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The Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree is offered by each of the academic departments of the college. The MSPH provides a focus in research design, data collection, analysis and application of research in public health intended to improve and protect the health of populations. The program is designed for students with good quantitative and/or qualitative skills and an interest in the science of public health and a comprehensive research experience. Students are prepared for research roles in academic or professional public health careers by incorporating epidemiological principles and biostatistical methods with their focus within the core areas of public health.
The MSPH involves course work in biostatistics and epidemiology and one of the other three core courses. In addition to the core courses, students further focus their skills by completing course work in one of several concentration areas: socio-health sciences, health education, maternal and child health, behavioral health,, health care organizations and management, health policies and programs, environmental health, toxicology/risk assessment, global communicable disease, epidemiology, or biostatistics.
The MSPH degree is a minimum of 42 credit hours.
(Also see the USF Graduate Catalog, Public Health section)
MSPH Degree Competencies
Concentration specific competencies are in addition to the following college wide competencies. Within the context of a specific public health career that emphasizes research activities, the Master of Science in Public Health graduate will be able to:
- Critically evaluate scholarly research in public health in terms of scientific rigor, appropriate use of methods and measures, and contribution to science.
- Investigate and determine socio-ecological factors that affect the health of a population.
- Apply statistical reasoning and methods to address, analyze, and solve problems in public health.
- Apply the study of patterns of death, disease, and disability to the prevention (primary, secondary, and tertiary) of health issues.
- Apply the principles of systems thinking to program planning, implementation, and evaluation in organizational, community, and policy initiatives.
- Apply principles of evidence-based public health to assessment and prevention (primary, secondary, and tertiary) of public health issues.
- Demonstrate research and evaluation skills pertaining to public health issues.
- Apply ethical principles guiding the conduct of research on human subjects.
The MSPH in Industrial Hygiene is a professional degree thus includes the same core degree competencies as our MPH.
Degree Program Requirements
All MSPH students are required to successfully complete:
- 9 credits of college core courses including Biostatistics I* and Epidemiology, plus one other core course approved by the academic advisor (select from Principles of Health Policy and Management, Environmental and Occupational Health, or Social and Behavioral Sciences Applied to Health);
- PHC 6051Biostatistics II (3 credit hours);
- Courses in specialty areas as designated by advisory committee ( 12 credit hours minimum);
- Research methods as determined by advisory committee (6 credit hours minimum);
- Comprehensive exam while enrolled for a minimum of 2 credits or Thesis proposal defense (some concentrations may require a core and/or concentration exam);
- Thesis for a minimum of 6 credit hours;
- Electives (variable credit hours);
- Complete a minimum of 42 credit hours.
*Students in the Biostatistics MSPH program who have previously taken introductory statistics courses and have a strong mathematical background must take the more advanced level biostatistics course "PHC 6057: Biostatistical Inference I" instead of "PHC 6050: Biostatistics I". However, if a student does not have this prior training in introductory statistics coursework then she/he can take both PHC 6050 Biostatistics I and PHC 6057 Biostatistical Inference I.
Concentrations (Links to Program of Study Forms)
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KEY
*Special program available in all MSPH concentraitons
Format = Format Online or Traditional; Credit Hours = Minimum Credit Hours required; Concentration = Link to concentration details
Please send feedback on the MSPH Guidebook