Imagine getting a full scholarship to earn an MPH or DrPH from the most famous school of public health in the world — while staying embedded in the organization where you already do the work. That's the deal the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Fellows Program offers, and it's genuinely unusual: the fellowship is designed for people already on the front lines of America's public health challenges, not fresh graduates hunting for a degree. If you work for a US organization fighting addiction, supporting teens, tackling environmental threats, fixing food systems, or reducing violence, this one is built for you.
In short: The Bloomberg Fellows Program provides a full-tuition scholarship to earn an MPH or DrPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for professionals working with US-based organizations in five priority areas. Applications are open now and close December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.
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Quick Overview
- Host Country: United States
- Host Institution: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore
- Degree Level: MPH (Master of Public Health) or DrPH (Doctor of Public Health)
- Program Duration: MPH or DrPH degree length (part-time and full-time MPH options)
- Funding Type: Fully funded — full tuition scholarship
- Deadline: December 1, 2026, 11:59 PM EST
Benefits of the Bloomberg Fellows Program
This is a full-ride degree plus a professional home. The funding is real and the network is the point.
- Full-tuition scholarship — Fellows receive a full scholarship to earn the MPH, or a full-tuition scholarship each year of the DrPH.
- A world-class degree — the Bloomberg School's MPH is one of the most respected public health degrees in the world; the DrPH is a practice-based doctorate for working leaders.
- Problem-focused networks — Fellows join professional networks built around each of the five priority areas, connecting Fellows, alumni, Hopkins faculty, and organizations to share evidence and build collaborative solutions.
- Leadership development — training structured around leading change in your organization and community, not just coursework.
- The Bloomberg American Health network — a growing community of scholars, educators, and practitioners across the country, including the annual Bloomberg American Health Summit near year's end.
- Career continuity — DrPH Fellows stay embedded in their organizations throughout training, and MPH Fellows return to such organizations for at least a year after graduation, putting new skills straight to work.
- Practical learning — the fellowship is designed around your real organization and its real problems, not hypothetical case studies.
Eligibility Criteria for the Bloomberg Fellows Program
This fellowship selects on where you work and what you're doing there — read these carefully.
- On the front lines — the programme is designed for individuals currently working with organizations tackling critical challenges facing the United States in one of the five focus areas: Addiction & Overdose, Adolescent Health, Environmental Challenges, Food Systems for Health, or Violence.
- US-based work — the organization's work in the chosen focus area, and your work with that organization, should be based in the United States. This is a US-focused fellowship; international applicants should not expect eligibility.
- Apply to one degree, not both — you apply to either the MPH or the DrPH programme, not both. Applying to both makes you ineligible for fellowship consideration.
- Choose your pace (MPH) — MPH applicants select either part-time or full-time enrollment.
- DrPH admission rule — only candidates initially admitted to the DrPH programme are eligible for fellowship review; waitlisted applicants are not considered.
- Degree admission is separate — you must be admitted to the MPH or DrPH programme through the normal admissions process in addition to being selected for the fellowship.
How to Apply for the Bloomberg Fellows Program
There are two parts, and both must be complete before the deadline. Late applications and direct email submissions are not accepted.
1. Apply to the degree programme through SOPHAS. Submit your application to either the MPH or DrPH programme at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health via the Schools of Public Health Application Services (SOPHAS) system — including transcripts, test scores where applicable, and recommendation letters. 2. Create a Submittable account. The fellowship application forms run through Submittable. 3. Complete the Fellowship Applicant Form. Submit it through Submittable before the deadline. 4. Get your organization's form submitted. Your collaborating organization must complete and submit the Collaborating Organization Form through Submittable too. Start this conversation early — you cannot control your organization's timeline, but you own the consequences of it slipping. 5. Review everything carefully. Check that both the SOPHAS application and the Submittable forms are fully complete. One missing piece can disqualify the whole package. 6. Submit before December 1, 2026, 11:59 PM EST. Submit early rather than at the deadline — portals and referees have a way of misbehaving at midnight. 7. Sign the Grant Agreement. Selected Fellows sign a Grant Agreement with the programme's terms. Note honestly: the fellowship is structured as a grant, but if you don't fulfill the agreement's terms, it can convert into a loan under the programme's repayment conditions. Read the agreement before you sign. 8. Wait for decisions. Fellowship decisions are communicated by email during March. MPH Fellows typically begin in June and DrPH Fellows in August; new Fellows also attend an orientation (usually early to mid-June, typically virtual).
Required Documents
You'll need materials for two tracks — the degree admission and the fellowship application.
- SOPHAS degree application — academic transcripts, required test scores (if applicable), letters of recommendation, and supplemental admissions materials for the MPH or DrPH programme.
- Fellowship Applicant Form — submitted through Submittable.
- Collaborating Organization Form — submitted by your organization through Submittable.
- Grant Agreement — signed by selected Fellows.
Bloomberg Fellows Program 2027 Deadline
Applications are open right now and remain open until 11:59 PM EST on December 1, 2026. Both parts — the SOPHAS degree application with all supplemental materials, and the two Submittable forms (yours and your organization's) — must be submitted by that moment. The official page is blunt: late applications and direct email submissions will not be accepted. Decisions go out by email during March. If you miss this window, you'll need to wait for the next cycle; the programme runs annually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Bloomberg Fellows Program really fully funded?
Yes — Fellows receive a full-tuition scholarship for the MPH, or a full-tuition scholarship each year of the DrPH. Be honest with yourself about the trade: tuition is covered, but you'll still need to manage travel and scheduling for the required in-person credits in Baltimore, so plan your budget with that in mind.
Can international applicants apply?
This is a US-focused fellowship. The programme is designed for individuals whose organizations — and whose own work — are based in the United States, tackling challenges facing the United States. If that's not you, look at Hopkins' other funding routes instead.
Can I apply to both the MPH and the DrPH fellowship?
No. You must choose one degree programme during the application cycle. Applying to both automatically makes you ineligible for fellowship consideration.
Do I need to already work at a public health organization?
Effectively, yes. The fellowship is designed for individuals currently working with organizations on the front lines of one of the five focus areas. You also need that organization to complete the Collaborating Organization Form — so an unsupportive employer is a deal-breaker.
What are the five focus areas?
Addiction & Overdose, Adolescent Health, Environmental Challenges, Food Systems for Health, and Violence. Your organization must be working in one of these.
Is the fellowship a scholarship or a loan?
It's structured as a grant — but read the fine print. Selected Fellows sign a Grant Agreement, and if you don't fulfill its terms, the grant can convert into a loan under the programme's repayment conditions. This is normal for service-linked fellowships; just know your obligations before signing.
Can I do the MPH part-time while working?
Yes — MPH applicants select either part-time or full-time enrollment. Note that all Fellows must complete at least five in-person academic credits in Baltimore regardless of track, so don't assume a fully remote experience.
What happens after graduation?
MPH Fellows work for at least one year for such organizations after graduating, putting their new skills to use. DrPH Fellows stay embedded in their organizations throughout training and likewise work there for at least a year after graduation.
When do Fellows start?
Following the usual Johns Hopkins academic calendar, MPH Fellows typically begin in June and DrPH Fellows in August of the academic year, with a fellowship orientation (usually early to mid-June, typically virtual) for new Fellows.
Do I have to attend the Bloomberg American Health Summit?
Fellows are expected to participate in the annual Bloomberg American Health Summit, usually held near the end of the year, alongside Fellows, alumni, faculty, collaborating organizations, and initiative partners.
Final Words
If you're already doing the work this fellowship was built for — in an overdose response team, a school health programme, a food justice nonprofit, an environmental health department — the Bloomberg Fellows Program is one of the most practical fully funded degrees in America. The two-track application takes real coordination, so start the organization conversation this week, not in November.
