SPH Launches New and Improved Master of Science Programs.

The School of Public Health is launching a suite of five Master of Science (MS) degrees next fall, in epidemiology, environmental health data analytics, health systems and services research, applied biostatistics, and public health nutrition.

“These programs are really targeted to areas where there’s a lot of demand in the workforce,” says Lisa Sullivan, associate dean for education and professor of biostatistics.

Unlike the Master of Public Health (MPH), where students gain a broad foundation across all public health disciplines before focusing on specific areas, Sullivan says the MS degrees focus on in-depth training in a highly specialized area.

Requiring 32 credits compared to the MPH’s 48, the MS programs can be completed within 12 months, “and then they can get out and hit the ground running,” Sullivan says.

Despite taking less time, Sullivan says the degrees are also designed to include practical experience. “Each of the programs has a research rotation or a work product that students will develop,” she says. “They can then use it when they graduate to showcase what they can do for potential employers.”

The degrees can also be completed part-time over two years, which Sullivan says is perfect for “people who are already working and want to develop their skills, make a career change, or advance in their current field.”

Three of the MS degrees actually represent an upgrade of existing programs: “We revised epidemiology, environmental health data analytics, and health systems and services research,” Sullivan says. “Those programs have been updated and revitalized.”

Sullivan is excited for the launch, she says, and the opportunities the MS programs will provide. “We’re really excited to work more closely with our longstanding employer partners to deliver them the talent that they have been asking us for,” she says. “There’s real demand—and we have strength in those areas.”

Learn more about the new Master of Science (MS) degrees:

Master of Science in Applied Biostatistics

Master of Science in Environmental Health Data Analytics

Master of Science in Epidemiology

Master of Science in Health Services and Systems Research

Master of Science in Public Health Nutrition