Curriculum Overview

MPH Core Requirements

All students in the program take core courses designed to develop analytical skills and knowledge in key areas of public health. In addition, each student works with an advisor to plan electives, internships, and the development of a thesis. Rather than following tracks in specific public health areas, students are encouraged to tailor their academic experience to their individual interests and educational goals.

To receive the MPH degree at Brown, students are required to successfully complete thirteen courses (including two internships) and complete a thesis. The MPH Program begins with a six-week summer internship (PHP 2070). Subsequently, full-time students generally take three courses per semester over two years. Students may request that up to four graduate/medical courses, taken previously or concurrently with their Brown MPH enrollment, be counted toward the thirteen course requirement. All students are required to complete a thesis.

Students in our program learn public health by doing public health. Two internships – one lasting six weeks, the other a full semester – provide practical, real-world settings in which to see the theoretical concepts learned in class being applied. We strive to place students in settings related to issues about which they are passionate – be it a community organization for the elderly, the Department of Health’s lead poisoning prevention task force, or one of Brown’s nationally recognized public health research centers.