Program Overview
The Master of Arts in Public Health Biology (MAPHB) degree is a fully online, part-time degree program focused on biological tenets and research methods that are relevant to current issues in public health. It is an interdepartmental program involving Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Environmental Health and Engineering, and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, with required coursework provided through each. The program is designed to provide a solid, conceptual basis for an understanding of the rationale, tools, and approaches that are essential for addressing problems in public health.
Summary of Graduation Requirements
- A minimum of 48.5 credit hours to fulfill the degree
- Students are required to complete a thesis research course
- Students must take one course from BMB, EHE, and MMI as detailed in the MAPHB Curriculum section
- All students must maintain minimum academic standards and have satisfactory grades as detailed in the Academic Standards section
Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website.
MAPHB Curriculum
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Course List Code Title Credits Required Courses Introduction to Online Learning (must be completed prior to beginning program) 0 PH.550.630 Public Health Biology (or PH.550.631) 3 PH.550.631 Biological Basis of Public Health (or PH.550.630) 3 PH.550.855 MA Public Health Biology Thesis 5 - 6 PH.552.601 Foundational Principles of Public Health 0.5 PH.552.602 The Role of Quantitative Methods in Public Health 0.5 PH.552.603 The Role of Qualitative Methods and Science in Describing and Assessing a Population's Health 0.5 PH.552.604 Causes and Trends in Morbidity and Mortality 0.5 PH.552.605 The Science of Primary Secondary and Tertiary Prevention in Population Health 0.5 PH.552.606 The Critical Importance of Evidence in Advancing Public Health Knowledge 0.5 PH.552.607 Essentials of Environmental Health 0.5 PH.552.609 Psychological and Behavioral Factors That Affect A Population's Health 0.5 PH.552.610 The Social Determinants of Health 0.5 PH.552.611 Globalization and Population Health 0.5 PH.552.612 Essentials of One Health 0.5 Total Credits 16.5-17.5 Course List Code Title Credits Optional Foundation Courses PH.140.611 Statistical Reasoning in Public Health I 3 PH.140.612 Statistical Reasoning in Public Health II 3 PH.340.721 Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I 5 Total Credits 11 Course List Code Title Credits Required Course, Environmental Health Sciences Choose at least one of the following:PH.180.601 Environmental Health 5 PH.180.609 Principles of Environmental Health 4 PH.183.631 Fundamentals of Human Physiology 4 PH.187.610 Public Health Toxicology 4 PH.187.632 Molecular Toxicology 4 Course List Code Title Credits Required Course, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Choose at least one of the following:PH.120.600 Biochemistry I: Protein Structure and Enzyme Catalysis 3 PH.120.601 Biochemistry II: Major Metabolic Pathways 5 PH.120.602 Concepts of Molecular Biology 4 PH.120.613 Nucleic Acid Chemistry 3 PH.120.625 Introduction to Cancer Biology 3 Course List Code Title Credits Required Course, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Choose at least one of the following:PH.260.600 Introduction to the Biomedical Sciences 4 PH.260.656 Malariology 4 PH.260.701 Anatomy of Scientific Error,Anatomy of Scientific Error - Meta-Science in Research Practice 3 PH.550.603 Fundamentals of Immunology 3
Academic Standards
Students must meet minimum academic standards to remain in the MAPHB Program. A student’s failure to meet any of the criteria below is grounds for being placed on academic warning and/or being dismissed from the program.
In core courses, master’s students must receive a C or higher. A student who earns a grade below that threshold in a course listed as a core requirement must, at the next opportunity, make a second attempt to complete the core course by repeating the same course. A grade below the threshold on the second attempt may be grounds for dismissal and must be reported to the School’s Committee on Academic Standards. To remain in good academic standing, master's students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.75. If a student’s GPA falls below the requirement, the student will be placed on academic probation. School policy states that a master’s student cannot graduate with a GPA lower than 2.75.
While students could opt to take a term(s) off, students are required to complete the degree within 4 years of their original start date. Failure to complete the degree within 4 years of the original start day could result in a non-conferral of the degree.
Program Policies
For a full list of program policies, please visit the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's For Current Students page where students can find the link to the most recent MAPHB Student Handbook.
The goal of the MA in Public Health Biology program is to prepare students from diverse backgrounds to apply biological principles to public health issues, conceptualize research questions, interpret results and apply these skills in the context of human health. The specific educational objectives are as follows:
Objectives
Upon successful completion of the MA in Public Health Biology program, students will be able to:
- Describe the biological basis of public health
- Apply knowledge in biochemistry, molecular biology to current and future issues in public health
- Assess current and future issues in public health related to microbiology and immunology
- Reflect on current and future issues in public health
- Demonstrate examples of current research, policy, or practice in public health biology
According to the requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all BSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Please view the list of specific CEPH requirements by degree type.