Completion of PH 101 and PH 102. Grade of C or better is required (not C-).
Overall GPA minimum of 2.0
After completing PH 101 and PH 102 with a C or better, the BSPH takes 4 semesters to complete. Please contact a PH advisor if you have transfer credits that could be used for program completion.
All BSPH core courses have a pre-requisite requirement of PH 101 and PH 102
PH 201 has a pre-requisite of one of the following biology courses:
The BSPH degree plan can be found on our website: https://hsc.unm.edu/population-health/programs/advising/bsph-advising.html
The BSPH will provide a solid foundation on the principles of population/public health which will help you be ready for many advanced degree programs. In fact, many of our BSPH graduates have entered highly competitive programs around the country. To name a few, we have BSPH graduates in:
Medical School (UNM, UofUtah, Washington State)
DDS programs (Creighton)
MPH programs (UNM COPH, Kobenhavn Universitet in Copenhagen, UCLA-Fielding SPH, Washington State, UofColorado, George Washington University, John Hopkins Bloomber SPH)
DO programs (Burrell College)
MHA programs (UNM-SPA, UofMinnesota)
MSW programs (UCLA, Arizona State)
PA programs (UNM)
MBA programs (UNM)
MPP (UNM, UofMinnesota, UofArizona)
MPA (UNM)
Instead of completing a minor or second major, students who are pursuing one of the degrees listed below are able to complete an area of focus (AOF). An AOF allows students to complete prerequisite requirements for their desired medical program while pursuing the BSPH.
Medical school
Occupational therapy
Physician’s assistant
Physical therapy
Graduates will develop skills to promote the health of populations in a variety of domains that comprise the continuum from wellness to health care, from health systems to community systems, from health policy to community policies, and from economic theory to economic practices. They will find jobs in varied fields, including:
Business
Informatics
Engineering
Architecture and Planning
Law
Medicine
Community Advocacy
Political Organizations
Policy Analysis and Evaluation
Community Advocacy
Disaster Preparedness
COPH does offer the COPH Success Scholarship for undergraduate students in the BSPH program. All eligible students receive a small scholarship directly into their Bursar’s account. The amount varies semester by semester and is determined by available funds. In addition, all BSPH students can apply for the Competitive COPH Success Scholarship. Notifications are sent out to all students when the application cycle opens with all instructions and requirements. The competitive scholarship amount is set semester by semester, but ranges between $1000 and $2000.
BSPH students must meet graduation requirements including 42 upper division credits and 120 overall earned credits. To fulfill these credits, we highly encourage students to select a minor or second major.
Community Health Education
Psychology
Chemistry
Spanish
* While these are common, students are not restricted to these minors.
The Capstone is a field experience course that is taken during your last semester in the program. You will meet once a week with the Director of the Capstone but will spend the rest of your time at a worksite. This will give you the opportunity to put into practice the concepts and principles you have been learning during your time in the program. In addition, it is a great opportunity to network and connect with experts in the field of public/population health. In fact, many of our recent graduates secure their first job after graduation through their Capstone experience.
Local hospitals such as:
UNMH
Presbyterian Hospital
Lovelace Hospital
Public Health Department (Local)
Government Health Agency (State)
Government Health Agency (Federal)
Community Clinic
Community Based Organization
Consulting Firm
Social Services Agency
Foundation/Research Institutions
Yes! PH is an approved degree for A&S Minor requirements.
The Population Health minor is only 18 credit hours and can be completed in as little as two semesters!
The MCH minor requires 12 credits. The four courses are offered completely online and can be taken out of order.
To join our program, please make an appointment with one of our academic advisors to discuss the program and your degree plan. We will also update your record to BSPH during this meeting.
While public health tends to focus on the public at large and population health pays greater attention to more narrowly defined communities. Both fields are concerned with educating the public, disease control and prevention, and identifying the social determinants of health to expand primary care access to those in need.
While our minors are open to all students at UNM, we highly encourage you to speak with your academic advisor as they will be most familiar with your program and what minors qualify for it. You can also meet with one of our advisors to discuss how our minors could supplement your degree.
Please email cophadvising@unm.edu for course overrides. Please note, PH courses are restricted to BSPH and minor students only (except 101 and 102).
The GRE is not required for application to the MPH program.
The MPH takes at least 4 semesters to complete for a full-time student.
Talk to your current faculty advisor/mentor and discuss your plan to change. Determine if you will keep or change faculty advisor/mentor in addition to changing concentrations. Your current faculty advisor/mento will suggest who your new faculty advisor/mentor could be. After you have determined your new concentration and connected with your new faculty advisor/mentor, please email Nancy (email) and request the Change of Concentration and/or Faculty Advisor/Mentor form. Once completed, email back to Nancy. Meet with Nancy to update your degree plan to include the new concentration requirements.
Admission to the MPH does not come with a financial aid package. However, applicants can search and apply for different funding opportunities available at the university.
International students may qualify for the International Amigo Scholarship. Please visit website for requirements: Graduate Scholarships & Cost of Attendance :: International Admissions | The University of New Mexico (unm.edu)
The MPH program at UNM is currently not available as an online-only program; very few of our MPH courses are offered online at this time.
Yes, please visit SOPHAS website for details. Visit SOPHAS
Interested MPH students must submit an initial application on SOPHAS. If offered admission, applicants will be invited to apply to UNM Graduate Office. Applications will not be accepted if they are submitted to the Graduate Office prior to receiving a college offer.
Students may transfer up to 17 credit hours with a B or higher from other institutions, non-degree, or other graduate programs within UNM. The transfer credits must be approved by the Director. Transfer credits cannot have been used to complete another degree (no double dipping).
COPH offers two graduate minors in addition to its graduate degree programs. Students can choose from a Minor in Public Health or a Minor in Maternal and Child Health.
Yes, International applicants need to submit their scores from either the TOEFL or IELTS.
You may be exempt from this requirement if:
Hold an MD or PhD from a U.S. university
Are a medical school graduate from another country who is licensed to practice in the U.S.
If you are a student from a country outside the US, please contact the UNM Office of International Admissions or call 1-505-277-5829 to determine your eligibility status. Eligible students may apply for the MPH program through the International Admissions Office.
The SOPHAS application opens in Late-August every year.
The SOPHAS application closes on December 15 every year.
All transcripts from any institution of higher education students have attended are required during the application process. International applicants must have their records evaluated by an international evaluator.
The SOPHAS application closes on December 15 every year.
MPH courses are restricted to MPH students therefore, students must submit an Override Request Form every semester. Students are highly encouraged to meet with the Faculty Advisor prior to submitting a request form to review and receive course approval.
Students graduating in the Summer need to submit their POS by March 1.
Students graduating in the Fall need to submit their POS by July 1.
Students graduating in the Spring need to submit their POS by October 1.
Please visit UNM Graduate Office for other deadlines: https://grad.unm.edu/degree-completion/deadline.html
Students have the choice of selecting one of three concentrations: Community Health, Epidemiology, or Health Systems, Services and Policy. Visit our website for a detailed explanation of each concentration:
https://hsc.unm.edu/population-health/programs/graduate-programs/masters/concentrations/
Reach out to our dedicated Financial Aid Officer for the College of Population Health: https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/education/md/student-affairs/financial-aid/
Yes. Many families mistakenly think they will not qualify for financial aid, but actually do. Also, some scholarship programs require the FAFSA as part of their application process.
No, you do not need to be admitted first.
Yes. Eligibility for federal student aid (FAFSA) must be applied for every year.
Start by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Yes. If the scholarship is not reported to the Financial Aid Officer, it may not be applied to the courses taken, and you will need to pay for those courses.
Federal loans will enter a (six-month) grace period if you withdraw from a program or drop below half-time status.
COPH students have completed their fieldwork at a variety of sites, from working with governmental agencies to local and even national non-profits or organizations that work on relevant public health topics. You can see a current list of COPH fieldwork partners at the following site: https://hsc.unm.edu/population-health/programs/academic-success/capstone-and-practicum-fieldwork.html.
These are all terms used for similar situations. “Fieldwork” and “internship” are terms that refer to the general applied practice experience that complements, and takes place outside of, traditional academic coursework. Please see the specific terms we use for applied practice in our programs:
You can find more information about the fieldwork requirement at the following link: https://hsc.unm.edu/population-health/students-current/capstone-and-practicum-fieldwork.html
Still have questions? We are happy to help! Our experienced advisors are ready to answer your questions.