Bachelor of Science in Public Health/Master of Public Health (4+1 BSPH/MSPH)
The University of Miami’s School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) and the Department of Public Health Sciences (DPHS) offer a 4+1 program that combines a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) and a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH). SONHS academically-qualified juniors are eligible to apply to the MSPH program. If accepted, students complete the combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 5 years.
Applicants must be enrolled in the BSPH program with the SONHS and apply separately into the 4+1 BSPH/ MSPH. Applicants must be in good academic standing as defined by the School of Nursing at the time of submission. Acceptance into the BSPH program does not in any way indicate or guarantee acceptance to the MSPH degree program. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) admissions requirement is waived for the BSPH students.
Accepted students take 12 credits of master’s level (600) Public Health courses during their undergraduate senior year, not to exceed 6 credits per semester. These 600 level credits count towards the MSPH degree., Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the graduate level courses in order to matriculate into the MSPH program. The summer following the completion of the BSPH degree, students may take 3 to 6 graduate-level credits at the 600 level Public Health courses and then take the required the following fall and spring semesters to complete the 45 credit MSPH degree.
BSPH students must apply through SOPHAS during the undergraduate junior year by February 15 to start the MSPH program in the fall. Admission decisions regarding the entry of BSPH students into the MPH program are made solely by the Admissions Committee of the Department of Public Health Sciences.
BSPH students interested in pursuing the 4+1 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.
Admission Requirements
SONHS academically-qualified juniors are eligible to apply to the MPH program. Applicants must be enrolled in the BSPH program with the SONHS and apply separately into the 4+1 BSPH/MSPH. Applicants must be in good academic standing as defined by the School of Nursing at the time of submission. Acceptance into the BSPH program does not in any way indicate or guarantee acceptance to the MSPH degree program. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required.
BSPH students must apply through SOPHAS during the undergraduate junior year by February 15 to start the program in the fall. Admission decisions regarding the entry of BSPH students into the MSPH program are made solely by the Admissions Committee of the Department of Public Health Sciences.
BSPH students interested in pursuing the 4+1 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.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BSPH DEGREE (120-121 credits) | ||
| General Education - Areas of Proficiency | ||
| Written Communication Skills | ||
| ENG 105 | English Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 106 | English Composition II | 3 |
| Quantitative Skills | ||
| BPH 202 | Introductory Statistics in Health Care | 3 |
| General Education - Areas of Knowledge | ||
| Arts & Humanities | 9 | |
| People & Society * | 0 | |
| Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) | 9 | |
| Degree Requirements | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| MTH 107 or higher | 3 | |
| Social Science | ||
| PSY 110 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| One additional approved social science elective | 3 | |
| Modern Language | ||
| One modern language course at or above the 200 level | 3 | |
| Natural Science | ||
| BIL 150 & BIL 151 | General Biology and General Biology Laboratory | 5 |
| Chemistry (choose one option below) | 4-5 | |
| CHM 103 & CHM 105 | Chemistry for the Health Sciences I and Chemistry for the Health Sciences I (Laboratory) | 4 |
| CHM 121 & CHM 113 | Principles of Chemistry and Chemistry Laboratory I | 5 |
| Major | 33 | |
| BPH 206 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| BPH 208 | Introductory Epidemiology | 3 |
| BPH 305 | Issues in Health Disparities | 3 |
| BPH 309 | Health and Environment | 3 |
| BPH 310 | Global Health | 3 |
| BPH 321 | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 3 |
| BPH 352 | Biological Principles of Public Health | 3 |
| BPH 465 | Public Health Statistics and Data Management | 3 |
| BPH 490 | Field Practicum in Community Health | 3 |
| Major Elective ** | 3 | |
| Advanced Writing and Communication Skills *** | 0 | |
| Electives **** | ||
| MSPH DEGREE (45 credits) | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| EPH 600 | Introduction to the Science Practice of Public Health | 3 |
| EPH 601 | Medical Biostatistics I | 4 |
| EPH 602 | Biostatistics II | 3 |
| EPH 617 | Disease Prevention and Health Promotion | 3 |
| or EPH 620 | Health Education and Behavior | |
| EPH 621 | Fundamentals of Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPH 631 | Public Health Administration | 3 |
| or EPH 632 | U.S. Health Systems | |
| EPH 641 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| Choose two Methods Courses 1 | 6 | |
| Elective Courses 2 | 11 | |
EPH-600, 700 level course not already listed | ||
BST-600, 700 level courses not already listed | ||
| Research Thesis Project | ||
| EPH 698 | Masters Thesis Proposal | 3 |
| EPH 699 | Masters Thesis 3 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 165-166 | |
| * | The public health major may be used to fulfill this cognate area. |
| ** | Students may choose an elective from the following courses: APY 205, BPH 301, BPH 303, BPH 306, BPH 317, BPH 319, BPH 355, BPH 365, BPH 402, BPH 419, BPH 461, BPH 487, BTE 450, BSL 460, COS 324, COS 325, COS 426, COS 427, COS 472, GEG 231, GEG 241, GEG 334, GEG 336, GEG 341, GEG 343, GEG 345, GEG 346, GEG 348, GEG 366, GEG 412, INS 570, INS 571, INS 572, INS 573, INS 599, KIN 155, MGT 270, MKT 388, and SOC 480 |
| *** | Students must take at least five designated writing-intensive courses to complete this requirement; unless students choose to take additional credits to complete this requirement, it is highly recommended students select courses that are designated as writing-intensive and will double count toward this area and their other requirements. |
| **** | The number of electives students take may vary due to differences in placement scores, transfer credits, course and cognate selections, etc. |
| 1 | List of DPHS approved Method Courses - Select 2 courses from this list: BST 605, BST 625, BST 630, BST 692, EPH 604, EPH 644, EPH 647, EPH 651, EPH 656, EPH 703, EPH 705, EPH 727, EPH 751, EPH 752, EPH 772, EPH 774, EPH 776 |
| 2 | After completion of core courses, the student may select courses to fit his/her own area of interest. This allows for personal tailoring of the academic program to fit the student's individual needs and career goals. |
| 3 | The MSPH Thesis project 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. A formal MSPH Thesis project oral presentation is required. The MS Thesis guidelines, instructions and deadlines follow the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) established by the UM Graduate School. |
BSPH degree
This is only a sample. There are numerous ways students can create plans of study for the public health major. Students should feel empowered to use the information listed in the Academic Bulletin and the Student Handbook to take charge of their education, pursue their own academic interests, and create their own, unique plans of study.
The School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) recommends students create their own plan of study that accounts for their ENG, MTH, and modern language placements and incorporates their major, minor, and cognate interests. Once students draft their initial plan of study, they are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor in the Office of Student Services (OSS) to review their plan, address any questions or concerns, discuss areas for improvement, and brainstorm ways to integrate research experiences, study abroad opportunities, global initiatives, graduate school requirements, and career preparation experiences.
The sample plan of study listed below is based on the following ENG, MTH, and modern language placement information and major, minor, and cognate selections:
- ENG placement: ENG 105
- MTH placement: MTH 101
- Modern Language placement: SPA 101
- Major(s): Public Health
- Minor(s): None
- Cognates
- Art & Humanities: Popular Culture (RAU = English)
- People & Society: Public Health major (RAU = Nursing & Health Studies)
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Biology and Chemistry for Pre-Health Sciences (RAU = Chemistry)
MSPH degree
BSPH students will complete 12 of 45 graduate-level credits (6 in spring and 6 in fall) for the MSPH during their senior year of undergraduate studies. This requires special permission from advisors and deans. The remaining MSPH credits will be completed during the summer, fall, winter intersession, spring, and summer semesters immediately following graduation from the BSPH program.
Sample Plan of Study
| Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| BPH 206 | Introduction to Public Health (W) | 3 |
| ENG 105 | English Composition I | 3 |
| MTH 101 | Algebra for College Students | 3 |
| PSY 110 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SPA 101 | Elementary Spanish I | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BPH 208 | Introductory Epidemiology | 3 |
| ENG 106 | English Composition II | 3 |
| MTH 107 | Precalculus Mathematics I | 3 |
| SPA 102 | Elementary Spanish II | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIL 150 & BIL 151 | General Biology and General Biology Laboratory | 5 |
| BPH 202 | Introductory Statistics in Health Care (W) | 3 |
| SPA 201 | Intermediate Spanish I | 3 |
| Major Elective (*) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| BPH 310 | Global Health (W) | 3 |
| CHM 121 & CHM 113 | Principles of Chemistry and Chemistry Laboratory I | 5 |
| ENG 383 | The Literature of Science Fiction | 3 |
| PSY 240 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| AMS 322 | Topics in American Studies: Literature | 3 |
| BPH 321 | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (W) | 3 |
| BPH 352 | Biological Principles of Public Health | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BPH 309 | Health and Environment (W) | 3 |
| BPH 322 | Introduction to Health Policy | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BPH 465 | Public Health Statistics and Data Management (W) | 3 |
| GSS 210 | Popular representations of Queer sexualities | 3 |
| Major Elective (*) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| EPH 600 | Introduction to the Science Practice of Public Health | 3 |
| EPH 617 | Disease Prevention and Health Promotion | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 21 | |
| Spring | ||
| BPH 305 | Issues in Health Disparities | 3 |
| BPH 490 | Field Practicum in Community Health (W) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| EPH 621 | Fundamentals of Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPH 632 | U.S. Health Systems | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 21 | |
| Year One | ||
| Summer | ||
| EPH 614 or 652 | Global Outbreak or Health Policy | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| EPH 601 | Medical Biostatistics I | 4 |
| EPH 641 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| EPH 651 | Research Methods | 3 |
| EPH 698 | Masters Thesis Proposal | 3 |
| Elective in public health | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| EPH 602 | Biostatistics II | 3 |
| EPH 656 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| EPH 699 | Masters Thesis | 3 |
| Elective in public health | 2 | |
| Elective in public health | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 166 | |
(W) = Course is designated as writing-intensive | |
(*) = Students may choose an elective from the following courses: APY 205, BPH 301, BPH 303, BPH 306, BPH 317, BPH 319, BPH 355, BPH 365, BPH 402, BPH 419, BPH 461, BPH 487, BTE 450, BSL 460, COS 324, COS 325, COS 426, COS 427, COS 472, GEG 231, GEG 241, GEG 334, GEG 336, GEG 341, GEG 343, GEG 345, GEG 346, GEG 348, GEG 366, GEG 412, INS 570, INS 571, INS 572, INS 573, INS 599, KIN 155, MGT 270, MKT 388, and SOC 480 | |
| § | MSPH Graduate Program: BSPH 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. This 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 MPH Study Plan sample, Year One refers only to the the summer immediately following completion of student's undergraduate degree; Year Two begins with the fall semester of full-time graduate courses. |
