Students seeking admission to the graduate program in health physics must fulfill the following admission requirements:

  • Overall GPA of 3.0 (A = 4.0 or equivalent) in undergraduate work. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 but not less than 2.75 may be admitted as graduate provisional students.
  • Successful completion (grade of C or better) of the following course work:
    • Seven semester credits in biology, including an introductory modern biology course and one higher-level course
    • Ten semester credits in chemistry or geology, including a general chemistry sequence and one higher-level course
    • Eight semester credits in elementary calculus (mathematics through differential equations is recommended)
    • Twelve semester credits in physics, including a general physics sequence
    • A course in computer programming (an additional course in numerical methods or scientific computing is recommended)

Applicants not meeting a limited number (maximum of nine credit hours) of prerequisite requirements may still be admitted to the program. However, prerequisite deficiencies must be completed during the first year of study and prior to registering for HPS 796 or 797.

  • Completion of a baccalaureate degree in health physics, one of the basic sciences, or a closely related scientific or engineering field. Applicants holding degrees in nonrelated fields may be given special consideration if they have completed all prerequisite course work.
  • Students seeking entry to the medical physics specialization must have a strong foundation in physics. As such, applicants are required to have either an undergraduate degree in physics or a degree in a related engineering or physical science discipline with course work equivalent to a minor in physics. Applicants must have taken a calculus-based general physics course (not algebra-based). In addition to this requirement, applicants must have taken at least four upper level physics courses. Examples of acceptable upper-level courses (but not limited to) include: modern physics, quantum mechanics, electricity and magnetism, atomic physics, statistical mechanics, nuclear physics and classical mechanics.
  • A score ranking in the 50th percentile or higher on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Tests taken prior to August 2011 require a composite score of 1,000 or higher on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
  • Three letters of recommendation from former instructors or employers that speak to the applicant’s potential as a graduate student. Contact information for recommendation providers should be entered into the recommendation page of the online application. Recommenders will then upload their letters directly into the student’s online application.
  • A statement of approximately 300 words indicating the student’s professional goals and reason for seeking graduate education.
  • All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.