Additional Coursework and Degree Options

Additional Course Work and Degree Options

Before or after completion of the summer PCE, qualified students may apply to a degree-granting program at HSPH.  Students, who apply to and are accepted into an HSPH degree program within five years of completion of the PCE, may have a maximum of 20 academic and financial credits counted toward the degree program.  Qualified students enrolled in degree programs may enroll in additional PCE courses during subsequent summers at HSPH.

Master of Science Degree

Master of Science (SM) degree programs differ considerably from department to department.  Participants in the PCE have usually applied to the Department of Epidemiology, which requires a minimum of 42.5 academic credits, up to ten of which can be obtained by performing supervised research, if you are in the academic year track.

The Department of Epidemiology at the HSPH has also developed a “summer-only option” of the SM in Epidemiology degree for participants in the PCE.  Participants take a full complement of courses (30-37.5 credits) that are offered over two or three summers and, in addition, obtain 5-12.5 academic credits for implementing and completing a research project (thesis) at their home institution under the joint supervision of a local mentor and a member of the Harvard faculty.

Master of Public Health

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program is designed to train health professionals for leadership roles in public health. MPH students select from among seven concentration areas; the Concentration in Clinical Effectiveness has been developed specifically for students who participate in the summer PCE.  Some of the MPH requirements may  be satisfied by courses taken during the summer period and the remaining requirements satisfied by courses offered during the regular academic year.

Alternatively, students may pursue this degree on a “summer-only” schedule by obtaining 35-40 credits over a three-summer period and completing a 2.5-7.5 credit “practicum” at their home site under the joint supervision of a local mentor and a member of the Harvard faculty  The first summer consists of the 15 credit required PCE curriculum.