Program Overview

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Public Health Policy Program

The Department of Public Health Policy and Management offers two specializations: MPH Public Health Policy and MPH Public Health Management. The department aims to develop leaders who will influence policy and manage organizations to improve and protect the public's health.

Program Overview

You will be prepared to develop, implement, and evaluate policies and management strategies in health care and public health. If you are interested in working with government agencies, nonprofits, or private health care organizations that seek to advance public health, these concentrations are suited to your career goals.

Key Skills

When you graduate with the Public Health Policy concentration, you will be prepared to influence policy and develop creative strategies to improve health care delivery and public health systems. You will stand out to employers with a skill set that has both breadth and depth in key public health policy and management areas.

Public Health Policy Concentration

When you graduate with the Public Health Policy concentration, you will gain the following competencies that will prepare you to:

1. Analyze the main components and challenges in the organization, financing and delivery of health care and public health services.
2. Describe the legal basis for public health and health services.
3. Analyze public health data to evaluate policy impacts on the target population.
4. Discuss policy options to improve the health status of populations, especially vulnerable groups.
5. Describe the utility of evidence-based theories or frameworks, such as logic models, in the design and implementation of public health programs.

Professional Development

You will benefit from countless opportunities to build skills and experience to prepare you for successful careers in public health policy and management.

Public Health Policy Course Checklists

The Public Health Policy checklist outlines the requirements for this concentration, as well as which core and concentration courses have pre-requisites.

Degree Requirements

• All students in the Public Health Policy concentration take the following courses (18 credits):
  • GPH-GU 2030 Introduction to Global Health (2)
  • GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3)
  • GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (2)
  • GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Policy and Management (2)
  • GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0)
  • GPH-GU 5170 Introduction to Public Health (0)

Concentration Courses

• All students in the Public Health Policy concentration take the following concentration courses (15 credits):
  • GPH-GU 2294 Designing and Managing Organizations in Public Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 2282 Health Economics (3)
  • GPH-GU 2155 Public Health Policy (3)
  • GPH-GU 2349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3)
  • GPH-GU 2292 Public Health Law (3)

Culminating Experience

Students in the Public Health Policy and Management concentrations complete an internship, inclusive of a seminar course and 180 hours of public health practice experience, and serves as the culminating experience of the MPH degree.

• GPH-GU 2359 Applied Practice Experience Seminar (2)
• GPH-GU 2360 Integrative Learning Experience Seminar (2)

Electives

As of Fall 2024, all students in the Public Health Policy concentration may take any GPH-GU course as an elective; 9 credits of electives are required.

Full-Time Course Sequence

Year 1:

• Fall semester 1 (12 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2030 Introduction to Global Health (2)
  • GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3)
  • GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (2)
  • GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management and Leadership (2)
  • GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0)
  • GPH-GU 5170 Introduction to Public Health (0)
• Spring semester 1 (12 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 2294 Designing & Managing Organizations in Public Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 2155 Public Health Policy (3)
• Summer
  • Fieldwork hours for the Applied Practice requirement.

Year 2:

• Fall semester 2 (11 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2359 Applied Practice Experience Seminar (2)
  • GPH-GU 2349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3)
  • Elective (3)
  • Elective (3)
• Spring semester 2 (11 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2360 Integrative Learning Experience Seminar (2)
  • GPH-GU 2282 Health Economics (3)
  • GPH-GU 2292 Public Health Law (3)
  • Elective (3)

Part-Time Course Sequence

Year 1:

• Fall semester (6 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2030 Introduction to Global Health (2)
  • GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (2)
  • GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management and Leadership (2)
  • GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0)
• Spring semester (6 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 2294 Designing & Managing Organizations in Public Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 5170 Introduction to Public Health (0)

Year 2:

• Fall semester (6 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
  • GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3)
• Spring semester (6 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2155 Public Health Policy (3)
  • GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3)

Year 3:

• Fall semester (6 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3)
  • Elective (3)
• Spring semester (6 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2282 Health Economics (3)
  • GPH-GU 2292 Public Health Law (3)
• Summer
  • Fieldwork hours for the Applied Practice requirement.

Year 4:

• Fall semester 2 (5 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2359 Applied Practice Experience Seminar (2)
  • Elective (3)
• Spring semester 2 (5 credits)
  • GPH-GU 2360 Integrative Learning Experience Seminar (2)
  • Elective (3)