2025-2026 Academic Catalog

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Admission Process
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Emerging and Infectious Diseases PhD

  • USU application
  • Official transcripts- A baccalaureate degree must be obtained from an accredited college or university. Included within this definition are those institutions that are in the process of seeking accreditation and currently have provisional or conditional accreditation, or candidacy status for accreditation. The program may request that transcripts from institutions outside the US be evaluated by a credential evaluation service.
  • A strong undergraduate training in science is required, and undergraduate studies must have focused on an appropriate scientific discipline, e.g., biology, biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, or physiology. Required courses include college level introductory and organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, and mathematics. An introduction to molecular biology, molecular techniques, and genetics is highly recommended.
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Current resume/curriculum vitae (include relevant research and teaching experience)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • GRE scores are recommended, but optional

Environmental Health Science PhD

  • A complete USU application is required, including official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, resume/CV, and personal statement.

  • Applicants should possess, at a minimum, a Master’s degree from an accredited academic institution in a biological, chemistry, or health science discipline or in an environmental or related engineering discipline; an outstanding academic record experience in the health sciences; and demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in public health.

  • This program is designed for active duty uniformed personnel.  Qualified officers serving in fields related to environmental health and authorized for full-time duty-under-instruction education by their sponsoring service will be preferentially reviewed for admission to the PhD program in Environmental Health Science.

  • Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and should indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application. Enlisted service members are encouraged to apply.  However, this is not a commissioning program.

  • Civilian applicants (including Guard/Reserve) may be considered for admission in special circumstances subject to an approval process with preference given to DoD employees and health professionals sponsored by U.S. government agencies.

Global Health and Global Health Engagement Certificate

  • A complete USU application is required, including a current CV/resume and brief statement of interest.

  • Applicants should possess, at minimum, a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited academic institution before matriculation at USU.

  • Candidates are evaluated for admission based on a variety of criteria. In addition to academic fitness for graduate work, applicants are assessed for how likely they are to use this education to further the tactical, operational, or strategic objectives of the DOD, or the broader U.S. government, with respect to global health engagement.

  • The program primarily enrolls students who are in the U.S. military, to include Active, Reserve, and National Guard. 

Health Administration and Policy MHAP

  • A complete USU application is required, including official undergraduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation, resume/CV, and personal statement.

  • Applicants should possess, at a minimum, a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited academic institution before matriculation at USU.

  • Priority for admission goes to Medical Service Corps, Medical, Dental, Nurse, applied science, and veterinary officers on active duty in the Uniformed Services (including Officer Candidates in the Navy's Health Services Collegiate Program).

  • Enlisted members of the Uniformed Services who are applying for a Commission in a Uniformed Service are encouraged to apply to the MHAP program. However, enrollment to USU is conditional on the enlisted applicant's acceptance by a Service as a Commissioned Officer.

  • Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application.

  • Civilian applicants from federal agencies and specific Partner/Host Nations may also be considered for admission.

  • Applicants without a background in health care and/or policy may also be considered for admission.

Health Informatics and Information Sciences Certificate

  • Full-time USU Students currently enrolled in academic programs at USU are eligible for this certificate program at this time. A package consisting of a dual enrollment form, letter of interest, and current CV/resume is required for each student. This package will be submitted to the program administrator, who will then upload the package to service now for consideration.
  • Applicants should possess, at a minimum, a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited academic institution before matriculation at USU.
  • Candidates are evaluated for admission based on a variety of criteria. In addition to academic fitness for graduate work, previous roles within informatics and health information technology, applicants are assessed for how likely they are to use this education to further the tactical, operational, or strategic objectives of the DOD, or the broader U.S. government, with respect to health informatics and information sciences. Applicants should ideally possess a strong mathematical, data, or coding background.
  • The program primarily enrolls students who are in the U.S. military, to include Active, Reserve, and National Guard. Government civilians and others who are current enrollees for degree-seeking programs are also considered. 

Health Professions Education MHPE, MEd, and PhD

  • USU Application (must indicate if applying for full or part-time study).
  • Current CV.
  • Official academic transcripts from all post-secondary (undergraduate college and beyond) educational institutions where you earned a certificate or degree. Applicants with an advanced degree (e.g., MD, DO, PhD, etc.) and a USU faculty appointment may submit their faculty appointment letter and a picture of their diploma in lieu of transcript requirement. In addition, applicants who hold a license to practice medicine and are board certified in the USA can provide proof of the license and/or board certification, in place of transcripts.
  • Three letters of recommendation (a total of 3 referees) from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic, professional, and/or military service background.

Statements and Proposal Forms: The Office of the University Registrar (OUR) will email you instructions and/or templates for the following statements and proposal forms.

  • A personal statement describing how the applicant became interested in health professions education and how they envision incorporating the education they would receive in their future careers.
  • For MHPE applicants: In addition to a personal statement, please also include either (a) an MHPE Research Proposal form (preferred), or (b) a research statement describing current research interests. For MEd applicants, please submit a statement describing what educational innovation you would like to pursue. 
  • PhD applicants should also submit a Dissertation Proposal Form (required).
  • Part-time applicants: A letter of support from the applicant’s direct supervisor is required. The letter must explicitly state that its author is the applicant’s direct supervisor. The supervisor’s letter must also include the supervisor’s current email address and phone number. If the learner’s supervisor changes while enrolled in the program, the new supervisor’s contact information must be provided and a statement of support from the new supervisor must be obtained within three months of the change. It is the learner’s responsibility to update the HPE program regarding changes in their job supervision.
  • USU medical students can pursue a dual MD-Masters of Education in Health Professions Education (MEd in HPE). Iinterested medical students must apply during year one of medical school as this is a four-year dual degree. Please contact hpe@usuhs.edu for more information about this degree.

Health Professions Education Certificates

  • USU Application (must indicate if applying for full or part-time study).
  • Current CV.
  • Official academic transcripts from all post-secondary (undergraduate college and beyond) educational institutions where you earned a certificate or degree. Applicants with an advanced degree (e.g., MD, DO, PhD, etc.) and a USU faculty appointment may submit their faculty appointment letter and a picture of their diploma in lieu of transcript requirement. In addition, applicants who hold a license to practice medicine and are board certified in the USA can provide proof of the license and/or board certification, in place of transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation (a total of 3 referees) from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic, professional, and/or military service background.
  • A personal statement describing how the applicant became interested in health professions education and how they envision incorporating the education they would receive in their future careers. The Office of the University Registrar (OUR) will email you instructions for this statement.
  • A letter of support from the applicant’s direct supervisor is required. The letter must explicitly state that its author is the applicant’s direct supervisor. The supervisor’s letter must also include the supervisor’s current email address and phone number. If the learner’s supervisor changes while enrolled in the program, the new supervisor’s contact information must be provided and a statement of support from the new supervisor must be obtained within three months of the change. It is the learner’s responsibility to update the HPE program regarding changes in their job supervision.

Medical / Clinical Psychology PhD

  • USU Application
  • Official transcripts- A baccalaureate degree must be obtained from an accredited college or university. Included within this definition are those institutions that are in the process of seeking accreditation and currently have provisional or conditional accreditation, or candidacy status for accreditation. The program may request that transcripts from institutions outside the US be evaluated by a credential evaluation service.
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Current resume (include relevant research and teaching experience)
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Biosketch (see example on departmental website)
  • Applicants participating in the military track must also complete the questionnaire available on the departmental website.

Medical Track (both military and civilian may apply)

http://medschool.usuhs.edu/academics/geo/phd-in-medical-psychology

Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD

  • A strong undergraduate training (minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in a branch of science that is relevant to Molecular and Cell Biology (e.g., Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry etc.) is required.  Required courses include college level introductory biological and chemical sciences, physics and mathematics.  An introduction to molecular biology, molecular techniques, biochemistry and genetics is highly recommended.  

  • Submission of scores from general GRE and relevant specific subject tests like Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology etc. are not required but will be considered favorably.

  • Prior research experience in a laboratory setting is highly favorable but not required. 

  • A baccalaureate degree must be obtained from an accredited college or university. Included within this definition are those institutions that are in the process of seeking accreditation and currently have provisional or conditional accreditation, or candidacy status for accreditation. The program may request that transcripts from institutions outside the US be evaluated by a credential evaluation service.

  • Application should include a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, resume and official transcripts.

 

Candidate Selection Procedure


Interested candidates apply online through the USU website. After the application deadline, all the submitted applications are reviewed by the MCB admissions committee and based on the criteria described above, a subset of candidates is invited for interviews during the spring interview event. Each candidate is interviewed by four faculty members, each of whom submits a report of the candidate’s interview performance to the admissions committee. After reviewing the interview performance reports, the admissions committee identifies the candidates to be offered admission.

Neuroscience PhD

  • USU Application
  • Official transcripts- A baccalaureate degree must be obtained from an accredited college or university. Included within this definition are those institutions that are in the process of seeking accreditation and currently have provisional or conditional accreditation, or candidacy status for accreditation. The program may request that transcripts from institutions outside the US be evaluated by a credential evaluation service.
  • We recognize that Neuroscience students come from a wide variety of backgrounds, however, a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required and strong undergraduate training in science with completion of courses in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, physiology and/or psychology is desirable.
  • Statement of Purpose, including details of research experience.
  • Current resume (include relevant research and teaching experience).
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation.

Occupational and Environmental Health Science MSPH

  • A complete USU application is required, including official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, resume/CV and personal statement.

  • Applicants should possess, at a minimum, a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited academic institution in biology, chemistry, or health science discipline, or in an environmental or related engineering discipline; an outstanding academic record; experience in the health sciences; and demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in occupational and environmental health services.

  • This program is designed for active duty uniformed personnel.  Qualified personnel serving in fields related to industrial hygiene, environmental health, preventive  medicine or public health and authorized for full-time duty-under-instruction education by their sponsoring service will be preferentially reviewed for admission to the Occupational and environmental Health Sciences  MSPH Program.

  • Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and should indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application.  Enlisted service members are encouraged to apply, however this is not a commissioning program.

  • Civilian applicants (including Guard/Reserve) may be considered for admission in special circumstances subject to an approval process, with preference given to DoD employees and health professionals sponsored by U.S. government agencies.

Public Health MPH

  • A complete USU application is required, including official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, resume/CV and personal statement.

  • The minimum educational requirement for the MPH program is a baccalaureate degree awarded from an accredited academic institution. Applicants should have completed substantial coursework in the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics (including statistics)).
  • Applicants in the following categories are given priority for admission: active-duty (uniformed) officers possessing doctoral degrees in medical, dental, veterinary, or other allied health fields. Of these officers, priority is given to those who have been accepted to or are currently enrolled in a graduate/fellowship training program (e.g., Occupational and Environmental Medicine, General Preventive Medicine, Laboratory Animal Medicine, Infectious Diseases). Applicants without a doctoral degree in a health-related field who have a minimum of three years of healthcare or related experience may also be considered for admission. Members of the National Guard or Reserve must have active-duty orders (USU does not generate orders nor request orders on behalf of applicants).

  • Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and should indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application. Applicants must indicate the source of their sponsorship in their application (i.e., OEM or GPMR, LAM, USAF International Health Specialist).

  • Civilian applicants may be considered for admission in special circumstances subject to an approval process, with preference given to DoD employees and health professionals sponsored by U.S. government agencies.

Public Health PhD

  • A complete USU application is required, including official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, resume/CV and personal statement.

  • Applicants are expected to have at least a Master’s degree in a related field with an outstanding academic record, some public health experience, and demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in public health.

  • Priority for admission goes to active duty uniformed officers with a background in a health-related field.

  • Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and should indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application. 
  • ROTC cadets applying to USU grad programs through the educational delay program must be admitted as civilians.

  • A limited number of civilian applicants may be offered up to three years of financial support through part-time employment.

Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine MPH&TM

  • A complete USU application is required, including official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, resume/CV and personal statement.

  • The MPH&TM program is restricted to active duty uniformed physicians with a medical degree from an accredited institution and at least one year of post-doctoral clinical training.

  • Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and should indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application.

  • The sponsoring Service or agency will be responsible for funding the travel and per diem for overseas travel completed as part of the MPH&TM practicum and for verifying the applicant's professional credentials and unrestricted privilege to practice medicine.

Tropical Medicine and Traveler's Health Certificate

  • A complete USU application is required, including a current CV/resume, professional school transcript, professional license, and brief statement of interest. The system is open for applications every November of the calendar year.
  • This intense and comprehensive training program in the field of tropical medicine and travelers’ health is designed for physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and physician assistants who intend to take the ASTMH Certificate of Knowledge Exam as well as military physicians seeking to improve their practice of tropical and travel medicine for operational readiness in tropical and austere environments.
  • Priority for admission to the TTMTH program goes to uniformed Active Duty personnel and U.S. government civilian employees. Civilian applicants are welcomed and approved on a space available basis. Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and should indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application.
  • Foreign military students may also be accepted into the program through an application covered under the Military Articles & Services List (MASL). The course is listed as MASL# P175038 Training in Tropical Medicine and Traveler's Health Course. Students applying through the MASL must request training and validate enrollment through the annual Security Cooperation Education and Training Working Groups (SCETWG) and the NETSAFA Country Program Manager.
  • There is no fee for Active Duty U.S. Military or U.S. Public Health Service officers. For participants sponsored by other U.S. government agencies the cost is $1500. The fee for all other non-government participants is $5000. Fees are due no later than 4 weeks prior to the course start date and requests for refunds must be made at least 1 week prior to course start. Foreign military student fees are covered under the MASL.

Vector Biology and Parasitology MSPH

  • A complete USU application is required, including official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, resume/CV and personal statement.

  • Applicants should possess, at minimum, a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited academic institution in the US before matriculation at USU in one of the biological or health science disciplines, an outstanding academic record that includes appropriate coursework in the basic biological sciences, some health-related experience and demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in public health.

  • Priority for admission into the MSPH program goes to uniformed active duty personnel in one of the preventive medicine/public health disciplines.

  • Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and should indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application.

  • Civilian applicants (including Guard/Reserve) may be considered for admission in special circumstances subject to an approval process, with preference given to DoD employees and health professionals sponsored by U.S. government agencies.

Vector Biology and Parasitology MS

  • A complete USU application is required, including official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, resume/CV and personal statement.

  • Applicants should possess, at minimum, a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited academic institution in the US before matriculation at USU in one of the biological or health science disciplines, an outstanding academic record that includes appropriate coursework in the basic biological sciences, some health-related experience and demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in public health.

  • Priority for admission into the MS program goes to uniformed active duty personnel in one of the preventive medicine/public health disciplines.

  • Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and should indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application.

  • Civilian applicants (including Guard/Reserve) may be considered for admission in special circumstances subject to an approval process, with preference given to DoD employees and health professionals sponsored by U.S. government agencies.

Vector Biology and Parasitology PhD

  • A complete USU application is required, including official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, resume/CV and personal statement.

  • Applicants should possess, at a minimum, a Master's degree in an appropriate field of biology that includes sufficient foundational coursework in the track they will be studying. Only under the most exceptional circumstances will individuals with only a Baccalaureate degree be considered for admission to the program. Applicants must have an outstanding academic record and documented successful completion of rigorous coursework related to their desired area of graduate study. 

  • Active duty applicants must provide evidence of Service support and should indicate the status of obtaining this sponsorship in the application.

  • Civilian applicants are considered on a space available basis with preference given to health professionals sponsored by U.S. government agencies.