Curriculum Options
The Case Western Reserve MPH consists of 42-credit hours and can be completed in as little as 16 months or up to 21 months depending on a student's status and course load. Students have the option of enrolling part-time and must complete the program within five years.
Eighteen core credits are accumulated in six core required courses, representing the fundamental domains of public health: biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health policy and management, public health history, and social and behavioral sciences.
| Course Number | Course Name* | Credits (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| MPHP 405 | Statistical Methods in Public Health | 3 |
| MPHP 406 | History and Philosophy of Public Health | 3 |
| MPHP 411 | Introduction to Health Behavior | 3 |
| MPHP 429 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| MPHP 439 | Public Health Management and Policy | 3 |
| MPHP 483 | Introduction to Epidemiology for Public Health Practice | 3 |
Students then earn:
- 9 credits for 3 courses in the concentration of their choice
- 6 credits for 2 public health elective courses
- 9 credits for the Culminating Experience (consisting of a field practicum and a capstone research project)
Concentrations
The MPH program offers four concentrations, providing the opportunity to tailor a course of study that resonates with your interests. Students also can choose to expand their studies with a double concentration, which may include additional course work. Students should work closely with their advisor to ensure optimal course selection and foster the evolution of a successful Capstone project. More details can be found in the MPH Student Handbook.
Please be aware that the information provided below is for dedicated MPH students who are solely focused on pursuing their MPH degree. If you have an interest in acquiring further details about the MPH Dual Degree Programs or the MPH Intensive Research Pathway, we encourage you to visit the respective webpages dedicated to these programs.
Below are the four concentrations available for students to choose from, along with their corresponding curriculum:
Coordinator: Peter Zimmerman, PhD, MPH (paz@case.edu)
The Global Health concentration seeks to improve health and achieve equity in health for all people worldwide. Students develop an understanding of the history, context, and impact of colonial health, tropical medicine, international health and global health, as well as the agencies and relationships that interact to address historical and ongoing global health issues. Students learn to a) prioritize diseases of global health importance and their epidemiological context, b) apply methods for strengthening and focusing existing capacities and resources for health program sustainability and enhancement, and c) contrast application of technology to impact priority diseases with addressing the underlying social and economic determinants of global health linked to health care delivery systems. The Global Health concentration equips students to understand and address complex health issues in diverse cultural settings.
| Course Number | Course Name* | Credits (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| INTH 401 | Introduction to Global Health | 3 |
| MPHP 484 | Global Health Epidemiology | 3 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 |
Coordinator: Kate Nagel, DrPH, MPH (kfn@case.edu)
The Health Policy and Management concentration provides students with an understanding of how policy impacts health care delivery and outcomes, and how to analyze and prepare to respond to the ever-changing field of health care through principles of management, systems thinking and advocacy efforts. In addition to core courses, students can tailor the concentration to gain a deeper skillset in health care policy, health care law and ethics, public health program development, health care management, and comparative effectiveness. Graduates are well-positioned for careers in public health agencies, nonprofit organizations, hospitals and government.
| Course Number | Course Name* | Credits (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| MPHP 468 | The Continual Improvement of Healthcare | 3 |
|
MPHP 421 OR MPHP 456 |
Health Economics and Strategy OR Health Policy and Management Decisions | 3 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 |
Coordinator: Erika Trapl, PhD (erika.trapl@case.edu)
The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention concentration focuses on promoting, improving and maintaining health through programs, systems, and policies that impact individuals, organizations, and communities. This concentration provides students with an understanding of the underlying factors that contribute to poor health and the tools to address these issues. Students interested in careers in health departments, community advocacy and with agencies that promote well-being and provide health services in the community, as well as cross-training for family medicine, dentistry, nursing or social work will benefit from the holistic approach to health and well-being that this concentration provides.
| Course Number | Course Name* | Credits (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| MPHP 413 | Health Education, Communication, and Advocacy | 3 |
|
MPHP 433 |
Community Interventions | 3 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 |
Coordinator: Mendel Singer, PhD, MPH (mendel@case.edu)
The Population Health Research concentration is for students who see themselves in a career with a focus on research in public health and/or clinical/health care. Students learn how to conduct research using publicly available healthcare databases and electronic health records, methods that have become essential in population health research. Required courses give students a stronger background in biostatistics than is offered in the standard MPH core. Concentration courses emphasize statistical programming. Electives can focus on other research methods or may be from a content area in which the student wishes to focus their research.
| Course Number | Course Name* | Credits (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| PQHS 515 | Secondary Analysis of Large Health Care Databases | 3 |
| MPHP 432 | Statistical Methods II | |
| Concentration Elective | 3 |