Curriculum
The Penn MPH curriculum ensures all students master essential public health skills and concepts within the core coursework, but empowers students to leverage the flexibility and integrative nature of the program and customize their plan of study, guided by specialized, cross-cutting, or interdisciplinary competencies.
Overview
All MPH students have the same overarching requirements: 6 required core courses, two semesters of Capstone Seminar, and Required Fieldwork Experience. Students take 6 electives based on their chosen track: Generalist, Global Health, or One Health. As part of their choice of electives, students can take up to 3 graduate-level public health courses from anywhere across the University. The remaining 3 electives must carry a PUBH prefix. The program can be completed on a full-time (2 years) or part-time (3 years) basis. All MPH students have an assigned Academic Advisor to help them navigate their plans and coursework.
Key Curriculum Facts
6Core Courses
2Capstones Seminar Courses
6Electives Chosen in Consultation with Academic Advisor
Core Curriculum Required Courses
| MPH Curriculum Requirements | Course Units |
|---|---|
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsPUBH 5010 Introduction to Biostatistics | Course Units1.0 |
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsPUBH 5020 Introduction to Epidemiology | Course Units1.0 |
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsPUBH 5040 Public Health Theories & Frameworks | Course Units1.0 |
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsPUBH 5050 Public Health Policy & Administration | Course Units1.0 |
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsPUBH 5060 Methods for Public Health Practice | Course Units1.0 |
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsPUBH 5070 Public Health Law & Ethics | Course Units1.0 |
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsPUBH 7080 Capstone Seminar I | Course Units1.0 |
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsPUBH 7090 Capstone Seminar II | Course Units1.0 |
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsElectives | Course Units6.0 |
| MPH Curriculum Requirements125 Hours Required Fieldwork Experience | Course Units0.0 |
| MPH Curriculum RequirementsTotal | Course Units14.0 |
3 Routes to the MPH Degree
Students select a track based on their public health interests and goals. Each track has a different set of requirements, listed below, to fulfill the 6 elective courses. No matter your track, 3 of your 6 total electives must carry the PUBH prefix.
The Generalist Track offers students the opportunity to develop an individualized program of study in their elective course choices. The flexibility of this track allows students to focus on the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities they seek from a broad and deep set of electives, the Capstone project, and required Fieldwork experience. Students on the Generalist Track can hone in on any number of public health topics in their training, including public health policy, applied or social epidemiology, public health nutrition, mental health, LGBTQ+ health, substance use, policing and carceral spaces, environmental health, and more.
Total Elective Course Units: 6.0 CU
Generalist Required Track Elective (1.0 CU)
Select one course from the following:
- PUBH 5190 Foundations of Global Health
- PUBH 5880 Advanced Leadership Skills in Community Health
- PUBH 6040 Qualitative Research in Social Sciences
- PUBH 6050 Epidemiology & Control of Infectious Diseases
- PUBH 6060 Interpreting Epi Literature
- PUBH 6070 Advanced Local Policymaking
- PUBH 6080 Behavioral Economics & Health
- PUBH 6100 Mathematical Models for the Control of Infectious Diseases
- PUBH 6210 Program Evaluation in Public Health
- PUBH 6370 Advocacy & Public Health
- PUBH 6450 Law as an Instrument of Behavior Change
Additional Electives: Select five additional course units (5.0 CU) in consultation with Academic Advisor
The Global Health Track offers a curriculum designed specifically for applicants to the interdisciplinary Master of Public Health Program who are interested in both the theory and practice of global public health. The Global Health Track works closely with the Center for Global Health, which offers a vast network of faculty and facilitates connections for students to explore global experiences that could satisfy Fieldwork or Capstone.
Total Elective Course Units: 6.0 CU
Global Health Required Track Elective (1.0 CU)
Select one course from the following:
- PUBH 5190 Foundations of Global Health
- PUBH 5250 Health & Human Rights
- PUBH 5510 Global Health Policy and Delivery
Additional Global Health focused Electives:
Select two course units related to Global Health (2.0 CU)
Additional Electives: Select three additional course units (3.0 CU) in consultation with Academic Advisor
The One Health Track offers a curriculum designed specifically for applicants who are interested in the intersection between animals, humans, and the environment. Key strengths of this track are the close ties between the MPH program and the School of Veterinary Medicine, who are one of the leaders in the field of One Health.
Total Elective Course Units: 6.0 CU
One Health Required Track Electives (2.0 CU)
Must take the following course (1.0 CU)
- VPTH 5500/6500 One Health Study Design Seminar
Select one additional course from the following One Health RTEs (1.0 CU)
- PUBH 5310 Public Health Nutrition
- PUBH 5530 Science & Politics of Food
Additional Electives: Select four additional course units (4.0 CU) in consultation with Academic Advisor
Competency-based Training
In 2016, the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) adapted a competency-based model for accredited public health training. Competencies are a way to measure the mastery of public health skills or content areas; they are the integral tools and concepts underlying public health practice. There are 22 foundational competencies that ground all accredited MPH programs. In addition to these foundational competencies, each track in our program has its own unique set of competencies tied to a track elective.