The master’s thesis is original research that is carried out using rigorous methods that are appropriate to the research questions, that generates new knowledge, applies concepts and methods from one or more branches of science relevant to public health, and is presented in a
scholarly format. The thesis demonstrates the student’s comprehensive knowledge of the substantive area of the study and the research methods used. It represents the culmination of the master’s program, and an opportunity to integrate and apply the concepts and methods learned in coursework.

HSPop MPH students approach the thesis with varied skills in research methods and data analysis. The thesis is primarily a learning experience, designed to challenge the student at their skill level, while adhering to a standard of high quality regarding the questions posed, the analytic methods, and the written product.

Several different types of projects may fulfill the thesis requirement. Each type of study requires a slightly different approach to formulating research questions, and to collecting and analyzing data. Regardless of the type of study chosen, the student investigator must apply critical thought, systematic analysis, and clear presentation.

• Case study: a detailed review of a unique or important program that captures the background, process, outcomes, successes, failures and lessons learned. The case study may include either qualitative or quantitative data or both. The case study provides an opportunity to explore a single program in depth, but places the onus on the investigator to provide clarity, organization, and scholarship to the investigation. Case studies typically have limited generalizability.
• Policy analysis: a synthesis of existing and newly collected data brought together in an organized, structured, and thoughtful manner to answer a policy question or present and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of policy options for decision makers. A policy analysis usually employs multiple sources and types of information (e.g., literature, documents, interviews, secondary data). The policy analysis also places the onus on the investigator to identify relevant data, and provide clarity, organization, and structure to the analysis.
• Descriptive study: a qualitative or quantitative study to measure magnitude, variability of a need or problem, and to explore associated factors. Descriptive studies are often guided by questions rather than formal hypotheses and are often the first step in more directed research.
• Analytic study: a case control or cohort study, although other approaches may fit into this category. Analytic studies utilize quantitative methods and are often guided by hypotheses. Analytic studies typically have clearer methodology than 1. and 2. above and produce obvious results. Analytic studies conducted by master’s students typically use existing data.
• Program evaluation: structured study to assess whether a program, intervention, or technique was effective at accomplishing its goals (effectiveness or efficacy for interventions). A program evaluation addresses explicit questions, and the methods and measurement may be complex.
• Experiment: a study with randomized or otherwise highly controlled allocation of two or more identifiable intervention strategies to test a hypothesis, frequently one regarding causation or treatment effectiveness/ efficacy. The experiment most explicitly addresses
  the study question, results are clearly relevant and can be communicated in a straightforward way. The feasibility of conducting an experiment is usually limited within the time frame and resources available to the master’s student, given that the student must take significant initiative in study design and exe

Thesis Examples

• Understanding How Pre-retirement Health Insurance Status Impacts Health and Assets of the US Retiree Population
• Intersections of Music and Health: Analyzing Music’s Effects on Overall Well-Being and Its Distribution in Seattle Public Schools
• A Scoping Review of Policies and Programs Supporting Youth Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination in a Post-COVID-19 US Landscape 
• Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Acute Care Utilization in Washington State Medicaid: A Retrospective Cohort Study
• Patterns of Mental Health Service Utilization Among Latina Immigrants

HSPop MPH student thesis titles, along with Health Services Ph.D. student dissertation titles, are available in the UW Library Research Archives.

View more Theses & Dissertations

The capstone is an applied, scholarly, problem-solving project. Students expand and apply their analytical, policy, and leadership skills by exploring a question of policy importance. The capstone might take the form of an evaluation of the implementation of a piece of legislation or public program, the synthesis of existing data to inform the development of a policy agenda, the collection of new information that changes our understanding of a policy problem, or an analysis of the options available to address a specific policy question.

The capstone can be crafted from a large range of venues. Typically, students conduct capstones for, or on behalf of, organizations, constituencies, or communities.

The capstone an opportunity for students to have a self-directed real-world experience and apply classroom learning. It is an individualized experience, a supervised component of the MPH curriculum that students can customize to meet their own learning and experiential goals. Students can begin thinking about possible capstone projects at any time but should plan to have a well-formulated plan by the beginning of autumn quarter of the second year.

The capstone project places an emphasis on critical thinking, stakeholder analysis, and effective communication. Broadly, it meets:

Experiential Goals: To contribute to solving a community health problem in a meaningful, effective, and culturally sensitive fashion; specifically,

• To work to solve a public policy problem.
• To find and apply evidence-based solutions to a defined policy problem.
• To work productively with other people and to develop successful partnerships and solutions.
• To explore problem-solving methods in the contexts of specific policy issues.
• To understand the organizational, political, economic, and social contexts that can promote or constrain public policy interventions.

Academic Goals: Both class work and the capstone project are structured to assure that students achieve core public health competencies in such skill areas as assessment, communication, and cultural awareness. General academic goals for the capstone project are:

• To develop advanced public health assessment and problem-solving skills.
• To develop comprehensive knowledge in an area or areas of special interest.
• To evaluate the successes and weaknesses of the project through either formal evaluation and analysis or reflection.
• To hone communication skills and use them to summarize findings in professional quality written and oral presentations.

Capstone Project Examples