Degree Programs

The Harvard School of Public Health offers a number of degrees and degree programs, reflecting a rich educational and research environment for students of many backgrounds and interests.

The degree programs have a range of purposes and requirements. Some master’s programs are intended to prepare students for professional careers in public health; others focus on research training in preparation for doctoral study. The doctoral programs offered by HSPH (doctor of public health, doctor of science) are designed for students with interests in the scientific basis of public health and preventive medicine who wish to pursue academic or research positions.

For more information about requirements for the PhD Program in Biostatistics and PhD Program in Biological Sciences in Public Health (BPH), sponsored by the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, please consult the relevant sections of this catalog or the GSAS web site.

Entrance Requirements

Entrance requirements for HSPH programs vary considerably by degree and also by department. Minimum entrance requirements for HSPH degree programs are as follows:

Master of occupational health Candidates must hold a doctoral degree in medicine.

Master of public health Candidates normally hold a doctoral degree—for example, MD, DO, DDS (or their non-U.S. equivalents), JD, PhD, SD, or other health-related degrees. Also eligible to apply are those with a master’s degree in a health-related field (for example, MSN, MSW, MBA) and three years of relevant experience.

Master of science

42.5 credit SM Candidates normally hold a doctoral degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or other public health– related field. In some cases applicants with a master’s degree in a related discipline or with significant professional experience may be considered.

80-credit SM Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; some work experience may also be required.

60-credit SM in biostatistics Candidates normally hold a bachelor’s degree in one of the mathematical sciences or an allied field (for example, biology, psychology, or economics).

Doctor of public health Candidates must have or be in progress toward an MPH degree and must also hold an advanced degree in a basic public health discipline.

Doctor of science Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; some programs also require the completion of a prior master’s or doctoral degree.

Schoolwide Degree Requirements

All HSPH degree programs require the completion of some course work intended to ensure basic competencies in public health sciences.

For all professional master’s degree programs, students must fulfill core requirements in the following:

• biostatistics
• epidemiology
• environmental health sciences
• health services administration
• social and behavioral sciences

In addition, students must complete a culminating experience, demonstrating integration of public health knowledge, and/or a practice experience.

For research-oriented master’s degree programs, students must fulfill the core requirements in biostatistics and epidemiology.

Students in HSPH doctoral programs must adhere to the doctoral timetable for maintaining satisfactory progress and must fulfill the following schoolwide requirements:

• completion of course work in one major field (20 credits) and two minor fields (10 credits each)
• completion of courses in introductory epidemiology and intermediate biostatistics
• completion of the schoolwide oral qualifying examination, usually by the end of the second year (some departments also require a written qualifying examination)
• completion of a program of independent and original research in one of the basic disciplines of public health
• the presentation and submission of this research in a dissertation and the public defense of the dissertation
• payment of at least two years of full-time tuition and one year of full-time reduced tuition

Prospective students should consult the descriptions in this catalog for more information about particular programs and their specific admission and degree requirements. The Student Handbook, available at www.hsph.harvard.edu/registrar, also provides detailed information about requirements, timetables, and procedures. See additional application and enrollment information.

Degree Planning

Prospective students may also consult degree planners available at each department’s website. Degree planners are on line tools that provide a sample course schedule for each of the concentrations or areas of interest offered by the school.