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 health services administration is 47 to 48 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 2 courses per semester, in your first Fall semester take the first 2 courses under Year 1 Fall, and in your next Fall semester take the next 2 courses.
  • 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 (12 credits)

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1. EEH 530 Introduction to Health Care Organization 3 Foundational MPH course
2. EEH 536 Health Policy in the United States 3 Concentration 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

Year 1 Spring Semester (14 credits)

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. EEH 532 Financial Management for Public Health Professionals+ 3 Concentration course
4. EEH 538 Introduction to Health Economics 3 Concentration course
5. CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice 2 Foundational MPH course

^ Students can take EEH 501 Principles of Epidemiology (4) in the Fall semester instead of EEH 500 Introduction to Epidemiology if their faculty advisor approves.

+ Beginning Fall 2021, EEH 532 is a required concentration course. Students who entered prior to Fall 2021 take EEH 532 or a Health Services elective.

Year 2 Fall Semester (12 credits)*

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1. CHB 501 Study of Health Behavior
3 Foundational MPH course
2. Health services administration elective 3 Elective course
3. Health services administration elective 3 Elective course
4. 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. Health services administration elective
3 Foundational MPH course
2. Health services administration elective 3 Elective course
3. EEH 630 MPH Culminating Project 3
Foundational MPH course

Electives

Select courses from the EEH list below.

  • EEH 505 Application of Biostatistics to Epidemiology I 
    (recommended)
  • EEH 510 Principles of Measurement in Public Health
  • EEH 521 Global Health
  • EEH 537 Public Health: Legal and Ethical Perspectives
  • EEH 539 The Business of Health Care (cross-listed with MGH 641)
  • EEH 547 MPH Field Training Elective
  • EEH 611 Analysis of Health Data (4)

Other courses that count as electives:

  • CHB 505 Applied Statistics for Public Health
  • CHB 523 Introduction to Program Planning and Evaluation
  • CHB 525 Health Disparities
  • CHB 533 Corporations and Public Health
  • RSC 604 Disability and Rehabilitation
  • MGB 630 LeaderCore Foundations I (1.5, fall)
  • MGB 631 LeaderCore Foundations II (1.5, spring)
  • MGG 605 Social and Entrepreneurial Leadership (3, fall)
  • MGH 642 Innovators in Health Care

Other courses may also count as electives. Discuss other elective course options with your faculty advisor.

Students may also 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 MPH graduate director.

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

Contact us at sphhp-eeh@buffalo.edu.