Dual Degrees
The Milken Institute School of Public Health (SPH) offers students multiple options to enroll in a combined undergraduate/master's dual degree program. Our programs are geared toward exceptional undergraduate students who strive to become leaders in the public health community.
All dual degree programs offer students admission to a master's (MPH or MS) program at SPH. Students can complete both undergraduate and graduate degrees more efficiently and at a lower cost than had the degrees been completed separately.
| Undergraduate Degree | Graduate Degree | Information Tab | Program Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any GW Bachelor's (BA or BS) | MPH, any residential program (choose from 14 options)* | BS or BA/MPH | Elizabeth Gray |
| Any GW Bachelor's (BA or BS) | MS, Public Health Microbiology & Emerging Infectious Diseases | BS or BA/MS PHMEID | Irene Kuo and Mimi Ghosh |
| Any GW Bachelor of Science (BS) | MS, Health Data Science | BS/MS HDS | Marcos Pérez Losada and Ali Rahnavard |
| BS, Exercise Science | MS, Exercise Science | BS EXSC/MS EXSC | Matthew Barberio |
* See the BS or BA/MPH tab for more information on eligible residential MPH programs.
Admissions Requirements
Undergraduate students at GW with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and good academic standing are eligible to apply to a dual degree program. Students apply to the dual degree program of their choice in the summer immediately after earning 60 credits toward their undergraduate degree (inclusive of AP/IB/Dual Enrollment and externally transferred credits), completing four full-time semesters of undergraduate education (not including semesters of college coursework taken before high school graduation), or both.
Some dual degree programs have prerequisites:
| Dual Degree Program | Prerequisites |
|---|---|
| BS or BA/MPH |
|
| BS or BA/MS PHMEID |
|
| BS/MS HDS |
|
| BS EXSC/MS EXSC | No further prerequisites |
Admitted students are considered to be provisionally admitted. Admission is conditional upon on earning a B or higher in the crossover courses (see each program's tab). Students who do not obtain a B or higher in all courses will not be eligible to continue in their dual degree program.
The dual degree application is submitted online and will be activated annually during the application period after the spring semester has concluded. Applications are due in early June (check website for exact date). Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Admission to the program is made on a selective and space available basis. Applications are reviewed holistically, looking at an applicant's academic strengths, commitment to the field, leadership qualities, and other attributes. The application requires the following:
- A personal statement or statement of purpose
- One to two recommendation letters/forms, preferably from GW faculty (see application for details)
- Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
- Unofficial transcript from BanWeb
GRE scores are not required, but will be accepted if submitted.
Students should review the appropriate program guide for more information about applying.
The Milken Institute School of Public Health (SPH) offers a unique opportunity to outstanding GW undergraduate students each year to enroll in the combined Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA)/Master of Public Health (MPH) program. This dual degree program strives to produce graduates who become public health leaders committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national, and international communities. This is an appropriate program for pre-professional students who are interested in public health issues.
Students can complete both their undergraduate and MPH degrees more efficiently and at a lower cost than had the degrees been completed separately. The BS or BA/MPH program is a multi-level, dual-degree program, meaning that students are concurrently enrolled in one undergraduate program and one graduate program. The degrees will be awarded in different semesters. Applicants may apply to any of the residential MPH programs. Information on MPH programs is available here. Information on academic planning for dual degrees is available here.
- Curriculum
Students should speak to their undergraduate academic advisor to ensure that the course and credit requirements for their chosen major(s) and any chosen minor(s) are met.
Students may apply up to 12 credits of graduate MPH coursework towards their undergraduate major. Students are encouraged to take the below courses as part of their dual degree program and should consult their advisor before registering.
MPH course: Waived Undergraduate Course Who should take? PUBH 6002 | Biostatistical Applications for Public Health (3 credits) PUBH 2142 | Introduction to Biostatistics for Public Health (3 credits) or other advisor-approved course Any student in the dual degree program except MPH in Biostatistics PUBH 6003 | Principles & Practices of Epidemiology (3 credits) PUBH 3131 | Epidemiology (3 credits) or other advisor-approved course Any student in the dual degree PUBH 6007 | Social & Behavioral Approaches to Public Health (2 credits)
and
PUBH 6021 | Essentials of Public Health Practice & Leadership I (1 credit)PUBH 2112 | Principles of Health Education & Health Promotion (3 credits) or other advisor-approved course (particularly if only one of the two courses is taken) Any student in the dual degree PUBH 6011 | Environmental & Biological Foundations of Public Health (3 credits) PUBH 3132 | Health & Environment (3 credits) or other advisor-approved course Any student in the dual degree PUBH 6012 | Fundamentals of Health Policy (2 credits) Elective or other advisor-approved course Any student in the dual degree PUBH 6022 | Essentials of Public Health Practice & Leadership II (1 credit) Elective or other advisor-approved course Any student in the dual degree PUBH 6400 | Global Health Frameworks (2 credits) Elective or other advisor-approved course Students in the MPH in Global Environmental Health; Global Health Epidemiology & Disease Control; Global Health Policy & Systems; and Global Health Program Design, Monitoring, & Evaluation PUBH 6503 | Introduction to Public Health Communication & Marketing (3 credits) Elective or other advisor-approved course Students in the MPH in Public Health Communications & Marketing PUBH 6510 | Community Health Principles & Practice (3 credits) Elective or other advisor-approved course Students in the MPH in Community Health & Prevention Science PUBH 6550 | Maternal & Child Health I (3 credits) Elective or other advisor-approved course Students in the MPH in Maternal & Child Health PUBH 6850 | Introduction to SAS for Public Health Research (1 credit) Elective or other advisor-approved course Students in the MPH in Biostatistics PUBH 6851 | Introduction to R for Public Health Research (1 credit) Elective or other advisor-approved course Students in the MPH in Biostatistics PUBH 6852 | Introduction to Python for Public Health Research (1 credit) Elective or other advisor-approved course Students in the MPH in Biostatistics TOTAL CROSSOVER: 12 CREDITS
- MPH Programs
Students in the BS or BA/MPH dual degree program may choose to apply to any residential MPH program. Options include:
- Biostatistics
- Chronic Disease Prevention
- Community Health & Prevention Science
- Environmental Health Science & Policy
- Epidemiology
- Global Environmental Health
- Global Health Epidemiology & Disease Control
- Global Health Policy & Systems
- Global Health Program Design, Monitoring, & Evaluation
- Health Policy
- Humanitarian Health & Disaster Response
- Public Health Generalist
- Maternal & Child Health
- Public Health Communication & Marketing
- Program Guides
Students should follow the program guide from the academic year in which they applied and entered into the program. Additional information regarding waive and replace and course substitution policies appears in the program guide.
Students should refer to the relevant MPH Program Guide for program-specific curricular requirements. Students are responsible for reviewing and understanding the policies and requirements outlined in the GWSPH Student Handbooks and University Bulletin.
Past Program Guides
In the past there were several separate dual degree programs that now fall under the scope of the BS or BA/MPH dual degree program. Students who entered those programs should follow the program guide from the academic year in which they applied and entered the program.
BS, Public Health/MPH Any BS or BA/MPH, EOH BS, Nutrition/MPH - Advising
Students should continue to work with their current undergraduate advisor.
For more information, please contact Adam Greczkowski, agreczkowski
gwu [dot] edu.- Program Director
The program director is Elizabeth Gray
The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (SPH) offers a unique opportunity to students interested in public health and biomedical research. To further effectively train a workforce in public health and related fields with strong data science and data analytics skills, we have developed a dual degree where undergraduate bachelor of science (BS) students at GW can earn a Master of Science in Health Data Science (BS/MS HDS). Students can complete both the BS and MS degrees more efficiently and at a lower cost than had the degrees been completed separately. The BS/MS HDS program is a multi-level program, meaning that students are concurrently enrolled in one undergraduate program and one graduate program. The degrees will be awarded in different semesters.
This dual degree program is designed for undergraduates in a BS program at GW (e.g., health data science, public health, biology, neuroscience, computer science, statistics, mathematics, bioengineering, etc) or who have already completed some undergraduate coursework in health data science at other universities, with an interest in adding health data science expertise to their existing skillsets. The BS/MS HDS program strives to matriculate leaders in public health and biomedical researchers who are committed to life-long learning and to improving the health and well-being of our local, national, and international communities. This is an appropriate program for pre-professional students who are interested in public health issues and translational research. Information on the MS in Health Data Science program is available here. Information on academic planning for dual degrees is available here.
- Curriculum
Students should speak to their undergraduate academic advisor to ensure that the course and credit requirements for their chosen major(s) and any chosen minor(s) are met.
Students may apply up to 9 credits of graduate MS coursework towards their undergraduate major. Students are encouraged to take up to 9 credits of the below courses as part of their dual degree program as these courses are part of the MS core.
MS in Health Data Science Course Waived Undergraduate Course PUBH 6850 | Introduction to SAS for Public Health Research (1 credit) Elective or other advisor-approved course PUBH 6851 | Introduction to R for Public Health Research (1 credit) Elective or other advisor-approved course PUBH 6852 | Introduction to Python for Public Health Research (1 credit) Elective or other advisor-approved course PUBH 6854 | Applied Computing in Health Data Science (3 credits) One of the following courses:
PUBH 4201 | Practical Computing (3 credits)
or
CSCI 1011 | Introduction to Programming with Java (3 credits)
or
CSCI 1012 | Introduction to Programming with Python (3 credits)
or
Other advisor-approved coursePUBH 6860 | Principles of Bioinformatics (3 credits)
PUBH 3201 | Introduction to Bioinformatics (3 credits) or other advisor-approved course PUBH 6867 | Health Data Visualization (3 credits) PUBH 3242 | Health Data Visualization (3 credits) or other advisor-approved course PUBH 6868 | Quantitative Methods (3 credits) Elective or other advisor-approved course PUBH 6884 | Bioinformatics Algorithms & Data Structures (3 credits) One of the following courses:
PUBH 4202 | Bioinformatics Algorithms & Data Structures (3 credits)
or
CSCI 1112 | Algorithms & Data Structures (3 credits)
or
Other advisor-approved coursePUBH 6886 | Statistical & Machine Learning for Public Health Research (3 credits) Elective or other advisor-approved course - Program Guides
BS/MS HDS Program Guide 2026-27 Coming soon!
Students should follow the program guide from the academic year in which they applied and entered into the program. Additional information regarding waive and replace and course substitution policies appears in the program guide.
Students should refer to the MS in Health Data Science Program Guide for program-specific curricular requirements. Students are responsible for reviewing and understanding the policies and requirements outlined in the GWSPH Student Handbooks and University Bulletin.
Past Program Guides
In the past, there was a separate program guides for students interested in this dual degree program. Students who entered those programs should follow the program guide from the academic year in which they applied and entered the program.
BS, Health Data Science/MS, Health Data Science Any non-SPH BS/MS, Health Data Science - Advising
Students should continue to work with their current undergraduate advisor.
For more information, please contact Adam Greczkowski, agreczkowski
gwu [dot] edu (agreczkowski[at]gwu[dot]edu). For more information about the program and graduate advising questions, please contact Dr. Marcos Pérez Losada (mlosadagwu [dot] edu (mlosada[at]gwu[dot]edu)) and Dr. Ali Rahnavard (rahnavardgwu [dot] edu). - Program Director
The program directors are Marcos Pérez Losada (MS in Health Data Science) and Ali Rahnavard (BS in Health Data Science)
The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (SPH) offers a unique opportunity to select students who not only demonstrate academic excellence in their undergraduate studies, but also demonstrate a strong commitment to exercise science, physical activity, and public health. SPH will accept a small number of outstanding students each year to the BS in Exercise Science/MS in Exercise Science (BS EXSC/MS EXSC) dual degree program.
As an incentive to move beyond the traditional undergraduate curriculum, SPH offers admission to the MS in Exercise Science program and the opportunity to begin graduate coursework during the junior and senior years. This dual degree program strives to matriculate exercise science students who are committed to applying their background in exercise science to improving health on an individual and population level. This is an appropriate program for pre-health professional students (e.g., pre-medical, pre-physical therapy, pre-dental), with an interest in exercise science.
Students can complete both their undergraduate and MPH degrees more efficiently and at a lower cost than had the degrees been completed separately. The BS EXSC/MS EXSC program is a multi-level, dual-degree program, meaning that students are concurrently enrolled in one undergraduate program and one graduate program. The degrees will be awarded in different semesters. Information on the MS in Exercise Science program is available here. Information on academic planning for dual degrees is available here.
- Curriculum
Students should speak to their undergraduate academic advisor to ensure that the course and credit requirements for their chosen major(s) and any chosen minor(s) are met.
Students may apply up to 9 credits of graduate MS coursework towards their undergraduate major. Students are encouraged to take the below courses as part of their dual degree program as these courses are part of the MS core.
MS in Exercise Science course Waived BS in Exercise Science course EXNS 6202 | Advanced Exercise Physiology 1 (3 credits) Guided elective (3 credits) or other advisor-approved course EXNS 6207 | Psychological Aspects of Sport and Exercise (3 credits) One of the following:
EXNS 2117 or 2117W | Sport Psychology (3 credits)
or
EXNS 3123W | Psychology of Injury and Rehabilitation (3 credits)
or
Other advisor-approved courseEXNS 6810 | Advanced Metabolism (3 credits) EXNS 3810 | Metabolism for Exercise and Nutrition Science (3 credits) or other advisor-approved course TOTAL CROSSOVER: 9 CREDITS
- Program Guides
This is a link to the BS Exercise Science/MS Exercise Science 26-27 Program Guide.
Students should follow the program guide from the academic year in which they applied and entered into the program. Additional information regarding waive and replace and course substitution policies appears in the program guide.
Students should refer to the MS in Exercise Science for program-specific curricular requirements. Students are responsible for reviewing and understanding the policies and requirements outlined in the GWSPH Student Handbooks and University Bulletin.
- Advising
Students should continue to work with their current undergraduate advisor.
For more information, please contact Adam Greczkowski, agreczkowski
gwu [dot] edu (agreczkowski[at]gwu[dot]edu).- Program Director
The program director is Matthew Barberio
The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (SPH) offers a unique opportunity to students interested in public health microbiology and emerging infectious diseases. To further effectively train a workforce in public health lab sciences and related fields with strong epidemiology, we have developed a dual degree program for students earning a bachelor’s at GW to earn a MS degree in Public Health Microbiology and Emerging Infectious Diseases (PHMEID). This dual degree program is open to all GW students currently enrolled in BA or BS program with an interest in expanding their education to public health laboratory sciences and infectious disease focused epidemiology. GW students from all undergraduate degree programs (including those at SPH) are welcome to apply but this program may be of particular interest to lab-based science or public health majors or students preparing for pre-professional health degrees. This program would result in the earning of a BA or BS degree and MS degree in Public Health Microbiology and Emerging Infectious Diseases (BS or BA/MS PHMEID dual degree program). The program is designed for George Washington University residential undergraduates. Information on the MS in PHMEID program is here. Information on academic planning for dual degrees is available here.
- Curriculum
Students should speak to their undergraduate academic advisor to ensure that the course and credit requirements for their chosen major(s) and any chosen minor(s) are met.
Students may apply up to 9 credits of graduate MS coursework towards their undergraduate major. Students are encouraged to take the below courses as part of their dual degree program and should consult their advisor before registering.
MS Course Waived Undergraduate Course PUBH 6002 | Biostatistical Applications for Public Health (3 credits) Elective or other advisor-approved course PUBH 6003 | Principles & Practice of Epidemiology (3 credits) Elective or other advisor-approved course One of the following:
PUBH 6276 | Public Health Microbiology (3 credits)
or
PUBH 6278 | Public Health Virology (3 credits)
or
PUBH 6861 | Public Health Genomics (3 credits)Elective or other advisor-approved course TOTAL GRADUATE CROSSOVER: 9 CREDITS
- Program Guides
This is a link to the 2026-27 PHMEID MS Dual Degree Program Guide.
Students should follow the program guide from the academic year in which they applied and entered into the program. Additional information regarding waive and replace and course substitution policies appears in the program guide.
Students should refer to the MS Program Guide for program-specific curricular requirements. Students are responsible for reviewing and understanding the policies and requirements outlined in the GWSPH Student Handbooks and University Bulletin.
- Advising
Students should continue to work with their current undergraduate advisor.
For more information, please contact Adam Greczkowski, agreczkowski
gwu [dot] edu (agreczkowski[at]gwu[dot]edu). For more information about the program and graduate advising questions, please contact Dr. Irene Kuo (ikuogwu [dot] edu (ikuo[at]gwu[dot]edu)) or Dr. Mimi Ghosh (mghoshgwu [dot] edu (mghosh[at]gwu[dot]edu)).- Program Directors
The program directors are Irene Kuo and Mimi Ghosh