Your Individualized MPH program will consist of courses addressing foundational knowledge and competency areas basic to public health, concentration and elective courses in your area of interest, a field training experience and a culminating project.
The Individualized MPH program is 44 credits.
Up to 6 credits may be waived and up to 9 credits may be transferred based on graduate coursework you have previously taken. Regardless of any waivers/substitutions, you must complete a minimum of 43 MPH credits.
You can complete the program in four semesters of full-time attendance or up to eight semesters of part-time attendance.
Community Health and Health Behavior Policy on Good Academic Standing and Probation
In addition to following the Graduate School policies on Academic Standing (including the Graduate School’s definition for "Good Academic Standing") and Academic Probation, the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior will adhere to the following provisions:
All Graduate Students
Students who fail to earn a full “B” or better in a required course (note that a B- does not suffice) will be placed on academic probation and fail to be in good academic standing. They will be required to retake the course. Students who earn a full B or better upon retaking the course will have met this particular requirement for regaining good academic standing. Students who do not earn a full B or better upon repeating the course will be dismissed from the program.
Students who do not earn a full B or better in an elective course will be informed that they cannot count that course toward their degree program; repeated instances of this may result in dismissal from the program.
In addition, academic integrity is a fundamental university value and ethical behavior is a cornerstone of the public health profession. Therefore, during their time in the program, any student with a “severe” or “most severe” academic integrity infraction or two or more “less severe” academic integrity infractions may be dismissed from their program at the end of the academic semester in which the infraction occurred. Most severe, severe and less severe academic integrity infractions will be classified per the Academic Integrity’s Sanction Chart on the Graduate School Policy Library.
PhD Students Only
There are a variety of grounds upon which a PhD student may be put on academic probation, including but not limited to failing to make timely progress in their research and unprofessional conduct. Any member of the CHHB graduate faculty may request a meeting of these same faculty to propose putting a student on academic probation. CHHB graduate faculty will discuss the case and vote on whether to put the student on academic probation. If a full-time student fails to complete their comprehensive exam by the end of the first semester of the third year, this will automatically prompt a meeting of the CHHB graduate faculty who will review the student’s progress and vote on whether to put the student on academic probation. If the majority of the faculty votes for probationary status, the student will be placed on academic probation for the coming semester. If the majority of the faculty votes to retain good academic standing, the student will remain in good academic standing for the coming semester. The department procedures for determining and communicating the terms for regaining good academic standing are the same as those outlined in the Graduate School academic probation policy.
You will be assigned a faculty advisor who will assist you in planning your academic coursework and other program requirements. Learn more about advisement.
When enrolled as an individualized MPH student, you are given the opportunity to pursue a curriculum of choice to tailor your educational journey to your interests and career objectives.
In addition to the fully individualized option UB traditionally offers, other focus areas are available. Taking courses specific to the desired focus area will provide students with a more in-depth understanding of concepts and practical skills related to their field of study. Our current focus area offerings include Health Equity, and Addictions. Once you select a focus area, you will take the courses identified in the pathways below.
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | CHB 501 Study of Health Behavior | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
2. | EEH 530 Introduction to Health Care Organization | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
3. | STA 527 Statistical Analysis I LEC (lecture) | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
4. | STA 527 Statistical Analysis I REC (recitation) | 1 | Foundational MPH course |
5. | EEH 590 Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation in Public Health | 2 | Foundational MPH course |
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | EEH 500 Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
2. | EEH 550 Environmental Health | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
3. | CHB 513 A Public Health Perspective on Aging | 3 | Focus area course |
4. | CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice | 2 | Foundational MPH course |
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | CHB 523 Introduction to Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 | Focus area course |
2. | CHB 525 Health Equity | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
3. | Community health and health behavior elective | 3 | Elective course |
4. | To prepare for field training, complete all activities in the UB Learns MPH Portal > Field Training Central (it can take 1-2 semesters to complete preparation activities before beginning a field training experience so begin early) | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
MPH Field Training (3 credits) can alternately be completed in Summer of Year 1, or in Fall of Year 2. |
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | CHB 522 Refugee Health | 3 | Focus area course |
2. | Community health and health behavior elective | 3 | Elective course |
3. | CHB 630 Culminating Project* | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
*Students enroll in the culminating project during their last semester of the MPH. Students can only take the course after completing or enrolling in all other MPH courses and the field training experience. For dual degree students, this also includes all shared coursework.
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | CHB 501 Study of Health Behavior | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
2. | EEH 530 Introduction to Health Care Organization | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
3. | STA 527 Statistical Analysis I LEC (lecture) | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
4. | STA 527 Statistical Analysis I REC (recitation) | 1 | Foundational MPH course |
5. | EEH 590 Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation in Public Health | 2 | Foundational MPH course |
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | EEH 500 Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
2. | EEH 550 Environmental Health | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
3. | CHB 500 Special Topics: Harm Reduction | 3 | Focus area course |
4. | CHB 507 Public Health Interprofessional Teamwork and Practice | 2 | Foundational MPH course |
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | CHB 500 Public Health Addictions | 3 | Focus area course |
2. | CHB 525 Health Equity | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
3. | Community health and health behavior elective | 3 | Elective course |
4. | To prepare for field training, complete all activities in the UB Learns MPH Portal > Field Training Central (it can take 1-2 semesters to complete preparation activities before beginning a field training experience so begin early) | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
MPH Field Training (3 credits) can alternately be completed in Summer of Year 1, or in Fall of Year 2. |
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Community health and health behavior elective | 3 | Elective course |
2. | CHB 528 The Public Health Practice of Tobacco Control | 3 | Focus area course |
3. | CHB 630 Culminating Project* | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
*Students enroll in the culminating project during their last semester of the MPH. Students can only take the course after completing or enrolling in all other MPH courses and the field training experience. For dual degree students, this also includes all shared coursework.
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | CHB 501 Study of Health Behavior | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
2. | EEH 530 Introduction to Health Care Organization | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
3. | STA 527 Statistical Analysis I LEC (lecture) | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
4. | STA 527 Statistical Analysis I REC (recitation) | 1 | Foundational MPH course |
5. | EEH 590 Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation in Public Health | 2 | Foundational MPH course |
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | EEH 500 Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
2. | EEH 550 Environmental Health | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
3. | Concentration or Focus Area Course (select one from the list) | 3 | Concentration course |
4. | CHB 507 Public Health Interprofessional Teamwork and Practice | 2 | Foundational MPH course |
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Concentration or Focus Area Course (select one from the list) | 3 | Concentration course |
2. | CHB 525 Health Equity | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
3. | MPH Elective (select one from the list) | 3 | Elective course |
4. | To prepare for field training, complete all activities in the UB Learns MPH Portal > Field Training Central (it can take 1-2 semesters to complete preparation activities before beginning a field training experience so begin early) | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
MPH Field Training (3 credits) can alternately be completed in Summer of Year 1, or in Fall of Year 2. |
Course order | Course | Credits | Course Type |
---|---|---|---|
1. | MPH Elective (select one from the list) | 3 | Elective course |
2. | Concentration or Focus Area Course (select one from the list) | 3 | Concentration course |
3. | CHB 630 Culminating Project* | 3 | Foundational MPH course |
*Students enroll in the culminating project during their last semester of the MPH. Students can only take the course after completing or enrolling in all other MPH courses and the field training experience. For dual degree students, this also includes all shared coursework.
Select 3 concentration or focus area courses from other MPH programs:
Select 2 electives from the list of courses from other MPH programs:
Interprofessional collaborative practice, or the ability to work effectively on teams with professionals across many health or health-related disciplines, is an important competency for public health professionals.
MPH students, you can earn three interprofessional collaborative practice digital badges and an IPCP micro-credential through your required coursework:
IPCP Foundations Digital Badge by completing:
IPCP Communication and Teamwork Digital Badge by completing IPCP Innovation Sprint with Pharmacy students in CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice.
IPCP Healthcare Practice Digital Badge by completing CHB/EEH/STA 544 MPH Field Training.
Earn the full IPCP micro-credential by completing all three digital badges.
All digital badges and the micro-credential are awarded to you upon completion of the activities. Current students can learn more about IPCP activities, digital badges, and the micro-credential in your courses, and by visiting the MPH Portal.
Interprofessional education is learning with, from and about students in two or more health-related professions. Learn more about interprofessional education.
The process of collaborating with other health care professionals through shared communication, decision-making and teamwork to improve patient outcomes.
Collaborating with other health care professionals through effective communication and teamwork improves patient outcomes. Interprofessional teams enhance the quality of patient care, lower health care costs, decrease patients’ length of stay, and reduce medical errors. Patients receive safer, high quality care when health professionals work effectively in a team, communicate productively and understand each other's roles (Institute of Medicine – To Err is Human).
MPH students receive three IPCP digital badges and an IPCP micro-credential to add to their resumes, CVs, social media profiles, or email signature lines.
Upon completion of all three digital badges, students also earn the IPCP micro-credential.
MPH students must complete one spring forum and one fall forum. You complete the interprofessional education forums through CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice, and EEH 590 Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation in Public Health.
You need to complete one spring and one fall forum. If you’ve already completed a spring forum, you do not need to complete another spring forum. If you’ve already completed a fall forum, you do not need to complete another fall forum. However, if you’ve completed one spring forum, you still need to complete a fall forum, and vice versa.
You complete the spring IPE Forum through CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice. You complete the fall IPE Forum through EEH 590 Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation in Public Health. More information about completing the forums is available in each course.
You only need to complete the modules one time. You also need to complete the quiz for each of the modules and receive a grade of 40 or 50 (out of 50) on each module quiz to successfully complete an online module.
Contact Kim Krytus or your MPH faculty advisor.
You will complete a series of field training forms before and during your field training experience. You will also complete and submit a field training set of slides about your experience to your advisor. Find more information about the forms in the MPH Portal in UB Learns.
All students must also apply for graduation:
Graduation Term | Apply to Graduate, in HUB by | Conferral Date |
---|---|---|
Spring | February 22 | June 1 |
Summer | July 15 | September 1 |
Fall | October 15 | February 1 |
To ensure you complete all of the necessary forms, review the MPH program timeline and graduation requirements.
For all questions, please email sphhp-chhb-mph@buffalo.edu!