The MPH degree program in the Department of Health Policy & Management provides advanced education for recent graduates, entry-level and mid-career professionals to facilitate their career development as leaders and managers, health professionals, policy analysts and advocates for various roles and contexts in public health and health care.

Requirements for the MPH degree: In order to be eligible for graduation, students must complete 45 credit hours with a B (3.0) average or better including a supervised practicum (which is typically scheduled during the summer term), prepare a scholarly master’s essay relating to the culminating experience, and clear all debts and obligations to the University of Pittsburgh.

The curriculum includes the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH) core courses, the required MPH core courses and those courses required in one of the concentrations: Health Policy, Health Care Program Management or Agency Management. (Please note that the Public Health Agency Management concentration is in development.) Additional requirements include elective courses offered within and outside the Schools of the Health Sciences.

The Master’s Essay is a requirement of the MHA program and the Graduate School of Public Health. No MHA student can graduate without successfully completing a Master’s Essay. It is an important educational component of the MHA program since the essay provides students an opportunity to integrate the major components of the GSPH learning experience. Students apply the principles of public health, health administration, and health policy to a formal inquiry and analysis of a problem or issue relevant to health administration and their career interests. The essay allows the student to demonstrate his or her mastery of health policy and management concepts, principles, and theoretical models gained from formal coursework. The student is expected to demonstrate professional-level proficiency in expository writing, clear and logical thinking, and appropriate use of analytical tools and research methods.