Graduate Study

Master of Public Health in Public Health Nutrition – Application and Materials

The SOPHAS and UW Graduate School applications for autumn 2025 entry to the MPH in Public Health Nutrition will open on September 1, 2024. This page has been updated for the 2025 application cycle.

SOPHAS Application

  • Start your SOPHAS application by creating an account and choosing a username and password.
  • Complete the following sections:
    • Personal Information
    • Academic History
    • Supporting Information
  • On the Add Program page, search for “University of Washington School of Public Health” and click the “+” icon in the Add column next to “MPH” (Degree) and “Nutritional Sciences” (Program Name).
  • Complete the following areas of the Program Materials section:
    • Questions
    • Documents
  • Review and submit your completed SOPHAS application and pay the fee.

Application Fee and Fee Waiver

The SOPHAS application fee is $145 for the first program and $55 for each additional program, payable online by debit or credit card. To request a fee waiver, click your name in the upper right corner of your application and select Fee Waiver Form. Waivers are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and do run out, so we recommend you request one as early in the application process as possible (you may do so any time after you begin your SOPHAS application). Please visit the SOPHAS Applicant Help Center to learn more about Fees and Fee Waivers.

UW Graduate School Application

In addition to your SOPHAS application, you are also required to submit a University of Washington Graduate School application.

  • Start a UW Graduate School application, and enter your Profile and Contact Information (Ethnicity Information is optional).
  • Academic History: Add all schools where you’ve earned a bachelor’s degree or higher and where you’ve taken prerequisite courses, and upload unofficial transcripts for each institution.
  • Program Selection
    • Choose “Graduate” as your application type and “Master of Public Health (Public Health Nutrition)” as your program.
    • Select “No” under “Concurrent Application,” even if you are also applying to the GCPD.
  • Review the information on the Program Requirements page and attest your understanding.
  • Answer a few Short Answer Questions.
  • If you indicated you are a non-native English speaker, complete the English Language Proficiency page (Non-Native English Speaker Information/English Language Proficiency Requirements).
  • After completing the Verify and Confirm page, review and submit your finalized UW Graduate School application* and pay the fee or request a fee waiver (see below).
  • Answer one Post-Application Question.

*Note: Each UW School of Public Health application you submit in SOPHAS requires its own UW Graduate School application.

Application Fee and Fee Waiver

The UW Graduate School application fee is $90. Qualified individuals may request application fee waivers directly from the UW Graduate School following the process on their website.

Application Materials

The materials below are submitted or reported electronically through SOPHAS. Information and materials reported in the Personal Information, Academic History, and Supporting Information sections are shared amongst all SOPHAS applications. Only materials submitted through the Program Materials section are unique to the UW MPH in Public Health Nutrition.

Note: The SOPHAS and UW Graduate School applications may be submitted in either order, but preferably on the same day. Both must be submitted by their respective deadlines. If only the SOPHAS application or the UW Graduate School application is submitted alone, your application will not be reviewed.

Degree Information and Transcripts

You will be asked to provide your high school and college attendance and degree information in the Academic History section. SOPHAS also requires that official English-language transcripts be sent from each college-level institution attended.

In the Transcript Entry section, you must record all college-level coursework as it is listed on your transcript(s). This process takes a significant amount of time, so plan to enter this information as early as possible.

Note: Admitted applicants with accepted offers will be required to submit official transcripts to the UW Graduate School and the Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Program. Specific instructions will be provided in admissions materials.

Standardized Tests

Non-native English speakers submitting TOEFL (iBT or MyBest) or Academic IELTS scores to fulfill their English language proficiency requirement may self-report their scores in the Academic History – Standardized Tests section. Official test scores will need to be sent from the testing service directly to the University of Washington (see Non-Native English Speaker Information/English Language Proficiency Requirements).

The Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Program does not consider GRE scores.

Recommendations

Enter the names and contact information for three (3) references in the Supporting Information – Recommendations section. These individuals will be sent an email prompt from SOPHAS with instructions for submitting their letters of recommendation online.

Please provide a combination of academic and professional references. The most effective and impactful letters of recommendation come from individuals who know you well and are able to provide insight into your academic competence, ability to engage in graduate study, potential for future success in the nutrition field, and/or work experience and professional demeanor. Please refrain from requesting recommendations from family members, friends, or clergy.

It is your responsibility to provide your references with a submission deadline. Since letters of recommendation are shared amongst all SOPHAS applications, it is best to base the due date on that of your earliest program application submission deadline. If you are only applying to the UW MPH in Public Health Nutrition, we recommend setting a due date earlier than December 1; your application will not be reviewed unless your letters of recommendation have been received. Do not wait until you submit your application to request your references!

*Note: You may submit your application prior to SOPHAS receiving all of your letters of recommendation.

CV/Resume

Upload a PDF of your CV (curriculum vitae) or resume in the Supporting Information – Documents section. Your submission should include the following information, as applicable:

  • Academic history (including institution, degree, and dates of attendance)
  • Professional experience (including employer, position/title, dates of employment, and full-time/part-time status)
  • Volunteer experience (including organization, role, dates of participation, and total number of hours)
  • Nutrition-related experience
  • Research experience
  • Involvement with community and/or diversity-related activities
  • Honors, awards, publications, and presentations

Note: Make sure to clearly indicate whether an experience was paid or volunteer and if it was full-time, part-time, or a set number of hours.

Personal History Statement

The Personal History Statement is meant to give you the opportunity to offer a narrative of your lived experiences and obstacles you may have overcome and how these have guided you towards an interest in public health. This statement should not be the same as your Statement of Purpose.

You can include information about who you are as a person; your family or cultural background; your socioeconomic conditions; and your experiences growing up, including successes, challenges, and moments of learning and growth. Please do not feel compelled to provide personal information you would rather not share.

Maximum word limit: 500.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are core values of the School of Public Health. We seek to create a community of students inclusive of and in service to underrepresented populations. The School is committed to anti-racism and strives to adopt anti-racist principles both in the classroom and in our work. How would you contribute to these efforts while in the program and as a working professional?  

Please review the UW School of Public Health EDI Statement for more information.

Maximum word limit: 350.

UW Graduate School Application ID

REMINDER: You are required to submit a University of Washington Graduate School application in addition to your SOPHAS application. Please follow the instructions above to start your UW Graduate School application, if you have not yet done so.

To link the two applications in our system, you will need to enter the 9-digit Application ID* from your UW Graduate School application in the Program Materials – Questions section of your SOPHAS application.

Your Application ID (not your Applicant ID) can be found on the UW Graduate School application system’s main landing page.

*Note: Each UW School of Public Health application you submit in SOPHAS requires its own UW Graduate School application and will have a unique Application ID.

Program Statement of Purpose

Your Statement of Purpose is an opportunity for you to describe how a graduate degree in nutritional sciences will help you meet your professional goals. If you are also applying to the Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics (GCPD), please explain how the RDN credential fits into your future plans. Your Statement should include:

  • Highlights/achievements from your undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate education.
  • How your prior work/volunteer experiences have helped prepare you for graduate school.
  • Your academic interest areas and why you would like to attend the Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Program within the University of Washington School of Public Health.
  • Your career objectives.

Maximum word limit: 750, including responses to all bullet points.

Short Answer Questions (SOPHAS Application)

Respond to the following questions:

  1. Will you be a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) before entering UW in autumn 2025?
  2. Is your goal to be a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)?

GCPD Application (required for GCPD applicants)

Students in the Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics work simultaneously towards the completion of a graduate degree in Nutritional Sciences and the coursework and practice experience necessary to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

If you indicate you are applying for the GCPD (along with the MPH degree) in the Program Materials – Questions section, you will be presented with additional questions.

Note: The GCPD is not participating in DICAS for the current admissions cycle.

Extenuating Circumstances (optional)

If you would like the admissions committee to consider extenuating circumstances not addressed in other sections of your application, please describe them here, focusing on how you managed/resolved the issue(s).

Maximum word limit: 200.

Prerequisite Information

Download the Prerequisite Information Form, fill it out per the instructions, and upload it to the Program Materials – Documents section of your SOPHAS application.

Supplemental Information

Download the Supplemental Information Form, fill it out per the instructions, and upload it to the Program Materials – Documents section of your SOPHAS application.

Short Answer Response and Interest Areas (UW Application)

Respond to the following prompts:

  1. Verify that you’re applying to the correct degree (either “MPH degree” or “MPH degree and GCPD”).
  2. Please choose up to three (3) areas of interest within the field of nutrition from the options provided.

Post-Application Question

While optional, we would greatly appreciate you responding to the following Post-Application Question, available via your UW Graduate School Application Checklist within 30 minutes of submission:

How did you first learn about the UW Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Program?

Non-Native English Speaker Information/English Language Proficiency Requirements

English language proficiency (ELP) is required for graduate study at the University of Washington. Therefore, every applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of citizenship) must demonstrate proficiency in the English language.

Non-native English speakers will be asked in both the SOPHAS and UW Graduate School applications how they plan to fulfill the requirement. English language proficiency documentation must be included with your UW Graduate School application.

Ways to demonstrate English proficiency (please see Policy 3.2: Graduate School English Language Proficiency Requirements for details and more information about each option):

  • English test scores (official scores must be submitted directly from the testing service to the UW (for additional questions or assistance with reporting official test scores, please review the UW Graduate School Application Help and FAQs)
  • A degree (bachelor’s or higher) from a regionally-accredited U.S. institution of higher education
  • A degree (bachelor’s or higher) from an institution in one of the countries specified in UW Graduate School Policy 3.2, where English is the medium of instruction
  • Official documentation from a bachelor’s degree-granting institution (if in a country other than those listed in Policy 3.2, above) verifying that all instruction is in English (“Medium of Instruction Document”)

Additional information:

  • If submitting test scores, the admissions committee has a strong preference for the TOEFL. In addition, Duolingo test scores do not qualify applicants for on-campus employment as teaching assistants.
  • If fulfilling the ELP requirement via degree from the U.S. or a country in Policy 3.2, no additional documentation is required. We will use the transcripts submitted with your application.
  • If submitting a Medium of Instruction Document, we will accept notation printed directly on your degree transcript or a separate document issued by your degree-granting institution. If submitting a separate document, you will be asked to upload it to the English Language Proficiency page of your UW Graduate School application.