The UW Health Systems and Population Health Master of Public Health (MPH) program offers exceptional instruction in research methods, health care systems, health economics, health promotion, and the social determinants of health.
Degree Requirements
All students admitted to the Health Systems and Population Health MPH program are required to earn a minimum of 63 credits.
- 38 core courses credits (minimum); remaining credits can be elective coursework or applied to an optional concentration
- 25 graduate-level course credits (minimum)
- 4 practicum course credits
- 9 thesis or capstone course credits
Concentrations
While all students need to complete the core courses, the program provides three concentrations with their own additional required courses.
- Generalist
- Health Systems and Policy
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
Core Courses
All HSPop MPH students must complete the following courses.
MPH Common Core Courses
As part of the University of Washington’s School of Public Health MPH Common Core, HSPop MPH students complete all of the following required courses side-by-side with MPH students across all UW SPH departments.
PHI 511: Foundations of Public Health
Autumn Quarter | 3 Credits
PHI 512: Analytic Skills for Public Health I
Autumn Quarter | 7 Credits
PHI 513: Analytic Skills for Public Health II
Winter Quarter | 3 Credits
PHI 514: Determinants of Health
Winter Quarter | 3 Credits
PHI 515: Implementing Public Health Interventions
Spring Quarter | 4 Credits
PHI 516: Public Health Practice
Spring Quarter | 3 Credits
Program Seminar
HSPop MPH students are required to take two quarters of program seminar (offered autumn and spring). Clinical fellows are required to take the seminar specifically designated for clinicians.
Practicum Course
The practicum is a planned, supervised, and evaluated field-based experience (a minimum of 160-hour work) under the guidance of a site supervisor and a faculty adviser within a public health organization. The practicum provides students an opportunity to apply the disciplinary knowledge, methods, and values they learned in the MPH classroom to a professional, public or private public health environment such as nonprofit organizations, hospitals, local or state health departments, or for-profit firms.
Culminating Project – Thesis or Capstone
HSPop MPH students choose to complete a thesis OR capstone as their culminating project.
Sample Course Schedule
Below is a suggested schedule of required courses in the Health Systems and Population Health MPH program. Adjustments can be made based on elective courses, concentration choices, and/or suggestions from your advisor.
Listed courses are for all students unless noted they are for a concentration.
Year One
Autumn Quarter
Winter Quarter
Year Two
Autumn Quarter
Winter Quarter
- HSERV 599: Capstone OR HSERV 700: Thesis (3 credits)
- Additional elective/required courses
Spring Quarter
- HSERV 599: Capstone OR HSERV 700: Thesis (3 credits)
- HSERV 507 (3 credits) – Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentration
- Additional elective/required courses