Answer to Question #1052 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

I am currently finishing up my bachelor of science degree in health promotion and I am interested in getting my master's in health physics. What are the prerequisites for the master's program in health physics?

A

Entry requirements into master's programs vary among universities by a great extent. Usually requirements into a particular health physics graduate program are strongly determined by the goals of the program in which you are interested in enrolling. All programs require a completed bachelor of science degree with a substantial grade-point average (usually a minimum of about a B average) and completion of the graduate record exam (GRE). The GRE score requirements vary greatly. If your score is greater than the 70th percentile in all three GRE areas, your graduate school opportunities should be good in almost all cases.

All programs require a substantial preparation during a student's undergraduate program in math and science. Many programs, particularly those found in colleges of engineering, require that the student's science and mathematics background include calculus-based physics and math up through differential equations and linear algebra. However, a deficiency in the ideal undergraduate preparation can often be compensated for with some remedial courses either taken during graduate school or while enrolled on some sort of conditional basis.

Should you be other than a United States citizen you may also be required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination so that your English communication skills may be evaluated. This may be very important in some cases with regard to the question of assistantships within the program of your choice.

Graduate programs always strive to consider the whole student and all of the student's accomplishments when considering the question of enrollment. A clear statement about your career objectives sent to the health physics program director at the same time you submit your admission applications to the university usually is a promising way to begin the enrollment process. This helps to identify your name and goals with your records in a more intricate way than the typical admission package allows.

Remember that no program is going to make a decision based upon just one indicator of your likelihood of success in its graduate program regardless of how strong or weak that particular metric may appear. Normally, students entering graduate programs in health physics can expect some level of support. The mechanisms for this vary among research assistantships, teaching assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, and hourly wages for work on a faculty member's grants or contract. As an example, all graduate students enrolled in the Idaho State University Health Physics Program are supported, as are most of the undergraduates to some degree.

I wish you good luck in your search. I hope you find the program that is right for your goals and desires. Should you have any direct questions about the Idaho State University Health Physics Program please contact me directly.

Rich Brey, PhD, CHP