Frequently Asked Questions

All applicants wishing to apply to any graduate program at the School of Public Health must complete the 2-step application process.

Part 1 is submission of the SOPHAS centralized application, which will serve as your primary application.

Part 2 is the Indiana University Graduate School application, which will allow us to create a student record within the IU system for class enrollment and access other student services. The School of Public Health covers the cost of this final application step on behalf of all prospect applicants.

SOPHAS charges $145 for the first program you apply to and $55 for each additional program. All fees must be paid directly to SOPHAS.

SOPHAS offers a limited number of fee waivers for qualified applicants at the beginning of each cycle. Fee waivers should be requested as soon as the application is created and before its submission. You can find their instructions for fees and fee waiver requests here. You can also contact them directly by phone number or email by clicking here.

No. All application materials must be sent from the student's institution/recommender directly to SOPHAS. As part of the admission process, students’ application materials, including coursework and GPA, must be verified by SOPHAS before being reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

GRE scores are optional for admission to all IU School of Public Health-Bloomington graduate degree programs.

Applicants submitting GRE scores, must submit them electronically to SOPHAS directly from Educational Testing Services (ETS). Our institution code is 6979

The fee structure is per credit hour. The Office of Student Financial Assistance has information about current costs of attendance for graduate students. IU's Student Central maintains current rates for credits hours, mandatory fees, miscellaneous fees, and more.

They also offer a tool to help you estimate costs based on your term, residency, and program. Also, the Office of International Services publishes costs for international students, including mandatory health insurance.

After you submit your SOPHAS application, SOPHAS will take 2-3 weeks to verify your credentials and forward your application to our Admissions staff for the last stage, which is the review process.

The formal review process takes approximately 5-6 weeks for M.S and M.P.H applicants and 8-12 weeks for PhD applicants.

While most appointments are allocated to Ph.D. students, if a department has sufficient resources, matriculated MS/MPH students can apply for funding. SAAs are awarded by individual departments, so stipends and tuition reimbursement packages vary across the school. Review and allocation for SAA positions is very competitive.

Also, all matriculated students are eligible to apply for scholarships/fellowships, and you can find more information here. Announcements are sent to all currently enrolled students each spring semester with instructions for applying for fellowships to be awarded for the following academic year.

Currently, the School of Public Health-Bloomington offers the following STEM designated degrees:

• MS Biostatistics
• MS Environmental Health
• MS Biostatistics
• PhD Environmental Health
• PhD Epidemiology
• MS Nutrition
• PhD Nutrition

Applicants should log in to both their SOPHAS and WES accounts (if applicable) often to track their application status.

IU graduate students may find housing arrangements on- campus and off-campus. Access some resources to help you with your housing search here:
https://graduate.indiana.edu/support/housing.html

Also, the IU Real State Property Management has some rental properties available for graduate students. For more information, visit their website: https://realestate.indiana.edu/

PhD applicants with non-U.S. transcripts are also required to submit an official World Education Services (WES) ICAP course-by-course evaluation. MPH, MS, and Certificate applicants are not required to submit a WES evaluation. Additionally, applicants who wish to be considered for transfer credit for any graduate program must submit a WES ICAP course-by-course evaluation. WES reports should be sent directly from WES to SOPHAS.

Note: As an applicant, you are responsible to initiate and monitor this request or it will delay the application review process.

The IU Office of International Services (OIS) requires official transcripts for visa approval. WES and SOPHAS only verify each student's GPA and degree.

The IU Office of International Services requires official transcripts and proof of degree for each applicant.

The English Proficiency requirement is waived in one of the following cases:

• At the time of entry into your SPH-B degree program, you will hold a degree from a U.S. university or a university from a recognized English-speaking country on IU’s list.
• You are an applicant whose citizenship is from a recognized English-speaking country on IU’s list.

Note: Although applicants may be exempt from the language requirement for admission, a language exam score may be required to comply with potential funding opportunities.

International applicants can submit results from one of the following English language proficiency examinations:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language, with a minimum score of 79 (internet-based test).
• International English Language Testing System, with a minimum score of 6.5.
• Duolingo English Test, with a minimum score of 105.

Please note that your application will not move forward if you submit scores below these minimum standards

International students have a strict 20 hour/week limit for on-campus work. Please visit here for more information about student employment and searching for a job as International Student.

More information about accepted financial documents is found here. For any additional questions, please contact the Office of International Services (OIS) directly at 812-855-9086 or newtoiu@iu.edu

The fee structure is per credit hour. The Office of Student Financial Assistance has information about current costs of attendance for graduate students. IU's Student Central maintains current rates for credits hours, mandatory fees, miscellaneous fees, and more.

They also offer a tool to help you estimate costs based on your term, residency, and program. Also, the Office of International Services publishes costs for international students, including mandatory health insurance.

Before being able to create your IU account, you’ll need to finalize your admission with the Office of International Services. They may require additional documents. Please contact them for assistance at 812-855-9086 or newtoiu@iu.edu