The Department of Public Health Sciences at UConn Health offers the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. The M.P.H. focuses on Interprofessional Public Health Practice for students anticipating careers working with local Governmental or non-Governmental agencies in delivering essential public health services. The M.P.H. degree integrates coursework on foundational topics in public health and experiential requirements that demonstrate competency as a public health practitioner with elective options on substantive areas of study (e.g., epidemiology, behavioral science, health systems administration, etc.). The Ph.D. degree focuses on the Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health and rigorously prepares individuals for careers in academic and research institutes, federal agencies and private sector business and industry.
Requirements: The M.P.H. and Ph.D. degree requirements conform to all the Graduate School requirements, as well as standards specified by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit public health schools and programs.
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
The M.P.H. degree requires completion of 48 graduate credits comprised of 30 required credits for foundational (i.e., required) courses in Public Health. In consultation with program advisors, students will complete three PUBH-elective courses to reflect a topical area of student interest, and either an Integrative Learning Experience consisting of either nine credits of GRAD 5950 or two additional electives along with three credits of PUBH 5499. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. Grades below “B” in any foundational course or “C+” in any elective represent academic deficiencies that require a remediation plan approved by a student’s major advisor and Program Director.
Required courses: PUBH 5403, 5404, 5405, 5406, 5408, 5409, 5411, 5431 and two semesters of 5407.
Substantive Areas of Focus. Elective courses should be selected in consultation with program advisors and reflect a substantive focus on Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Administration and Policy, Environmental and Occupational Health or Health Promotion/Disease Prevention.
Master of Public Health FastTrack (M.P.H.)
A FastTrack (4+1) B.A./B.S. and M.P.H. option is available for highly motivated UConn undergraduate students. The FastTrack allows students to complete their baccalaureate degrees in any UConn-approved discipline and all M.P.H. degree requirements within five years. The FastTrack program is a 14 course, 42-credit opportunity that utilizes distance learning/video conferencing technologies (e.g., iTV) to synchronously link undergraduates with graduate courses offered on the Farmington campus.
Students are accepted into the program as early as their 5th semester of undergraduate study on the basis of their academic performance (a minimum GPA of 3.25), personal background and/or experiences revealing a commitment to the health communities.
While fulfilling requirements of their B.A./B.S. degree, FastTrack students simultaneously complete a maximum of 12 credits of coursework toward the M.P.H. (PUBH 5408, 5409, 5411 and 5431) that may be applicable to both undergraduate and graduate plans of study. During a 5th year of study, students will complete remaining foundational course requirements (PUBH 5403, 5404, 5405, 5406 and two semesters of 5407). In addition, through consultation with program advisors, students will elect to complete either, one PUBH-elective course and GRAD 5950, or three PUBH-electives and PUBH 5499. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. Grades below “B” in any foundational course or “C+” in any elective represent academic deficiencies that require a remediation plan approved by a student’s major advisor and Program Director.
Doctorate in Public Health (Ph.D.)
This program rigorously prepares public health professionals, scholars, and research scientists needed in a wide variety of settings to meet the health challenges of the 21st century. The degree reinforces foundational principles of public health with theoretical underpinnings and methodological techniques of population health research. The Ph.D. degree requires completion of 60 credits beyond the Master’s degree, consisting of 45 credits in coursework and 15 credits of Doctoral Dissertation Research. The Ph.D. in Public Health does not have a related area or foreign language requirement. Options for focused work in Public Health are many, although the areas of research listed below are emphasized.
Social and Behavioral Health Sciences. Explores interpersonal and institutional influences on individual and community health, with attention to design and evaluate of interventions for improving health outcomes.
Occupational Health Sciences. Offers students grounding in theory and methodology as well as specialized instruction that builds knowledge of the broad range of occupational exposures and their influences on health, illness and injury, and interventions to improve these outcomes.
Chronic Disease Epidemiology. Develops expertise in cancer epidemiology and prognosis, public health genetics, and psychiatric epidemiology.
Foundational Knowledge: PUBH 5406 or 5460; 5434 or an advanced statistical elective; 5436 or an advanced epidemiology elective; 5453; and 6496. A student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 with no grade below a “B-.”
Population Research Methods: With permission of a student’s advisory committee.
Biostatistics Electives. With permission of a student’s advisory committee.
Epidemiology Electives. With permission of a student’s advisory committee.
Doctoral Dissertation Research: 15 credits of GRAD 6950 or 6960.
The programs are offered by UConn Health.