Requirements and Curriculum

Your program will consist of courses addressing foundational public health knowledge and competency areas, required and elective concentration courses, a field training experience and a culminating project.

The MPH in epidemiology is 49 credits. 

Up to 9 credits may be transferred from previous coursework and up to 6 credits may be waived. You must complete a minimum of 43 MPH credits, regardless of any waivers or substitutions.

You can complete the program in four semesters of full-time attendance or up to eight semesters of part-time attendance.

On this page:

Advisement

You will be assigned a faculty advisor who will assist you in planning your academic coursework and other program requirements. Learn more about advisement.

Required Courses

Students should enroll in courses following the schedule below.

  • Part-time students taking courses over multiple years should register for courses in order.
    • For example, if you take two courses per semester, in year one take EEH 501 and STA 527 in your fall semester, and EEH 530 and CHB 501 in your second fall semester.
  • One-year accelerated students combine Fall Semester years 1 and 2 for your Fall schedule, and Spring Semester years 1 and 2 for your spring schedule.
  • Students admitted in a spring semester should contact their program director for their course pathway.

Year 1 Fall Semester (14 credits)

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1. EEH 501 Principles of Epidemiology 4
Foundational MPH course
2. STA 527 Statistical Analysis I LEC (lecture) 3 Foundational MPH course
3. STA 527 Statistical Analysis I REC (recitation) 1 Foundational MPH course
4. EEH 530 Introduction to Health Care Organization 3 Foundational MPH course
5. EEH 505 Application to Biostatistics to Epidemiology I (recommended elective) 3
Elective course

Year 1 Spring Semester (12 credits)

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1. EEH 502 Advanced Methodology 3
Concentration course
2. STA 528 Statistical Analysis II 4
Concentration course
3. EEH 550 Environmental Health 3 Foundational MPH course
4. CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice 2 Foundational MPH course

Year 2 Fall Semester (14 credits)*

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1.
CHB 501 Study of Health Behavior 3 Foundational MPH course
2. EEH 573 Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases 3
Concentration course
3. EEH 590 Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation in Public Health 2
Foundational MPH course
4. Epidemiology elective 3
Elective
5. EEH 544 MPH Field Training* (Students should not contact the Field Training Coordinator until completing all Year 1 courses) 3 Foundational MPH course
 

To complete field training, submit your INFO Form (in the UB Learns MPH Student Resources portal) by:

  • Sept. 15 for a Winter placement
  • Oct. 15 for a Spring placement
  • Mar. 15 for a Summer placement
  • May 15 for a Fall placement
   
  MPH Field Training (3) can alternately be completed in Summer of Year 1, or in Fall of Year 2.
   

Year 2 Spring Semester (9 credits)

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1. EEH 520 Biological Basis of Public Health+ 3
Foundational MPH course
2. EEH 630 MPH Culminating Project 3
Foundational MPH course
3. Epidemiology elective 3
Elective

+ This course reviews biological processes of chronic and infectious diseases, which is not covered elsewhere in the MPH. Students who have satisfactorily completed college coursework in human biology, immunology, microbiology, pathophysiology, or anatomy and physiology may be able to replace this course with another concentration elective.

Electives--9 credits

Take recommended elective course:

  • EEH 505 Application to Biostatistics to Epidemiology I

Plus take two more courses from the list below:

  • EEH 510 Principles of Measurement in Public Health
  • EEH 521 Global Health
  • EEH 547 MPH Field Training Elective
  • EEH 570 Cancer Epidemiology
  • EEH 571 Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease
  • EEH 572 Nutritional Epidemiology
  • EEH 574 Epidemics and Outbreaks
  • EEH 575 Epidemiologic Applications to Environmental Health
  • EEH 577 Perinatal Epidemiology

Students can petition to take courses outside their concentration area or at the PhD level if the course is relevant to their future career plans and they obtain permission of the course instructor and the director of graduate studies.

Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP)

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:

  • One spring Interprofessional Forum and IPCP Foundational Online Module Series in CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice
  • One fall Interprofessional Forum in EEH 590 Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation in Public Health

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 Student Resources Portal.

Forms and Documentation

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 Student Resource Portal in UB Learns.

All students must also apply for graduation:
  • Students preparing to graduate must log into My Academics in their student HUB record, click on "Apply for Graduation" and select the MPH program and anticipated graduation semester before the appropriate deadline.
    • See details about applying to graduate in HUB.
  • Contact sphhp-eeh@buffalo.edu for more information. 
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
Graduation Requirements

To ensure you complete all of the necessary forms, review graduation requirements.

Questions? Contact Us