Academics & Curriculum
The M.S. in Health and the Public Interest program is an in-person course of study that provides interdisciplinary training in the fields of public health, sociology, economics, biology, and communications.
The full-time program structure comprises a 1-year (summer, fall, spring, summer) 30-credit residential program of core courses and electives requiring advisor approval, as well as a required capstone project. Classes take place in the late afternoon or evening, making the program suitable for part-time enrollment.
Academic Requirements
Academic requirements for the M.S. in Health and the Public Interest program are:
- Satisfactory completion of 9 core courses including a mentored capstone experience and seminar.
- Completion of 2-3 elective courses chosen by the student and approved by the Program Directors.
- Maintenance of a 3.0 GPA or higher.
- Successful completion of a capstone project.
Educational Objectives
This program provides students with theoretical and methodological skills including:
- Understanding of and ability to critique complex and interdisciplinary multi-method research relevant to public health
- Understanding of the evolution of governance, economic issues and other drivers of global health
- Ability to draw on diverse theory and methods of social sciences and epidemiology
- Ability to communicate with—and design health, training, and social programs for—healthcare professionals and the public
- Advocacy and activism skills
- Understanding of the sociocultural mechanisms of symptom construction in addition to physiological mechanisms
- A basic understanding of physiology as it relates to specific health issues
- Appreciation of the contribution of ethnic, national, occupational, and other cultural influences on healthcare
- Written and oral communication skills, with an emphasis on the ability to communicate about complex theory and data across disciplines and with lay audiences
- Hands-on familiarity with research skills and/or hands-on familiarity with community organizations, NGOs, or governmental agencies focusing on society and health