Master of Public Health in Health and Social Behavior

The Harvard Chan School master of public health degree will provide you with the breadth of knowledge, subject-specific expertise, specialized skills, and powerful global network you need to forge the career you want in public health. Whether you are a medical doctor, an established public health professional, or new to the field of public health, flexible degree formats and an array of options for specific fields of study will provide you with the right mix of grounding in the core disciplines of public health and a specialized focus to meet your individual goals. Harvard Chan School MPH graduates have achieved some remarkable things. They have led global efforts to eradicate diseases such as smallpox and Guinea worm disease. They have led departments at hospitals and health care agencies. They have become leaders of ministries of health, humanitarian organizations, corporations, academic institutions, and government agencies. They have developed life-saving vaccines. They have served as surgeons, primary care physicians, and veterinarians. They have become best-selling authors. And they have even become heads of state. The 45-credit MPH (MPH-45) is for individuals who already hold a graduate degree, are current medical or dental students who have completed their primary clinical year, or have at least five years of relevant work experience in public health or a related field.

The health and social behavior field of study is devoted to understanding health disparities and promoting health. It is appropriate for applicants who have done some research or relevant work in related areas. Coursework emphasizes theoretical and analytical strategies for characterizing health problems in populations and for the development of interventions. In addition, communication, advocacy, and policy formation in the public sector are addressed. Beyond the MPH public health core curriculum, students are expected to develop expertise in a skill or topic area of interest. Guidance is provided to develop a more in-depth understanding of specific health problems and vulnerable groups. This field of study prepares students to work in diverse spheres, including federal, state, and local government, advocacy groups, voluntary health organizations, and community-based primary care settings in the United States and other countries. Posts filled by graduates include state health director, medical director of programs for child, adolescent, and women's health, health policy analyst, and health educator. Other graduates have gone on to academic positions.

The Harvard Chan School prefers a 104+ on the TOEFL IBT and our minimum score requirement is 100 with sub-section scores of 25 or higher on the IBT.
The Harvard Chan School will accept the IELTS Academic Test with a score of 7.5 or greater.
In general, applicants for the MPH-45 degree must have one of the following:
a prior doctoral degree-for example, MD, DO, DMD, DDS, PhD, SD, JD (or equivalent)
a master's degree in a health-related field-for example, MSN, MSW, MBA-plus at least two years of relevant health experience
completed the primary clinical year of medical or dental school or be a 1L student at Harvard Law School or a concurrent applicant to the master of science in nursing at Simmons University. To learn more, visit Dual/Joint Degrees.
a bachelor's degree, plus five or more years of relevant health experience (for the epidemiology, global health, health and social behavior, health management, and health policy fields of study only)