MBS/MPH

Requirements

Students must take the required MPH program and concentration courses, beginning with one 3-credit PH course of their choosing in the spring semester of their first year in their MBS program. These courses count as electives in the MBS program in addition to counting toward the MPH. Students continue taking MPH courses over the next year, starting with the summer session. Two MBS required courses—Introduction to Clinical Medicine and Nutrition—count as three elective credits for the MPH, leaving 36 additional credits required to complete the 42 credit MPH degree.

Detailed information on the MPH curriculum is available online.

How to Apply

There are two application options if you are interested in our dual MS in Biomedical Sciences/Master of Public Health (MBS/MPH) program.

Applying Concurrently to the MBS and MBS/MPH Program

If you are not yet a student in the MBS program, you can apply to the MBS/MPH program at the same time you are submitting your application for the regular MBS program.

Within the regular MBS program application, you will be able to indicate that you are applying to the MPH. If you do so, in addition to regular requirements for the MBS application, you will be asked to provide an additional personal statement regarding your interest in the MPH program.

Your decision to pursue or not pursue the MBS/MPH program has no impact on your admission decision for the MBS program itself. If an applicant is eligible for admission to the MBS program but not to the dual degree program of their choice, the applicant will be offered admission to the MBS program alone.

Apply to the MS in Biomedical Sciences Program

Applying for the MBS/MPH as a Current MBS Student

The application for the MS in Biomedical Sciences/MPH is emailed to all MS Biomedical Sciences students in their fall semester by the Graduate Programs Admissions Office.

If you are already enrolled in the MBS program, you are able to submit a short application to the MBS/MPH program during the spring of your first year. The deadline to apply to the program is March 15.

As a current MBS student, you will be asked to provide a personal statement regarding your interest in the MPH program and one letter of recommendation, typically from your current program adviser.

Upon submission of the short application, the Graduate Programs Admissions Office will obtain the application materials you submitted for your original MBS program application and a copy of your transcript containing your first semester grades in the MBS program. The information you provide in the short application, plus your transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, and personal information on your original MBS application, will be combined and reviewed by the Public Health Admissions Committee for admission to the MBS/MPH program.

If you are offered admission to the MBS/MPH program, you will need to accept the offer and pay the non-refundable $200 deposit by the enrollment deadline provided in your admissions letter. Your ability to pursue the MBS/MPH program is contingent upon successful completion of the spring semester of your MBS coursework.

Apply to the MBS/MPH Program Using the Short Application

Tuition Costs for the MBS/MPH Degree

The following tuition rates are for 2023–2024 academic year* and apply to students enrolled in the dual MS in Biomedical Sciences/Master of Public Health (MBS/MPH) Program starting their MPH coursework in Summer or Fall 2024. Students enrolled in the dual MBS/MPH will be billed for the MPH program for two semesters (fall and spring at $2,000 per credit) following completion of the MBS program (in addition to the cost of the MBS program).

Tuition: $21,005 per semester (full-time, flat-rate)
Fees: $658 per semester

The current academic year's cost of attendance budget (including not only tuition, but room and board, health insurance, books etc.) is available from the Office of Financial Aid.

*These rates are subject to approval. Tuition rates and fees are effective as of July 2024. Note that program cost is set each academic year (June to May) and typically increases a small amount from year-to-year. The Trustees of Tufts University reserve the right to change tuition rates or fees at their discretion.

Career Opportunities with the MBS/MPH Degree

Some students may use the program as a terminal degree while others may pursue MD, DMD, PhD, or DrPH degrees in the future. Students with an MBS/MPH are likely to seek positions in government, pharmaceutical or biotechnical companies, research facilities or research centers in health care organizations.

Contact Information

For questions about applying to the program, please contact the MBS admissions office at mbs.admissions@tufts.edu. For information about the program curriculum, please contact Kimberly Dong-Breen, Director of the MPH Program, at kimberly.dong@tufts.edu.