Master of Science

MS: Population and Family Health

This 30-credit MS program is for individuals who have started their careers, and is designed to leverage the Heilbrunn Department’s strength in integrated research and practice.  It will enable domestic and international professionals working in public health and related fields to develop and refine their technical skills related to the design, implementation and evaluation of public health programs in diverse settings. The MS program is designed to be flexible, tailored to the needs of individual students, and specifically intended to augment each student’s professional skills and experience.  In addition to gaining technical skills, students will deepen their knowledge in a key concentration area of Population and Family Health, such as: child, youth and family health; sexuality, sexual and reproductive health; health and human rights; forced migration and humanitarian action; and public health research methods.

Work Experience

Strong applicants to the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health have demonstrated a commitment to action through public health work experience, which is emphasized in the departmental application review process.  

Applicants for the MS degree are expected to:

  • Have three or more years’ post-bachelor's degree work experience in public health or a related field or a doctoral degree (MD)
  • Demonstrate academic preparation for graduate coursework, including evidence of quantitative and analytic writing ability 
  • If required to submit a TOEFL by the School, have scores of at least 100 for the computer-based test, including a minimum of 25 in the writing section.

Please see the school Admission’s information for a detailed overview of the required application components. 

MS Requirements

This program is designed to be either completed in 9 months over an academic year or part-time over 2-3 years, not to exceed 5 years. Many classes are scheduled in the evenings to facilitate completing the program while working.

30 credits in total: 7.5 credits of required courses and 22.5 credits of elective courses. Required courses can be substituted with additional elective courses where the student can demonstrate they have already achieved the relevant competencies.

The required courses or equivalents are:

  • P6400 Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits)
  • P6103 introduction to Biostatistics (3 credits) 
  • Inter-disciplinary Seminar in Population and Family Health (1.5 credits) 
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