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Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Program

Applications Open

The 2023-2024 M.P.H. application period is now open. Apply today

Transforming health for individuals, families, and communities to thrive

A Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree from UT Southwestern's Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health gives you the skills to solve public health problems impacting communities through analysis, research, and policy.

Students in our M.P.H. program:

  • Gain strong methodological skills through cross-cutting programs in quantitative and data sciences, health systems sciences, implementation science, and health promotion
  • Disseminate new methodologies and scientific knowledge to inform health care delivery and enhance community health
  • Learn to engage diverse stakeholders in health care systems and communities to identify and prioritize public health challenges and create and implement effective solutions
  • Educate these stakeholders to improve health at multiple levels, from individuals, families, and neighborhoods to employers, agencies, and health systems

About the Program

Program length: 2 years

Location: In-person at our Dallas campus

Students work closely with faculty, staff, and administrators to select a concentration and develop an individualized degree plan.

M.P.H. Fall 2023 Class Schedule

Concentrations

Concentrations are the foundation of our M.P.H. program, equipping the future public health workforce with innovative degree pathways. At the Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, you gain practical skills, preparing you to develop, use, interpret, and communicate scientific data. These skills are in high demand and careers in these domains remain among the fastest-growing and most rewarding professional opportunities in public health.

Students choose from one of three multidisciplinary options:

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Quantitative Data Sciences

The practice of public health is driven by scientific evidence obtained from a variety of sources. This evidence is generated by researchers working in interdisciplinary professional domains, including biostatisticians, epidemiologists, clinical and public health informaticians, computer scientists, health geographers, and health economists.

Students learn about:

  • Various types of data used in public health research and practice
  • How these data are collected, managed, analyzed, and reported
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Health Promotion, Structure, and Agency

Students following this concentration build the skills necessary to drive transformative change in health and health equity. They design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based programs to empower individuals and communities with the agency needed to change health behaviors and transform the social and structural conditions shaping health and health equity.

Students in this concentration:

  • Promote the health of individuals, communities, and populations and achieve health equity via program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation
  • Inform and advance theories and their application to public health practice using quantitative and qualitative data
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Health Systems Science

Students in the Health Systems Science concentration acquire knowledge and skills about the economics of health decisions, how health care is delivered, how health professionals work together to address public health needs, and how the health system can improve patient care and health care delivery.

In addition, they develop evidence-based platforms and frameworks to drive the necessary transformation for improved health care delivery and population health.

Students learn how to:

  • Conduct and understand health services and health policy research
  • Develop, implement, and evaluate health interventions and policies within the context of the health system
  • Assess population health from an economic perspective that acknowledges the role of community, family, social, and policy factors in health care choices

M.P.H. Curriculum

Core courses (required for all MPH students): 18 credits
Seminar in Public Health Topics 0 Year 1 Fall/Spring
Introduction to Programming and Software Packages 1 Year 1 Fall
Introduction to Public Health Data 3 Year 1 Fall
Introduction to Analysis of Public Health Data 3 Year 1 Fall
Introduction to Health Systems Science 3 Year 1 Fall
Introduction to Leadership and Management 2 Year 1 Spring
Introduction to Health Promotion, Structure, and Agency 3 Year 1 Spring
Social Determinants of Health 3 Year 1 Summer
Pick one concentration: 11 credits
Quantitative Data Sciences
Intermediate Programming 2 Year 1 Spring
Intermediate Public Health Data 3 Year 1 Spring
Intermediate Analysis of Public Health Data 3 Year 2 Fall
Behavioral Intervention Research Methods 3 Year 2 Fall
Health Systems Science
Implementation Science I: Fundamentals 2 Year 1 Spring
U.S. Health Policy 3 Year 1 Spring
Health Economics 3 Year 2 Fall
Introduction to Health Services Research 3 Year 2 Fall
Health Promotion, Structure, and Agency
Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion - Part 1 2 Year 1 Spring
Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion - Part 2 3 Year 1 Spring
Program Administration, Management, and Evaluation 3 Year 2 Fall
Community Needs Assessment and Program Design 3 Year 2 Fall
Electives: 10 credits
Community-based Health Promotion 3
Implementing and Evaluating Health Behavior Interventions 3
Implementation Science II 3
Qualitative Methods in Public Health 3
GIS Applications in Public Health 2
Domestic Social Policy and Implications for Health 3
Health Econometrics 3
Program and Policy Evaluation 3
Decision Analysis in Health 3
Fundamentals for Management in Health Care Organizations 3
Advanced Statistical Software Programming 3
Advanced Epidemiology 3
Advanced Analysis of Public Health Data 3
Statistical Computation 3
Machine Learning and Deep Learning 3
High dimensional data analysis 3
Cancer Epidemiology 3
Infectious Disease Epidemiology 3
Survey Research Design I 2
Pragmatic Research Design 3
Public Health Practice: 6 credits
Applied Practice Experience (Practicum) 3 Year 1 Summer
Culminating Experience (Integrative Learning Experience) 3 Year 2 Spring

Practicum Requirement / Applied Practice Experience (APE)

All M.P.H. students complete three credit hours of a community service-learning experience toward their degree.

Students work with their advisors to connect with UT Southwestern mentors and community partners for experiences focused on community engagement and practice.

Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)

The ILE represents the culmination of the M.P.H. program in which students demonstrate mastery of the concepts taught throughout the entire program.

Students work with their advisors to choose foundational and concentration-specific aims that align with their professional and educational goals.

The ILE can take many forms, including:

  • Practice-based project
  • Essay-based comprehensive exam
  • Capstone course
  • Integrative seminar

All students produce a scholarly paper as part of the ILE requirement.

Life at UTSW

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Student Life
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Access and Inclusion

Apply or Get More Information

Learn more about how to apply for an M.P.H. at UT Southwestern.

M.P.H. Fall 2023 Class Schedule