Masters in Public Health Curriculum
The Masters of Public Health program enrolls one class per year, beginning in early August or Summer Session II at UC Davis. It is a 56-unit, in-person program in which 40 units are comprised of core courses and the remaining 16 units are dedicated to electives in the specialty track chosen by the student – epidemiology or general public health. Between the statistics, biostatics, and epidemiology classes, incoming students are encouraged to develop their statistics and data analysis skills if they are not already proficient in those areas.
M.P.H. Core Courses (40 Units)
| Course Number | Name | Units | Quarter |
| SPH 281 | SAS Programming | 1 | Summer Session II |
| SPH 283 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 | Summer Session II |
| SPH 273 | Health Services Administration | 3 | Summer Session II |
| SPH 244 | Introduction to Medical Statistics | 4 | Fall |
| SPH 262 | Principles of Environmental Health Science | 3 | Fall |
| SPH 210 | Public Health Informatics | 2 | Fall |
| EPI 205 | Principles of Epidemiology | 4 | Fall |
| SPH 222 | Social & Behavioral Determinants of Health | 3 | Winter |
| SPH 245 | Biostatistics for Health Sciences | 4 | Winter |
| SPH 290 | Topics in Public Health Seminar (1 unit/quarter) | 3 | Summer, Fall, Winter |
| SPH 297 | Public Health Practicum | 10 | Summer, Fall, Winter, & Spring |
M.P.H. Schedule - Year 1
| Summer Session II | Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
|
SPH 273: Health Services Administration (3u)
SPH 281: SAS Programming (1u)
SPH 283: Program Planning & Evaluation (3u)
SPH 290: Topics in Public Health (1u)
SPH 297: Public Health Practicum (1u) |
SPH 210: Public Health Informatics (2u)
EPI 205: Epidemiology (4u)
SPH 244: Intro to Biostatistics (4u)
SPH 262: Environmental Health (3u)
SPH 297: Public Health Practicum (1u) SPH 290: Topics in Public Health (1u) |
SPH 245: Biostatistics for the Health Sciences (4u)
SPH 222: Social/Behavioral Aspects of Public Health
SPH 297: Public Health Practicum (2u) SPH 290: Topics in Public Health (1u) |
SPH 297: Public Health Practicum (6 u) |
| Total Core Units: 9 | Total Core Units: 15 | Total Core Units: 10 | Total Core Units: 6 |
| 0 electives | 0-3 units of electives | 6-8 units of electives | 10-12 units of electives |
M.P.H. Schedule - Year 2 (as needed)
| Summer Session II | Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
|
SPH 297: Public Health Practicum (1-6u)
Electives (variable units) Practicum Experience* |
SPH 297: Public Health Practicum (1-6u)
Electives (variable units)
Practicum Experience |
SPH 297: Public Health Practicum (1-6u)
Electives (variable units) Practicum Experience |
SPH 297: Public Health Practicum (1-6u)
Electives (variable units)
Practicum Experience |
* Students can complete their practicum experience starting Spring of their first year. Students going into a second year can complete the capstone experience during the quarter they complete the degree.
Students choose electives reflecting their professional public health interests. The M.P.H. program provides a quarterly list of available electives to students. Students may select appropriate courses not on the electives list and have them approved by their Graduate Adviser. Electives must be upper-division undergraduate-level or graduate-level courses.
What is a Public Health Practicum?
- The M.P.H. curriculum includes a practicum that allows students to gain practical experience working on a project related to their area of interest and/or career goals in public health. The practicum is a unique opportunity for students to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired through coursework and other learning experiences and to apply theory and principle in a practical public health setting.
- All students are required to complete the practicum. The practicum involves working with an agency/organization on an approved project, writing a final report and making an oral presentation. Projects may be program evaluations, case studies, research, policy analyses or descriptive studies.
- The program’s location near the state capital—the center of a populous region with varied needs in public health—allows for numerous practicum sites. For example, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), world-renowned for its programs in public health, provides internship opportunities in areas such as chronic disease and injury control, maternal and child health, communicable disease control, occupational and environmental health, HIV prevention and rural health. In addition, opportunities are available through county public health offices. Students may also seek out practicum sites of their own choosing.