Interdisciplinary Health PhD Program

Admission requirements

The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (OGPS) has requirements for the NAU graduate programs. In addition to the NAU graduate online application, the application for the IH PhD program requirements include:

• BA, BS, MA or MS degree (or equivalent) from a regionally accredited institution
• grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = “A”), or the equivalent
• official transcripts
• GRE® revised General Test (The test is optional for the 2023 application year.)
• names and contact information of three references; your references will be asked by the OGPS to complete a reference form
• personal statement of research direction and why the NAU IH PhD program is a good fit
• resume or Curriculum Vitae.

For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the graduate admissions policy webpage. International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the international graduate admissions policy webpage.

Admission Criteria

All applicants are reviewed by the IH PhD Steering Committee and students are recommended for admission to the NAU OGPS. GPAs and GRE scores listed are minimum requirements, but are not alone decisive in the admissions review.

1. GPA

Applicants must have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale for their bachelor’s degree to be considered for regular admission. Admitted students are expected to have undergraduate educational experiences, including general education studies, that are similar to those required for a baccalaureate at NAU. Students holding a cumulative GPA below a 3.0 may be considered for conditional admission with a recommendation and rationale from the admitting academic program.

2. Transcripts

Official transcripts are required from each U.S. college or university attended and must be sent from that institution directly to NAU OGPS. This includes a Northern Arizona University transcript (if applicable), and a transcript from each school where the applicant completed courses. For international students, the transcripts must be in the original language of the country accompanied by an English translation. If the degree awarded and the date of award is not on the transcripts, applicants must also include a separate degree certificate document.

All applicants need to provide evidence of at least a US baccalaureate degree (or foreign equivalent) at a regionally accredited institution of higher education; AND, if applicable, a post-baccalaureate graduate or professional degree at a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

3. Test scores

Optional GRE: Preferred scores include a combination of 300 on the quantitative and verbal sections of the test with at least one score above the 50^th percentile, and a score of 4.0 on the analytical writing assessment.

1. Optional GRE scores should be sent to NAU institution code 4006
2. Other official test scores may be acceptable (e.g., MCAT)
3. ETS will not forward GRE scores that are more than five years old to institutions

The OGPS also requires the TOEFL (minimum score of 80) or the IELTS (minimum score of 6.5) for many international applicants.

4. Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendations must be part of the application. The NAU online admissions form will ask applicants to supply the names of three recommenders. At least one of these must be from an instructor who can comment on the applicant’s aptitude and potential to progress to an independent researcher. Other acceptable recommenders include supervisor/employer, or other academic personnel.

5. Statement of Research Interest

Applicants are asked to submit a statement of research interests. This research statement is where the applicant should describe, in some detail, the specific content area in which the applicant proposes to focus the doctoral work, and why this area is of interest to the applicant. It is not intended to be as specific as a dissertation statement and will not preclude exploring other areas during the doctoral work. This statement should also highlight the applicant’s experiences that make the applicant a strong candidate for admission. Finally, the applicant should comment on the reasons to pursue doctoral education at NAU, including potential faculty mentors.

If there is additional information that may help the Steering Committee with the application, applicants are encouraged to include a brief overview of this information.

6. Resume or curriculum vitae

A resume or curriculum vitae must be included with the application.

Admission Process

Interested applicants should complete the NAU OGPS online application. Early submission of application materials is encouraged to maximize funding opportunities, but the application deadline is January 15, with rolling admissions thereafter until the program is filled. Admission to the PhD in Interdisciplinary Health is only offered for Fall enrollment.

The applicant is encouraged to contact the Program Director at least several weeks prior to completing the application materials to obtain additional information about the application process.

The Steering Committee will begin screening applications after the priority deadline in spring semester. Reviews of all application materials and scores applicants will use pre-established criteria. The Steering Committee makes admission recommendations to the OGPS. The applicant will be notified via email of the Steering Committee’s recommendation.