The community and behavioral health admission committee considers several factors when evaluating applications for admission, including scores on the GRE, grade-point averages, letters of recommendation, intent and motivation for graduate study, and research interests. Students with deficiencies in one area may be admitted if all other components of their application are very strong.

Applicants must have a graduate g.p.a. of at least 3.40 and have earned a graduate degree from an accredited college or university in a related public health, social science, or clinical health field. Applicants who do not hold a graduate degree should apply to a master's program prior to application for the Ph.D. program. Preference is given to applicants with Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test verbal scores of at least 154, quantitative scores of at least 150, and analytical writing scores of at least 4.0 (GRE scores must be less than five years old). Ph.D. program applicants also must submit their master's thesis, or if no thesis is available, a sample of their scholarly writing.

Applicants whose first language is not English must submit official test scores to verify English proficiency. Applicants can verify English proficiency by submitting official test scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). An acceptable TOEFL score is a minimum of 600 (250 computer-based test or 100 internet-based test) or a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 (with no subscore lower than 6.0). Automatic waivers of this requirement are granted for persons who have, or will have, completed a bachelor's degree or more advanced degree at an accredited university in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada (excluding French Quebec), Africa (English speaking), Australia, or New Zealand.