General MPH Program

Program Highlights & Accreditation

The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program at the Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health (OSPH), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, is designed to transform health for individuals, families, and communities. The program aims to equip students with strong methodological skills through cross-cutting programs in quantitative and data sciences, health systems sciences, implementation science, and health promotion.

Students learn to disseminate new methodologies, engage diverse stakeholders in identifying public health challenges, and implement effective solutions. The curriculum emphasizes educating stakeholders to improve health at multiple levels.

Specific accreditation details for the M.P.H. program (e.g., CEPH) are not explicitly mentioned in the provided information.

Delivery Modes

The M.P.H. program offers two distinct pathways to accommodate different student needs:

• Two-Year Path: A full-time program starting in the Fall semester.

• Three-Year Path: A part-time program with a lighter course load, starting in the Summer semester. This path is designed for students who may have other commitments and integrates them fully with full-time students.

Both pathways are delivered in-person at the UT Southwestern Dallas campus.

Curriculum Overview

The M.P.H. degree requires the completion of 45 credit hours for both the two-year and three-year pathways.

Students choose one of three multidisciplinary concentrations:

• Quantitative Data Sciences: Focuses on data collection, management, analysis, and reporting in public health research, covering biostatistics, epidemiology, and informatics.

• Health Promotion, Structure, and Agency: Builds skills to design, implement, and evaluate programs that empower individuals and communities to change health behaviors and address health equity.

• Health Systems Science: Covers health economics, health care delivery, interprofessional collaboration, and improving patient care and population health through system transformation.

Applied Practice Experience (APE): All M.P.H. students complete three credit hours of a community service-learning practicum. Students work with UT Southwestern mentors and community partners for experiences focused on community engagement and practice.

Integrative Learning Experience (ILE): This capstone experience allows students to demonstrate mastery of program concepts. It aligns with their professional and educational goals and can take forms such as a practice-based project, essay-based comprehensive exam, capstone course, or integrative seminar. All students produce a scholarly paper as part of the ILE.

Admissions Requirements

Prospective students interested in the M.P.H. program can find information on how to apply and specific requirements through the UT Southwestern admissions portal. Applications for Fall 2025 are currently open.

While detailed prerequisites like specific undergraduate degrees or GPA minimums are not provided in this overview, applicants are encouraged to visit the official admissions page for comprehensive information.

Career & Practical Experience

The M.P.H. program prepares graduates for careers in rapidly growing public health domains by developing practical skills in data interpretation, program development, and health systems analysis. The skills acquired are in high demand.

The mandatory Applied Practice Experience (APE) provides hands-on community service-learning with UT Southwestern mentors and community partners. The Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) further allows students to apply their knowledge to real-world or simulated public health challenges, culminating in a scholarly paper relevant to their career goals.