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BUSPH Graduate Student Life

New Student Mailer II

Welcome and hello from Graduate Student Life! We are so excited to have you join our community and we can't wait to meet you! The GSL Office is here to make your transition to SPH as smooth as possible. You'll be hearing from us through a series of new student mailings aimed to:


  • provide useful information to help you prepare for the upcoming semester
  • provide opportunities to get a head start on public health skills
  • highlight events & opportunities to be engaged in the SPH community


This is the second edition of the New Student Mailer.

New Student Mailer 1 sent on May 5th



Feel free to email us at sphgsl@bu.edu with any questions, comments, or concerns you encounter as you begin your journey at BUSPH.

Incoming Student Timeline and Checklist

Graduate Student Life has created a timeline and checklist of things you should to do prior to arriving on campus. Please note this is a general list and not exhaustive. If you have any questions about these items, please email us at sphgsl@bu.edu


By now you should have:


  • sent in your deposit
  • received an email from the SPH Registrar (sphregr@bu.edu)
  • set up your BU Kerberos




June:


July:


August:


  • Move to Boston early enough to attend orientation in person (August 29-Sept 1)
  • Enjoy your new city!
  • Get ready to start your classes!
Upcoming Events

Mandatory Virtual June Orientation

For MS in Applied Biostatistics,

MS in Population Health Research, and MPH Part-Time ONLY

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

8:30am-1:00pm

Full agenda and registration form available here.

We will facilitate interactive sessions where you’ll learn about life inside and outside the classroom – from academics to research, employment, and volunteer opportunities.



Orientation provides an excellent opportunity to meet your peers, the faculty and staff, and Deans of the School. If you have questions or need assistance, please email Graduate Student Life.

Fall Orientation

August 29-September 1

Details will be made available during the summer. Please check this website for updates.

Information on Health Requirements and Insurance

Student Health Services has put together two videos regarding insurance and health requirements for graduate students. Please watch these videos to familiarize yourself with requirements.


Academic Accommodations

If you had academic accommodations during your undergraduate career, or haven’t before but have a new physical or mental health diagnosis that would make accommodations important for your academic career with us, please start the application process early! You can go here, and be sure to follow all 3 steps laid out. Please email Robyn Volcy-Lee if you have any questions about the process. She will be your point person regarding any accommodations or accessibility needs while you are here at SPH.

Time to Get Public Health Ready!

The mandatory Public Health Foundations Course is due by the first day of university classes. Students can access the course here once they’ve been enrolled by the Registrar’s Office (BU Kerberos account is required). Modules should take a total of 10-15 hours to complete.


Complete by dates:

Students starting in the summer: July 10th

Students starting in the fall: September 5th


Questions related to this course:

Please contact sphregr@bu.edu

Visit the Foundations of Public Health Course

GSL Team

Mary Murphy-Phillips 

Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Graduate Student Life


Ashley Leonard

Assistant Director of Graduate Student Life


Rea Shqepa

Assistant Director for Student Success


Robyn Volcy-Lee

Wellness & Communications Manager


Tenbit Mitiku

Operations Coordinator


Follow Graduate Student Life on Facebook & Instagram!


BUSPH is now on TikTok!


Summer and Fall 2023 Incoming Student Facebook Group
BUSPH Student FB Group
Getting Started at SPH
GSL Homepage
Events Calendar