Who We Are

Harvard T.H. Chan sign

We Are Originators

Originally founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School for Health Officers, we provided the nation’s first graduate training program in public health. We were also the first school to offer a doctorate in public health. Over the past 100-plus years, our programs have evolved into the premier credentials for tomorrow’s public health researchers and organizational leaders.

We Are Innovators

Harvard Chan faculty members have earned two Nobel Prizes, five MacArthur “genius” grants, a National Medal of Science, and many other awards and distinctions for their public health research and innovation. Work by our faculty and alumni has led to the eradication of smallpox, the near eradication of polio, and the removal of dangerous trans fats from the U.S. food supply. It has led to major reductions in surgical errors, drunk driving, maternal mortality, and the transmission of HIV/AIDS to newborns. As we boldly expand the scientific foundations of public health, the research knowledge and programmatic innovations our faculty, alumni, and students create are making the world a healthier place.

We Are Leaders

Because of the quality of our educational programs, the depth of our resources, and the impact of our faculty’s research, Harvard Chan is routinely listed among the best schools of public health in the nation. U.S. News & World Report currently ranks Harvard as the #1 Global University for Social Sciences and Public Health.

Passion Makes a Difference

Harvard Chan attracts students like you for whom the field of public health is a personal mission. This dedication, along with the powerful education and hands-on experience they receive from the school, leads to great success and great impact. Harvard Chan alumni include former U.S. Surgeons General and directors of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two have become heads of state in their home countries. Our alumni lead local, state, national, and international health agencies and serve as project managers, program directors, and policymakers in government, NGOs, and both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Still others of our alumni, like the stellar faculty who mentored them, make their impact on public health through groundbreaking research.

Whether your commitment to improving the public’s health inspires you to pursue a career in research and academia or public policy and program innovation, there’s no better place to prepare yourself than the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Learn more about how the the School’s work has changed lives around the world.

Read about about the School’s vision, mission, and values.