Program Overview

Master of Public Health in Interdisciplinary Training in Population Health

The Master of Public Health (MPH) program at Boston University is designed to provide students with a broad foundation of knowledge across diverse disciplines in order to collaborate effectively with other health professionals.

Program Overview

The 48-unit MPH program consists of essential curricular elements, including:

• Foundations of Public Health
• Integrated Core Curriculum
• Interdisciplinary Certificates
• Professional Development and Practical Experience

Foundations of Public Health

The program begins with an online course, SPH PH 700 Foundations of Public Health (0 units), which provides students with foundational knowledge in the profession and science of public health and factors related to public health.

Integrated Core Curriculum

The four required, integrated core courses are:

• SPH PH 717 Quantitative Methods for Public Health (4 units)
• SPH PH 718 Leadership and Management in Public Health (4 units)
• SPH PH 719 Health Systems, Law, and Policy (4 units)
• SPH PH 720 Individual, Community, and Population Health (4 units)

Interdisciplinary Certificates

Students may select from 16 interdisciplinary certificates, which are offered in two categories: functional areas and context areas.

• Functional Areas (16 units, one required):
  1. Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation
  2. Environmental Health and Justice
  3. Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  4. Global Health Program Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation
  5. Health Communication and Promotion
  6. Health Policy and Law
  7. Healthcare Management (CAHME accredited)—28 units
  8. Program Management
• Context Areas (12 units, optional):
  1. Chronic and Non-Communicable Diseases
  2. Climate Change and Health
  3. Global Health
  4. Human Rights and Social Justice
  5. Infectious Disease
  6. Maternal and Child Health
  7. Mental Health and Substance Use
  8. Pharmaceutical Development, Delivery, and Access
  9. Sex, Sexuality, and Gender

Professional Development and Practical Experience

MPH Practicum

All MPH students must complete a practicum of at least 240 hours by registering for PH 976 or one of the courses listed below. The Career Services office assists students in finding an appropriate practicum site.

Integrative Learning Experience

The BU MPH Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) affords students the opportunity to synthesize foundational and certificate competencies. Students will integrate and apply the knowledge and skills obtained throughout the degree program.

Career Development Program

As part of the suite of in-depth, personal services offered by the Career Services team, all MPH students will complete SPH PH 746 Career P.R.E.P.: Mandatory Career Development Course prior to graduation.

Transfer Units

MPH students may transfer in up to eight (8) units of approved graduate courses from other Boston University graduate programs, graduate courses taken at member schools in the Boston Consortium, or graduate courses at accredited US colleges or universities.

Electives, Directed Studies, or Directed Research

Students may take classes numbered 700 or above to fulfill overall degree unit requirements once the required components of the MPH degree are satisfied. In addition to classroom instruction, students may arrange a 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-unit directed study or directed research project with a faculty member.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the MPH degree requirements, graduates are able to:

Evidence-Based Approaches to Public Health

• Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice.
• Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate.
• Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice.

Public Health & Healthcare Systems

• Compare the organization, structure, and function of healthcare, public health, and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
• Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities, and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community, and systematic levels.

Planning & Management to Promote Health

• Assess population needs, assets, and capacities that affect communities’ health.
• Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design, implementation, or critique of public health policies or programs.
• Design a population-based policy, program, project, or intervention.
• Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
• Select methods to evaluate public health programs.

Policy in Public Health

• Discuss the policymaking process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
• Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
• Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
• Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.

Leadership

• Apply leadership and/or management principles to address a relevant issue.
• Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.

Communication

• Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
• Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
• Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.

Interprofessional Practice

• Integrate perspectives from other sectors and/or professions to promote and advance population health.

Systems Thinking

• Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue.