Curriculum & In-Person Experiences

MPH@SIMMONS

MPH@Simmons students develop the scientific, leadership, and advocacy skills needed to address health inequity and ensure fair and equitable health opportunities for individuals and communities around the world. Our students benefit from a well-rounded public health curriculum with room for personalization — allowing them to customize their studies and develop expertise in issues they are passionate about. 

Program Options

MPH@Simmons offers two master’s program options — traditional and accelerated — so students can complete the 42-credit curriculum within the program that best fits their schedule and career goals. Both programs offer the same curriculum committed to health equity and social justice, but with different program lengths and course loads per term. 

Traditional Master’s Program

  • Designed for aspiring and rising public health professionals
  • Complete in as few as 24 months
  • Complete 42 credits across six terms 
  • Permitted to work during the program — most students work full time but scale back or find some flexibility with their employer when they begin their Health Equity Change Project

Accelerated Master’s Program

  • Designed for highly motivated students who can dedicate themselves to their degree on a full-time basis
  • Complete in as few as 15 months
  • Complete 42 credits across four terms
  • Not permitted to work/be employed during the program

Curriculum

27

Core Credits

3

Elective Credits

3

Immersion Credits

9

Health Equity Change Project Credits

The program covers the traditional core areas of public health:

  • Epidemiology
  • Biostatistics
  • Health Policy/Health Services
  • Environmental Health
  • Social/Behavioral Health

The concept of health equity, as well as practice-based strategies for addressing population health, is woven throughout the curriculum. In addition to exploring areas of interest in applied research opportunities, students can choose electives to tailor the program to fit their specific needs and interests.

Explore the traditional and accelerated course sequences.

This program is committed to developing new public health leaders who will unapologetically reinforce the central importance of racial justice and health equity in their work.
—Liz Salomon, Program Director, Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study Data & Operations Center, Harvard University

Health Equity Change Project

Completed during the final year of the program, the Health Equity Change Project combines the practice and culminating experiences required of MPH degree recipients into a single opportunity. Through this applied learning project, students will create, implement, and evaluate a public health program or campaign focused on improving health equity in their own community.

Learn more about the Health Equity Change Project.

In-Person Immersion Experiences

Students in the MPH@Simmons program are required to participate in two in-person learning experiences called immersions. Immersions offer students the opportunity to gain hands-on public health experience within different cultures and contexts nationally and globally.

Learn more about immersions.

Download our MPH@Simmons information sheet (PDF).

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