Master of Public Health Core Curriculum

The curriculum for the MPH degree is competency-based in order to comply with current national efforts to improve the quality and accountability of public health training programs. The Program in Public Health faculty developed the required MPH Core Competencies, using the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Master’s of Public Health Core Competency Development Project as the starting point. The Master's of Public Health is accredited by CEPH, the Counsel for Education in Public Health. 

To ensure that all students have a broad understanding of the basic areas of public health, every student is required to complete all MPH Core courses satisfactorily. Students receive training in the five basic, discipline-specific, competency areas of public health:  biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management, and the social and behavioral sciences. Students also receive core competency education in informatics and communication, professionalism, systems thinking, research methods, and problem solving. The Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Policy & Management, and Community Health concentrations have concentration-specific competencies.  The Program’s success in transmitting the competencies to students is measured before and after completion of the Program (Orientation and Graduation Competency Assessments), as well as before and after each Core course (Pre/Post Course Competency Assessments).  A table with the complete list of MPH Core and Concentration Competencies is available here.


Master of Public Health Program Curriculum

Curriculum (54 total credit hours)
Core (27 credits; 3 per course)

Contemporary Issues in Public Health

Introduction to the Research Process

Biostatistics I 

Biostatistics II 

Health Systems Performance

Epidemiology for Public Health

Environmental & Occupational Health

Social & Behavioral Determinants of Health

Fundamentals of Program Planning

Elective Examples

Racism and Health

Global Health and Demography

Qualitative Methods

Health Communication

Disability and Public Health

Women and Gender Minorities and Population Health

Human Resources Management in the Health Sector

Long-Term Care in the Health Sector Aging and Health

Culminating Experience (6 credits; 3 per course) 
Practicum 
Capstone Seminar: Population Health Issues
Concentration - students must select one (12 credits; 3 per course)

For more information on the concentrations listed below, please click here.

Climate Solutions and Health

Community Health

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Health Policy and Management*

Generalist - designed for students in approved clinical programs or with completed advanced clinical degrees


Prior curriculum can be accessed via the bulletin for that academic year here.

Have curriculum questions? Email publichealth@stonybrookmedicine.edu.

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