Master of Public Health (MPH)

Picture of MPH Students sitting outside with MPH sweatshirts

About Our Program

UConn has offered a Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited Master of Public Health (MPH) degree since 1984. An MPH is awarded upon satisfactory performance in 16 courses, 48 credits, distributed among the program’s required, elective, experiential and culminating requirements. Full-time students can complete the program in 2 years; part-time students will require 4 years. A full description can be found in the Program Handbook.

Our Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is intended “to prepare public health professionals … in order to benefit the well-being of Connecticut residents and others through organized, comprehensive, effective and just action.” The curriculum focuses on applied public health practice to prepare leaders for our state’s workforce. Dual degree options are available for students in the UConn schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Law, and Social Work. The M.P.H. program, nationally accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), is directed by David Gregorio, Ph.D.

Interprofessionalism in Public Health

Public health careers for the 21st century will require competence in interprofessional practice. Interprofessional education refers to the capacity of students to enact knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for working together across professions and stakeholder groups to improve outcomes. Our programs continue to pursue mechanisms and activities to ensure that our graduates are competent interprofessional public health practitioners.

Why Choose UConn?

You can join students, alumni, and faculty working to shape our public health system and services. When thinking about public health around Connecticut, it’s hard to overstate our program’s influence.

Our alumni and faculty are found in various positions across the university and throughout the state. MPH program alumni hold positions as:

  • Health directors and staff in state and local health departments
  • Managers of community health and social service organizations
  • Managers and scientists of pharmaceuticals firms, health insurance companies, and hospital systems
  • Educators and researchers
  • Community-based physicians
  • Public policy advocates

Curriculum

Foundational coursework is required of all students (7 courses; 21 credits).

  • PUBH 5403 Health Administration
  • PUBH 5404 Environmental Health
  • PUBH 5405 Social and Behavioral Foundations of Public Health
  • PUBH 5406 Law and Public Health
  • PUBH 5408 Introduction to Epidemiology and Biostatistics I
  • PUBH 5409 Introduction to Epidemiology and Biostatistics II
  • PUBH 5431 Public Health Research Methods

Concentration: PUBH 5411 Principles of Interprofessional Public Health Practice

PUBH 5407 - Practicum in Public Health (2 semesters, 6 credits)

Electives (3-5 courses; 9-15 credits). Students devise specialized plans of study around themes such as Law and Policy, Administration, Occupational/Environmental Health, Epidemiology, and Applied Public Health Practice.

Culminating Project: GRAD 5950 Thesis (9 credits) or PUBH 5499 Capstone Project (3 credits)

How to Apply

Admission to the MPH program is competitive. Prospective students must present evidence of strong undergraduate academic performance in a relevant discipline. Those with experience and knowledge of the U.S. public health system are preferred.

To be considered, your application should include:

  • A personal statement that summarizes your career plans and what has influenced your decision
  • Official transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation

Submit your application here

Foundational (i.e., required) curriculum:

  • Introduction to Interprofessional Public Health Practice
  • Health Administration
  • Public Health Law
  • Epidemiology & Biostatistics I
  • Public Health Research Methods

 

  • Social & Behavioral Foundations of Public Health
  • Environmental Health
  • Practicum in Public Health
  • Epidemiology & Biostatistics II
Electives curriculum (examples from recent years):

Epidemiology:

  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology
  • Intermediate Epidemiology
  • Public Health Issues in Genetics
  • Epi of Substance Abuse Disorders & Psychiatric Co-Morbidities
  • Chronic Disease Control
  • Epidemiology of Disabilities

Environmental health:

  • Environmental Health and Ethical Decision-Making
  • Occupational & Environmental Epidemiology

Social sciences:

  • Health Education
  • Food, Health and Politics
  • Social Inequality and Health Disparities
  • International Health
  • Public Health Nutrition
  • Foundations of Public Health in Disabilities

Quantitative methods:

  • Critical Reasoning in Design of Population Health Research
  • Biostatistical Methods in Clinical Research
  • Topics in Intermediate Biostatistics

Law and ethics:

  • Human Rights and Health
  • Disability Law, Policy, Ethics and Advocacy
  • Public Health Ethics

Health administration:

  • Foundations of Public Health and Disability
  • Public Health Agencies
  • Women, Public Health and Reproduction
  • Comparative Health Systems
  • Alcohol and Drug Policy Research
  • Public Health and Policy in an Aging Society
  • Health Program Evaluation

Challenge Yourself

Here at UConn, you’ll find a curriculum that challenges you to consider your role in shaping health services and the environment to benefit health and well being. An experienced, engaging faculty will provide you with ample opportunity to pursue scholarship and service learning activities where you’ll acquire skills needed for leadership in the public health field.

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