Health Policy and Administration

Admission Requirements

  • Prior Degree Bachelor's degree in any field.
  • Grade Point Average Admitted students typically have at least a combined undergraduate/graduate grade point average of 3.00/4.00. However, all applicants are given a holistic evaluation of their application. Applicants with less than a 3.00 are encouraged to apply if they believe that their application is strong in other areas.
  • Tests GRE not required.
  • Letters of Recommendation Three required, uploaded via the SOPHAS application.
  • Resume or CV Required, uploaded via the SOPHAS application.
  • Personal Statement Applicants will upload a 500-800 word statement focused on their interests/experiences in public health and the program they are applying to specifically, goals with the degree, and why they would be successful in the program. For students applying to research focused programs, the personal statement should also address potential research interests.
  • Minimum English Competency Test Score for International Applicants
    • TOEFL iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21, OR,
    • IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
    • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.

Degree Requirements

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required  Comprehensive Program, 49; Professional Enhancement Program, 43; Concentration in Public Health Informatics, 45.
  • Coursework Students in the MPH program at UIC School of Public Health are required to complete 18-20 hours of school-wide core curriculum, two non-credit trainings, and concentration-specific requirements.

School-Wide Core Requirements

Required Courses
Determinants of Population Health
Analytic and Research Methods in Population Health Part I
and Analytic and Research Methods in Population Health Part II
Analytic and Research Methods in Public Health
Public Health Systems, Management and Community Health Methods
Interprofessional Education
Applied Practice Experience a
Integrative Learning Experience b
a

The applied practice experiences allow each student to demonstrate attainment of at least five competencies, of which at least three must be foundational competencies. Students must also select at least one competency from their concentration(s). The applied experiences may also address additional foundational or concentration-specific competencies, if appropriate.

b

All MPH HPA students are required to complete an Integrative Learning Experience project. The Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) may be based on a variety of activities (e.g., a written product with potential practice relevance).

Non-Credit Training Requirements

Required Training
Human Subjects Research
Title IX Training - Sexual Harassment
SPH Academic Integrity Tutorial

Concentration Requirements

In addition to School-Wide Core requirements and Non-Credit Training requirements, students complete the following divisional and concentration requirements in their chosen concentration:

Comprehensive Program and Professional Enhancement Program Requirements

Divisional Core Required Courses
Introduction to Public Health Policy
US Health Care System for Public Health Practitioners
Public Health Law and Ethics
Public Health Advocacy
Strategic Planning and Budgeting/Finance
Introduction to the Economics of Health and Healthcare
Introduction to Research Design for Public Health Practitioners
Public Health Policy Analysis
Electives (9 semester hours)
Students are encouraged to use the electives as an opportunity to take coursework from elsewhere within the School; based upon their career interests and their academic and professional preparation at the time of matriculation. Students should work with their Faculty Advisors in making the selection.

Professional Enhancement Program Requirements

Divisional Core Required Courses
Introduction to Public Health Policy
US Health Care System for Public Health Practitioners
Public Health Law and Ethics
Public Health Advocacy
Strategic Planning and Budgeting/Finance
Introduction to the Economics of Health and Healthcare
Introduction to Research Design for Public Health Practitioners
Public Health Policy Analysis
Electives (3 semester hours)
Students are encouraged to use the electives as an opportunity to take coursework from elsewhere within the School; based upon their career interests and their academic and professional preparation at the time of matriculation. Students should work with their Faculty Advisors in making the selection.

Public Health Informatics Concentration

Required Courses
GIS for Environmental and Public Health Professionals
Health Information and Decision Support Systems
Development of Public Health Surveillance Information Systems
Management of Communication Systems for Public Health Informatics Applications
Legal and Ethical Issues in Public Health Informatics
Public Health Information Systems Evaluation and Project Management
Web-Based Public Health Information Systems
Datamining Applications in Public Health