Please note:   For a more in-depth look at our gradute program, please view our student handbook

All applicants to the Department of Human Genetics must meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor's degree in a discipline related to the biological or behavioral sciences from an accredited college or university, with a minimum quality point average (QPA) of 3.0
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for the verbal, quantitative and analytical tests should be above the 70th percentile in each of these three areas.
• A first (introductory) course in each of the following: genetics, general biochemistry, calculus, and a behavioral or social science.
• The minimum TOEFL score on the written exam is 550 or 80 on the internet test.
• Admission to the Genetic Counseling Program requires an interview by the faculty and clinical staff involved in the counseling internship programs.

When applying to the Department of Human Genetics, the following procedure should be followed:

SOPHAS Applicants


Applicants to all degree certificate programs must apply through the online centralized application service for CEPH-accredited schools of public health: SOPHAS.


• Apply online through SOPHAS
• Pay application fee directly to SOPHAS
• Submit personal statement through SOPHAS
• Submit letters of recommendation directly to SOPHAS
• Submit official transcripts for ALL education in the United States directly to SOPHAS
• Submit a WES evaluation for ALL education outside of the United States directly to SOPHAS (not including study abroad)
• Submit official GRE scores to GSPH code 4234 with no department code
• Submit official TOEFL scores (if applicable) to SOPHAS code 5688


SOPHAS submits applications to the Graduate School of Public Health only after all required materials are received. Applicants who have submitted applications may track the status online at www.sophas.org.

Applicants to the dual MS Genetic Counseling/MPH Public Health Genetics program will apply through SOPHAS. They must submit their letters of recommendation and official transcripts directly to SOPHAS. Submit official GRE and TOEFL scores (if applicable) to the University of Pittsburgh institution code 4234, with no department code. (Please note, effective July 1, 2008, SOPHAS will no longer accept GRE and TOEFL scores.)

In addition to the application materials required of all students, international students are required to submit an official score report from the TOEFL or the IELTS exam and a WES evaluation. The University of Pittsburgh requires a minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the written test or 80 on the Internet test for all foreign students. Foreign students with a TOEFL score lower than 550 or 80 are not eligible for admission. TOEFL must be taken withinÊthe two year prior to theÊapplication to GSPH. The minimum acceptable score on the IELTS is Band 6.5, and applicants must take the academic writing and reading modules of the test. In general, GSPH does not require the TOEFL of permanent residents, but the departments reserve the right to ask for TOEFL scores if they feel that they are necessary for the evaluation of the application.

TOEFL and IELTS results are to be submitted directly to the Graduate School of Public Health from the Educational Testing Service. Copies of test results are not accepted. Please use the ETS code for SOPHAS (5688) or for the University of Pittsburgh (2927) with no department code, when submitting the official scores. There are only three circumstances under which the TOEFL or IELTS exam will be waived:

• if an applicant has obtained a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a U.S. accredited institution located within the U.S.
• if he/she is a citizen of a country in which English is the official language
• if the applicant is not a citizen of a country whose official language is English but has completed a degree program at an institution outside of the U.S. where the language of instruction is English and where the official national language of the country in which the institution is located is English

If none of these circumstances applies, the TOEFL or IELTS exam is required. Please click here to view a list of countries from which a TOEFL or IELTS score is required. The departments reserve the right to request TOEFL or IELTS scores if they feel that they are necessary for the evaluation of the application, even if the applicant meets one of the criteria above.

Prior to their initial registration at GSPH, students who have not already earned a degree in the U.S. or in a country outside the U.S. where the national language is English, whose native language is not English and whose TOEFL scores are not higher that 600 on the PBT or 100 on the IBT, and those who have not scored above Band 7 on the IELTS must be tested for English proficiency by the University's English Language Institute (ELI). Students should make their own arrangements to schedule the test of English Language Proficiency (TELP). If the test results indicate the need for language training, the student must be guided by the recommendation from ELI. No new student can be officially registered until he/she complies with these procedures.

The Graduate School of Public Health now requires that all education from outside of the United States be evaluated by the World Education Services (WES). The course-by-course credit evaluation is required and must be submitted directly to SOPHAS. Evaluations from agencies other than WES will not be accepted. Note: US applicants who have completed a study-abroad program will not be required to submit an evaluation.

Review by departmental committees takes on average of four to six weeks. As soon as an application is returned to the Office of Student Affairs, the applicant will be notified of the admissions committee's decision. If accepted, the international student will be required to provide a supplemental packet, Certificate of Financial Responsibility, and bank statements for the I-20 processing. Information on this requirement will be submitted to the student when accepted. Please be sure to note the application deadlines for international students on our Web site to insure that your application is received in a timely manner.

Please be sure to adhere to the application deadline for international students listed below:

Master of Science (MS)	Master of Public Health (MPH)	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
January 15 GC/MS Fall Admission Only	January 15 Fall Admission October 15 Spring Admission U.S. Applicants August 1 Spring Admission International Applicants	January 15 Fall Admission October 15 Spring Admission U.S. Applicants

Applicants to GSPH will be notified by email when their application is received and when it is complete. They will also be periodically emailed with the status of an incomplete application.

Review by departmental committees takes on the average four to six weeks. As soon as an application is returned to the Office of Student Affairs, the applicant will be notified of the admissions committee's decision by mail.

Please Note: A departmental committee evaluates applications and makes a recommendation to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Admission is not final until the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs issues a letter of acceptance.

In the following circumstances, application materials will be kept for one year from the date the application was received and then be destroyed:

1. Application remains incomplete.
2. Application is not accepted.
3. Application is accepted, but applicant does not respond.

For details about possible financial support, please see the Department of Human Genetics Student Handbook. In the past, we have been successful in finding financial support for our Ph.D. students.

Information about tuition, financial aid, and scholarships can be found at the GSPH webpage

At the top of the webpage is a link for 'Student Affairs' and under this is a link to Financial Aid. When you select the Financial Aid link, you will see information for financial aid, tuition costs, and scholarship.

Genetic counseling students are eligible for part time student positions. In the past our students have been successful in obtaining positions that involve working 20 hours a week for a faculty member and in return get a stipend. In addition, we suggest to students to seek positions that involve research that can become part of the student's thesis projects. With these part time/hourly positions the stipend is variable and depends on the faculty member's particular position. Tuition remission is not available.