MPH Program Requirements

MPH Requirements for Students Matriculating in Academic Year 2010/2011

  • Completion of 48 graduate-level credit units numbered SPH •• 700 and above
  • Completion of at least 40 of these credit units within the Boston University School of Public Health
  • Completion of six core courses with a grade of B- or better in each core course
  • Completion of concentration requirements
  • Completion of a public health practicum according to concentration guidelines
  • Completion of a culminating experience according to concentration guidelines
  • A School of Public Health grade point average of 3.0 or better
  • Completion of the MPH degree within five years

Note: PDP, undergraduate, and non-approved graduate courses do not count toward the MPH degree.

MPH Core Course Requirements

To satisfy the MPH core course requirements, students must complete one course from each of the six concentrations listed below, with a minimum passing grade of B-.

Most new MPH students must satisfy a core course requirement in each of six concentration areas; students may complete only one course within the six core course areas for degree credit. A notable exception is that students who are not United States citizens or permanent residents at the time of their matriculation into the MPH program are exempted from fulfilling the MPH health law core course requirement. Students should confirm their exemption with the SPH Registrar’s Office before the drop without a “W” deadline in the first semester they register.

Part-time (1–11 credits) MPH students should plan to take, at a minimum, the core course in their concentration their first semester in attendance. As they add courses to their schedule, students should be sure to take at least one of the following (or more, as their schedule allows): biostatistics, epidemiology, or health law, according to the Core Course Completion Policy (see below). Students who wish to balance their schedule may also take an elective course; there are a number of courses suitable for new degree candidates, including PH 709 and MC 705. Students who feel that they may have completed courses similar to the courses listed below should review the Waiver and Transfer Credit policy information. The core courses are as follows:

  1. Biostatistics: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health concentrators are strongly encouraged to meet their core course requirement by completing BS 703, though the core course requirement for all MPH students may be met by successfully completing BS 701 or BS 703.
  2. Environmental Health: Environmental Health concentrators must successfully complete EH 765; all others meet the core course requirement by successfully completing either EH 765 or EH 708. Students who take EH 708 and subsequently become Environmental Health concentrators must register for a 2-credit directed study and sit in EH 765 for a grade.
  3. Epidemiology: Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health concentrators are strongly encouraged to meet their core course requirement by successfully completing EP 712, though the requirement for all MPH students may be met by successfully completing EP 711 or EP 712. Some upper-level Epidemiology classes specify EP 712 as the required prerequisite and will ask a student to obtain instructor consent if they took EP 711 instead of EP 712.
  4. Health Policy & Management: SPH students who are International Health concentrators or international, non-U.S. resident students may meet the Health Policy & Management core course requirement by successfully completing either IH 704 or PM 702; all others must successfully complete PM 702. Students may take both courses for degree credit
  5. Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights: Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights concentrators must successfully complete LW 751; all others may meet the core course requirement by successfully completing either LW 751 or LW 707. Students who take LW 707 and subsequently become Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights concentrators must register for a 2-credit directed study and sit in LW 751 for a grade.
  6. Social & Behavioral Sciences: Social & Behavioral Sciences concentrators must successfully complete SB 721. IH 720 fulfills the social and behavioral sciences MPH core requirement only for International Health concentrators and for international, non-U.S. resident SPH students who are not SB concentrators. MSW/MPH students are waived from SB 721 at the completion of the MSW degree.

MPH Core Course Completion Policy: MPH degree candidates are encouraged to complete their core course requirements, particularly the core course(s) in their concentration, as early as possible in their academic program. MPH candidates must successfully complete at least one of the core course requirements in Epidemiology; Biostatistics; or Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights within their first 12 credits of coursework, a second course by 24 credits, and all three of the aforementioned core courses by the time they complete 32 credits.

Transfer Credit/Waivers from Core Course Requirements: (Also see SPH and University policies.) Students may be waived from core course requirements by virtue of prior coursework. To be considered for waiver, students must submit the course syllabus in question and a completed School of Public Health Transfer Credit/Waiver form. The forms are available on the shelves outside the Registrar’s Office (Talbot 2 Center) and on the SPH Registrar’s Office website. All waivers must be documented and approved by the department for the student record. Students who waive a core course requirement may use the credits from the core course waiver to pursue upper-level courses. The course does not have to be in the same department as the waived course. A waiver does not reduce the number of credits (48) that must be earned toward the Master of Public Health degree.

MPH students must earn at least 40 credits at Boston University School of Public Health. MPH students are allowed to transfer in 8 credits of approved graduate courses from other Boston University graduate programs, from graduate courses taken at member schools in the Boston Consortium, or at accredited United States colleges or universities.

Dual degree program students are not allowed to take courses for transfer credit.

Exemption from Core Course Requirement in Health Law: Students who are non-permanent residents or non-citizens of the United States at the time of matriculation into the MPH program are exempted from the Health Law core course requirement. Students must apply for the exemption within the first five weeks of the semester in which they matriculated.

Policy on Grade Changes (as it applies to core courses)

MPH Elective Courses

Students must meet the core course and concentration requirements for the MPH degree—including the practicum experience required by the concentration—as described below. The remaining credits of the MPH may be met by taking electives courses. Students are free to register for any course numbered SPH •• 700 or above offered at the School of Public Health, assuming they meet the stated prerequisites. Students are encouraged to review interdepartmental courses such as PH 709 The Biology of Public Health. In addition, degree candidates may enroll in courses through other graduate schools at Boston University, the Boston Consortium, or other accredited universities in the United States. Courses taken outside of BU School of Public Health are subject to the transfer credit policy.

Directed Studies or Directed Research: In addition to classroom instruction, students may arrange a 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-credit directed study or directed research project with a faculty member. Students may apply up to 8 credits of directed studies, directed research, or practicum courses toward an MPH degree. These projects require the written approval of a full-time School of Public Health faculty sponsor who will assume responsibility for the approval process and assigning grades. In addition to completing a paper registration for the Directed Study or Directed Research, students must complete a paper Directed Study or Directed Research Proposal form (available at the Registrar’s Office or online), obtain the required signatures, and return the completed forms to the SPH Registrar’s Office.

MPH Practicum

A public health practicum is a required element of the MPH degree at BUSPH. All MPH students are required to complete an approved supervised practicum of at least 112 hours. The experience provides the opportunity to integrate and apply classroom learning in a public health work environment, enabling students to observe and learn from professionals in the field. A student contributes to a sponsoring agency/organization’s mission, the community, and the solutions of public health problems while developing personal confidence and practical skills as a public health professional.

An additional requirement of the practicum is completion of two skill-based professional development seminars. Please refer to the BUSPH Practicum Handbook for more detailed information.

The Public Health Practice Office provides the academic and administrative structure for the required practicum. Practica are available in local, state, national, and international settings on a wide variety of topics.

Students may begin a practicum after completing a minimum of 12 academic credits at the School of Public Health. Students who are experiencing academic difficulty will need special approval from the Assistant Dean for Practice before beginning a practicum.

Decisions about the choice of practicum and number of credits should be made by students to fit their own individual academic and professional needs. It is strongly recommended that these decisions be made in consultation with the academic advisor.

Students can initiate their practicum search in various ways: through personal and/or professional contacts, through faculty recommendations, or through opportunities posted with the Practice Office. An extensive list of opportunities can be found on the Practice Office website.

Once a practicum site has been secured, approval for a practicum must be provided by a Departmental Faculty Practice Representative. Signature from the Practice Office is required in order to register for a practicum course. Online registration is not available.

Students may fulfill the MPH practicum requirement by completing the assignments associated with one of the course options described in the table. Dual concentrators need only complete one practicum.