MPH Program Requirements
For information on MPH Concentrations, click here.
MPH Requirements for Students Matriculating in Academic Year 2011/2012
- Completion of 48 graduate-level credit units numbered SPH XX 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 guidelines
- Completion of a culminating experience according to guidelines
- A School of Public Health grade point average of 3.0 or better
- Completion of the MPH degree within five years
Note: Physical education (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-. Students who earn a grade below B- in a core course must follow the stipulations of the SPH grading policy.
Most new MPH students must satisfy a core course requirement in each of six concentration areas. A notable exception is that students who are not United States citizens or U.S. 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 Office of the Registrar 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. 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:
- Biostatistics: Biostatistics, epidemiology, and environmental health concentrators are strongly encouraged to meet their core course requirement by completing BS 703, although the core course requirement for all MPH students may be met by successfully completing BS 701 or BS 703. Students may take only one of these courses for degree credit.
- 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. Students may take only one of these courses for degree credit.
- Epidemiology: The requirement for all MPH students is met by successfully completing EP 713.
- Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights: Health law, bioethics and 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 and human rights concentrators must register for a 2-credit directed study and sit in LW 751 for a grade. Students may take only one of these courses for degree credit.
- Health Policy and Management: All health policy and management (HPM) concentrators must take PM 702 to meet the health policy and management core course requirement. MPH students who are not health policy and management concentrators must take PM 702 unless they meet at least one of the following criteria:
a. They are international health concentrators: international health concentrators may take either PM 702 or IH 704 to meet the MPH health policy and management core course requirement.
b. They are not U.S. citizens or are not permanent residents of the United States: Students who are not U.S. citizens or are not permanent residents of the United States may take either PM 702 or IH 704 to meet the MPH health policy and management core course requirement.
c. They are Peace Corps/MI students: Peace Corps/MI students must take IH 704. If they are health policy and management concentrators, they must take PM 702 first, and then IH 704 second.
Students, in any concentration, may take both PM 702 and IH 704 for degree credit, though they must take the course that meets their core course requirement first, and the second course for elective credits. The School’s minimum grade requirement applies to the core course. If a student plans to take both PM 702 and IH 704 and earns below a B- in the first course taken, he/she will be considered to be in academic difficulty and must retake the course. - Social and Behavioral Sciences: Social and behavioral sciences concentrators must successfully complete SB 721. IH 720 fulfills the social and behavioral sciences MPH core requirement for international health concentrators and for international, non-U.S.-resident SPH students who are not SB concentrators. Students may take only one of these courses for degree credit. MSW/MPH students are waived from completing the MPH social and behavioral core course requirement when they complete the MSW degree.
Exemption from Core Course Requirement in Health Law, Bioethics, and Human Rights: MPH students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. 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 Office of the Registrar before the drop without a “W” deadline in the first semester they register.
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 and 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 and Waivers from Core Course Requirements: (Also see SPH and University policies.)
Waivers (no credit): Students may be waived from core course requirements by virtue of prior graduate or undergraduate coursework. This option is relevant when the course in question counted toward another degree.
To be considered for a course 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 Office of the Registrar (Talbot 2 Center) and on the SPH Office of the Registrar website. All waivers must be documented and approved by the department for the student record during the student’s first semester at SPH. Students who waive a core course requirement may use the credits from the core course waiver to pursue upper-level courses in any department or concentration. 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.
Automatic waivers for the MPH degree program from undergraduate courses at BU. The courses must have been taken within five (5) years of matriculation, and the student must have earned a B grade or better.
For the MPH biostatistics core course requirement:
- CAS MA 115 and 116
or - CAS MA 213 and 214
or - CAS MA 684
Credit received for these CAS statistics courses does not count toward the minimum total of 48 credits of SPH coursework required for graduation with the MPH.
For the MPH health policy and management core course requirement EXCEPT for MPH health policy and management concentrators:
- SAR HS 353 with a grade of B or better within 5 years of MPH matriculation. Credit received for SAR HS 353 does not count toward the minimum total of 48 credits of SPH coursework required for graduation with the MPH.
Transfer Credit
MPH students must earn at least 40 credits at Boston University School of Public Health. MPH students are allowed to transfer in eight (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 U.S. colleges or universities. These courses cannot have been counted towards the requirements for another degree at Boston University or elsewhere. Dual degree program students are not allowed to take courses for transfer credit.
The following non-SPH classes are approved for the Master of Public Health degree. Students who wish to enroll should follow the procedures of the college in which the course is held. MPH students who want the class to “count” for their MPH degree must fill out the SPH Request for Transfer Credit form and submit it to the SPH Office of the Registrar. They do not need to submit any additional documents.
| School | Course # | Title | Credits | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Communication (COM) | |||||
| COM | JO 702 | Advanced Science Writing | 4 | elective | must do public health projects |
| COM | JO 703 | Magazine Writing | 4 | elective | must do public health projects |
| COM | JO 519 | Narrative Radio | 4 | elective | must do public health projects |
| Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS) | |||||
| GMS | MS 700 | Biostatistics | waiver only for MA/MPH—2 credits for others | core course waiver or credit | |
| GMS | CI 670 | Biostatistics with Computer | waiver only for MA/MPH—2 credits for others | core course waiver or credit | |
| GMS | MI 713 | Comprehensive Immunology | 4 | concentration credit for EH concentrators | |
| Graduate School of Management (GSM) | |||||
| GSM | HM 840 | Health Sector Consulting | 3 | elective | |
| GSM | IM 853 | Indian Field Seminar | 3 | elective | must be sure does not conflict with start of spring semester at SPH |
| GSM | OB 802 | Leading Transformation in Health and Social Sector Organizations | 3 | ||
| GSM | OB 844 | Managing Organizational Change | 3 | ||
| GSM | OM 840 | Managing and Improving Quality: Six Sigma Green Belt Certification | 3 | elective | |
| GSM | OB 830 | Leading the Mission-Driven Organization | 3 | elective | |
| Metropolitan College (MET) | |||||
| MET | ML 721 | U.S. Food Policy | 4 | elective | |
| College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SAR) | |||||
| SAR | HS 551 | Human Nutrition Science | 4 | elective | must take as graduate student |
| SAR | HS 776 | Nutritional Epidemiology | 4 | concentration credit for epidemiology concentrators | |
| SAR | OT 713 | Developmental Disabilities | 2 | elective | for LEND Fellowship students |
Tufts Friedman School (Boston Consortium) |
|||||
| Tufts * | NUTR 201 | Fundamentals Nutri Science | 4 | elective | worth 4 BU credits; 1 at Tufts |
| Tufts * | NUTR 228 | Community & PH Nutrition | 4 | elective | worth 4 BU credits; 1 at Tufts |
* available through cross-registration in the fall or spring semester
MPH Elective Courses
Students must meet the core course, concentration, culminating, and practicum requirements for the MPH degree as described below. The remaining credits of the MPH may be met by taking elective courses. Elective courses are courses not in the student’s stated concentration requirements. Students are free to register for any course numbered SPH XX 700 or above offered at the School of Public Health, assuming they meet the stated prerequisites. 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 Waiver and 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 Office of the Registrar or online), obtain the required signatures, and return the completed forms to the SPH Office of the Registrar.
MPH Practicum
A public health practicum is an integral part 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.
Most students may begin a practicum after completing a minimum of 12 academic credits at the School of Public Health. International students studying on an F-1 visa must be in F-1 status for one academic year prior to completing a practicum if they intend to complete a practicum in the United States. 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 individual academic and professional needs. It is strongly recommended that these decisions be made in consultation with the academic advisor. The options are as follows:
Options for Fulfilling MPH Practicum
| Practicum Course | Practicum Requirements | Credits |
| PH 970 | • Faculty approval • Agency oversight • Minimum of 112 practicum work hours • Poster presentation • 2 skill-based professional development seminars |
0 pass/fail |
| PH 975 | • Faculty approval • Agency oversight • Minimum of 112 practicum work hours • Poster presentation • 2 skill-based professional development seminars |
variable (1–4) pass/fail |
| PH 984 | Directed Practicum • Faculty approval and sponsor • Agency oversight • Minimum of 112 practicum work hours • Poster presentation • 2 skill-based professional development seminars • Final academic product |
4 letter grade |
| PH 971 | MPH/MSW Practicum Course • Required seminar • 2 skill-based professional development seminars MPH/MSW students may also take PH 970 |
1 pass/fail |
| varies | Peace Corps Master’s International Program | varies |
| IH 707 | Kenya: Field Practicum in Public Health & the Environment • Course requirements plus 2 skill-based professional development seminars |
6 letter grade |
| HC 840; HC 841; HC 842 |
Program in International Health Practice (PIHP) in the Philippines • Course requirements plus 2 skill-based professional development seminars |
16 letter grade |
Students 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 above. Dual concentrators need only complete one practicum.
