About the Master of Public Health Program

Launched in 2000, the MPH Program received five-year accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) in 2002. In October 2007, the Brown University Master of Public Health Program received seven-year reaccreditation by CEPH. Enrollment in the MPH program has grown considerably, reflecting the growing interest in public health careers.

The MPH program prepares students for careers in the public, non-profit, and private sectors. Our goal is to help our students become skilled professionals committed to improving the health of communities by translating rigorous scientific research into sound, evidence-based public health policy and practice.

The master’s degree is geared toward individuals who have had relevant experience in the community or in health care institutions or who have a demonstrated commitment to public health. Students in the MPH Program range from new college graduates planning careers in public health to seasoned physicians seeking to broaden their understanding of the field.

The program’s unusually high faculty-to-student ratio gives students a great deal of interaction with instructors who are accessible, approachable, and encouraging of student involvement in critical projects.

MISSION

The key values of the Brown MPH Program are to preserve and enhance the health and well being of human populations by integrating knowledge, skills and data to advance public health. The focus of this mission is the promotion of physical and mental health, and prevention of disease and disability, through the development of new knowledge relevant to public health, the teaching and application of that knowledge, and the translation of data and research findings into information to be used in public health policy and practice.

The key concepts of public health upon which this program is based, include:

A primary focus on the health of populations

A robust grounding in interdisciplinary science

A strong focus on health promotion and disease prevention, especially primary prevention

A recognition of the important linkages among government, academe and other entities

A respect for the many cultures encompassed in the populations served

Ethical concerns and issues addressed by the program include:

Respect for autonomy and individual dignity

Beneficence and working for the common good

Balancing the common good and population health with rights of individuals

Social justice and the equitable allocation of benefits and burdens

Advocacy for the interests of populations, particularly those who are vulnerable, powerless or burdened

Professional ethics and the appropriate uses of trust

Responsibilities and rights of public health agents

Human rights

Application of national and international codes of ethics

The key values, concepts and ethical principles upheld by the MPH Program emerge in multiple aspects of the program, with an intentional integration into coursework, case studies, community internships and data gathering and analysis.

"I've been working with a researcher here at the Population Studies and Training Center. She and her colleagues conducted interviews with teachers in rural South African schools to assess their knowledge of sexuality education efforts and HIV risk among their students. I hope to continue working on the analysis because the preliminary results have been really interesting and have demonstrated a clear need to promote ‘dual protection' against both pregnancy and HIV for young South Africans."

Kelley Smith MPH'07