How to Apply

There are two ways to join the major: Direct admission or standard admission.

Direct Admission

Direct admission is designed for students directly out of high school applying to the University of Iowa as first-year students who will start in the fall semester.

Eligibility

Applicants who meet course requirements and either the RAI or GPA requirement will be carefully considered.

Apply

Learn how to apply to the University of Iowa College of Public Health: First-Year Student Application Process page

Scholarships

Students granted direct admission to the college are eligible to apply for the College of Public Health first-year scholarships. The scholarship application process is competitive and is based on high school records and short essay responses. More information about first-year scholarships available from the College of Public Health can be found at the Iowa Scholarship Portal.

Petition

If you are not admitted to the College of Public Health through Direct Admission but wish to pursue admission, you may file a petition for admission to the College of Public Health.

Public Health Interest

First-year students not admitted directly to the College of Public Health may be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as a public health interest student and can gain admission to the major through the standard admissions process during their first year.

Standard Admission

Standard admission is designed for current UI students as well as transfer students. ALL students at the University of Iowa are eligible to apply to the public health major if they have satisfied the prerequisites below; you do not need to be a public health interest student to apply for standard admission. However, you MUST apply for the major in order to be admitted, you may not just simply declare the major without applying through standard admission.

Eligibility

  • completion of at least 12 s.h. at the University of Iowa;
  • a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 2.75 in all courses taken at the University of Iowa and in all college-level course work attempted.

You must meet the above requirements by the end of the semester in which you intend to apply.

Apply

Students interested in admission to the College of Public Health must complete the online application for current UI students changing colleges by May 1 (for fall semester starts) or December 1 (for spring semester starts).

Petition

Students who are denied standard admission may file an appeal for admission to the College of Public Health.

Transfer students

Transfer students who meet the grade-point requirement may apply directly through standard admission. Please contact Lexie Just (lexie-just@uiowa.edu) for more information.