A concentration within the open curriculum
Brown says most students sample courses before choosing one of 80-plus concentrations, with no set core courses.
Undergraduate · Brown
Brown Public Health: an interdisciplinary concentration inside an open curriculum
Brown does not admit students to Public Health: it admits them to an open curriculum, where most undergraduates sample courses before choosing one of 80-plus concentrations. The Bulletin describes Public Health as interdisciplinary, drawing on the School of Public Health's four departments, with five foundational courses, crosscutting areas, a senior capstone and experiential learning. For an A-level or IB applicant, the questions are what the concentration contains and how Brown's testing and international rules apply. This guide claims no separate application to the concentration.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Brown says about Brown Public Health
Taken from Brown University's Open Curriculum page, the Brown Bulletin's Public Health concentration page and Brown's Standardized Tests and International Applicants pages, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Brown's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Four departments, four components
The concentration draws on four School of Public Health departments and has foundational, crosscutting, capstone and experiential components.
Data, biology and policy together
Students examine how biology, behavior, environment and policy intersect, with skills in data analysis and communication.
Experiential learning
Students apply skills through research, service or internships.
SAT or ACT, no minimum
Brown returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores from the 2024-25 cycle and sets no minimum.
Official sources
- Brown University: Open Curriculumbrown.edu
- Brown Bulletin: Public Healthbulletin.brown.edu
- Brown Undergraduate Admission: Standardized Testsadmission.brown.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Brown University's Open Curriculum page, the Brown Bulletin's Public Health concentration page and Brown's Standardized Tests and International Applicants pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Brown's course catalogue entries, the School of Public Health department pages, the detailed course lists, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The concentration
What the Bulletin says it contains
The Bulletin describes five foundational courses on how health is shaped, from biological processes to health care systems, crosscutting area courses on evidence, interdisciplinary work and equity, a senior capstone seminar and experiential learning through independent study, an academic internship or community-engaged courses. This guide did not read the course lists.
Is it the right concentration?
Public Health or a quantitative neighbour
Brown describes each as separate, so the choice comes after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Public Health fits if
you want health, policy and data analysed together, with community and professional experience.
Applied Mathematics fits if
your interest is mathematical modelling. Avandy's Brown Applied Mathematics guide covers it.
Computational Biology fits if
your interest is computing in biology. Avandy's Brown Computational Biology guide covers it.
Admission and testing
SAT or ACT, no minimum, and A-levels and the IB named
Brown says it returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants from the 2024-25 admission cycle, with no minimum score. International applicants should plan to sit national and international examinations such as GCE A-levels and the IB and submit predicted or actual scores. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Brown's.
Does population health, rather than clinical medicine, interest you?
The concentration studies communities and systems.
Are you comfortable choosing a concentration later?
Brown's students sample courses first.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT?
Brown requires one of them.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Brown's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Brown's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 31 October 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Brown has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Brown for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the Bulletin's Public Health page and plan the SAT or ACT.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Brown University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Brown University. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Brown Public Health?
The pages read describe admission to Brown's open curriculum, where students choose a concentration later.
Which departments does it draw on?
The four departments of the School of Public Health: Behavioral and Social Sciences, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Health Services, Policy, and Practice.
Is there a capstone?
Yes. The Bulletin describes a senior seminar capstone course.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Brown requires SAT or ACT scores from the 2024-25 cycle and sets no minimum score.
Does Brown mention A levels or the IB?
Yes. International applicants should plan to sit exams such as GCE A-levels and the IB and submit predicted or actual scores.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Brown's wording with no entry-year label. Check Brown's pages again when Brown publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Brown Public Health
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their interest in health systems and data, the experiential component and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.