The Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) degree includes majors in the following areas: biostatistics, community and global public health, environmental health sciences, health policy and management and nutrition.
Undergraduates at UNC-Chapel Hill will typically apply to the majors of their choice during the middle of their sophomore year and, if admitted, begin coursework in the major in fall of their junior year. Students may apply to more than one major.
The internal transfer (current UNC student) application deadline for fall 2025 entry is 11:59pm EST on January 7, 2025. Students must successfully complete certain prerequisites prior to starting each major. Students are encouraged to complete as many prerequisites as possible before applying, but applications will be accepted from students with prerequisites in progress in spring of their sophomore year. The prerequisites for each major can be found in the sections below.
We encourage students to meet with their advisor and attend the Gillings Undergraduate Open House and/or a major-specific information session before applying.
Interested in learning more? Watch this helpful BSPH information session about the program and majors led by Director of Admissions, Jonathan Earnest.
For questions about the BSPH admissions process, please complete our inquiry form to receive more information.
Application Deadlines and How to Apply
Prospective students who apply from high school, UNC or from other institutions follow different deadlines and application instructions.
Application Deadline: TBD for Fall 2025 entry
The first step is to "Apply for Major/Minor Change" in ConnectCarolina, which is available from the "other academic..." dropdown menu, located under the Academics section of the Student Center tab (SelfService > Student Center). Note that the application typically does not open until September 1 for the following fall entry. Once you select the "Apply for Major/Minor Change" option from the dropdown menu, click on the double arrow to go to the Apply for Major/Minor Change page. You will then select the BSPH major that you wish to apply for from the "Major/Minor" dropdown menu. You can click the "Dept. URL" button to display a link to department website. Once you have made your selection from the "Major/Minor" dropdown menu, you will need to select fall semester and year from the "Term" dropdown menu. When you are ready to submit your request, you will need to click the "I Agree" checkbox in order for the "Submit Request" button to become available.
You will receive an email the next business day with a link to start the BSPH application. As a result, you cannot submit a major change form on the due date of the application. Please pay close attention to application deadlines to ensure that you can complete and submit the application on time.
Undergraduates at UNC-Chapel Hill typically apply to the major of their choice during the middle of their sophomore year, and if admitted, begin coursework in the major in their junior fall. The application deadline is the second Tuesday in January. Students must successfully complete certain prerequisites prior to starting each major. Students are encouraged to complete as many prerequisites as possible before applying, but applications will be accepted from students with prerequisites in progress in their sophomore spring. The prerequisites for each major can be found in the sections below.
You may apply to more than one major; however, you will need to complete and submit separate applications to each major. To receive a link to an application for a second public health major, you will need to start the process again with "Apply for Major/Minor Change."
Application Deadline: October 15/UNC First-Year Early Action
- Review our Assured Enrollment to our undergraduate majors.
- Complete your application for admission on the Common Application or Coalition Application website.
- Complete the brief survey in the UNC supplement and indicate your interest for Assured Enrollment to on e or more of our undergraduate majors under Excel@Carolina opportunities. Please note that interest in these programs have no bearing on your admission decision, and the completion of this survey is not required for admission.
Application Deadline: March 15, 2025/UNC Transfer
To apply for admission, follow these steps:
- Go to the Common Application to create an account and start your application.
- Submit the Common Application, the Common Application supplement, and application fee by the deadline above.
- Upload the statement of purpose requested in your Common Application supplement.
- Submit official transcripts from all high schools, colleges, and universities attended to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Jackson Hall, Campus Box 2200
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-2200
- Arrange to have two letters of recommendation – professional or academic – written on your behalf sent to uncsubmit@admissions.unc.edu.
- After you submit your application, you will receive instructions for creating your MyCarolina account, which will allow you to view the status of your application, including your admission decision. Be sure to check your MyCarolina account frequently for important application updates.
Biostatistics
The Biostatistics BSPH prepares students for entry-level professional statistical and programming careers, and provides a firm academic base for subsequent studies in biostatistics, medicine and other fields.
Community and Global Public Health
Community and Global Public Health BSPH prepares students to work in partnership with local and global communities to identify, assess, and address health problems to achieve health equity.
Environmental Health Sciences
The Environmental Health Sciences BSPH provides students with a fundamental grounding in the basic and applied sciences for advanced scientific education, professional schools or careers in practice in the field of public health with an emphasis in environmental health sciences.
Health Policy and Management
The Health Policy and Management BSPH develops graduates with a strong public health foundation, in-depth knowledge of the U.S. health system, and essential analytical, management and teamwork skills who pursue careers as health leaders, managers, policymakers, practitioners, clinicians and researchers.
Nutrition
The Nutrition BSPH combines the study of the biochemical, behavioral, food and nutrition sciences.
Deciding between public health and practitioner oriented health? Compare below.
Updates to Curriculum:
FAQ:
Which biology courses/curriculum should I take to fulfill the biology requirement(s) for the Gillings major that I am interested in ?
It depends on when you entered UNC-CH, and what courses you can get into, and how long the Biology Department continues to teach the “old” curriculum. We are all (Biology Department/ Gillings faculty/ …) trying to be flexible during this transition period.
- If you entered UNC-CH in Fall 2022 (or later), then follow the updated requirements above which reference
Biol 103/Biol 104. You should be allowed in the courses, and the updated curriculum will fulfill our requirements. - If you entered UNC-CH in Fall 2021 or earlier, then you should fulfill the requirement with Bios 201/202 assuming you can get into those classes, and they are being taught. We will be flexible with students and flexible with the Biology Department offerings.
Background: As of Fall 2022, the Biology Department introduced an updated curriculum and is phasing out Biol 201 and 202. More info here https://bio.unc.edu/undergraduate/degrees/bs-fall-22-curriculum/ and here https://bio.unc.edu/undergraduate/advising/ The Biology Department is asking students who enter in Fall 2022 or later to take Biol 103/104 (rather than Biol 201/202).