• Minimum English scores for the in-person BS (the online site lists some for its own programs), whether the BS/MPH accepts international students, international seats and any public health–specific work limits;
• How the gaokao and school-leaving exam results are used;
• Fall 2027 international transfer dates, whether a public health program fee exists, and STEM status.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Ask Dornsife admissions whether the in-person BS is open for fall 2027 entry;
• If it is not, watch for the August 2027 update, or consider the online part-time version (July 30 deadline; college credit or a high school diploma);
• Complete three years of math and at least one year of laboratory science in high school.

International applicants (including China):

• The online version does not accept international students living outside the U.S.; confirm the in-person version with admissions;
• Prepare official transcripts and translations (Chinese applicants see section 7) and English scores or exemption evidence;
• Submit the CSS Profile to be considered for institutional need-based aid.

Transfer students:

• Confirm with admissions whether transfer students can enter the in-person BS;
• For fall semester 2027, the priority deadline is April 15.

Sources: Drexel University, Dornsife School of Public Health: BS in Public Health; Dornsife admissions; Catalog: Dornsife School of Public Health; Catalog: Public Health BS; Catalog: Public Health BS/MPH; Catalog: Co-op; Online BS in Public Health; First-year admission prerequisites; First-year instructions; First-year deadlines; Testing policies; International instructions; International transcript requirements; Transfer prerequisites; Transfer deadlines; Undergraduate tuition; International costs; International FAQs; Online programs: international requirements; Undergraduate scholarships. Some dates for fall 2027 entry on the first-year and transfer deadline pages print no year, so check each one. Please rely on the latest information on Drexel’s website.