Tracks Currently Available in the MPH Program
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Notice: Beginning with Fall 2012 admissions, the MPH program plans to move from track-specific training (epidemiology, public health practice, social and behavioral science) to one general MPH training program, pending approval of the University Graduate Council. This change will enable VCU to continue providing rigorous, student-centric public health training, yet will allow students more flexibility in crafting a program to meet their educational objectives. Any application to current MPH tracks for Fall 2012 will be reviewed by the program as an application to the revised general MPH degree, pending approval of University Graduate Council. Our web pages will be updated to reflect changes once they are approved by the University Graduate Council.
The Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, Division of Epidemiology, offers two tracks in the MPH Program: Epidemiology and Public Health Practice. A Social and Behavioral Science track is offered by the Department of Social and Behavioral Health.
Public Health Practice Track
The track gives students a broad overview of public health issues and training in epidemiologic, biostatistical and assessment/evaluative methods necessary to practice successfully as a public health professional. The M.P.H. public health practice track requires a minimum of 45 credits.
The Public Health Practice track provides a didactic foundation and builds skills that students need to be public health practitioners. The track provides a broad overview of public health issues and a foundation in skills such as program assessment and evaluation and epidemiological and biostatistical methods commonly used by public health professionals. A choice of several electives gives students the opportunity to focus on areas of interest, and required practical placements and an internship provide opportunities for applied learning in a professional setting.
As the culminating experience of the degree program, students work with a public health preceptor and faculty adviser to complete a capstone public health project that serves the mission and goals of a professional public health agency or organization. The project will be based on practical work that the student completes in the organization and will result in a professional end product serving the needs of the organization. Click here for a detailed explanation of the curriculum.
Epidemiology Track:
This track is designed to train students who want to specialize in research methods, analysis and interpretation of public health data, or further graduate study in epidemiology or a related field. The track requires a minimum of 45 credits.
The epidemiology track provides a didactic foundation and builds applied biostatistical and epidemiological skills students need to become productive members of research teams in public health settings. The track also provides a general foundation in public health, including epidemiological and biostatistical methods commonly used by public health professionals. Additional course work provides knowledge in selected, topic-specific epidemiological applications. Required practical placement working with the faculty adviser’s research program enhances knowledge gained in coursework.
As the culminating experience of the degree program, students work with a faculty adviser to conduct a scholarly epidemiologic scientific investigation on a topic relevant to public health and related the adviser’s existing research program. The student must prepare a report of the results of this research and present the research in an organized, refereed forum in poster format. Click here for a detailed explanation of the curriculum.