Programs

Public Health

The master’s in public health degree (MPH) in the Department of Public Health Sciences is a 43-credit program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Our MPH program takes advantage of our unique setting within a leading school of medicine with its clinical research resources and collaborative faculty. Active faculty research programs encompass a range of areas, including behavioral interventions, environmental health, global health, health policy and outcomes, maternal and child health, medical decision making, nutrition, and aging. Our MPH program draws students from a wide mix of disciplines and backgrounds, who learn and grow in an academic environment that nurtures innovative scientific inquiry, intellectual discussion, diversity, and both personal and professional development. The MPH program has a longstanding tradition of training a diverse range of public health and health professionals in the skills needed to identify, prevent, and solve community health problems. Students completing the program will be well prepared for professional careers focused on public health practice and research in the public health and medical fields, as well as careers in private industry, government, and nonprofit agencies. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

Use concepts and theories of public health in addressing specific population health concerns.
Formulate and answer questions related to population health improvement among diverse populations using quantitative and qualitative evidence.
Work collaboratively to identify assets and problems, collect relevant data, and devise and evaluate programs.

The MPH program has two formats: the MPH online and the MPH online/on-campus hybrid. Both formats can be completed entirely online and do not require any on-campus presence. For that reason, international students are not eligible to obtain a visa for the MPH program of study, regardless of format.

The MPH online program format is ideal for international students because it can be completed entirely remotely. The MPH online/on-campus hybrid program format can also be delivered completely online, but students taking this format have an additional option for their Integrated Learning Experience (capstone) paper that includes in-person requirements. They also may choose elective courses that are held in person if they wish.

The advanced certificate in public health program is designed to provide individuals with knowledge and understanding of the key elements of public health practice.

The advanced certificate program aims to convey a working knowledge of the five key areas of public health practice: epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral medicine, the U.S. health care system, and environmental epidemiology. The certificate is also designed to prepare qualified individuals to take the American Board of Public Health certification exam.

Information about faculty and research can be found on the Public Health website.

AdmissionsLink to section

Applying to Advanced CertificatesLink to section

Applicants must have earned a U.S. baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a college, university, or technical school of acceptable standing. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted on the condition that their bachelor’s degrees are awarded before they matriculate. Evidence of the earned degree is required before matriculation in the form of an official transcript noting degree conferral.

Application Requirements

We expect all application materials (with the exception of official score reports) to be scanned and uploaded to your online application. Please note that the University of Rochester reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all transcripts and to require submission of official documentation at any point in the admissions review process.

Online application (recommended browser: Google Chrome)
Statement of purpose
Transcript(s) (please do not mail a hard copy)
Official TOEFL (institution code: 2948) or IELTS score (if native language is not English)
CV or resume
Research papers, publications, and other original works for consideration (not required)

Please do not include secondary school documentation or financial documentation as these are not used during the admissions process. Application deadlines are May 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester.

Applying to Master's ProgramsLink to section

Application to the MPH program is encouraged from people with a special interest or experience in the health field, from those in health-related professions, and from those with professional degrees in medicine and other fields related to health care. Candidates for admission to the program must have earned a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent.

Application Requirements

SOPHAS application
Statement of purpose
Transcript(s) (please do not mail a hard copy)
Three letters of recommendation
Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency by providing official scores within two years of the original test date. Acceptable test types: official TOEFL iBT or ITP Plus (SMD school code: 2948; SOPHAS application code: 5688), IELTS, and DuoLingo scores.
CV or resume (optional)
Research papers, publications, and other original works (optional)

AcademicsLink to section

Advanced Certificates and RequirementsLink to section

The advanced certificate program is a post-baccalaureate course of academic study designed for students and practitioners who seek to enhance their professional development. Certificates consist of four or five courses for a total of 12 to 15 credits.

Master's Degrees and RequirementsLink to section

The degree program comprises 43 credits, with the following required courses, plus three electives:

Required Courses

IND 501: Ethics and Professional Integrity in Research (or another one-credit course)
PM 401: Quantitative Methods
PM 415: Principles of Epidemiology
PM 421: U.S. Health Care System: Financing, Delivery, and Performance
PM 426: Social and Behavioral Medicine
PM 445: Introduction to Health Services Research
PM 450: Community Health Applied Practice Experience
PM 455: Foundations in Public Health Sciences
PM 458: Qualitative Health Research
PM 500: Integrated Learning Experience
PM 461: Program Evaluation
PM 493. Health Policy Lab

Other graduate courses are listed below.

Graduate Course TitlesLink to section

PM 401: Quantitative Methods
PM 410: Introduction to Data Management and Analysis
PM 412: Survey Research
PM 413: Field Methods in Epidemiology
PM 414: History of Epidemiology
PM 415: Principles of Epidemiology
PM 416: Advanced Epidemiology Methods
PM 417: Molecular Epidemiology
PM 418: Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Prevention
PM 419: Recruitment and Retention of Human Subjects in Clinical Research
PM 420: American Health Policy and Politics
PM 421: U.S. Health Care System: Financing, Delivery, and Performance
PM 422: Quality of Care and Risk Adjustment
PM 424: Epidemiology and Prevention of Chronic Disease
PM 426: Social and Behavioral Medicine
PM 430: Psychology in Health Services Research
PM 438: Grantsmanship
PM 442: Nutritional Epidemiology
PM 443: Foundations of Maternal and Child Health
PM 445: Introduction to Health Services Research
PM 451: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
PM 455: Foundations in Public Health Sciences
PM 461: Program Evaluation
PM 464: Introduction of Regression Analysis
PM 466: Cancer Epidemiology
PM 469: Multivariate Models for Epidemiology
PM 470: Environmental and Occupational Medicine
PM 472: Measurement and Evaluation of Research Instruments
PM 484: Medical Decision Making and Cost Effectiveness Research
PM 485: Introduction to Biomedical Informatics
PM 486: Medical Ecology in Global Context
PM 488: Experimental Therapeutics
PM 489: Injury Epidemiology and Emergency Care Research Methods
PM 493: Health Policy Lab
PM 494: Reproductive Justice and Health Equity in the U.S.
PM 504: Environmental Health