MPH in Policy

The MPH in Policy is a 42 semester hour program of study. It offers coursework and applied learning experiences that prepare students for careers in health policy analysis, system and organizational planning, and program evaluation. Graduates will be employed by federal, state, or local governments, professional associations, local health agencies or private agencies. They may be responsible for assessing health problems, developing policy proposals, and assuring that policies are achieving their goals. They also may work as consultants to public and private agencies to assist them in assessment, policy development, and assurance. Students are recruited from a variety of academic backgrounds including business, liberal arts and health professions.

In addition to mastering the core competencies for the MPH, graduates of the MPH Program of Study in Policy will be able to:

  • Demonstrate the ability to identify and analyze public health policies for specific health issues.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of public health policy formulation
  • Design effective implementation strategies for public health policies
  • Evaluate the impact of public health policies

Examples of careers include:

  • Adjunct Assistant Professor
  • Program Manager, Metabolic Health Strategies
  • Program Director, UPMC Health Plan

A typical student completes the MPH in two years. This following is a sample plan of study based on a full-time student starting in the Fall. Please work with your advisor to choose a plan that works best for you.

Course #Course nameHours
 Fall 112 s.h.
HMP:5005Intro to Healthcare Org & Policy (or HMP:4000 Intro to the US Healthcare System*)3 s.h.
HMP:5610Health Policy3 s.h.
CPH:5100Intro to Public Health*3 s.h.
OEH:4240Global Environmental Health*3 s.h.
 Spring 112 s.h.
BIOS:4120Intro to Biostatistics*3 s.h.
CBH:4105Intro to Health Promotion & Disease Prevention*3 s.h.
HMP:5650Health Policy Analysis3 s.h.
HMP: ###HMP Elective3 s.h.
 Fall 29 s.h.
EPID:4400Epidemiology I: Principles*3 s.h.
HMP:6750Seminar in Health Policy3 s.h.
HMP:6610Legal Aspects of Healthcare3 s.h.
CPH:5203Interprofessional Education & Practice for MPH Students0 s.h.
 Spring 29 s.h.
HMP: ###HMP Elective3 s.h.
HMP: ###HMP Elective3 s.h.
CPH:7200MPH Capstone Experience1 s.h.
CPH:7500MPH Applied Practice Experience2 s.h.
 MPH degree total42 s.h.
Work with your advisor to select electives. 
* Denotes MPH Core course which must be completed before registering for CPH:7200 or CPH:7500.

AreaHours
MPH Core18 s.h.
Policy Required12 s.h.
Policy Electives9 s.h.
Interprofessional Education & Practice0 s.h.
Applied Practice Experience2 s.h.
MPH Capstone1 s.h.
Total42 s.h.