Public Health Curriculum

 
 
Matt Kreuter 

The two-year, 45 credit-hour public health degree is aimed at providing a solid understanding of the fundamentals needed to make a great impact in the field of public health, while providing opportunities for building analytical, leadership, and team-building skills.

Our program emphasizes transdisciplinary, evidence-based, problem-solving approaches to ensure that public health practices, interventions, and policies are grounded in current research.  Evidence-based practice has been a hallmark of Brown School graduate studies for nearly 20 years.

The curriculum covers core competencies in public health adopted by the Association of Schools in Pubilc Health.  Our MPH curriculum will cover the following key areas:

Foundation Courses

Covers these five areas:

  • Epidemiology
  • Behavioral science/health behavior
  • Biostatistics
  • Environmental health
  • Health services

 

Cross Cutting Themes
As a Brown School MPH student you are immediately introduced to several themes in public health that will be addressed throughout your entire time at Brown.  These include: 

  • transdisicplinary problem solving
  • health disparities
  • dissemination and
  • implementation science
  • ethics

Transdisciplinary problem solving

One of the unique features of our curriculum is a series of transdisciplinary problem-solving courses. These intensive, four-credit courses expose you to a wide range of perspectives from diverse disciplines about the various causes and potential solutions to a specific public health problem or issue such as:  obesity prevention, cancer prevention, Medicare reform, or global climate change.

Students work with a team of 4 to 5 students to integrate these perspectives and propose new solutions. A team of judges review each proposal and award a prize to the team with the best solution. 

You also participate in a lab to enhance your analytical abilities and help you with your presentation and team-building skills. 

Research Methods

We require our MPH students to take a series of three research methods courses to help you understand how to interpret and use data to assess public health problems.  Courses cover research design, research analysis, and program intervention and implementation.

Internships and Capstone Experience

We require each student to complete an internship or practicum. In addition, you participate in a culminating experience, yet to be determined.

 

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