Non-Degree Students General Admissions Info | Johns Hopkins

How to Apply to a Certificate Program

Different certificate programs are open to different audiences. There are different application processes for students who are currently enrolled in degree programs at Johns Hopkins University (including students enrolled at the Bloomberg School of Public Health) and those who are applying as non-students.

Please visit the page on the BSPH website that addresses certificate program tuition.

NOTE: Students enrolled in MAS degree programs are not eligible to apply to BSPH certificate programs until they have completed their degree program.

Individuals Not Currently Enrolled in JHU Degree Programs

If you are not currently enrolled in a degree program at either the Bloomberg School or the Johns Hopkins University, you are considered a "non-degree applicant." Non-degree applicants must apply through SOPHAS Express and pay the application fee. Students who have not completed an undergraduate degree at an accredited institution are typically not eligible to apply for BSPH certificate programs, as the coursework for certificate programs is at the graduate level.

Certificate students may not apply the same courses (either elective or required) towards more than one certificate program. Certificate students may only enroll in one certificate program at a time and must complete one certificate program before beginning coursework towards another program. Certificate students may not register for additional courses at BSPH beyond those that have been approved as necessary to complete the certificate program.

International Applicants Please Note: Certificate programs typically do NOT qualify for visa sponsorship. Most international students are advised to consider certificate programs that can be completed online from their country of residence. Only Legal Permanent Residents and non-immigrants who are otherwise physically present in the US and in a status that allows for study may be eligible to pursue a certificate program in person at the Bloomberg School.

Application Components

SOPHAS EXPRESS APPLICATION

Submit a formal application and select the certificate program to which you wish to apply.

PAYMENT OF APPLICATION FEE

Certificate applicants are not eligible for a fee waiver.

NARRATIVE COMPONENT

As part of the application, you will be asked to submit a brief narrative outlining your background and goals vis-a-vis the certificate program's learning objectives.

ANTICIPATED COURSE SCHEDULE

As part of your application, you will need to submit an anticipated course schedule showing which term you intend to start the certificate program and the terms in which you will take each course. This document should be uploaded into your online application.

Please be aware that PDF documents appear blank in the application software, so do not upload the anticipated course schedule as a PDF! Please "Save as Other" > "Image" > "JPEG" and then upload the JPEG image of your anticipated course schedule into your application.
Your start term will be the term in which you first take certificate courses for academic credit. Introduction to Online Learning must be completed prior to enrolling in online courses; in most cases, it must be completed prior to the start term. By contrast, 550.860 Academic and Research Ethics at BSPH must be taken in conjunction with courses for academic credit in order for the requirement to be met, so students should plan to take it during their start term.
Please note that any changes to the curriculum must be approved in writing by the certificate program before the accepted student registers for any coursework that is different from that which was proposed in the anticipated course schedule.
Students in a certificate program may not register for any additional courses at BSPH beyond those that have been approved as necessary to complete the certificate program.
In planning your schedule, please be aware that students who intend to apply for federal financial aid will need to maintain a minimum academic load of six (6) credits per term.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Ask recommenders to submit letters of recommendation. The number of letters required will depend on the certificate program to which you are applying, but all programs require at least one letter.

RESUME

Submit resume or curriculum vitae as an upload to your online application.

TRANSCRIPTS

Submit unofficial transcripts from all college-level institutions that you have attended, regardless of the number of credits earned or whether the grade appears on your home institution's transcript. Students should not send transcripts to SOPHAS Express, but must send them directly from the academic institution in hard copy, either by email or through the mail to the BSPH Admissions Office.

Some academic institutions offer secure electronic delivery of transcripts, which is also acceptable. Have your institution email their login information to bsph.admissions@jhu.edu. Please note: Applicants should not send electronic transcripts directly to the BSPH admissions office, as the admissions office will not be able to accept them if sent by the applicants themselves.

Non-US or non-English-speaking Canadian transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services (WES) and submitted directly to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health by WES. Credential evaluation requirements are explained in greater detail on the School's Office of Admissions Services' webpage for International Applicants.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST SCORES

Submit any English language proficiency test scores required by your certificate program as part of your application. English language proficiency requirements are explained in greater detail on the School's Office of Admissions Services' webpage for International Applicants.

START TERMS AND APPLICATION DEADLINES

Please review the Certificate Programs Start Terms and Application Deadlines page.