To fully understand who this DrPH program is looking to admit, please click on the “Executive Doctoral Program in Health Leadership (DRPH)” link up top.
Application Deadline
Applications for admission for the fall semester are due the second Tuesday of December. See our next application deadline here.
Applications for the next academic year become available in August. Please see the link for online applications under Required Application Materials.
DrPH Admission Requirements
Students applying to the Doctoral Program in Health Leadership must meet the following minimum criteria:
- Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in prior graduate study
- At least five years of post-graduate experience in the health field, with significant management or leadership responsibilities at the mid to senior level
- A prior master’s or doctoral degree (not necessarily in public health) which was completed at least five years prior to enrollment.
- Demonstrated leadership abilities
- Full-time employment in the field
- Motivation to improve the public’s health in their respective work organization, their overall field of practice, and across the broader systems they interact with that influence good health
- If not already practicing at a senior-level position, a desire to do so
- Evidence of excellent writing skills
While all students are expected to be academically qualified for doctoral-level study, special emphasis is placed on demonstrated leadership capacity and a practice-oriented career commitment.
Academic Preparation
Students without an MPH or MSPH degree from an accredited school of public health must successfully complete one core course – Foundational Learning Objective (FLO) – which is offered online. This course need not be completed before matriculating, but must be completed concurrently with the three-year DrPH program for students to graduate. Most students will take the course the summer semester just prior to beginning their first fall semester. Students will need to pay separately for this course (based on number of credit hours). Students may be able to seek an exemption from taking the required core course based on similar courses they took in their graduate studies before entering the DrPH program (if within the last five years), or based on professional experience. Students who are interested in exploring potential exemptions should look at the core course exemption/substitution application form (it is located within the Course Exemptions/Substitutions section).
Required Application Materials
- Completion of online Graduate School application. Start your application by creating an account and following the instructions. Applications for the next academic year are available in August. A current email address is a required field on the application since all correspondence is conducted by email. If you have problems with the online form, contact the Graduate School.
- Non-refundable application fee. In some instances the application fee may be waived; please see the Graduate School’s Application Fee Waiver page if you have questions or need more information on eligibility.
- Transcripts (complete, not selected courses). One unofficial transcript from each university attended must be uploaded within the application. If offered admission, one paper official transcript for each university attended will be required. If you have questions or need more information about preparing transcripts, please see the Graduate School’s transcript information here.
- The email address of three recommenders will be required within the application for electronic submission and delivery.
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
- Statement of Purpose (Length Guideline: 1,000-1,500 words)
- Why are you pursuing a DrPH degree? Why are you applying now? Explain what you hope to gain from the DrPH Program in Executive Public Health Leadership and how getting this degree will help you advance the field of public health in ways you otherwise would not be able.
- What are your career goals?
- A doctoral degree, in part, requires one to take charge of their own learning. What do you independently hope to further explore and learn above and beyond the coursework? This might be something for a dissertation topic or an applied integrated learning experience, a cross-cutting theme for you, or something else.
- Describe your biggest disappointment or failure in your work or career so far. How did you respond to this challenge? What did you learn from this?
- How will your lived experiences and attributes contribute to a positive learning environment?
- Program Supplemental Question—Leadership Statement (Length Guideline: 500-1,000 words)
- Describe your leadership experience and accomplishments that support your eligibility for the DrPH program.
- Describe what you consider to be your most significant professional leadership accomplishment. Please describe the role you played, and how this helped to improve the health of a population. (Please note: We are interested in one or more specific examples where you demonstrated leadership, such as when you identified a problem and marshaled the people and resources to address the problem.)
- How, if at all, have you impacted health equity or improved health outcomes through your experiences? Please explain the actions that you took and the outcomes you achieved.
International Applicants
In addition to all of the materials listed above, international applicants must submit the following materials:
- TOEFL or IELTS score (no more than 2 years old). UNC is institution #5816. For more information about these tests, see the Graduate School’s TOEFL and IELTS instruction page.
Application Status
You may monitor the status of your application by logging into your account and following the instructions.
Mailing Addresses
Department of Health Policy and Management
Student Services Office
University of North Carolina
120 Rosenau Hall
CB #7411
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7411
Graduate School
UNC Graduate School
200 Bynum Hall
CB #4010
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
