Application Process

Fall Application Deadlines

Domestic students - February 1
International students - February 1

Priority deadline of December 1 for all applicants to be guaranteed consideration for school-level financial aid.

Education Requirements

Prospective students must have a masters degree in a relevant area to earn admission to the PhD in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences degree.

Application Steps Heading link

Complete the UIC supplemental application and supplemental fee: UIC requires a brief supplemental application and non-refundable supplemental application fee ($70 for Domestic and International applicants).
Complete the SOPHAS application and fee. The documents in steps 3 – 5 will all be uploaded via SOPHAS.
Personal Statement, uploaded via SOPHAS. It is generally recommended to keep the statement to 500-800 words and to focus on your interests/experiences in public health and the program you are applying to specifically, your goals with the degree, and why you would be successful in the program. Applicants are encouraged to include in their statement any relevant lived experiences that have prepared them for the program and that position them to contribute to the school community and the communities that they may serve. For students applying to research focused programs, the personal statement should also address potential research interests.
Resume or CV, uploaded via SOPHAS
Three letters of recommendation, uploaded via SOPHAS
The most effective letters of recommendation are written by professors, work supervisors, or other professional contacts who know you well enough to describe your academic, research, or professional achievements and may best speak to your abilities and academic potential with candor, detail, and objectivity. For those who have completed coursework in the recent past, it is strongly recommended that at least one of these letters be from a professor or other college instructor familiar with your academic work. Faculty or instructors with whom you have had a long and successful working relationship are often able to write strong, detailed letters.Contact your recommenders before inputting their contact information on the application to confirm they are available to write a letter of recommendation. Make sure to give your recommenders plenty of time before your application deadline to submit their letter of recommendation. It can also be helpful to send your recommenders information on why you are applying to your program of choice and what you want to accomplish academically and professionally.
Transcripts:

Domestic Applicants must submit transcripts issued from the University for all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate work directly to SOPHAS. Domestic students who have completed course work at foreign institutions should follow the instructions provided below for international applicants for submitting those academic credentials.
All international transcripts must be uploaded directly into the UIC system after completing the Supplemental Application. Students uploading international transcripts must also pay a UIC International Credential Evaluation Fee. Domestic students submitting international coursework from study abroad do not pay the evaluation fee. Students admitted to the UIC School of Public Health will need to provide sealed official transcripts to the UIC Office of Admissions prior to their second term at the university. International applicants may submit a course by course WES evaluation directly to SOPHAS, but it is not required and will not replace the upload or fee requirement.

7. GRE Test Optional

Standardized test scores are optional. Test scores are not required but will be considered if an application chooses to submit them.

For PhD programs, an application without test scores may be deemed less competitive if coursework and/or experience does not adequately show evidence of quantitative skill set.

If submitting GRE scores, test code options are:

GRE Scores sent to code 7931 will be forwarded and shown as official on the SOPHAS application.
Scores sent to code 1851-0616 will be received by UIC only.

Either code is accepted, 7931 is preferred.