Waiver Requests

With relevant prior experience and/or graduate education, you may be able to request waivers for STA 544 Field Training.

Students waiving MPH field training must replace credits with another MPH elective.

Students must submit waiver requests at least one full semester before their final MPH semester. Failure to do so may delay graduation.

Field Training Waiver Request

If you are a public health professional with relevant prior experience, you can request a field training waiver by completing the Waiver Request for Field Training based on previous public health experience.

To be eligible for a waiver, your prior experience must:

  • Have public health practice experience. This may include assessing, monitoring or conducting surveillance of health problems or services in a population; establishing health objectives and priorities for populations/groups; conducting research on population-based health problems; developing policies and intervention strategies to meet public health needs; participating in disease-prevention and health-promotion programs; or studying the natural history of disease- or health-related effects in a population. Individual patient care in a hospital, clinic or physician office setting is not sufficient to be considered public health experience.
  • Meet all MPH field training requirements, including developing at least two products that demonstrate a minimum of five MPH competencies. Learn more about MPH field training requirements.
  • Be at least 120 hours for a three-credit waiver.

Current students can visit the UB Learns MPH Portal and click Field Training to review eligibility criteria and determine if they can request a waiver.