Curriculum
The MPH program can be completed in as few as 4 full-time quarters plus a summer practicum experience. The program uses a competency-based curriculum. All students will choose to focus their studies in one of four concentrations: Epidemiology & Global Health, Health Policy, Data Science or Community Health Promotion. The curriculum encompasses four components.
Core Courses
Seven core courses are required of all students.
- Foundations of Public Health
- Introduction to Biostatistics
- Epidemiology & Population Health
- Introduction to U.S. Health Policy & Politics
- Social Inequalities in Health: Race/Ethnicity & Class
- Public Health Programs: Planning, Implementation, & Evaluation
- Health Communication & Health Behavior
- Public Health in Practice
Practicum
Students will complete an applied practice experience, usually over the summer quarter, to gain hands-on practice in a public health or related organization. This external placement may be within the greater Chicago area, elsewhere in the United States, or across the globe. There may be funding available for international placements. Program faculty will work with students to identify host sites. The practicum requirement is a minimum of 80 hours in the field. Both paid and unpaid opportunities can qualify for the practicum experience.
Required Concentration Courses
Epidemiology & Global Health
Epidemiology Methods
Global Health Metrics
Regression Analysis for Health and Social Research
Health Policy
Introduction to Health Economics
Policy Analysis and Priority Setting in Health and Medicine
Regression Analysis for Health and Social Research
Data Science
Computer Programming for Public Health
Machine Learning for Public Health
Regression Analysis for Health and Social Research
Community Health Promotion
Mixed Methods Research in Community Settings
Community Health Promotion
Management of Community Health Organizations
*Concentration courses may be replaced with an elective with consent of the Concentration Director.
Capstone
A capstone project is required of all students. Students will work with a faculty mentor who will provide guidance and feedback throughout the capstone experience. Most students use one elective to dedicate time to mentored independent research for their capstone. The culminating project may be research-based or applied, depending on the student’s interests and career objectives, and provides students with the opportunity to put into practice the knowledge and skills they learned during the program. A final paper and presentation complete the capstone project.