Master of Public Health

About

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program was established in 2010, and accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health in 2012, as the first professional degree of the UCI Program Public Health and as an essential component of an envisioned UCI School of Population and Public Health. The aim of the degree is to create public health practitioners who are trained to work independently and collaboratively to develop and implement effective strategies to reduce the burden of disease and disability in culturally diverse communities in Southern California and beyond.

Emphasis Areas

In addition to providing a strong foundation in the core competency subjects recommended by the “Framing the Future” exercise of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), students enrolled in the MPH program have the opportunity for in-depth pursuit of one of the four following emphasis areas:

Biostatistics

Implemented in collaboration with the Department of Statistics in the UCI Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, the emphasis in biostatistics trains the development and application of statistical reasoning and methods in addressing, analyzing, and solving problems in public health, health care, and biomedical, clinical and population-based research and practice. Recipients of the M.P.H. (biostatistics) degree will have excellent opportunities in translational public health sciences and art of disease prevention, addressing critical real-world challenges including disease outbreaks, pandemics, environmental health hazards assessment, and interpretation of clinical intervention outcomes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the occupational outlook for statisticians for 35% growth between 2020-2030, consistent with the rapid increase expected in all health care employment.

Environmental Health

The environmental health emphasis provides an opportunity for students to examine how the health of a population is affected by biological, chemical, and physical factors in the environment. Public health practitioners in environmental health evaluate workplaces, homes, and other environments for potential hazardous materials and human risk factors. They conduct studies to assess the role of the environment in the development of diseases such as asthma, lung disease, cancer, and mental health. Topics studied in this emphasis include air/water quality, climate change, food safety, natural disasters, toxicology, and the environmental component of emerging issues.

Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the science that studies health states and disease occurrence in human populations, with roots in biology, social sciences, logic, and philosophy of science. Epidemiology is fundamentally concerned with finding the causes of disease, identifying people at high risk for outcomes, finding targets for improving health, and ultimately the application of this study to prevent and control health problems in groups of individuals. It is a core science for public health, clinical medicine, and health services research. Students in this concentration will learn principles, concepts, and methods for study design, data collection and critical analysis and interpretation to generate information and knowledge that is used for evidence-based medicine to public health practice. Epidemiology graduate students also receive extensive training in statistical methods, and this combination of skills and knowledge presents an array of employment opportunities in industry, government/NGO, academic, and health care settings.

Sociocultural Diversity and Health

The sociocultural diversity and health emphasis provides students with the training to identify and respond to the effects of social, cultural, and behavioral factors on individual and population health. Specialists in this area describe how culture, social inequities, and biological factors influence health and apply their knowledge to create preventive interventions to decrease health-damaging behaviors and increase health-promoting behaviors. They study the interaction between policies and the social and behavioral sciences, and identify ways to address health inequalities and promote health equity.

Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze the interrelationships between health risk factors and the susceptibility and vulnerability of populations, using the ecological model and case studies of disease prevention.
  • Apply descriptive and experimental epidemiologic methods to test for associations between risk factors and disease in populations, and to develop strategies for measuring and curtailing the dissemination of diseases in populations.
  • Analyze the health of populations by applying biostatistics methods to describe vital health status, for estimation, projections and hypothesis testing.
  • Analyze the health status of populations on the basis of health services accessibility, cost of care, community structure and governmental policies for the purpose of developing management and policy instruments to prevent disease and improve conditions that support healthy populations.
  • Apply behavioral and social science theory to analyze contemporary public health problems with the aim of lessening the disease burden on society and promoting health.
  • Analyze how population exposures to environmental risk factors interfere with human biological systems to produce disease and disability in communities, and apply the analysis to develop strategies for disease prevention and health improvement.
  • Review, critique, and evaluate public health reports and research articles.
  • Apply theory, paradigms, principles, and methodologies obtained through formal coursework to inform public health practice across community, government, private industry or other institutional settings relevant to public health.

Additional Learning Outcomes for MPH Program Biostatistics Emphasis:

  • Identify the basic concepts of probability and common probability distributions, and understand their foundational connection to statistical methods.
  • Understand common sampling strategies and statistical models, and how to select and apply them to summarize public health data and make valid inferences.
  • Analyze moderately complex data using linear and generalized linear models, mixed effects models, and survival analysis.
  • Develop and execute data analysis plans grounded in statistical theory to address questions in public health, through liaison with other health professionals.
  • Be able to use a statistical software package to analyze public health data.
  • Effectively communicate statistical assumptions, methods, and results, both orally and in writing.

Time to Degree

Most MPH students complete all degree requirements in six (6) academic quarters. Part-time enrollment is also allowed upon approval from the department and UCI Graduate Division. For students enrolled part-time, the normative time for completion is nine quarters, and the maximum is fifteen quarters. To maintain residency, part-time students must enroll in four to eight units per quarter.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the MPH program will find employment in both public and private agencies committed to preventing disease and promoting health and wellness in all aspects of society. Earning an MPH degree gives new professionals a competitive edge and will allow graduates to pursue supervisory positions and career advancement opportunities that may be unattainable without an advanced degree. 

Many career opportunities will open up to our MPH graduates, including positions in behavioral sciences, health education, biomedical/laboratory practice, biostatistics, community health, environmental health science/advocacy, epidemiology, health services administration, public health practice and program management, and maternal and child health.

Coursework and practicum experiences in the MPH program can also prepare a student to pursue doctoral programs in public health. The Ph.D. is a research-based degree that prepares the candidate for research and teaching positions in institutions of higher education. The UCI Program in Public Health offers a Ph.D. in Public Health with concentrations in Disease Prevention and Global Health. Students may also wish to combine an MPH with a medical or law degree to increase opportunities for employment.