M.S.P.H. Master of Science in Public Health

Program Overview

The MSPH is an academic research degree designed for students who wish to prepare for further study at the doctoral level or to prepare for research or technical positions in government, industry, academia, or private institutions. Studies will include many of the core disciplines included in the MPH degree with an additional emphasis on advanced research methods and quantitative analysis skills.

We are committed to transmitting the skill sets necessary to conduct effective public health research to all our students, understanding that such research may take place in academic, governmental, the private sector, and international settings. Experience in public health research often involves similar skill sets as those needed by public health practitioners.

Video

Competencies

The Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Upon completion of the Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree, all graduates will be able to:

  • Competencies:
    Apply epidemiologic methods to the measurement and study of population health and the prevention of infectious and chronic disease
    Explain the role of multi-level occupational and environmental conditions which directly or indirectly impact the health of individuals, communities and populations
    Examine the main components and issues of the organization, financing and delivery of health services and public health systems
    Apply statistical reasoning and quantitative methods for the purpose of analyzing public health data in population-based research
    Identify social and behavioral concepts, models and theories that form the foundation of health promotion and disease prevention
    Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods in relation to their strengths, limitations and appropriate uses
    Identify public health research questions and hypotheses, analyze data and communicate research findings and conclusions in a clear and concise manner
    Assess the strengths and limitations of various research designs in collecting, analyzing and interpreting information from public health studies
  • Average Program Duration:  2 years
  • Total required credits:  45 credits

The Curriculum

The MSPH program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. 

An elective credit waiver may be available for students who enter the MSPH degree program with an earned advanced degree (e.g., MD, DDS, DVM, JD).

  • Core Courses (22 credits)
    EPH 600 Introduction to the Science and Practice of Public Health (3 credits)
    EPH 601 Medical Biostatistics I (4 credits)
    EPH 602 Biostatistics II (3 credits)
    EPH 617 Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (3 credits) or EPH 620 Health Education and Behavior (3 credits)
    EPH 621 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (3 credits)
    EPH 631 Public Health Administration or (3 credits) EPH 632 U.S. Health Systems (3 credits)
    EPH 641 Aspects of Environmental Health (3 credits)
  • Methods Courses (6 credits)
    Choose two courses from the following:
    BST 625 Survey of Statistical Computing (3 credits)
    EPH 651 Research Methods (3 credits)
    EPH 703 Advanced Statistical Methods I (4 credits)
    EPH 752 Advanced Research Methods (3 credits)
    EPH 774 Epidemiologic Methods and Reasoning (3 credits)
    BST 605 Statistical Principles of Clinical Trials (3 credits)
    BST 630 Longitudinal and Multilevel Data Analysis (3 credits)
    EPH 644 Fundamentals of Program Evaluation (3 credits)
    EPH 647 Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) (3 credits)
    EPH 656 Qualitative Research Methods (3 credits)
    EPH 705 Advanced Statistical Methods II (3 credits)
    EPH 722 Infectious Disease Epidemiology (3 credits)
    EPH 727 Data Methods of Health and Climate (3 credits)
    EPH 751 Survival Analysis in Clinical Trials (3 credits)
    EPH 772 Design and Implementation of Epidemiologic Studies (3 credits)
    EPH 776 Methods in Epidemiology (3 credits)
    BST 692 Case Studies in Biostatistics (3 credits)
    EPH 604 Clinical Trials (3 credits)
  • Research Thesis Project (6 credits)

    Note:

    Effective Summer 2022 the course number for the Master’s Thesis courses (EPH 698 and 699) have been changed to EPH 810. The requirements to complete the MS Thesis remain the same. The “section” of the EPH 810 course determines which stage of the thesis the student is engaged in: proposal or defense.
    Old Course Number  New Course Number
    EPH 698 - Master Thesis Proposal (3 Credits) EPH 810-Section PRP - Master's Thesis - Proposal (3 Credits)
    EPH 699 - Master's Thesis (3 Credits) EPH 810-Section DEF - Master's Thesis - Defense (3 Credits)

Curriculum information and course descriptions can be found here.
For the program application, click below.

UM Academic Bulletin Course Descriptions
Apply to the MSPH Program