University of Michigan School of Public Health Removes GRE Requirement
To increase equity and access to public health education, the University of Michigan School of Public Health will not require GRE test scores from individuals applying to any of our master- or doctoral-level programs for a Fall 2021 start.
This one-year pilot will help the school make an informed decision about GRE requirements moving forward.
“Research tells us that high GRE test scores tend to correlate with a student’s socioeconomic status, race, and gender,” said DuBois Bowman, dean of Michigan Public Health. “The test has been shown to underpredict the success of students in underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.”
Even before removing the GRE requirement, Michigan Public Health had been practicing a holistic application review process, in which reviewers give careful consideration to all credentials presented by each applicant. Holistic review ensures that no single factor, such as a test score, leads to either accepting or denying an applicant.
However, even with holistic review, the GRE requirement presents a range of potential barriers for applicants, including financial and time barriers that may unfairly disadvantage some applicants, particularly those from underrepresented groups.
“At Michigan Public Health, we are committed to addressing systemic racism within our school and within higher education,” said Bowman. “Eliminating the GRE requirement is one change in a series of many changes that will help us reduce barriers that have prevented access for students of color and other underrepresented groups.”