Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Program
Transforming health for individuals, families, and communities to thrive
With a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree from UT Southwestern's Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, you will have the skills to solve public health problems impacting communities through analysis, research, and policy.
Students in our M.P.H. program will:
- 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 will work closely with faculty, staff, and administrators to select a concentration and develop an individualized degree plan.
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 will gain practical skills, preparing you to develop, use, interpret, and communicate scientific data. These skills are in high demand and careers in these domains will remain among the fastest-growing and most rewarding professional opportunities in public health.
Students will choose from one of three multidisciplinary options:
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 will learn about:
- Various types of data used in public health research and practice
- How these data are collected, managed, analyzed, and reported
Health Promotion, Structure, and Agency
Students following this concentration will build the skills necessary to drive transformative change in health and health equity. They will 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 will be enabled to:
- 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
Health Systems Science
Students in the Health Systems Science concentration will 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 will develop evidence-based platforms and frameworks to drive the necessary transformation for improved health care delivery and population health.
Students will 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 will complete three credit hours of a community service-learning experience toward their degree.
Students will 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 will 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 will produce a scholarly paper as part of the ILE requirement.
Life at UTSW
When you become a student at UT Southwestern, you join a community that helps you thrive. We value wellness, emphasize security, and celebrate diversity while you pursue your public health degree.
M.P.H. students are encouraged to participate in student organizations to become part of the UTSW community. More than 100 organizations are available.
UTSW is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive community of learners. Our Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion supports the mission by serving students through education, events, and programming.
Apply or Get More Information
Learn more about how to apply for an M.P.H. at UT Southwestern.