MS in Health Professions Education

Year One

Fall

• 3-day virtual Innovations Seminar (September)
• 2 semester-long online asynchronous courses

Spring

• 2 semester-long online asynchronous courses

Summer

• 3-day virtual Scholarship Seminar (June)
• 1 semester-long online asynchronous course

Year Two

Fall

• 2 semester-long online asynchronous courses

Spring

• 2 semester-long online asynchronous courses

Summer

• 3-day virtual Capstone Seminar (June)
• 1 semester-long online asynchronous course

As you begin the program, you will identify an area of interest for your scholarly project. Throughout your study, you'll explore the issue in depth and capture what you've learned in a publication-ready manuscript, in lieu of a master's thesis. Scholarly projects can cover a wide range of topics.

Degree

Applicants must have an earned bachelor's degree from one of the following:

1. A regionally accredited U.S. college or university
2. An accredited college or university (for those educated outside the U.S.)

Please refer to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation website for additional information on regional accreditation and regionally accredited institutions.

GRE

The GRE is not required as part of the application process. The faculty will carefully consider applicant's previous academic record in the admissions decision.

TOEFL/ IELTS

The language of instruction and clinical education at the MGH Institute is English and a high level of proficiency in both written and spoken English is required. Applicants who have not completed either an undergraduate or graduate program where English is the language of instruction must demonstrate English Language proficiency as part of your application to the MGH Institute of Health Professions.  If you have questions about the language requirements, please contact the Office of Admissions.

• Applicants who are citizens of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Guyana, an Anglophone country of Africa, or an English-speaking country of the Caribbean are not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.

• Applicants who are candidates for graduation from an accredited degree-granting program in the United States or at an English-speaking school in one of the countries listed above are also not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Acceptance to the IHP will be contingent upon successful completion of this degree prior to matriculation.

Please note that in some circumstances, demonstrating English language proficiency may be required by the academic program even if you are a citizen of a country in which the (or one of the) national language(s) is English. Decisions about the need for TOEFL or IELTS scores are at the discretion of the academic program to which you are applying in coordination with the department of OES.

The IHP accepts either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The test must have been taken within two years of the application deadline and official score reports are required. The minimum TOEFL (internet-based) score accepted is 89 and the minimum IELTS score accepted is 6.5.  

• To forward your TOEFL score please contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS).  The MGH Institute of Health Professions code is 3513.
• For IELTS, a Test Report Form may be mailed to MGH Institute of Health Professions and score information will be verified by the IHP directly. You may designate up to 5 schools to receive Test Report Forms at the time you register for the test.  To request additional Test Report Forms, contact your test center.

Please contact the Office of Admissions if you have any questions about the MGH Institute’s English Language requirements. 

Applicants are required to submit a transcript from each college and/or university attended, even if a degree was not received from that institution. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted throughout the application process, and official transcripts will only be required prior to enrolling in the program.

The Office of Admission strongly encourages the use of online electronic transcript ordering which can be sent directly via email to admissions [at] mghihp.edu (admissions[at]mghihp[dot]edu). If this is not an option and your institution does not participate in electronic transcript delivery, please request official transcripts be sent to the mailing address listed below:

Admission Office
MGH Institute of Health Professions
36 First Avenue
Boston, MA 02129

Applicants that have earned a degree from a non-US institution are required to submit a course-by-course credential evaluation from one of the following NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) members: Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., SpanTran: The Evaluation Company, World Education Services (WES), or the Center for Educational Documentation. If you earned your bachelor's degree outside of the U.S. this credential evaluation must document minimum equivalency of a US baccalaureate degree or higher.

Personal Statement

Answers should be addressed in one essay; typed, double-spaced, and no more than four pages in total. Margins should be no more than one inch, and type size should be no smaller than 10-point, with 12-point type preferred. Please make sure your full legal name is included on each page. The statement should be uploaded directly to your online application.

All applicants:

1. Your vision as a health professions educator.
   1. Share your vision for yourself in the role of health professions educator, including your future goals and plans. Your comments may reflect your personal experiences and beliefs about teaching and learning that have influenced your interest in this field.
2. Your teaching experience and roles.
   1. Specify the types of teaching roles and responsibilities that have contributed to your decision to pursue graduate study in health professions education. You may choose to share stories of influential educators or formative experiences to illustrate your points.

Applicants to the AI track must also include answers to the following three questions in their response.

1. How you use AI.
   1. Describe how you currently use artificial intelligence in your professional, educational, or personal practice. What AI tools do you work with, how do you use them, and how has your experience with AI shaped your thinking about its role in health professions education? If your use of AI is limited or just beginning, you are welcome to reflect on what has drawn you to explore it.
2. Why you are selecting the AI Concentration.
   1. Explain what draws you to this concentration and how it aligns with your professional context and career goals. 
3. Your project idea.
   1. Describe a project, research question, or area of inquiry you hope to develop during the program. This may be a preliminary idea rather than a fully formed proposal. What problem or opportunity in health professions education are you most interested in exploring, and how do you envision AI or data science playing a role? If you are unsure of a specific project, describe the educational challenge or context you would most like to address.
       

Resume or CV

Applicants are required to submit a current resume or CV.

References and Interview

Applicants are not required to submit recommendation letters. Instead, all applicants will be interviewed after other application materials have been submitted. You will be asked to provide two individuals who can serve as references. You should submit the following about your references:

1. Complete contact information for these references, including title and organization
2. How the reference writer knows you
3. How long the writer has known you

The reference should be able to address your academic ability, character, and integrity, as well as your potential for graduate professional study.

One reference is required from an MGH Institute faculty member if you are IHP alumni or have previously worked with one of our faculty.

Students can submit their FAFSA at fafsa.gov in order to apply for Federal loans. Eligible graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 for every two semester loan period with the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. In order to be eligible to borrow Federal loans students need to be enrolled at least halftime which is 5 credits in the fall and spring and 3 credits in the summer.

Tuition Reduction for MGB Employees, Alumni and Affiliates

With changing government regulations around loans, our Financial Aid team has answers for you. We can provide a list of recommended lenders, grants and budgeting tools. Before taking a loan, be sure to check your credit at the only federally authorized source for free credit reports from all three major bureaus, AnnualCreditReport.com. If you are unsure how to get started, contact us with questions. We also encourage students to look at the list of scholarship opportunities vetted by our financial aid office.