M.P.H. Degree
Candidates for the M.P.H. degree come to the School with a wide variety of backgrounds and experience and have particular needs and objectives to meet. At the same time, society has certain expectations of training standards for its public health professionals. Thus, students have a responsibility to society as well as to themselves to plan and pursue meaningful programs of professional training. The M.P.H. degree has both depth and breadth requirements. To satisfy the depth requirement, each candidate is expected to pursue a particular program of study designed with the assistance of the faculty adviser.
Breadth has two components. The first is to obtain a general understanding of the areas of knowledge basic to public health; these areas include the following:
- biological, physical, and chemical factors which affect the health of a community;
- concepts and methods of relevant social and behavioral sciences;
- distribution of diseases or conditions in populations and factors that influence this distribution;
- collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, and interpretation of health data; and
- planning, policy analysis, and administration of health programs.
When a student has achieved proficiency in these areas before and/or during the M.P.H. degree program and has also met the requirements outlined under "A summary of requirements," the School of Public Health can recommend awarding the M.P.H. degree.
The second component of the breadth requirement is obtained through elective courses in fields related to each student's particular interest. Some of these courses will be found in the school; many are available outside the school in other departments on the campus.
At a counseling session, usually scheduled during the week before classes begin, the faculty adviser and the student plan a course of study for the time period required for completion of degree requirements; the plan can be modified, as necessary, with the adviser's approval. It is the responsibility of the adviser to ensure that course selections meet the requirements for depth specified by the chosen field and for breadth in the fundamental areas of public health described above. Information regarding specific courses that may be taken in order to fulfill M.P.H. breadth requirements and exemption examinations for those with prior proficiencies will be available in August during Welcome Week (the week before the first week of instruction).Summary of M.P.H. Requirements The M.P.H. degree will be awarded only when these requirements are met.
- A minimum of two semesters of academic residence. Additional time and units are specified in the descriptions of some areas of concentration.
- Not less than 42 units of course work approved by the adviser with 12 units in the graduate series (courses numbered in the 200s). At least 12 units must be taken in the School of Public Health. By special permission, a candidate may be authorized to present a thesis instead of 4 of the 42 units required.
- Of the 42 minimum units required for the M.P.H. degree, no more than 4 may be taken from courses numbered 195, 197, 198, 295, 296, 297, 298, or 299. These may be taken from inside or outside the School. Exception may be granted by the School's Curriculum Committee. Also, no more than one third of the total course work taken in preparation for a master's degree may be fulfilled by courses graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U).
- Of the 42 minimum units needed for the degree, a student may be required to take 8 units in the chosen field, 11 units in courses to satisfy breadth requirements, and at least 5 additional units of course work approved by the adviser as relevant to their course of study. To assure that its students are familiar with the basic knowledge areas of public health, the School of Public Health requires that all M.P.H. students take the following courses: public health statistics, epidemiology, environmental health, administrative sciences and sociobehavioral sciences.
- At least a B (3.0) grade point average in all work completed in graduate standing.
- Approved Public Health Practice Experience. Students are required to complete a 3-month (480 hours) supervised internship while registered at UC Berkeley. The internship is a 12-week, full-time experience during the summer following the first year of academic study in public health. Opportunities for supervised field experience are offered by research and field projects within the school and by many health agencies in nearby communities, the state, in the nation, and occasionally internationally. For physicians, certain training programs are devised to meet certification requirements for medical board specialties.
- A comprehensive final examination given by the faculty of the student's area of concentration.