MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Admission Requirements

• Completed SOPHAS application
• Undergraduate degree from an accredited university with GPA (overall and major) of at least 3.0 preferred.
• Personal statement/statement of purpose (recommended length is 500 words)
• Background in the field: paid or volunteer experience in public health or related field
• Resume
• 2 Letters of recommendation
• TOEFL scores are required if language of instruction for prior degrees was not English
• Transcript evaluation from WES or ECE for foreign transcripts. Please reach out to us if you are having programs with your evaluation due to COVID-19.
• GRE scores: Use code 7914
• Applicants who have a post graduate degree from a U.S. accredited school or a post graduate degree in clinical or allied health that WES or ECE has deemed equivalent to its US counterpart may request a standardized test waiver. Please be advised that waivers are granted on a case by case basis.

Deadline to Apply

• Spring 2022: December 1, 2021 (November 15, 2021 for students applying for an F-1 student visa)
• Fall 2022: March 1, 2022

For students who began matriculating in Spring 2019 or earlier, please review the previous curriculum for the MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics here.

*Students who have a CEPH-accredited undergraduate or graduate degree in public health are waived from this requirement.

For students who began matriculating in Spring 2019 or earlier, please review the previous competencies for the MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics here.

Core Competencies:

• Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice
• Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate
• Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
• Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings
• Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels
• Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health
• Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs
• Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention
• Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management
• Select methods to evaluate public health programs
• Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence
• Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes
• Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations
• Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity
• Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making
• Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges
• Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors
• Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation
• Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content
• Perform effectively on interprofessional teams
• Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue
• Apply concepts from relevant scientific disciplines, such as toxicology and physiology, to anticipate effects of environmental, occupational and nutritional exposures on both human health and overall planetary health.

Concentration Competencies

• Identify epidemiologic study designs, data collection techniques, and key sources of data for analytic approaches suitable for public health inquiries
• Use measures of disease frequency and association to appropriately describe the distribution and determinants of disease, and characterize the statistical assumptions and uncertainty around such estimates
• Use information technology and computer software effectively for collection, management, statistical analysis and presentation of public health data
• Identify key threats to validity (internal and external) within and across epidemiologic studies
• Write and orally present epidemiological and statistical findings clearly and effectively
• Critically read and evaluate the strengths and limitations of epidemiologic studies and statistical analyses in the published literature

These sequences are recommended for full-time students. Part-time students are encouraged to meet with a staff advisor to map out an appropriate plan of study.

For students who began matriculating in Spring 2019 or earlier, please review the previous course sequence for the MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics here.

*PUBH 601 should be completed during a student’s first semester. Students who have a CEPH-accredited undergraduate or graduate degree in public health are waived from this requirement.

Check out what recent SPH alumni are doing with their degrees.