MPH Option for University of Massachusetts Medical Students

UMMS medical students who are interested in obtaining an MPH degree have the opportunity to complete the degree in the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences Worcester Campus Blended MPH Program (WCMPH). UMMS medical students take a 1-year leave of absence from the Medical School and enroll as graduate students in the WCMPH. The MPH degree is granted by the University of Massachusetts/ Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Medical students work with the WCMPH Program Director, Jacalyn Coghlin-Strom MD, MPH, to develop a course of study that meets their career interests.  A number of required and elective courses are taught in the classroom on the Medical School Campus and there are also courses online through the UMass Amherst Public Health Practice (PHP) Program.  The cost per 3-credit course is $1815 with a $45 registration fee each semester. Students may apply for student loans to cover the cost of the MPH; no other financial aid is available. The specific requirements for the MPH are listed below. Courses in bold are offered in the classroom on the Worcester Campus; all other courses are offered through the PHP on-line venue. UMMS course credits cannot be applied to the MPH requirement.

5 required courses:  15 credits

•  Biostats 540 - Introductory Biostatistics
•  Epi 630 - Principles of Epidemiology
•  HPP 601 - Applications of Social and Behavioral Theories In Public Health Interventions
•  Env 565 - Environmental Health Practices
•  HPP 620 - Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System

Click here for a listing of selected courses and course descriptions:  https://www.umass.edu/sphhs-online/sites/default/files/PDFs/blended_mph_curriculum.pdf

Elective course examples:  21 credits

•  Biostat 640 -Intermediate Biostatistics
•  Epi 632 - Applied Epidemiology
•  HPP 583 - Global Health in the Developing World
•  HPP 624 - Research Methods in Public Health
•  HPP 635 - Psychosocial Epidemiology
•  Biostats 691F - Data Management and Statistical Computation
•  Epi 634 - Nutritional Epidemiology
•  HPP 757 - Public Health Informatics
•  HPP 704 - Health Program Planning
•  HPP 622 - Program Evaluation of Health and Human Services Organizations
•  HPP 524 - Introduction to Health Politics and Policy
•  HPP 525 - Ethical Issues in Public Health
•  HPP 628 - Financial Management of Health Institutions
•  HPP 726 -  Health Economics and Reimbursement
•  HPP 780 - Public Health Law
•  HPP 750 - Public Health Emergency Management
•  HPP ??? - Current Topics in Public Health
•  HPP 608 - Communication Theory
•  HPP 690DS - Health Disparities
•  HPP 621 - Health Care Organization and Administration
•  HPP 580 -  Comparative Healthcare Systems
•  HPP 567 -  Environmental Compliance and Regulations
•  HPP 690L - Leadership in Public Health Systems
•  HPP 590E - Emerging Diseases
•  HPP 590Q - Globalization and Health     
•  HPP 614 - International Health and Population Development
•  HPP 690SJ - Social Justice and Public Health
•  HPP 690F - Violence as a Public Health Issue    
•  HPP 590D - International Organizations and Population Health
•  HPP 690MC - Global Maternal and Child Health
•  HPP 690W - Fundamentals of Women's Health
•  HPP 580 - Comparative Health Systems
•  HPP 690C - Public Health and Childhood Obesity
•  HPP 690L - Leadership in Public Health Systems

Practicum experience: The 3-credit practicum experience is developed on an individual basis to provide students with the opportunity to work in public health agencies and community-based organizations. 

Culminating experience: The 3-credit MPH project provides students with the opportunity to synthesize and apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom. Each student works with a faculty advisor to identify a project of interest.

Sample Schedule for One-Year Curriculum in the Blended MPH Program in Worcester