Applications are now open for the Bloomberg Fellows Program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a major public health leadership and graduate education initiative that provides selected professionals with full scholarship support to pursue either a Master of Public Health (MPH) or Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree while continuing to address some of the most urgent health challenges facing communities across the United States.

The Bloomberg Fellows Program is part of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and is specifically designed for people already working on the front lines of public health and related social challenges. Rather than functioning as a conventional scholarship in which funding is based only on an individual student’s academic record, the programme creates a three-way partnership between the Fellow, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Fellow’s employing organization.

Selected Fellows receive tuition and fee support for their Johns Hopkins degree. MPH Fellows also receive a fellowship stipend intended to offset costs such as travel, books and attendance at required in-person activities in Baltimore.

Applications for the current cycle close on:

December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Applicants must complete both the Johns Hopkins degree application and the separate Bloomberg Fellows application process. Admission to the relevant MPH or DrPH degree is a prerequisite for receiving the Fellowship.

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About the Bloomberg Fellows Program

The Bloomberg Fellows Program was created to strengthen the capacity of organizations and professionals confronting major public health challenges in the United States.

The programme does not treat graduate education as separate from public health practice. Instead, it seeks to train professionals who are already embedded in organizations working directly with communities and systems affected by complex health and social problems.

Fellows pursue graduate training at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health while maintaining a formal relationship with a qualifying collaborating organization. After graduation, they must return to or continue working with that organization for at least one year so that the knowledge and skills developed through the degree can be applied directly to real-world public health challenges.

This makes the programme particularly relevant to professionals working in areas such as:

• Public health departments
• Community-based organizations
• Nonprofit organizations
• Health systems
• Schools and education organizations
• Criminal justice organizations
• Environmental organizations
• Housing and community development organizations
• Food systems organizations
• Violence-prevention programmes
• Addiction and overdose prevention initiatives

Collaborating organizations do not necessarily need to be traditional public health institutions. What matters is that their work directly connects with one of the programme’s five priority areas.

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Five Priority Areas

Applicants must select one of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative’s five focus areas.

These are:

1. Addiction and Overdose
2. Adolescent Health
3. Environmental Challenges
4. Food Systems for Health
5. Violence

The applicant’s professional responsibilities, collaborating organization and proposed academic development should all have a meaningful connection to the selected focus area.

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1. Addiction and Overdose

This focus area is relevant to professionals addressing substance use, overdose and associated public health challenges.

Potential applicants may work in fields such as:

• Harm reduction
• Addiction treatment
• Overdose prevention
• Substance-use policy
• Recovery programmes
• Behavioral health
• Community health
• Public health surveillance

The Fellowship can help professionals deepen their ability to develop, evaluate and implement evidence-based responses to addiction and overdose.

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2. Adolescent Health

The Adolescent Health focus area concentrates on improving the health and well-being of young people.

Relevant professional work may involve:

• Schools
• Youth-serving organizations
• Mental health
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Youth development
• Prevention programmes
• Adolescent health policy
• Community programmes for young people

Applicants do not need to work for a traditional health department. A school, nonprofit, community organization or other institution working directly on adolescent well-being may potentially serve as the collaborating organization if it satisfies Fellowship requirements.

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3. Environmental Challenges

The Environmental Challenges focus area addresses the relationship between environmental conditions and population health.

Professionals may be engaged in areas such as:

• Environmental justice
• Climate and health
• Air quality
• Water safety
• Housing conditions
• Environmental policy
• Community resilience
• Environmental exposure and health

This area is particularly relevant for professionals interested in strengthening the public health response to environmental risks.

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4. Food Systems for Health

This focus area examines how food systems influence population health.

Applicants might work in areas including:

• Food access
• Food insecurity
• Nutrition
• Agricultural systems
• Community food systems
• Healthy food policy
• Neighborhood development
• Institutional food systems

Johns Hopkins specifically notes that even an organization focused on neighborhood development could potentially qualify if its work meaningfully relates to food systems and health.

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5. Violence

The Violence focus area supports professionals seeking to prevent violence and reduce its health consequences.

Relevant areas might include:

• Community violence prevention
• Intimate partner violence
• Youth violence
• Firearm injury prevention
• Criminal justice
• Trauma
• Violence intervention
• Community safety

Organizations working to reduce community violence can qualify even if they are not formally categorized as public health agencies.

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Two Degree Pathways: MPH and DrPH

Bloomberg Fellows can pursue either:

Master of Public Health (MPH)

or:

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

Applicants must select one programme during a given application cycle. They cannot apply simultaneously to both the MPH and DrPH for Fellowship consideration in the same cycle.

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Bloomberg Fellows MPH

The Johns Hopkins MPH option is available in both:

• Full-time format
• Part-time format

The full-time MPH takes approximately 11 months, beginning in late June and ending the following May. It is based primarily in Baltimore.

The part-time MPH combines:

• Online coursework
• In-person components

and typically takes approximately two to three years to complete.

Both formats are eligible for the Bloomberg Fellows Program.

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Full-Time MPH Fellows

Full-time MPH Fellows generally take a leave of absence from their collaborating organization to complete the intensive 11-month programme.

The leave arrangement must be agreed between the Fellow and the employer.

The Fellow remains connected to the organization through the Fellowship structure and ultimately completes the required service obligation following graduation.

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Part-Time MPH Fellows

Part-time MPH Fellows generally continue working:

Full-time with their collaborating organization

while completing their academic programme.

This model may be particularly attractive to professionals who want to continue contributing directly to their organization while pursuing graduate training.

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MPH Scholarship Coverage

Bloomberg Fellows pursuing the MPH receive scholarship support covering:

Tuition and fees for up to 80 credits.

MPH Fellows also receive a stipend.

The stipend is intended to help offset Fellowship-related costs including:

• Travel
• Books
• Other programme-related expenses
• Costs associated with attending required in-person coursework in Baltimore

The Fellowship page confirms that the stipend is available to both full-time and part-time MPH Fellows.

The official programme page does not currently publish a universal stipend amount, so applicants should not rely on unofficial figures circulated elsewhere.

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MPH Admissions Requirements

Receiving the Fellowship requires admission to the Johns Hopkins MPH programme.

For students beginning the MPH in June 2027 or later, Johns Hopkins lists several important requirements.

Applicants generally need relevant health-related professional preparation and must satisfy one of the programme’s experience pathways. The standard route requires at least:

Two years of full-time, paid, post-baccalaureate health-related professional experience.

Alternative qualifying pathways include certain doctoral degrees or U.S. post-baccalaureate professional health training.

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MPH Coursework Prerequisites for 2027 Entry

For applicants beginning in June 2027 or later, the MPH requires:

• One mathematics course, such as calculus, algebra or statistics
• One health-related science course

Examples of acceptable health-related sciences can include:

• Biology
• Microbiology
• Cellular biology
• Nutrition
• Anatomy and physiology
• Epidemiology
• Psychology
• Environmental science
• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Kinesiology

These courses must be completed satisfactorily at an accredited institution by matriculation.

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Standardized Tests for the MPH

Johns Hopkins currently states that standardized test scores such as the:

• GRE
• GMAT
• LSAT
• MCAT

are optional for the MPH programme.

Applicants who do not submit test scores are still expected to demonstrate adequate quantitative and analytical ability through other parts of the application.

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Bloomberg Fellows DrPH

The Doctor of Public Health is designed for experienced professionals seeking advanced public health leadership roles.

The programme is predominantly:

Part-time

and combines online study with summer and winter institutes and other academic requirements.

It is intended for individuals who already have an MPH or another relevant graduate degree and who plan to pursue leadership positions in public health practice.

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DrPH Scholarship Coverage

Bloomberg Doctoral Fellows receive support covering:

All tuition and fees for up to 70 credits.

Unlike MPH Fellows, the official Fellowship information does not state that DrPH Fellows receive the MPH Fellowship stipend.

The stipend described by Johns Hopkins is specifically for Bloomberg Fellows enrolled in the MPH programme.

This distinction is important when promoting the programme.

The DrPH is fully tuition-funded under the Fellowship, but applicants should not assume that the same additional stipend applies.

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DrPH Academic Requirements

Applicants to the DrPH must hold:

An MPH or another relevant graduate degree

by the time they matriculate.

Examples of potentially acceptable graduate degrees include:

• MPH
• MHA
• MHS
• MPP
• MSPH
• MS or ScM
• Health-focused MBA
• Other relevant graduate degrees

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DrPH Professional Experience Requirement

DrPH applicants must have at least:

Three years of full-time professional experience in public health, healthcare or a closely related field

by the December 1 application deadline.

This makes the DrPH pathway more appropriate for professionals who already have substantial applied experience.

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Who Can Apply for the Bloomberg Fellows Program?

At the Fellowship level, applicants must satisfy several important requirements.

They must be:

• Currently based in the United States
• Working full-time for a qualifying organization
• Working in one of the five priority areas
• Performing that relevant work in the United States
• Applying to either the Johns Hopkins MPH or DrPH
• Admitted to the relevant degree programme
• Supported by their collaborating organization

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Applicant Must Be a Full-Time Employee

Applicants cannot participate merely as volunteers.

Johns Hopkins states that the collaborating organization is the applicant’s employer and that the applicant must be employed full-time by that organization when applying.

The Fellowship FAQ further states that applicants should have worked for the collaborating organization for:

More than one year at the time of application.

This is an important eligibility condition.

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What Is a Collaborating Organization?

The collaborating organization is the applicant’s employer.

It can be a:

• Public organization
• Private organization
• Nonprofit
• Government agency
• Health organization
• School
• Community organization
• Criminal justice organization
• Housing organization
• Environmental organization
• Other institution

provided its work connects meaningfully with one of the five Bloomberg American Health Initiative focus areas.

The organization itself and the relevant work must be based in the United States.

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The Organization Must Participate in the Application

The collaborating organization is not simply listed as an employer.

It must actively participate in the application.

The organization completes a separate:

Collaborating Organization Form

and confirms its support for the applicant.

If the Fellow is selected, the organization must also sign a:

Letter of Commitment

pledging in good faith to employ the Fellow for at least one year after graduation.

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Service Obligation After Graduation

A central requirement of the Bloomberg Fellows Program is the:

Service Obligation.

After completing the MPH or DrPH, Fellows must work as full-time employees of their collaborating organization in the selected focus area for at least:

One year.

The service must begin within 12 months of completing the degree requirements.

This requirement reflects the programme’s central philosophy: Johns Hopkins invests in professionals who will take advanced public health skills back into organizations already working on urgent U.S. health challenges.

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Important Grant Repayment Condition

Applicants should understand that the Fellowship funding is linked to completion of the degree and the Service Obligation.

For MPH Fellows, Johns Hopkins states that failure to satisfy the terms of the Grant Agreement can require repayment of the full grant award. The programme describes the Fellowship as a grant that can convert to a loan if the requirements are not met.

The stated loan arrangement can extend for up to 15 years at an annual interest rate of 1%.

Applicants should therefore read the Grant Agreement carefully before accepting the award.

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Can International Applicants Apply?

Yes.

Applicants do not have to be U.S. citizens.

However, this should not be confused with being globally open regardless of residence.

International applicants must still be:

• Currently based in the United States
• Employed full-time by a qualifying organization
• Performing qualifying work in the United States

The collaborating organization’s relevant work must also be based in the United States.

Therefore, someone living and working in Kenya, India, Nigeria, Brazil, Germany or another country would not qualify simply because international citizens are technically eligible.

Nationality is flexible; current professional location is not.

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Existing Johns Hopkins MPH or DrPH Students Are Not Eligible

The Fellowship is intended for people who are newly applying to the relevant degree.

Applicants who are already matriculated in the MPH or DrPH programme are not eligible to apply for the Bloomberg Fellowship.

This means prospective Fellows should apply for the Fellowship at the same time they seek admission to Johns Hopkins.

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You Must Apply to the Degree and Fellowship Separately

There are two separate processes.

Step 1: Apply to Johns Hopkins

Applicants must submit an application to either:

• MPH
• DrPH

through SOPHAS, the Schools of Public Health Application Service.

Step 2: Apply to the Bloomberg Fellows Program

Applicants must separately submit:

• Bloomberg Fellows applicant form
• Collaborating Organization form

through the Fellowship application platform.

Completing only the degree application is not enough.

Completing only the Fellowship application is also not enough.

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Admission Is Required Before Fellowship Selection

Being interested in the Fellowship does not override the academic admissions process.

An applicant must be admitted to the relevant Johns Hopkins degree to remain eligible for Fellowship consideration.

For DrPH applicants, those placed on the admission waitlist are not considered for the Fellowship because Fellowship review operates on a separate fixed timeline.

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MPH and DrPH Start Dates

Selected Fellows begin according to the programme they choose.

MPH

Bloomberg MPH Fellows begin in:

June

DrPH

Bloomberg DrPH Fellows begin in:

August

For the 2027–28 academic cycle, the Johns Hopkins admissions calendar lists December 1, 2026 as the deadline for both the relevant June 2027 MPH intake and the DrPH programme.

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Required In-Person Study in Baltimore

Although significant portions of some programmes can be completed online, Bloomberg Fellows should not assume the Fellowship can be completed entirely remotely.

All Bloomberg Fellows must complete at least:

Five in-person academic credits in Baltimore.

Applicants should therefore plan for the associated travel and scheduling requirements.

For MPH Fellows, the stipend is partly intended to help offset costs connected with these in-person requirements.

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Fellowship Orientation

New Fellows must participate in a Fellowship orientation.

Johns Hopkins states that orientation generally takes place in:

Early to mid-June

and is typically conducted virtually via Zoom.

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Bloomberg American Health Summit

Fellows are also expected to participate in the annual:

Bloomberg American Health Summit

which usually takes place near the end of the year.

The Summit brings together:

• Fellows
• Alumni
• Faculty
• Collaborating organizations
• Public health leaders
• Initiative partners

and provides an opportunity for cross-sector learning and networking.

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Problem-Focused Networks

One of the distinctive features of the Fellowship is participation in professional networks associated with the five priority areas.

These networks bring together:

• Fellows
• Alumni
• Johns Hopkins faculty
• Organizations

to:

• Identify common challenges
• Develop collaborative research
• Share information
• Implement evidence-based policies
• Develop programmes

The network therefore continues beyond the academic degree itself.

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Enrichment and Professional Development

Bloomberg Fellows also receive access to special learning and professional-development opportunities.

These can include:

• Seminars
• Speakers
• Training
• Professional networking
• Fellowship activities
• Cross-focus-area learning

This makes the Fellowship more than simply a tuition scholarship.

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MPH Practicum and Capstone

For MPH Fellows, the programme directly connects academic requirements with the collaborating organization.

Fellows must work with their organization to develop:

• Practicum
• Capstone project

that benefits both the Fellow and organization and relates to the Fellow’s selected priority area.

This helps ensure that the graduate degree remains grounded in practical public health work.

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Can Applicants Change Their Collaborating Organization?

This is highly restricted.

The Fellowship is awarded based on the combination of:

• Applicant
• Collaborating organization

If a selected Fellow changes organizations after receiving the award, during onboarding, before starting, or within the specified early programme period, the Fellowship can be rescinded.

Applicants should therefore be confident about their relationship with their organization before applying.

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Can Fellows Defer the Award?

No.

The Bloomberg Fellows Program does not permit Fellowship deferrals.

Selected applicants must either:

• Accept the award for the specified cycle, or
• Decline it

They cannot automatically move the Fellowship to the following year.

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Dual and Joint Degrees Are Not Eligible

The Bloomberg Fellows Program is specifically intended for applicants pursuing either the:

• MPH
• DrPH

It does not support Fellows enrolled in dual or joint degree programmes.

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Application Deadline

The current Fellowship application closes:

December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.

Johns Hopkins also lists December 1, 2026 as the relevant admissions deadline for:

• DrPH
• MPH full-time 2027 entry
• MPH online/part-time June 2027 entry

Applicants should not wait until the deadline because they need to coordinate both the degree application and the collaborating organization component.

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How to Prepare a Strong Application

1. Demonstrate Clear Alignment With One Priority Area

Do not merely select a focus area because it sounds interesting.

Explain how your current professional work already addresses:

• Addiction and overdose
• Adolescent health
• Environmental challenges
• Food systems for health
• Violence

Your role should show genuine frontline engagement.

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2. Explain Why Graduate Training Will Strengthen Your Existing Work

The Fellowship is not simply designed for someone who wants a prestigious public health degree.

Explain how Johns Hopkins training will help you:

• Improve programmes
• Develop stronger evidence
• Lead organizations
• Evaluate interventions
• Design policy
• Improve systems
• Strengthen community health

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3. Work Closely With Your Employer

Your collaborating organization is an integral part of your application.

Before applying, make sure organizational leadership understands:

• The Fellowship structure
• Degree format
• Time requirements
• Service Obligation
• Organization form
• Letter of Commitment

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4. Explain How Your Organization Will Benefit

Strong applications should demonstrate mutual benefit.

Explain how the degree will strengthen:

• Organizational capacity
• Programme design
• Leadership
• Research
• Evaluation
• Community impact

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5. Prepare Early

Because the application has multiple components, applicants should allow enough time for:

• SOPHAS
• Academic transcripts
• Recommendations
• Johns Hopkins requirements
• Collaborating organization documentation
• Fellowship essays/forms

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Key Details at a Glance

Programme: Bloomberg Fellows Program

Institution: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Country: United States

Degrees: MPH or DrPH

MPH formats: Full-time or part-time

MPH scholarship: Tuition and fees for up to 80 credits

MPH stipend: Yes, for both full-time and part-time Fellows

DrPH scholarship: Tuition and fees for up to 70 credits

DrPH stipend: No general stipend stated on the official Fellowship page

Priority areas: Addiction and overdose; adolescent health; environmental challenges; food systems for health; violence

Residence requirement: Applicant must currently be based in the United States

Employment: Full-time with qualifying collaborating organization

Employer tenure: Applicants should have been employed by the organization for more than one year when applying

Nationality: U.S. citizenship not required

Post-graduation requirement: At least one year of employment with collaborating organization

In-person requirement: At least five credits in Baltimore

MPH start: June

DrPH start: August

Deadline: December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST

To know more about this opportunity, please visit the OFFICAL WEBSITE.

APPLY HERE

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Conclusion

The Bloomberg Fellows Program 2026–2027 at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is a substantial opportunity for professionals who are already working to address major public health challenges in the United States and want advanced graduate training without assuming the full tuition burden of an MPH or DrPH.

Selected MPH Fellows receive tuition and fee coverage for up to 80 credits, while DrPH Fellows receive tuition and fee support for up to 70 credits. MPH Fellows additionally receive a stipend designed to help offset Fellowship-related expenses.

The Fellowship is built around five focus areas: addiction and overdose, adolescent health, environmental challenges, food systems for health, and violence. Applicants must already work full-time for a U.S.-based organization engaged in one of these areas, and both the applicant and relevant organizational work must be based in the United States.

Importantly, this is not simply a tuition award. The programme establishes a long-term partnership among the Fellow, Johns Hopkins and the collaborating organization. Fellows must remain engaged with their organization during their studies as appropriate to their programme format and complete at least one year of full-time service with the organization after graduation.

Applications require separate submissions to the MPH or DrPH programme and the Bloomberg Fellows Program, together with participation from the collaborating organization.

The deadline is:

December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.

Prospective applicants should begin coordinating with their employer and preparing the Johns Hopkins admission application well before the deadline.

To discover more global fellowship opportunities, VISIT HERE.