Program Description

Application Requirements

Program-Specific Instructions

Applications for this program must be submitted through SOPHAS.

Special Note: The application deadline is December 1. Late applications will not be accepted. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to faculty member(s) they are interested in working with during the application process. It is expected that students will enroll in full-time coursework.

Program Description: The PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences at George Mason University prepares students to analyze the social and behavioral determinants of population health and well-being. Using social/behavioral theoretical frameworks, students learn how to design and evaluate multi-level public health interventions aimed at preventing disease, promoting health and well-being, and eliminating health disparities.

Admission Requirements:

• At least a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution
• Minimum 3.0 GPA

Application Requirements:

• Three letters of recommendation
• Official U.S./Canadian transcripts from ALL schools attended (if applicable)
• Resume/CV
• Statement of Purpose
• Supplemental application
  • As part of the admissions process, George Mason University requires a supplemental application for graduate programs in the Department of Global and Community Health. Applicants will receive a link via email to the supplemental application AFTER their completed SOPHAS application is VERIFIED. There is no additional fee for the supplemental application.
• Select applicants will be invited for a virtual interview

In addition to the general application, international students must submit:

• World Education Services (WES) ICAP course-by-course evaluation of academic records from institutions outside of the U.S. and English-speaking Canada. SOPHAS will only accept WES evaluations.
• English proficiency test scores for applicants who attended post-secondary institutions outside of the U.S, Canada (excluding the province of Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.
• TOEFL and IELTS: send scores to SOPHAS using code 5688
• Pearson and Duolingo: send scores to George Mason University Graduate Admissions

Expanded Goals Statement:

In the Statement of Purpose document (approximately 2-3 pages, statement should be original), clearly and directly address the following:

• What is your focused area(s) of interest in public health research?   
• What are your previous academic, professional, extracurricular, research, and/or lived experiences that demonstrate your interest in public health research, including your focused area(s) of interest within the field of public health?  
• What motivates you to enroll in the PhD in Public Health program, including your concentration, at George Mason University?  
• Which Global and Community Health faculty would you like to work with? Be sure to look at which faculty are currently seeking PhD students and specify two faculty whose research you are interested in. Include how your focused research interests are aligned with the faculty member(s) that you would like to work with?
• What are your career plans following completion of the PhD in Public Health?
• OPTIONAL Additional Information Statement (1 page maximum, uploaded with the Statement of Purpose, Additional Information Statement should be original):
  • Applicants who need to provide additional context regarding their academic performance due to extenuating circumstances or other significant factors may include an Additional Information Statement.
  • If you choose to include an Additional Information Statement, please add it as an extra page at the end of your Statement of Purpose. The Additional Information Statement should be no longer than one page and should be titled "Additional Information."

English Proficiency Requirements

All Mason students must have a full command of academic English to be successful in their studies. For this reason, Mason requires applicants to demonstrate English proficiency for admission consideration, regardless of citizenship. Click here to view the requirements.

International Transcript Requirements

All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. You should submit your application 6 weeks prior to the deadline if you plan to utilize Mason’s free evaluation service. For expedited service, students may submit their documents to any NACES member organization at their own expense. If you decide to use an external evaluation service or if your program requires an outside evaluation, GPA and Degree equivalences must be included with your course-by-course evaluation. Mason evaluations are used for internal purposes and are not released to applicants. For information on international transcript requirements, go here.