Overview
The University of Miami’s School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) and the Department of Public Health Sciences (DPHS) offer a 4+1 joint degree program that combines a Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BSHS) and a Master of Public Health (MPH). SONHS academically qualified BSHS juniors or sophomores are eligible to apply to the MPH program. If accepted, BSHS students initiate the 4+1 BSHS/MPH joint degree program during their undergraduate senior year. They complete the combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 5 years.
Applicants must be enrolled in the SONHS BSHS program and apply separately into the 4+1 BSHS/MPH joint degree program. Applicants must be in good academic standing as defined by the School of Nursing at the time of submission. Acceptance into the BSHS program does not in any way indicate or guarantee acceptance to the MPH degree program. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) admissions requirement is waived for the BSHS students.
BSHS students apply to the 4+1 BSHS/MPH joint degree program through the SOPHAS portal (https://sophas.org/) and submit their application no later than February 15 to start the program in the Fall semester of their undergraduate senior year. Admission decisions regarding the entry of BSHS students into the MPH program are made solely by the Admissions Committee of the Department of Public Health Sciences.
Accepted students take 12 credits of graduate-level (600) public health courses during their undergraduate senior year, not to exceed 6 credits per semester. These 600-level graduate public health credits count towards the MPH degree. Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 in these graduate courses in order to matriculate into the MPH program. The summer following the completion of the BSHS degree, students may take 3 to 6 graduate credits at the 600 level. The remaining graduate courses are completed during the following Fall and Spring semesters to fulfill the required 45-credit of the MPH degree. Completion of a field experience and capstone project is required for all students completing an MPH degree. Depending on the timing of the capstone project, completion of an MPH may take some additional time after the 5th academic year.
BSHS students interested in pursuing the 4+1 BSHS/MPH joint degree program must meet with their undergraduate advisor to develop an academic plan. The advisor will also explain the policies and procedures of the program and link the student with the graduate program advisor. Graduate advising begins during the undergraduate senior year to facilitate the transition from the undergraduate to graduate degree.
Admission Requirements
Students apply for the 4+1 BSHS/MPH joint degree program through the SOPHAS admissions portal during the Fall or Spring semester of their second (sophomore) or third (junior) undergraduate year. Admissions requirements for the master's component of the 4+1 program are equivalent to those for admission into the Department of Public Health's regular Master of Public Health (MPH) program. Admission to the MPH program officially takes effect upon completion of the BSHS degree. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to work closely with their faculty advisors at the SONHS and DPHS to ensure that the requirements of the BSHS degree and the MPH degree are successfully met. All 600 level or above public health courses that are taken as electives but are not taught by the Department of Public Health Sciences, must be pre-approved by the MPH advisors for these courses to count towards earning the public health graduate degree.
- To apply for the 4+1 BSHS/MPH joint degree program, the student must submit the following items on SOPHAS:
- Application fee
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of Purpose/Personal statement
- Official transcripts from every post-secondary school attended
- This graduate degree program also requires submission of certain supplemental materials, including:
- TOEFL/IELTS score, as applicable
- Foreign evaluation on international transcripts, as applicable
For more detailed information, please visit our Public Health Sciences Graduate Studies Admission Website.
Ginelle Solis, EdD, MPA
Director of Admissions and Recruitment
Graduate Programs in Public Health Sciences
Department of Public Health Sciences | Room 905
University of Miami | Miller School of Medicine
305.243.7246 | www.publichealth.med.miami.edu/graduate
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BACHELOR'S DEGREE REQUIREMENTS | 120 | |
| Refer to the link below for more information on the BSHS requirements. | ||
| MPH REQUIREMENTS | 45 | |
| Refer to the link below for more information on the MPH requirements. | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 165 | |
- 1
Students may select graduate public health elective courses to fit their own area of interest. These grouped electives allow for personal tailoring of the academic program to fit the student’s individual needs and career goals.
- 2
The MPH Capstone Program: Students are required to complete 5 credits -- EPH 680 Capstone Field Experience and EPH 682 Generalist Capstone Project. Both courses are vital components of the MPH program and together form the Capstone Experience. The Capstone Field Experience is designed to provide students with real-world work experience in the field of public health. This experience places students in health-related settings (local, national, and international) to work on projects of mutual interest to both the field organization and the student. The Capstone Project is intended to build upon this fieldwork and is geared toward providing the student with an opportunity to apply public health academic theory and acquired skills to community health problems. Students are encouraged to build their Capstone Program in such a way that supports their academic and professional interests as they advance in their careers as public health professionals.
Sample Plan of Study
| Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| Undergraduate Courses | 17 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| Undergraduate Courses | 17 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Undergraduate Courses | 17 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| Undergraduate Courses | 17 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Undergraduate Courses | 17 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| Undergraduate Courses | 17 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Undergraduate Courses | 9 | |
| EPH 600 | Introduction to the Science Practice of Public Health | 3 |
| EPH 621 | Fundamentals of Epidemiology | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Undergraduate Courses | 9 | |
| EPH 617 | Disease Prevention and Health Promotion | 3 |
| EPH 641 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Summer | ||
| Graduate Elective in Public Health | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Fifth Year (Graduate) | ||
| Fall | ||
| EPH 601 | Medical Biostatistics I | 4 |
| EPH 631 | Public Health Administration | 3 |
| EPH 644, 647, or 656 | Fundamentals of Program Evaluation or Community Based Participatory Research and Social Network Analysis or Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| EPH 680 | Practical Field Experience | 3 |
| Graduate Elective in Public Health | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| EPH 602 | Biostatistics II | 3 |
| EPH 607 | Interdisciplinary Health Communication | 3 |
| EPH 682 | Generalist Capstone Project | 2 |
| Graduate Elective in Public Health | 3 | |
| Graduate Elective in Public Health | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 165 | |
- *
MPH Graduate Program: BSHS students will complete 12 of 45 graduate-level credits (6 in spring and 6 in fall) for the MPH during their senior year of undergraduate studies. Enrolling in these graduate courses as an undergraduate student requires special permission from advisors and deans. The remaining MPH credits will be completed during the summer, fall, winter intersession, spring, and summer semesters immediately following graduation from the BSPH program. In this Study Plan sample, Year One refers only to the summer immediately following completion of your undergraduate degree; Year Two begins with the fall semester of full-time graduate courses.
