The interdepartmental professional programs are designed to provide students with the breadth of knowledge necessary for an understanding of public health, as well as broad exposure to the practice of public health through internship experiences. The Dr.P.H. Program is intended to train public health leaders who have demonstrated command of the field and competence in the analysis and solution of real public health problems under given political and resource constraints.

Applicants to either the M.P.H. or Dr.P.H. Programs are expected to hold a bachelor's degree and to have successfully completed at minimum one undergraduate course each in mathematics and chemistry and two courses in biology and social sciences. Applicants are required to submit official scores of the Graduate Record Examination aptitude test. For the Dr.P.H. Program, preference is given to applicants who have completed the M.P.H., or other graduate or professional-level coursework. International students must take TOEFL and GRE regardless of previous degrees earned.

Students in the professional education programs choose one of six areas of concentration: Behavioral Science, Community Health, Biomedical Sciences, Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, or Health Administration.