Program Overview

Introduction to the PA/MPH Program

The Tufts School of Medicine Physician Assistant (PA) Program and the Public Health Program offer a dual PA/MPH degree for interested students that allows students to earn a PA and a MPH degree in just over three years. The goal of this program is to integrate clinical skills learned in training to be a PA with a thorough understanding of public health concepts such as health equity, social determinants of health, global health, epidemiology, and community health needs assessments and interventions.

Program Overview

Graduates of the PA/MPH dual degree are rigorously trained for clinical practice and in evidence-based public health skills that emphasize a transdisciplinary team approach to healthcare delivery and service to medically underserved populations. Upon completion of the PA/MPH dual degree, students will receive two master's degrees: a Master of Medical Science (MMS) from the PA Program and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Public Health Program.

Courses and Concentration

Students must complete the core courses of the MPH program, a set of concentration courses, and enough electives to earn 42 semester hours of credit to complete the MPH. Students enrolled in the PA/MPH dual degree can choose from two concentrations, Health Management & Policy or Individualized.

• Core courses of the MPH program
• Concentration courses
• Electives to earn 42 semester hours of credit

Timeline

Students accepted in the summer admission cycle begin taking MPH courses the following January (spring term) and complete the requirements for the MPH degree within three terms. Completion of both degrees takes 36 months.

• First Year: Master of Public Health (MPH) program
• Second Year: Physician Assistant (PA) Program (Didactic Year)
• Third Year: PA Program (Clinical Year)

How to Apply

• Candidates apply to the PA/MPH program within the CASPA application.
• Within the Tufts Program Questions section of the CASPA Application, there will be a question asking which degree program you wish to apply to.
• The application process for the PA/MPH will run parallel to that of the PA program, with the same application requirements and process.

Tuition Costs for the PA/MPH Degree

• Tuition: $12,192 per semester
• Fees: $661 per semester

Career Opportunities with the PA/MPH Degree

In addition to traditional clinical roles that PAs may fill, PAs may be called upon to serve as health care administrators, quality improvement leaders, researchers, community-based health promotion and disease/prevention managers, and public health practitioners. The additional MPH degree can offer graduates the academic credentials and professional leverage to participate in the planning and administration of health promotion and disease prevention programs at local, national, or international levels.

FAQs

Can I work while completing this program?

Students often work while in the MPH Program, which is fairly flexible, but not while in the PA Program.

What are the requirements of the Applied Practice Experience (APE) and the Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)?

The APE will be completed during the MPH year. The ILE is a culminating capstone, completed toward the end of the program which offers students an opportunity to integrate the knowledge and skills students acquire through their academic work and the APE.

What times of day are MPH classes offered?

Classes meet once per week. On-campus MPH courses are generally offered during the mornings and afternoons. Online MPH courses are in the evenings.

Accreditation

The MPH Program is accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH), which accredits MPH programs as well as those programs like ours at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Program Benefits

Graduates of the PA/MPH degree are equipped to become superb clinicians with the analytical skills and public health foundational knowledge required to assess the health needs of a community, develop health education and other community-based disease prevention/health promotion programs, participate in clinical or community-based research, or become faculty at health profession training programs.