Graduate School of Public Health
The Graduate School of
Public Health consists of programs offered by the Departments of
Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Biostatistics, Environmental
and Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management,
Human Genetics, and Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, the multidisciplinary
MPH program for doctoral-level health professionals, and
certificate programs in environmental health risk assessment, global health, and public health preparedness
and disaster response. Programs and specialty tracks, including
joint programs, are detailed under individual department sections.
The mission of the Graduate School
of Public Health (GSPH) is twofold:
- To promote health and prevent diseases in individuals and their communities by anticipating and responding to public health needs through research, teaching, and public service.
- To enhance current public health initiatives through interaction and collaboration with other healthcare disciplines and organizations.
The school's objective is to prepare
professionals either to originate and carry out programs in the
broad field of public health, which includes the entire range of
environmental and personal health services, or to contribute to
broadening the base of knowledge in the sciences that supports public
health action. GSPH undertakes research and teaching of fundamental
principles derived from the mathematical, biological, social, behavioral,
and physical sciences that underlie public health activities. Visit
our Web site, www.publichealth.pitt.edu,
for more information.
Contact Information
- Office of Student Affairs
- 114 Parran Hall
- 412-624-5200
- Fax: 412-624-3755
- E-mail: stuaff@gsphdean.gsph.pitt.edu
- www.publichealth.pitt.edu
| Degree Programs |
Degrees |
| Behavioral and Community Health Sciences |
MPH, DrPH |
| Biostatistics |
MS, MPH, PhD, DrPH |
| Environmental and Occupational Health |
MS, MPH, PhD |
| Epidemiology |
MS, MPH, PhD, DrPH |
| Genetic Counseling |
MS |
| Health Policy and Management |
MHA |
| Human Genetics |
MS PhD |
| Infectious Diseases and Microbiology |
MS, MPH, PhD, DrPH |
| Multidisciplinary MPH |
MPH |
| Occupational Medicine |
MPH |
| Public Health Genetics |
MPH |
| |
|
| Joint, Dual, and Cooperative Degree Programs
|
Degrees |
| Behavioral and Community Health Sciences/Arts
and Sciences (Anthropology) |
MPH and PhD |
| Behavioral and Community Health Sciences/Social
Work |
MPH and PhD or MPH and MSW |
| Genetic Counseling and Public Health Genetics |
MS AND MPH |
| Behavioral and Community Health
Sciences/Public and International Affairs |
MPH and MPA or
MPH and MID |
| Behavioral and Community Health Sciences/Pittsburgh
Theological Seminary |
MPH and MDiv |
| Environmental and Occupational Health/Medicine
|
MPH and MD |
| Health Policy and Management/Law |
MPH and JD |
| Human Genetics; Epidemiology; Environmental and
Occupational Health; Infectious Diseases and Microbiology/Medicine |
PhD and MD |
| |
|
| Certificate Programs |
|
| Environmental Health Risk Assessment |
|
Global
Health |
|
| Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response |
|
| Public Health Genetics |
|
| Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Health and Wellness |
|
University of Pittsburgh undergraduates may apply for early admission
to a number of master's degree programs.
Almost all GSPH doctoral students and many master's students receive
financial aid. Most financial aid is provided through the departments,
and the amount of aid available varies among programs. Applicants
should contact departments directly for information about available
financial aid.
Academic Standards
Students are expected to exhibit honesty and to uphold the ethical standards of public health professionals. Each student's academic record is reviewed at the end of each term by the faculty members of the Admissions and Student Performance Committee. A student who is not in satisfactory academic standing will be placed on probation and may be subject to dismissal. Students should refer to the GSPH Web page for the school's academic performance standards.
Grading Policies
The Graduate School of
Public Health follows the University's letter grade system in evaluating
student performance in course work, though a variety of options
are detailed below.
Starting with Fall 2071 a new core curriculum will be implemented, and courses will be graded A, B, C, etc.
Most GSPH courses, in addition to school-wide core courses, will be available on an H/S/U option for individual students. To encourage students to supplement their major requirements with challenging courses in disciplines removed from their areas of primary concentration, students are permitted to select one elective per term (from among letter-graded courses that do not fulfill the student's degree requirements) to be graded by the H/S/U option.
Students electing to take a course on an H/S/U option basis or on an audit (N) basis must register for the course as for any other course, and must also complete a grade option form in the Office of Student Affairs and obtain the instructor's permission to audit the course. Students receive a grade of N for audited courses and receive no academic credit for the course.
See the Grading and Records section of this bulletin for detailed discussion of University Grading System and Grading Options.
Course Repeat
A student may repeat a course in which a grade of B- or lower is received if authorized by the student's advisor. Students may not repeat a school-wide core course or required departmental course more than once (i.e., course may only be taken twice), and students who fail a school-wide core course or required departmental course twice are subject to dismissal. (See GSPH academic dismissal and probation guidelines. See also Repeating Courses on for more information.)
GPA Calculation
In general, a student's Grade Point Average (GPA) is obtained by dividing the total number of letter grade credits taken in the graduate program into the total number of quality points earned in the graduate program. When the GPA is computed manually, usually only letter grades with GPA values are used to compute the GPA, but for courses that are not school-wide core courses and which are taken under the H/S/U option, students who receive a U grade will have the grade included in their GPA with a value of 0 points.
Courses taken to correct undergraduate course deficiencies are not included in the calculation of the GPA.
Advanced Standing and Transfer Credits
For details on advanced standing and transfer credits, MS and doctoral applicants should see the section on Allowable Credits in this bulletin.
Applicants to the MPH and MHA programs may request transfer of up to one-third of their required credits for approved graduate courses taken elsewhere. Acceptance of transfer credits is at the discretion of the program.
Acceptance of a maximum of 12 credits taken as a non-degree student at GSPH is at the discretion of the program.
Students enrolled at GSPH may take credits in another school or institution, providing that their department has approved application of those credits to the degree requirements. In all cases, any combination of advanced standing credits and credits taken from another school or institution during enrollment at GSPH may not exceed the limit for advanced standing credits (i.e., 1/3 of the credits required for the MPH and MHA; 6 credits for the MS; or 36 credits for a doctoral degree).
Advising and Placement
The Graduate School of
Public Health considers effective academic advising an essential
component of educating students. Departments have the primary responsibility
for identifying and assigning to each student a major advisor, who,
in consultation with the student, plans a program of study and research
in accord with school and departmental guidelines. Departments are
expected to provide students with a copy of school and departmental
regulations appropriate for their program, and students are expected
to become familiar with University, GSPH, and department regulations
concerning graduate study and to accept responsibility for the completion
of all degree requirements.
The student's academic advisor is to direct and assist the student in the selection of classes and the conduct of research. Waivers from program requirements are processed at the program level, and waivers from school requirements by the Office of Student Affairs. The Application for Graduation is processed through the GSPH Office of Student Affairs after clearance has been received from the academic advisor. A student will be certified for graduation only after the academic advisor has confirmed that all degree requirements have been met.
For students required to take preliminary, comprehensive, or defense examinations, the academic advisor, in consultation with the student, designates faculty members to act as the examining committee.
Each doctoral student, together with the student's doctoral committee, is responsible for assuring accomplishment of all elements of the student's course of studies, including the core requirements, the research tools requirement, course work in the field of specialization, advanced standing, the qualifying and comprehensive examinations, and the dissertation overview and its final oral defense.
All GSPH programs, as well as the Office of Student Affairs, provide students with information on employment opportunities. Departments remain the primary source of information on job and other career information.
General Degree Requirements
The following section details the general requirements for all degrees, general requirements for master's degrees, and general requirements for doctoral degrees. (Exceptions are EOH and other certificate requirements, which are detailed under the relevant department descriptions or below.)
General Requirements (all degrees)
Students in the master's-level programs and some doctoral programs are expected to demonstrate competence in the fundamentals of public health, with an understanding of human-environment relationships; techniques of investigation, measurement, and evaluation; and health services. The subject areas covering these fundamentals are currently defined as human biology, behavioral sciences, environmental health, biostatistics, epidemiology, and health services administration.
Students should consult individual program descriptions for program core course requirements. Students in some programs may be automatically exempt from certain core courses. Students who wish to request exemption from a core course must submit a waiver form (available in Office of Student Affairs, Room 114 Parran Hall).
New GSPH Core Course Curriculum as of Fall 2071
| PUBHLT 2011 |
Essentials of Public Health* |
| PUBHLT 2014 |
Overview of Public Health |
| PUBHLT 2015 |
Public Health Biology |
| PUBHLT 2016 |
Capstone: Problem Solving in Public Health |
| BCHS 2509 |
Social and Behavioral Sciences and Public Health (Replacement for Social and Behavioral Aspecs of Public Health Practice) |
| BIOST 2011 |
Principles of Statistical Reasoning |
| BIOST 2041 |
Introduction to Statistical Methods 1 |
| EOH 2013 |
Environmental Health and Disease
(Replacement for Health, Disease, and Environment 2) |
| EPIDEM 2110 |
Principles of Epidemiology |
| HPM 2001 |
Introduction to Leadership, Management, and Policy for Public Health
(Replacement for Introduction to Health Services Administration) |
| *For MS students |
|
General Requirements for Master's Degrees
All master's degree-seeking students must:
Complete the schoolwide core courses (listed above) required for their program, and complete and submit the thesis or essay (see below).
Fulfill the program's core course requirements, including required courses, and any field work, and examinations.
Thesis or Essay
All master's students
must complete a minimum of two essay/special study credits and meet
the master's thesis/essay requirement. Program listings will specify
the type of master's paper required. The form of the essay or thesis
must be in accord with specifications stipulated in the University's
Style and Form Manual or the ETD Format Guidelines Manual. One unbound
copy of the approved thesis or essay must be deposited in the Office
of Student Affairs, 114 Parran Hall, before the student will be
certified for graduation.
MPH students who have been permitted to submit an article accepted for publication in lieu of the essay must meet the margin requirements and submit a committee signature sheet and title page patterned after that in the Style and Form Manual or the ETD Format Guidelines Manual. If there are multiple authors, a statement should be included explaining the role of each author. All essays must be read and approved by two faculty representing two different GSPH departments. MS theses require approval by a third reader.
General Requirements for Doctoral Degrees
For an overview of University-wide regulations for doctoral students, see Regulations Pertaining to Doctoral Degrees. All GSPH doctoral students must:
Complete specific courses as determined by the program or the school, including at least 3 credits of 3100 (dissertation) or one term of FTDS (full-time dissertation study).Fulfill the University's residency requirement.
Satisfactorily complete the preliminary/qualifying examination, the comprehensive examination, and the dissertation examination.
Meet the requirement for proficiency in tools of research, e.g., computers, as determined by the individual departments and verified to the Office of Student Affairs in writing by the academic advisor.
A description of these and other requirements appears in the Regulations Pertaining to Doctoral Degrees. Individual programs will provide specific information on fulfillment of these requirements.
A student pursuing the Doctor of Public Health degree cannot take the preliminary/qualifying examination until all the core course requirements—as interpreted by the department—for the Master of Public Health degree have been completed.
General Requirements
for Certificates
Certificate in Environmental Health Risk Assessment (Department of EOH)
This program provides concentrated coursework relevant to human health risk evaluation.
Students must have a graduate degree or be pursuing one concurrently. Students must complete 15 credits: 12 credits of required courses (EOH 2104, 2175, 2180, 2181, and 2504) and a 3-credit elective.
Certificate in Global
Health (interdisciplinary certificate)
This program educates students about current health patterns and transitions occuring globally, as well as about the role of dynamic global environmental, political, economic, health care, and social changes to these patterns.
Students must complete
15 credits, including 12 required credits and 3 elective credits.
The required credits include a 2-credit directed study under a faculty
preceptor.
Certificate in Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response (interdisciplinary certificate)
This program prepares students to participate in agency or organization planning, training, and drilling for public health emergencies.
Students must complete 15 credits, including 10 required credits and 5 elective credits. Elective credits must be from graduate-level courses at GSPH.
GSPH Course Offerings
A number of courses of general interest to all departments are offered. Descriptions may be found at www.publichealth.pitt.edu/sa/courses/pubhlt.htm.
A list of course offerings by department may be accessed through the departmental sections of this bulletin.
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