MS Degree Program Overview

We offer a Master of Science in Population Health with concentrations in epidemiology, health services research, social and behavioral health sciences, and clinical research.

Our research-oriented graduate MS degree program is designed to provide rigorous, interdisciplinary training to develop students' abilities to synthesize knowledge and skills needed to address health related problems. The Department of Population Health Sciences is the home of world-class research programs that seek to understand health, diseases, and their determinants across the lifespan; test interventions to improve health; and develop methodological approaches for population health research. The interdisciplinary approach of our graduate program prepares our students to be leaders in their professions by instilling strong methodological research skills together with understanding of basic biological, epidemiological, social and behavioral, and health services constructs in the context of a population-based focus. Through coursework and research collaboration, we seek to train students to employ rigorous scientific and analytic methods to reduce the burden of morbidity and early mortality, to identify the most effective ways to prevent and treat diseases and disorders, and to promote population health.
 
MS Program
Credits: 33 Required (minimum).  No more than 3 credits of 699 may be applied toward the degree.
Thesis: Required; Number of credits varies, but no more than 5 PHS 990 credits may be applied toward the degree)
Seminar: 1 credit (PHS 820, Graduate Seminar, 1 cr)
  • Full-time students are expected to attend and to participate in the Monday and Wednesday Seminars.
  • Departmental and Graduate Seminars each semester.
  • Part-time students are expected to attend and participate during at least one semester each year.
  • All students are expected to enroll (for credit) in Seminar during the semester in which they will present their research.
Core Courses, 6-8 cr.
PHS 794, Biological Basis of Population Health (2 cr), Fall
[required for students without a bio- medical science background; self-test]

PHS 795, Principles of Population Health Science, (3 cr), Fall

PHS 797, Introduction to Epidemiology, (3 cr), Fall

Methods, 6 cr.
(Required) At least one of (may take both):
PHS 796, Introduction to Health Services Research, (3 cr), Spring; or
PHS 798, Epidemiologic Methods, (3 cr), Spring
(Optional)
PHS 703, Quality of Health Care, (3 cr.), Spring
PHS 802, Advanced Epidemiology: Etiology and Prevention, (3 cr), Fall
PHS 875, Assessment of Medical Technologies, (3 cr), Spring
 
Statistics, 6 cr.
PHS 551, Introduction to Biostatistics, or equivalent (3 cr.) Fall
PHS 800, Quantitative Methods in Population Health I, (3 cr) Spring
Medical Ethics: (one of the following courses is required):
MED HIST 545, Ethical and Regulatory Issues in Clinical Investigation (1 cr) Fall

MED HIST 734, Graduate Studies in Medical Ethics (1 cr) Taught periodically

NURSING 802, Ethics and Conduct of Research (1 cr) Spring

MED HIST 728, Bioethics and Society (3cr) Spring

Electives/Concentration Courses: