Department of Public Health
North South University
Frequently Asked Questions
Many prospective students want to know about the MPH program in the Department of Public Health of North South University. I will be trying to answer some of the frequently asked questions related to the MPH program at North South University.
Question-1: When the application for admission is invited?
Answer: NSU provides two admission intakes in a year, namely Spring and Summer. The Spring semester classes start in the last week of January, and the Summer in the middle of July of the respective year. The application portal for the Spring semester is open in October of the preceding year and for the summer semester in the month of April of that year.
Question-2: How to get the information about the application announcement (beginning date of accepting application and last date of application)?
Answer: Application-related information is published on the Department websites, Facebook page/groups, and newspapers.
Websites address: http://admissions.northsouth.edu/
Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/nsupublichealth
https://www.facebook.com/graduate.studies.nsu
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1782206752045673
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ogs.nsu
Question-3: What is the procedure of application for admission?
Answer: Applications are accepted online by the Office of Graduate Studies
(http://www.northsouth.edu/resources/ogs.html). The application portal is http://apply.northsouth.edu:8080/admissionWeb/login.view. You need to create an account and complete the application procedure as prompted. BDT 1500/= is needed to be deposited as application processing fees via bKash.
Question-4: What are the admission requirements?
Answer: A four-year bachelor’s degree in any discipline (Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, and any other discipline) is required to apply for MPH in NSU. A bachelor’s degree from a foreign country needs an equivalence certificate from UGC. A CGPA of 2.75 or equivalent is required to apply.
Question-5: Is any job experience required for the application?
Answer: No, job experience is not required for MPH admission.
Question-6: Can anyone apply during an internship after passing MBBS or BDS?
Answer: Yes, interns can apply for MPH. But a BMDC certificate is required before completion of the degree.
Question-7: If a candidate passed the bachelor’s degree but does not have the degree certificate, can she/he apply for MPH?
Answer: Yes, she or he can apply upon approval of the director and graduate admission but needs to submit the certificate within three months after admission.
Question-8: Is there any admission test for acceptance in the MPH program?
Answer: Yes, a written admission test is taken in-campus, followed by a viva.
Question-9: What are the topics covered in the admission tests?
Answer: Admission tests cover basic health knowledge, general knowledge, basic English knowledge, basic quantitative aptitude, comprehension, and analytical skills. Sample questions are available on request by the department.
Question-10: What is the passing score on the admission test?
Answer: The minimum score for passing is 60%. However, passing scores may increase based on the number of applicants.
Question-11: What will happen after passing the admission test?
Answer: An offer letter will be issued from the department and once the students accept the offer letter, the department will contact for further admission procedure. These include payment of admission fees, orientation and course advising for the first semester, payment of tuition fees, etc.
Question-12: If a student wants to defer the admission, what is the procedure?
Answer: A student can defer his/her admission for one semester by written application and can get admission in the subsequent semester with a deferral fee of BDT 5,000/=.
Question-13: What are the tuition and other related fees for the MPH program at NSU?
Answer: NSU MPH is a 52-credit program with BDT 4,500/= tuition per credit. Admission fees are BDT 31,000/=, which includes the convocation fees. The total cost is approximately 290,000/= BDT. Course tuition fees are payable by semester for the number of credits registered by a student.
Question-14: How many credits are required to complete an MPH degree in NSU?
Answer: NSU MPH is a 52-credits program with six core courses (18 credits), internship/field practice three credits (mandatory), ten credits thesis (mandatory), three major courses (9 credits), and 12 credits elective.
Question-15: What are the major areas offered in the NSU MPH program?
We offer majors in Epidemiology, Hospital Management, Reproductive and Child Health, and Public Health Nutrition.
Question-16: Does a student need to declare a Major at admission?
Answer: No, we do not ask for or assign majors to students at admission. After completion of the first semester, the major is chosen by the students in consultation with the department.
Question-17: Is there any scope to take a double major by the students?
Answer: Yes, students can choose a second major as per their choice.
Question-18: How to choose the elective courses?
Answer: Elective courses are chosen by the students from a list of courses offered by the department outside the core and major courses for a particular student. Faculty members are available to consult in choosing elective courses.
Question-19: What is the duration of the MPH course at NSU?
Answer: The duration is flexible and can be customized by the students at their convenience. Usually, students complete the program in two years (4 semesters). However, it can be completed in less time, or students can take more time as high as three years.
Question-20: Is there any minimum credit limit for taking in a semester?
Answer: Usually, students take 4 to 5 courses (12-15 credits) in a semester. However, more credits maybe allowed for students with specific reasons.
Question-21: What is the class timing for MPH program?
Answer: Classes are held on Fridays (08:00 am to 08:30pm) and weekdays Sunday thru Thursday (07:00 to 09:30 pm). No classes on Saturdays. Students can choose their convenient timing for classes.
Question-22: Is there any scholarship opportunity for students?
Answer: NSU offers generous merit-based scholarships for its students. For details, please visit the office of financial aid (http://www.northsouth.edu/resources/fao.html).
Question-23: Is a thesis mandatory for MPH in NSU?
Answer: Yes, the thesis is mandatory for all students.
Question-24: Who are the faculty members in the department?
Answer: The department has a team of highly competent full-time faculty members who are trained in top-ranking Universities in North America, Australia, Europe, and Asia (http://www.northsouth.edu/faculty-members/shls/pbh/). A number of equally competent adjunct faculty members also teach in the MPH program. For a full list of faculty members, please contact the department.
Question-25: What are the job prospects for NSU MPH graduates?
Answer: Our alumni are employed in UN organizations and International and national organizations at home and abroad.
Question-26: What are the further higher education prospects for NSU MPH graduates?
Answer: Our graduates are accepted in all top Universities for Ph.D. and master’s, leading to Ph.D. programs all over the world. As the medium of instruction in NSU is English, the IELTS requirement is waived in many foreign Universities.
Question-27: Is the NSU MPH program recognized by BMDC?
Answer: No, the NSU MPH degree is not recognized by BMDC. However, the degree is approved by the University Grant Commission (UGC) of the Government of Bangladesh.
Question-28: Is there any research opportunity at NSU while studying?
Answer: Yes, students have opportunities to work as Graduate Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants with faculty members.
Question-29: Who to contact for any information?
Dr. Mariam Zamila, Program Officer
Email: zamila.mariam@northsouth.edu
Phone: +88-02-55668200 Extn: 6420