M.S. in Climate and Health

Master of Science in Climate and Health

The Master of Science in Climate and Health (MSCH) degree is offered in partnership between the Department of Public Health Sciences (Miller School of Medicine) and the Department of Atmospheric Sciences (Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences).  The MSCH program will prepare future generations of professionals, research analysts, planners, decision-makers and leaders, who will have a deep understanding of the intricate relationship between human health and climate change, weather and weather anomalies (C²W²), and the ability to decipher and quantify this relationship at multiple scales ranging from gene-expression, to individual’s susceptibility to community response to region-wide morbidity and mortality burden.  

The MSCH program has three specific aims.  First, to provide students with conceptual, theoretical and applied understanding of the direct and indirect impacts of C²W² on human health.  Second, to train students in understanding, evaluating, and assessing short- and long-term climate and weather changes, and their direct and indirect impact on disease and disability burden across different communities.  And third, to prepare students to develop adaptation, mitigation, healthcare and communication strategies in the light of adaptation and infrastructure capacity of different communities to manage the health effects of C²W².  

The degree offers the following MSCH tracks. Students must choose a track with approval from their academic advisor:

• Public Health Sciences
• Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
• Climate and Health - Analytical
• Toxicology

Admission Requirements

·       Application - Applicants must submit their application online through SOPHAS, the centralized application service of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH). All application materials, including transcripts, test scores, statement of purpose/personal statement, resume/CV, and letters of recommendations, must be submitted directly through SOPHAS. 

·       Transcripts – Applicants must submit official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities. All foreign transcripts must be official and submitted in the original language. If the original language is not English, an official translation must be submitted along with the transcript. All non-U.S. transcripts must be evaluated by the World Education Service (WES) using ICAP course-by-course evaluation service.

·       Pre-requisite Courses – The following courses should be taken as pre-requisites: One year of college Calculus and Physics courses, and one Biology course.

·       English Proficiency Exam - International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). If English is not a student’s native language, the TOEFL/IELTS requirement may be waived if the applicant holds an undergraduate or graduate degree from an academic institution within the United States or from a select list of English-speaking countries.

·       Resume/Curriculum Vitae – Applicants must include a detailed resume including employment, public health experiences, community service, research, and academic or professional honors. Prior public health experience is not required in order to be considered for admission.

·       Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement – Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose that details their academic interest in the program. The statement should discuss any experiences in public health including field experience, research, training, education or other related qualifications. Applicants should discuss how earning the degree will contribute to their future professional and career goals, as well as to the future of public health. Applicants should also address any academic deficiencies, if applicable.

·       Letters of Recommendation– Applicants must provide three letters of recommendation from individuals who are best able to assess their ability to be successful in a graduate degree program. Ideally, recommenders are recent professors, researchers or employers in a related field. Letters should be signed and on letterhead. Applicants will be asked to include the contact information of their recommenders on the SOPHAS application and recommenders will be sent an online form to complete via email.

For more information about our application process, please click here. To obtain detailed curricula on all our program offerings, please visit our website.

For further information, please contact:

Ginelle Solis, EdD, MPA
Director of Admissions and Recruitment
Department of Public Health Sciences
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
1120 N.W. 14 Street, Room 905 (R-669)
Miami, Florida 33136
Tel: 305-243-7246
Email: publichealthadmissions@miami.edu

Curriculum Requirements

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The MS Thesis requires an individual investigation of a current public health problem and allows the student to demonstrate competency in the development and implementation of a research question. Students will work closely with a faculty advisor and the thesis committee during their investigation. The master's thesis process, requirements, format and deadlines follows the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) requirements of the Graduate School. Students should register for 1-3 credits to complete the proposal and form a committee in one semester, and register the remaining master's thesis credit in a later semester to defend the thesis and complete all requirements.

Plan of Study

This is a sample plan of study.  Your actual course sequence may vary depending on your previous academic experience as well as current course offerings.  Students should meet with their academic advisor each semester to determine the appropriate course selection.

The degree offers the following MSCH tracks. Students must choose a track with approval from their academic advisor:

• Public Health Sciences
• Marine and Atmospheric Science
• Climate and Health - Analytical
• Toxicology

Mission

As global warming intensifies, not only will it result in a shifting burden of disease and disability, but it will also result in unprecedented changes in the physical and biochemical characteristics of the environment. The MSCH graduate program will prepare future generations of research analysts, planners, decision-makers and leaders who will have deep understanding of the intricate relationship between climate and health, and ability to decipher this relationship.

Goals

The MSCH program has three specific aims:

• Provide students conceptual and theoretical understanding of the direct and indirect impacts of short- and long-term climate changes on health and well-being;
• Train students in evaluating and assessing short- and long-term climate changes and their direct impact, in tum, on the burden of disease and disability, and indirect impact on burden of disease and disability through the physical and biochemical changes in the environmental characteristics due to climate changes, and
• Prepare students to evaluate (existing) and develop adaptation, mitigation, communication and healthcare strategies to manage the health effect of C²W² across different populations with respect to their differential health risks, infrastructure and adaptation capacity.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Master of Science in Climate and Health (MSCH) degree, all graduates will be able to:

• Explain physical processes that control global and regional climate, and global and regional weather patterns and extreme weather patterns;
• Explain interplay between health and C²W², the burden of disease/disability different communities and populations associated with weather and climate, and weather and climate ­mediated changes in the environment;
• Examine bio-physiological responses with respect to short- and long-term climate changes and weather patterns;
• Develop skills in collecting, managing and analyzing health, climate and associated data sets to quantify the health effects of climate incorporating hierarchical (including individual, community and region-specific) socio-physical environmental characteristics;
• Explain the structure and administration of public health organizations and the policies that impact health programs and health services for different communities,
• Identify direct and indirect roles of different stakeholders in the surveillance and management of the health effects of climate, 
• Assess disparities in the health effects of climate and extreme weather.