Public Health Master (M.P.H.), Degree Program

Program of Study and Internship
(45-51 credits)

A. Courses core to all concentrations: Students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in their core courses.

1. Bms 505       Biological Basis of Public Health (3)
2. Ehs  590       Introduction to Environmental Health (3)
3. Epi   500       Basic Principles and Methods of Epidemiology (3) or
   Epi   501 Principles and Methods of Epidemiology I (3)
4. Epi   551       Basic Principles in Statistical Inference (3) or
   Epi   552 Principles in Statistical Inference I (3) or
   Sta   554       Introduction to the Theory of Statistics I (3)
5. Hpm  500      Health Care Organization Delivery and Financing (3)
6. Hpm  525      Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health (3)
7. Sph   680      MPH First-Year Seminar (2)
8. Sph   685      MPH Capstone Seminar (1)               

B. Internships

Students will complete 9 credits of internships, completed in at least two different organizational settings, for example a state health department, county health department, hospital, or non-governmental organization (NGO).  The two settings may be as closely related as two different parts of the NYS DOH or as unrelated as a local hospital and an international NGO.  Up to 6 credits of internship may be waived by students with significant past public health experience.

C. Areas of Concentration:

1. Biomedical Sciences
   1. Core Courses: Bms 505, Ehs 590, Epi 500 or 501, Epi 552, Hpm 500, Hpm 525, Sph 680 and Sph 685 (21 credits)
   2. Additional Quantitative Course: Epi 514 or Epi 553 (3 credits)
   3. Required Concentration Course: Bms 601 (3 credits)
   4. Advanced Course: Choose one from the following: Bms 552, Bms 553, Bms 610, Bms 612, Bms 622, Bms 663 or Ehs 530 (3 credits)
   5. Electives: As approved by advisor, must include one additional Bms course (12 credits)
   6. Internship: (9 credits, up to 6 credits may be waived)
2. Biostatistics
   1. Core Courses: Bms 505, Ehs 590, Epi 501, Epi 554, Hpm 500, Hpm 525, Sph 680 and Sph 685 (21 credits)
   2. Required Concentration Courses: Epi 514, Epi 555, Sta 558, Sta 559, and Sta 566 (15 credits)
   3. Electives: As approved by advisor (6 credits)
   4. Internship: (9 credits, up to 6 credits may be waived)
3. Environmental Health
   1. Core Courses: Bms 505, Ehs 590, Epi 500 or 501, Epi 551 or 552, Hpm 500, Hpm 525, Sph 680 and Sph 685 (21 credits)
   2. Additional Quantitative Courses: Choose one of the following: Epi 502, Epi 514, Epi 621/Ehs 612 or Epi 553/Sta 553 (3 credits)
   3. Required Concentration Courses: Ehs 520, Ehs 530 and Ehs 665 (9 credits)
   4. Electives: As approved by advisor (9 credits)
   5. Internship: (9 credits, up to 6 credits may be waived)
4. Epidemiology
   1. Core Courses: Bms 505, Ehs 590, Epi 501, Epi 552, Hpm 500, Hpm 525, Sph 680 and Sph 685 (21 credits)
   2. Additional Quantitative Course: Epi 553 (3 credits)
   3. Required Concentration Courses: Epi 502, Epi 503 and Epi 514 (9 credits)
   4. Electives: As approved by advisor, must include two additional 600-level courses in Epidemiology (9 credits)
   5. Internship: (9 credits, up to 6 credits may be waived)
5. Health Policy and Management
   1. Core Courses: Bms 505, Ehs 590, Epi 500 or 501, Epi 551 or 552, Hpm 500, Hpm 525, Sph 680 and Sph 685 (21 credits)
   2. Additional Quantitative Course: Choose one from the following: Epi 553, Hpm 550, Hpm 635 or Hpm 647 (3 credits)
   3. Required Concentration Courses: Hpm 501, Hpm 641 and Hpm 650 (9 credits)
   4. Electives: As approved by advisor (9 credits)
   5. Internship: (9 credits, up to 6 credits may be waived)
6. Social Behavior and Community Health
   1. Core Courses: Bms 505, Ehs 590, Epi 500 or 501, Epi 551 or 552, Hpm 500, Hpm 525, Sph 680 and Sph 685 (21 credits)
   2. Additional Analytic Course: Choose one from the following: Epi 553, Hpm 520 or Hpm 647 (3 credits)
   3. Program Planning: Hpm 535 and Hpm 627 (6 credits)
   4. Electives: As approved by advisor (12 credits)
   5. Internship: (9 credits, up to 6 credits may be waived)

D. Interdisciplinary Tracks

1. Preventive Medicine
   Open to physicians enrolled in the NYSDOH Preventive Medicine Residency Program. Physicians enrolled in the program are graduates of accredited medical schools who have completed at least one year of postgraduate clinical training and are licensed to practice medicine in New York State. Other physicians with equivalent previous training or students enrolled in the Albany Medical College/University at Albany MD/MPH program may select this track with permission of the preventive medicine residency director.
   1. Core Courses: Bms 505, Ehs 590, Epi 501, Epi 552, Hpm 500, Hpm 525, Sph 680 and Sph 685 (21 credits)
   2. Additional Quantitative Course: Choose one of the following: Epi 502, Epi 514, Hpm 511, Hpm 520, Hpm 647 or Sta 553 (3 credits)
   3. Required Concentration Course: Sph 603 (3 credits)
   4. Electives: As approved by advisor (15 credits)
   5. Internship: (9 credits) All residents complete 12 months of intensive practicum rotations during the second year of the program. Most use those practicum rotations to earn MPH internship credit, but those with significant past experience in public health or preventive medicine may waive up to 9 credits of MPH internships, enabling them to complete their MPH degree early in their practicum year. All residents complete 12 months of practicum rotations even if their MPH is completed early.
2. Public Health Practice (available only via online study)
   Open to individuals with at least three years of experience in public health practice or a closely related field, e.g. infection control or health care administration, or to individuals enrolled in the online MPH program.
   1. Core Courses: Bms 505, Ehs 590, Epi 500 or 501, Epi 551 or 552, Hpm 500, Hpm 525, Sph 680 and Sph 685 (21 credits)
   2. Required Concentration Course: Epi 503 (3 credits)
   3. Electives: As approved by advisor (18 credits)
   4. Internship: (9 credits) Students in this track who are experienced public health professionals may apply to waive internship credit based on past experience in public health. Except in extraordinary circumstances, students will waive no more than 6 internship credits. Internship credits not waived can generally be earned through appropriate mentored projects at their current practice site.