Graduate student at Commencement.

Master of Public Health

Public Health

Program of Study

programofstudy

The campus-based Master of Public Health program can be pursued full or part-time. There is also a part-time, online MPH program that’s designed for working professionals.


Core Courses (21 credits)

  • Professional Practice in Public Health
  • Biological Basis of Public Health
  • Introduction to Environmental Health
  • Principles and Methods of Epidemiology I
  • Basic Principles in Statistical Inference or Principles in Statistical Inference I or Introduction to the Theory of Statistics I
  • Health Care Organization Delivery and Financing
  • Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health

Professional Internships (9 credits)

Gain 720 hours of professional experience working in public health organizations. If you enter the program with significant experience in public health fields, you can apply to waive up to 6 credits of this 9-credit requirement.


Concentration Courses and Electives (21 credits)

Required and elective coursework in your area of interest, including the culminating Integrative Learning Experience.
See the Concentrations/Tracks section below for details.


Additional Information

See the Graduate Bulletin for details.

For more information, contact the School of Public Health at [email protected].

Concentrations / Tracks
Biomedical Sciences

Study the molecular basis of disease and implications for public health programs. Master laboratory methods and apply your biomedical sciences knowledge to detect, treat, and prevent genetic and infectious human diseases.

Sample course topics: Clinical Immunology Technology; Bioecology of Vector-Borne Disease; Virology; Microbial Pathogens; Neuroanatomy and Nervous System Disorders; Cancer Biology; Mammalian Molecular Genetics

Sample job titles: Biomedical Research Scientist, Strategic Public Health Planning Consultant, Strategic Health Partner Development Manager

Sample employers: Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Providge Consulting, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Biostatistics

Gain expertise in statistical analysis of public health data, develop skills in problem definition and variable determination, learn when and how to use data in public health studies.

Sample courses: Principles of Statistical Inference; Computer Programming for Data Management and Analysis in Public Health; Methods of Data Analysis I and II; Applied Statistics

Environmental Health

Deepen your knowledge of two relevant scientific fields (choose from chemistry, toxicology, and environmental and occupational health) and learn how to assess environmental quality and solve environmental health problems. Gain lab skills, collect and analyze environmental data, and conduct dose-response and risk assessments.

Sample course topics: Environmental Chemistry; Toxicology; Risk Assessment; Geographic Information Systems and Public Health; Water Quality and Public Health; Global Environmental Health Policy; Industrial Hygiene; Environment and Cancer; Atmospheric Environment and Human Welfare

Sample job titles: Safety Engineer, Environmental Health Associate, Research Scientist, Public Health Preparedness Coordinator, Project Coordinator

Sample employers: Global Foundries, NYSDOH Bureau of Toxic Substance Assessment, New York State Department of Health, NYS Energy Research and Development, Schenectady County Public Health Services

Epidemiology

Prepare for a career in epidemiology by learning about practices such as surveillance, etiology, and prevention and intervention program evaluation. Gain experience collecting, interpreting, and managing epidemiologic data; selecting study populations; and reporting the results of epidemiological research.

Sample course topics: Principles and Methods of Epidemiology; Communicable Diseases; HIV Transmission and AIDS; Diabetes; Cardiovascular Disease; Psychiatric Illness; Hospital-Acquired Infections; Public Health Informatics

Sample job titles: Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist, Field Epidemiology Training Program Manager, Health Services Researcher, Data Manager, Director of Quality Improvement, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, Community Health Program Manager

Sample employers: State Health Departments (Virginia, Texas, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Wyoming and more), Adirondack Rural Health Network, American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets

Health Policy and Management

Manage public health programs and lead organizations by motivating stakeholders and communicating effectively as a director, mentor, facilitator, and broker. Learn how to develop health policies, manage change, and monitor and evaluate program effectiveness and quality.

Sample course topics: Health Policy Analysis; Health Organization Management; Strategy and Leadership; Financial Management of Health Care Institutions; Program Evaluation; Health Law; Long-Term Care Administration; Health and Human Rights

Sample job titles: Managed Care Policy Analyst, Director of Quality Assurance, Regional Health Services Administrator, Patient Safety and Risk Management Analyst, Director of Public Policy, Community Health Program Manager, Performance Management Coordinator, Government Affairs Coordinator

Sample employers: Southeast Georgia Health Systems, MVP Health Care, Capital District Physicians Health Plan, American Red Cross, Adirondack Medical Center, NYS Association on Independent Living, New York State Department of Health (various units)

Social Behavior and Community Health

Explore the ways population health is affected by individuals, groups, and culture. Learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of strategic public health interventions and design and improve community health programs to reduce the prevalence of risk behaviors and improve health service delivery.

Sample course topics: Community-Based Public Health; Program Development in Health Promotion; program Evaluation; Research Design; Social and Behavioral Aspects of Chronic Illness; Poverty, Behavioral Health, and Health Policy

Sample job titles: Director of Education, Wellness Manager, Healthy Schools Program Evaluation and Reporting Director, Outreach and Care coordinator, Health Insurance Navigator, LGBT Youth Specialist, Substance Abuse and Tobacco Prevention Specialist

Sample employers: National Institute for Health Care Management, American Cancer Society, Health Federation of Philadelphia, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Fidelis Care New York, Long Island Minority AIDS Coalition, NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council

Population Medicine (for licensed physicians and FAPH Fellows)

The Population Medicine concentration is open only to licensed physicians and other advance healthcare professionals through the Fellowship in Applied Public Health (FAPH).

In conjunction with the FAPH, you will receive individualized training, mentoring, professional development and networking opportunities to support the transition from clinical to public health practice. 

Prepare for leadership roles in state and local health departments and other settings. Explore and analyze public health systems, research methods, communications, policy priorities and surveillance systems, as well as the application of evidence in public health practice and decision-making.

Sample course topics: Population Medicine and Public Health Practice; Public Health Leadership; Epidemiology of specific areas of public health; Program Development; Program Evaluation; Statistics and Computer Programming; Health Policy Analysis. Through elective coursework, this concentration offers opportunities to explore a wide range of topics tailored to your interests.

Sample job titles: State Health Department Medical Director, Bureau Director, or Division Director (wide range of organizational units/program areas); County Commissioner of Health; Associate Medical Director for University Student Health Services; Clinical Informatics Specialist; Medical Director, regional managed care organization.

Sample employers: New York State Department of Health (multiple units), Albany and Schenectady County Health Departments, Capital District Physicians Health Plan, MVP Health Care, Albany Medical Center, Food and Drug Administration, Novartis, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) University.

Public Health Practice (Online)

The Public Health Practice interdisciplinary track is available only via online study.

Learn to develop, implement, and evaluate public health interventions through a fully online, flexible MPH program with a concentration in public health practice.

You can earn your degree part-time from anywhere, receiving the same rigorous education you’d receive on our campus.

Accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, the online MPH offers diverse electives that support career advancement.

Sample course topics: Professional Practice in Public Health, Basic Principles of Statistical Inference, Biological Basis of Public Health, Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health, Introduction to Environmental Health, Public Health Leadership, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Grant Writing for Public Health, Emergency and Public Health Preparedness, Community-Based Health Disparities

Sample job titles: Director of Public and Environmental Health; Immunization Program Coordinator; Physician Advisor; Research Coordinator; Epidemiologist; Health Promotions Specialist; Consumer Safety Officer; Vaccine Researcher; Senior Emergency Planner; Data Quality Reviewer; Director of County Health Planning and Promotion; and Senior Policy Associate

Sample employers: Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and county health departments, insurers, nonprofits, and NGOs

MPH/JD Option through Albany Law School

jd

Secure your MPH while attaining your law degree. You can earn your Master of Public Health and Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) in only 3.5 years, through UAlbany’s collaborative agreement with Albany Law School.

You will gain a solid substantive foundation and practical experience in areas including public health core disciplines, bioethics, lawyering skills, and policy development, ensuring a vast understanding of the issues confronting health-care lawyers today. You will graduate with the skills to make a significant impact on the health of communities and populations. 

This collaborative program prepares you for extensive career opportunities in law, healthcare, and public health. You’ll be equipped to address public health problems through the lens of the law, providing valuable insight into how our legal system may help or hinder public health efforts.  

You will complete your first year in the health law track at Albany Law School, followed by coursework at both Albany Law and the University at Albany.

You can choose from any concentration within the MPH program of study, which will give you advanced knowledge and skills in a particular public health discipline. Select Albany Law School courses (from an approved list) can count toward the MPH. In addition, you may transfer up to 12 UAlbany credits from an approved list to count towards your JD and cross-register for up to 6 internship credits. 

You must apply to and be accepted by both programs. Visit the Albany Law School Juris Doctor Program for more information and admissions requirements related to the JD degree.

For more information about the MPH/JD program, contact Celine LaValley at [email protected]​​​​​​​.

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Tuition Assistance for Public Health Employees

If you work in a county health department in New York State or for the NYS Department of Health, you may be eligible to receive tuition assistance through the Public Health Leaders of Tomorrow program at UAlbany.

Career Readiness

The MPH program at the University at Albany includes a renowned professional internships component that prepares you to succeed in your public health career.

Through placement with two different organizations, you complete at least 720 hours of practical experience – more fieldwork than any other public health program in the nation.

Choose from ample internship opportunities and work on high-impact projects in state and county health departments, hospitals, community clinics, nonprofits, and non-governmental organizations in the Capital Region.

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Research Opportunities

Professors in the School of Public Health conduct research in community settings and scientific labs. More than 75% of the faculty hold appointments with the NYS Department of Health, which makes it easy to obtain public health internships in labs of the internationally recognized Wadsworth Center.

As a graduate student, you learn in advanced labs on UAlbany’s Health Sciences Campus and can participate in research projects in the Cancer Research Center, Prevention Research Center, Public Health Preparedness Center, Cardiac Quality Improvement Initiative, and Center for Health Workforce Studies.

Professor teaching a group of students about DNA

"The MPH program at UAlbany allowed me to work with professionals in the field and scope out what I wanted to do after my degree was complete. Because of those connections, I found my current position doing what I love. As the public health specialist for the Rape Prevention Education Program in the NYS Department of Health, I’m supporting regional centers to help decrease sexual violence across the state."

- Elizabeth Rialdi, MPH, ’18

Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Options

If you’re a current UAlbany undergraduate student with at least a 3.2 GPA, you can save time and money by beginning your MPH graduate degree coursework as early as your junior year. Up to 24 academic credits, of which 12 credits are billed at the undergraduate rate, will count towards both degrees – so you can complete your combined program in only 5 years and spend less than you would if you completed each program separately.  

Contact your undergraduate advisor to see if you’re eligible and learn about your combined graduate program options.

UAlbany graduate at Commencement
combined

Admission Requirements

Ready to pursue your MPH at the University at Albany? Here's what you'll need to get started.

Deadlines

Priority: January 15 – First consideration for scholarship funding
General: March 1 – Second consideration for scholarship funding
Final: Rolling until August 1 on space available basis

Spring applications for health policy, social behavior and epidemiology are restricted to those who have completed the Certificate in Public Health Fundamentals and Principles.

Applicants who wish to be considered for a scholarship must submit their application by the priority deadline.  Some scholarships require that applications be received earlier than the published priority deadline. Students who wish to be considered for one of the early submission scholarships should consult our Financing Your Degree page and must submit the degree application and any additional required documents by the stated date for that scholarship.

Fee waivers are available for the first program you apply to in SOPHAS to cover the initial $145 application fee. There are three types of fee waivers: financial-based, service-based, and international-based. You may only apply for one type of fee waiver, and the waiver request must be submitted before you submit your SOPHAS application. Fee waivers are granted on a first come, first served basis, so applicants are strongly encouraged to apply before the priority deadline when requesting a waiver. For more information, visit SOPHAS Fees and Fee Waivers.

Applications are accepted for all programs on a space available basis after the published deadlines. Contact us at [email protected] or 518-402-0361 with any questions. 

MPH Degree Application

The application and all supporting materials for the Master of Public Health must be submitted through SOPHAS.

Visit the SOPHAS Applicant Help Center for help with starting your SOPHAS application.

 

Application Requirements

  • Must hold a bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing
  • Grade point average of 3.00 or better
  • One semester of social sciences required for all concentrations
  • One college level course in mathematics or statistics with a grade of B or higher required for all concentrations
  • Health Policy & Management and Social Behavior & Community Health require college math (algebra or pre-calculus) or statistics (High School AP courses do not count towards this prerequisite)
  • Epidemiology, Environmental Health and Biomedical Sciences require Calculus I
  • Biostatistics requires Calculus I, Calculus II, and linear algebra
  • Biomedical Sciences and Environmental Health require two semesters of biology
  • Biomedical Sciences and Environmental Health require two semesters of chemistry
  • Epidemiology requires one semester of biology
  • Population Medicine is open only to physicians in the New York State Fellowship in Applied Public Health and to other licensed healthcare professionals by permission of the fellowship director.

 

Note: GRE not required for admission.

 

International Requirements

  • International students must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 98 or IELTS score of 7.0. We will only accept official scores sent by the testing institution.
  • UAlbany SOPHAS TOEFL code is 5688. We do not use department codes. 
  • The TOEFL or IELTS is not required for international students who have completed at least four semesters of full-time study within a four-year time frame from time of application, and maintained at least a B average at a college or university in the United States or a country from an approved list.  For questions regarding English Language Proficiency waivers, please email Soha Acosta at [email protected].
  • International students must request a transcript evaluation from World Education Services (WES). The WES evaluation must be sent directly to SOPHAS, NOT the University at Albany or the School of Public Health.


Required Application Materials

Official Transcripts

  • Official transcripts from EVERY post-secondary academic institution attended, including college coursework completed during high school, must be sent directly from the institution to SOPHAS. You must report all colleges and universities attended and submit official transcripts, even if your transfer credits are listed on your primary transcript. See Sending Official Transcripts for more guidelines.
  • UAlbany students must have an official UAlbany transcript sent directly to SOPHAS.
  • Applicants who use the transcript entry service provided by SOPHAS should note that the entry process adds TWO FULL WEEKS to the time it takes for an application to be verified and considered complete by the admissions committee.

 

Three letters of recommendation

  • A minimum of two letters must be from academic faculty 
  • At least one letter must be from a university faculty member in the major field of study
  • Applicants who have been out of school for five or more years may submit professional references
  • Letters must be signed and on institutional/organizational letterhead.


Personal Statement

  • Why do you wish to pursue a career in public health and why are you interested in your chosen area of study?
  • 2-page limit


CV/Resume


Application Submission

Applicants should submit their application as soon as the items you have control over are complete (personal statement, resume/CV, institutions attended, coursework entry, and all other required sections of the online application). Test scores, transcripts and letters of recommendation will be added as they are received, after which SOPHAS will begin verifying your application.

Applications will not be reviewed until all required items, including official transcripts, official test scores, and required letters of recommendation, have been received and your application has been verified.  Please note that once SOPHAS has received all of your application materials, it may take up to 4 full weeks to be verified by SOPHAS.  Be sure to request all transcripts, recommendations, and standardized test scores in advance so that your application can be completed and verified by the specified application deadline.

Combined BS/MPH Required Application Materials

The combined program is highly competitive. In order for your application to be reviewed, you must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher and have completed 56 total credits hours toward your BS. Students typically apply in their junior year. The department accepts applications only for fall semester start.

Application Materials

  •  Completed Degree Application. Select the fall term you will first start taking graduate coursework. 
    • Contact [email protected] for the Application Code for Special School of Public Health Programs needed to access the MPH graduate admissions application 
  •  Official transcripts of all undergraduate coursework not completed at UAlbany.
  •  Two letters of recommendation from academic faculty. One must be from the public health program. 
  •  Attestation from academic advisor that all gen ed requirements, major requirements (except three electives), and minor requirements will be completed by the end of the third year of study. 
  •  1-2 page personal statement detailing interest in public health, chosen area of concentration, and reasons for pursuing the BS/MPH
  •  Resume
  •  $75 application fee

    Note: GRE not required for admission.
Accepted Student Profile

Average GPA: 3.35

Special Notes

Please note: This program requires an internship, field experience, study abroad component, or clinical experience requirement. Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions. If applicants have concerns about this matter please contact the Dean’s Office of the intended academic program.

Student Learning Objectives


Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.

MPH Foundational Competencies
  • Apply epidemiologic 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 Public Health & Healthcare Systems
  • 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 Planning and Management to Promote Health
  • 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 Policy in Public Health
  • Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy making process, including roles of ethics and evidence
  • Propose strategies to identify stakeholder and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes
  • Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health for diverse populations
  • Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity Leadership
  • 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 Communication
  • 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 Inter-professional Practice
  • Perform effectively on inter-professional teams Systems Thinking
  • Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue
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