Program Overview

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Overview of the MPH in Health Policy and Management Program

The MPH in Health Policy and Management program at CUNY SPH prepares students to plan and manage public health programs in a variety of urban settings, analyze the impact of health and non-health policies on population health, and advocate for policies that promote the health of populations. The program emphasizes intersectoral approaches to policy and management in urban settings and the economic dimensions of health policy.

Program Details

• Program Format: ONLINE/ON-CAMPUS HYBRID, FULLY ONLINE
• Duration: FULL-TIME, PART-TIME
• Scholarships: AVAILABLE

About the Program

The MPH in Health Policy and Management program is designed for public health advocates who want to learn to plan and manage public health programs in diverse urban settings at the intersection of social justice and law. Students will examine the economic dimensions of health policy through a social justice lens and advocate for transformative health policies that strengthen population health through effective program design and execution.

What Will You Learn?

• Examine the economic dimensions of health policy through a social justice lens
• Advocate for transformative health policies that strengthen population health
• Design and execute effective public health programs

Where to After Graduation?

Graduates work in health and other settings as managers, analysts, and policy advocates that promote the health of populations through transformative policy research, design, and advocacy.

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

• Completed SOPHAS application
• Undergraduate degree from an accredited university with GPA (overall and major) of at least 3.0 preferred
• Personal statement/statement of purpose (recommended length is 500 words)
• Background in the field: paid or volunteer experience in public health or related field
• Resume
• 2 Letters of recommendation
• TOEFL scores are required if language of instruction for prior degrees was not English
• Transcript evaluation from WES or ECE for foreign transcripts
• Preferred but not required: three undergraduate courses (9 credits) in one or more of the following disciplines: Economics, Accounting, Business Administration, Public Policy, Urban Affairs, Political Science, Management, or Sociology

Application Deadline

• Spring 2026 application deadline is December 1, 2025
• Fall 2026 applications deadline is March 1, 2026

Curriculum

Foundational Knowledge (0 credits)

• PUBH 601 Foundations of Public Health Knowledge*

Core Coursework (15 credits)

• PUBH 610 Introduction to Health Systems, Policy, and Management
• PUBH 611 Health Equity, Communication, and Advocacy
• PUBH 612 Designing and Evaluating Public Health Interventions
• PUBH 613 Designs, Concepts, and Methods in Public Health Research
• PUBH 614 Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis Methods in Public Health Research

Required Coursework (15 credits)

• HPAM 620 Public Health Management
• HPAM 621 Health Economics
• HPAM 622 Public Health and Health Care Law
• HPAM 623 Comparative Analysis of Urban Health Care Systems or HPAM 624 Public Health Advocacy
• HPAM 625 Public Health Policy Analysis

Elective Coursework (6 credits)

• Two (2) electives chosen in consultation with faculty advisor

Practice Experience (3 credits)

• PUBH 696 Supervised Fieldwork

Culminating Experience (3 credits)

• PUBH 698 Capstone Project

Total Credits Required

• 42

Recommended Course Sequence

For students beginning their program during the fall semester:

• Year 1 Fall: PUBH 601, PUBH 610, PUBH 611, PUBH 612, PUBH 613
• Year 1 Spring: PUBH 614, HPAM 620, HPAM 621, Elective I
• Year 2 Fall: PUBH 696, HPAM 622, HPAM 623, HPAM 625
• Year 2 Spring: PUBH 698, Elective II

For students beginning their program during the spring semester:

• Year 1 Spring: PUBH 601, PUBH 610, PUBH 611, PUBH 612, PUBH 613
• Year 1 Fall: PUBH 614, HPAM 622, HPAM 623, Elective I
• Year 2 Spring: PUBH 696, HPAM 620, HPAM 621
• Year 2 Fall: PUBH 698, HPAM 625, Elective II

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Evidence-based Approaches to Public Health
• Public Health & Health Care Systems
• Planning & Management to Promote Health
• Policy in Public Health
• Leadership
• Communication
• Interprofessional and/or Intersectoral Practice
• Systems Thinking
• Environmental Sciences

Concentration Competencies

1. Analyze the effects of law or regulations on population health and health equity
2. Evaluate challenges and opportunities for improving public health and healthcare through the lens of social and political factors
3. Apply an evidence-based management approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public health and healthcare organizations
4. Analyze the role of economics in decision-making in the public health and healthcare systems
5. Analyze and recommend evidence-based public health policies to improve public health outcomes

Alumni Outcomes

Alumni outcomes data was collected via surveys of CUNY SPH alumni one year after graduation from 2016 to 2022.