The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program thesis-option is an interdisciplinary program of studies intended to prepare individuals interested in enhancing their research skills in addition to preparing them for professional practice and leadership in public health. Students must first enroll in the course-based M.P.H. program and are eligible to apply to the thesis-option after they have completed the first term of the M.P.H. course-based program. Interested students who successfully meet all of the eligibility criteria would begin the thesis-option after the second term of the M.P.H. course-based program. This 42 credit-unit thesis-based program, with a required 16 week practicum in an applied public health setting, would typically require 24 months to complete on a full-time basis. At the end of the program, students would be expected to have completed and defended a Master’s thesis consistent with the expectations of the School of Public Health and College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Admission Requirements

  • Completion of GPS 960, GPS 961, PUBH 800, PUBH 803, PUBH 804, PUBH 805, PUBH 807, PUBH 810 and PUBH 867, with a cumulative weighted average of at least 70%
  • Current student in the M.P.H. course-based program
  • Identify a thesis supervisor
  • Satisfactory draft of thesis proposal outlining a practicum project that has the potential to meet the minimum requirements for a Master’s thesis
  • Supervisor together with input from student to establish an advisory committee

Degree Requirements

Students in the M.P.H. program must achieve a minimum of 70% in each of the core courses to earn course credit and progress through program completion.

  • 9 credit units of elective courses
  • GPS 962.0 if research involves animal subjects

A minimum of 42 credit units, including the courses required for admission and the following core classes:

Students must maintain continuous registration in PUBH 994.0

  • PUBH 840.3
  • PUBH 990.0
  • PUBH 993.9
  • PUBH 994.0