Program Overview

Health Equity (HLEQ) Program Details

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in Health Equity is a 45-credit interdisciplinary professional degree. It is a school-wide program, currently administered by the Department of Health Services Administration.

Abstract

The MPH program in Health Equity is designed to train students as public health scientists and practitioners that focus practice and/or research activities on the recognition, description, and elimination of health disparities. Health disparities exist across several groups such as race/ethnic groups, geographic residence, gender, sexual orientation, age, and disability status. Public health and health care practitioners and researchers play a critical role in the identification and amelioration of health disparities and in working towards achieving health equity.

Program Overview

• The MPH program in Health Equity is a unique and interdisciplinary program with students taking courses across all departments at UMD-SPH and across the UMD campus.
• The expertise gained through the MPH in Health Equity prepares students for careers that involve integrating health equity into public health practice at various levels.
• Various agencies in the state (e.g., county and state health departments) and across the nation (e.g., NIH and CDC), including colleges/universities, health-related agencies, community groups, and even large corporations (hospitals and insurance plans), employ public health professionals with a deep understanding of health disparities in order to design, implement, evaluate, and monitor interventions and policies to improve the health of their constituents by working towards health equity.

Curriculum and Structure

• To accommodate a variety of career pursuits, students have flexibility in designing their course structure.
• Once a foundational knowledge is acquired through the MPH program's core requirements, students are encouraged to take electives across a range of disciplines.
• A large number of elective courses are available within the existing graduate curriculum across all departments in the School of Public Health as well as across other UMD colleges and DC area institutions.
• Students will be advised to work with SPH faculty for recommendations about how certain elective courses will best support particular career aspirations.
• The curriculum is adaptable to both a full and part-time student status.

Admission Requirements

General Admission Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree
• Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
• At least one undergraduate math course
• Transcripts from all previous coursework
• English proficiency test score (TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE) (international applicants)
• Statement of purpose and objectives including career and educational goals, professional experience, public health areas of interest, and faculty you are interested in working with
• Response to personal experiences question(s)

Program Specific Requirements

• SOPHAS application & UMD Supplemental application
• Three letters of recommendation
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Fit between applicant's goals and expectations and program degree competencies
• Official GRE Test Score submission is not required. GRE scores won’t be reviewed.
• A writing sample is optional

Application Process and Deadlines

• The MPH in Health Equity program has a two-part application process: applicants must submit the SOPHAS application and the UMD Supplemental application. Both applications must be submitted, complete with all required documents and verified by the scheduled deadline.
• Applications will be reviewed when both the SOPHAS and the UMD Supplemental applications are completed and verified.
• Graduate Application Deadlines:
  • Domestic Applicants:
    • US Citizens and Permanent Residents: April 3, 2026
    • The Fall priority deadline for both SOPHAS and UMD applications is December 19, 2025
  • International Applicants:
    • F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A, E, G, H, I, and L visas and immigrants: March 6, 2026
    • The Fall priority deadline for both SOPHAS and UMD applications is December 19, 2025

Faculty

• The program faculty includes:
  • Michel Boudreaux
  • Jie Chen
  • Eva Hisako DuGoff
  • Andrew Fenelon
  • Dylan Roby
  • Neil Jay Sehgal
  • Lori Simon-Rusinowitz
  • Stephen Thomas

Program Details

• Health Equity, Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
• Department: Health Policy and Management
• School: School of Public Health
• University: University of Maryland