Degree Programs

Master of Public Health Degree (M.P.H.)

Yale’s M.P.H. program is designed for highly motivated students with related work experience or a professional degree as well as a substantial interest in an area of public health. A unique sequencing of courses, community-based programmatic activities, and field or laboratory research provides students with multiple opportunities to define their specialty and to tailor their course of study.

Individualized programs are shaped through frequent interactions with faculty through courses, field experiences, and the thesis. An important component of the M.P.H. program is the faculty-student relationship, institutionalized in the form of an advisory system. Students are expected to work with their adviser in selecting appropriate courses, deciding on their internship and thesis, and integrating learning from all their experiences.

All students focus their studies in one of eight academic programs—Biostatistics, Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Global Health, Health Policy, and Health Management. Students apply to one of the specific divisions but are urged to develop programs of study that include courses from other divisions within EPH and throughout the University. Students in all divisions benefit from the strengths of Yale’s professional and graduate schools and learn ways to understand the complexity and multidimensionality of most public health issues.

The majority of M.P.H. students are registered for full-time study and spend two years in residence completing the requirements for the M.P.H. degree. Students in the M.P.H. program are required to complete 20 course units, which include the core curriculum, divisional requirements, and electives both within EPH and in other schools at the University. Course units are not given for seminars and colloquia.

Full-time students must carry a minimum of 4 course units per term for four terms and must complete all course requirements (including the thesis) within five years of matriculation.

Students may elect to take more than the minimum number of course units needed to graduate; however, no student may shorten the four-term program by accumulating course units sufficient to graduate at the end of three terms. Full-time students must carry a minimum of 4 course units in their final term.

Part-time student status is granted to those students taking fewer than 4 course units per term. Part-time students are encouraged to take at least 2 course units per term and must complete all course requirements (including the thesis) within five years of matriculation. Those considering part-time study should be aware that there are no courses offered during the evening, on weekends, or during the summer months.

First-year students in the M.P.H. program may apply to another professional or graduate program within Yale for a joint-degree program. If admitted, students must notify the associate dean for student affairs. Joint-degree students must fulfill all degree requirements for both programs.

Core Curriculum for the M.P.H. Degree

Additional M.P.H. Degree Requirements

Internship. The Internship is a degree requirement that is completed in the summer between the first and second academic years. Students work with their faculty advisers and the Office of Career Services to identify suitable placements, which include medical care facilities, community agencies, research projects, laboratories, and other sites engaged in public health activities. The Internship experience often serves as a basis for the M.P.H. thesis. The Internship is displayed on the transcript with a grade of “S” (Satisfactory) upon completion. The internship is not a requirement for students in the One-Year M.P.H. Program.

Thesis. The thesis (2 course units) is typically a yearlong project that is completed in the second academic year and is the culmination of the student’s educational experience at EPH. It is frequently a report of a small research project performed independently by the student. Students work with faculty advisers in designing their project and in writing the thesis. Detailed guidelines for the thesis are outlined in Appendix I. The thesis is not a requirement for students in the Health Management, Health Policy, and One-Year M.P.H. programs.

Learning Objectives of the Core Curriculum

Upon completing the core curriculum of the M.P.H. program, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate a knowledge base in the disciplines of biostatistics, chronic and infectious disease epidemiology, health systems, public policy, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health.
  
  
• Apply basic research skills to specific public health problems in both group and individual settings including the ability to define problems; construct, articulate, and test hypotheses; draw conclusions; and communicate findings to a variety of audiences.
  
  
• Understand the interrelationships among a multitude of factors which can impact on a public health problem, specifically scientific, medical, environmental, cultural, social, behavioral, economic, political, and ethical issues.
  
  
• Demonstrate the ability to use public health skills in the context of actual public health problems experienced in the community or work environment, through application of concepts, principles, and methodologies obtained through formal course work.
  
  
• Critically evaluate programs, interventions, and outcomes which relate to public health practice.
  
  
• Demonstrate a knowledge of ethical standards and professional values as they relate to the practice of public health, and a sensitivity to the social context within which public health professionals practice.

M.P.H. Divisional Programs

Biostatistics

Theodore Holford, Ph.D.
Division Head

Biostatistics is one of the skills necessary for the development and practice of public health because health-related research and resultant policy decisions often have a quantitative foundation. Biostatistical methods and knowledge are essential for the following: (a) valid and efficient study designs, (b) data collection so that study objectives can be realized, and (c) data analysis so that valid conclusions can be drawn from a study’s results. These methods can be appropriate for quantifying the possible effect of risk factors and health interventions on individual subjects, as well as groups of people. Hence, the sound practice of biostatistics has a substantial impact on all aspects of research in the health sciences.

Divisional Requirements for the M.P.H. Degree in Biostatistics

* These are half-term courses.
† These courses are offered in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Biostatistics Learning Objectives
Upon receiving an M.P.H. degree with a concentration in Biostatistics, the student will be able to:

• Develop an efficient design for recording and storing data collected in research projects associated with health sciences.
  
  
• Design efficient computer programs for study management using SAS or other programming languages.
  
  
• Produce edited data sets suitable for statistical analysis.
  
  
• Perform analyses of stated hypotheses using a variety of analytical tools, including analysis of variance, multiple regression, nonparametric statistics, logistic regression, multivariate analysis, and methods for analyzing rates and failure time data.
  
  
• Make relevant inferences from data.
  
  
• Produce working tables and statistical summaries describing research in health sciences.
  
  
• Communicate the results of research studies in public health with managers in associated subject-matter fields.

Regulatory Affairs Program

Robert W. Makuch, Ph.D.
Program Director

Since the 2006–2007 academic year Epidemiology and Public Health offers a Regulatory Affairs Program (RAP). The program is directed by Robert Makuch, Professor of Biostatistics, and funded by a grant from Bayer.

The goal of the Regulatory Affairs Program is to prepare professionals for work in this complex and growing field through an interdisciplinary curriculum and relevant internship experiences. The program addresses a variety of complex issues related to obtaining government approval to market drug, biological, and medical devices; scientific policy; and legal and ethical concerns. Course work includes pharmacoepidemiology, clinical trials, policy analysis, health economics, decision analysis, and health care law and ethics. An integral part of the RAP is the summer internship, in which students gain practical training through placements at major pharmaceutical firms.

Students apply to the RAP in the spring term of their first year in the M.P.H. program. The program intends to enroll students with a broad range of academic and professional backgrounds. It is expected that no more than six students will be admitted each year. All applicants to the program must have a complete command of both spoken and written English.

The RAP has as its central academic core the M.P.H. core curriculum, and students will complete all the requirements of their home division. The RAP has three required courses, as well as recommended elective courses on relevant topics from various EPH divisions.

For further information about the Regulatory Affairs Program, please contact Professor Robert Makuch, Division of Biostatistics, 203.785.2838 or robert.makuch@yale.edu.

Chronic Disease Epidemiology

Stanislav V. Kasl, Ph.D.
Division Head

Epidemiology is the study of the frequency, distribution, and causes of diseases in human populations. In Chronic Disease Epidemiology (CDE), the laboratories are the city block or town, the state or country, the housing project, the newborn nursery or nursing home, and the senior center or hospital.

CDE students will learn how to identify the type of data needed, choose appropriate data collection methods, collect the data, and analyze such data appropriately so that the whole research effort leads to the improvement of the health of communities. The CDE curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, based on thorough knowledge of research methods, and its application to the literature, to the development of research protocols, and to the conduct and analysis of epidemiologic investigations. The principal research instrument of the chronic disease epidemiologist is often the questionnaire. The development of valid, reliable, and unambiguous questionnaires is a skill taught to all CDE students. Increasingly, epidemiologists also make use of genetic and biologic markers to indicate exposure to potentially damaging agents or as signs for the early onset of disease. Students learn the role of these innovative advances throughout the program.

Students learn about the role of epidemiology in a broad range of public health and medical arenas, including the fields of aging, cancer, cardiovascular disease, perinatal and reproductive epidemiology, and psychosocial epidemiology, all areas in which the division has particular strength. Among the resources available to students are the Yale Cancer Center, the Connecticut Tumor Registry (the oldest of its kind in the world), the Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, and the Yale Center on Aging. M.P.H. graduates of the CDE program find employment in academic institutions; in public health agencies at the national, state, and local level; in divisions of preventable or chronic diseases; in health surveillance; and in applied research. Voluntary agencies such as cancer or heart associations recruit graduates to participate in or direct community programs.

Graduates also obtain intermediate-level research positions in such federal agencies as the National Institutes of Health. Private industries, including the pharmaceutical industry, find the quantitative skills of CDE graduates useful in monitoring drug safety and in clinical research. Many CDE graduates subsequently pursue doctoral degrees in public health or other professional or academic fields.

Divisional Requirements for the M.P.H. Degree in Chronic Disease Epidemiology

Chronic Disease Epidemiology Learning Objectives
Upon receiving an M.P.H. degree with a concentration in Chronic Disease Epidemiology, the student will be able to:

• Evaluate the scientific merit and feasibility of epidemiologic study designs.
  
  
• Describe the epidemiology of common chronic diseases.
  
  
• Synthesize information from a variety of epidemiologic and related studies.
  
  
• Design and carry out epidemiologic studies with minimal supervision.
  
  
• Analyze data from epidemiologic studies at an intermediate level.
  
  
• Present their research to colleagues.
  
  
• Describe basic pathophysiologic mechanisms and/or psychopathologic mechanisms.
  
  
• Identify and use routinely collected data on disease occurrence.
  
  
• Review critically articles from the epidemiologic research.
  
  
  

Social and Behavioral Sciences Program (SBS)

Jeannette Ickovics, Ph.D.
Director

The CDE division offers a program that enables students to receive specialized training in Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS). The overall purpose of this program is to provide instruction in the theory and methods of the social and behavioral sciences that emphasize the behavioral, psychological, and social influences on health, illness, and recovery. The primary emphases are to (1) understand how behavioral, psychological, and social influences interact with biological factors to affect health, and (2) evaluate and develop strategies to promote health and prevent disease by altering adverse life styles and psychosocial risk factors at the level of the individual, primary social groups and communities.

The SBS curriculum is unique in that it combines courses in social and behavioral sciences and epidemiology. Students in the SBS program will share a core of courses with other CDE students in epidemiologic methods and biostatistics. Students specializing in SBS will be required to take two additional courses in intervention research. The first addresses theory, methods, and evaluation of preventive interventions. The second teaches students practical and advanced skills for the development and implementation of their own interventions in health promotion and disease prevention.

Elective courses, such as those on health disparities, religion and health, methods in psychiatric epidemiology, and theories of behavior, are also offered.

Divisional Requirements for the M.P.H. Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Social and Behavioral Sciences Learning Objectives
The primary learning objective is to understand the role that social, psychological, and behavioral factors play as determinants and consequences of illness and health. Specifically, upon completion of the M.P.H. program, all students will demonstrate competency in their ability to:

• Apply basic theory and methods to interpret scientific findings in the social and behavioral sciences.
  
  
• Identify the effects of social, psychological, and behavioral factors on individual and population risk for disease.
  
  
• Describe the key social, psychological, and behavioral predictors of health, and delineate the impact of these factors on morbidity and mortality, including the treatment and management of chronic disease, adjustment to illness, adherence to treatment regimens, promotion of recovery, and prevention of recurrence.
  
  
• Demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between social, psychological, and behavioral factors and genetic, biological, and environmental determinants of health.
  
  
• Describe how social, psychological, and behavioral factors are targeted in prevention programs, and how to apply behavioral theory in the design, implementation, and evaluation of prevention interventions aimed toward: (a) decreasing health damaging behaviors (e.g., risky sex, tobacco use); (b) increasing health promoting behaviors (e.g., exercise, cancer screening); and (c) increasing psychosocial well-being (e.g., coping with chronic illness)—at both the individual and community levels.
  
  

Environmental Health Sciences

Tongzhang Zheng, Sc.D.
Division Head

In the course of their daily activities individuals spend time in a variety of spaces (i.e., residences, industrial and nonindustrial workplaces, automobiles, outdoors), and are engaged in a number of activities (i.e., work, eating, drinking, hobbies), which can result in exposure to a wide range of biological, chemical, and physical environmental stressors. Exposures to these stressors are associated with a number of health and comfort effects.

The division of Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) seeks to produce M.P.H. graduates who are able to recognize and assess the impact of environmental health hazards on human health in the community and occupational setting and to identify a range of options available to reduce exposures to those hazards.

Students in EHS can choose tracks in environmental epidemiology, environmental policy, or risk assessment. Within these tracks there is flexibility for students to design with their adviser a program to meet individual needs. Students take advantage of the wide variety of courses relevant to environmental health offered by the division, the department, and throughout the University, particularly those in the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

M.P.H. graduates of the EHS program find employment in public agencies at the community, city, state, and federal levels; in pharmaceutical companies in areas such as risk assessment and occupational health and safety; in environmental consulting organizations; and in private sector companies in the area of corporate health and safety. They also take research positions in organizations including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Divisional Requirements for the M.P.H. Degree in Environmental Health Sciences

Environmental Health Sciences Learning Objectives
Upon receiving an M.P.H. degree with a concentration in Environmental Health Sciences, the student will be able to:

• Understand the basic principles of how contaminants are introduced into the air, water, soil, and food and then transported through the environment.
  
  
• Recognize the biological, chemical, and physical stressors and evaluate the potential hazard to human health and comfort in the working, residential, and community environments.
  
  
• Use toxicological, statistical, epidemiological, and exposure assessment techniques in assessing the risks associated with environmental hazards.
  
  
• Recognize the process by which policies are developed to regulate environmental hazards.
  
  
• Understand the basic principles used to manage risks associated with exposure to environmental hazards.
  
  

Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases

Serap Aksoy, Ph.D.
Division Head

Microbial disease epidemiology is the science of the cause, distribution, frequency of, and resistance to infections caused by viruses, parasites, and bacteria, and of the distribution, transmission, and control of these agents.

The M.P.H. curriculum for the division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD) is designed to train the student to understand the epidemiology of the major infectious agents, the diseases they cause, and the host response to those diseases. The interaction of the agent (parasite, bacterium, or virus) with the host and the influence of the environment on both agent and host are studied. The curriculum considers the role of age, immunological response, genetics, natural history of vectors, geographical distribution, and transmission and transport of agents. In addition to epidemiology courses, the division’s faculty teach microbiology courses relating to bacteria, viruses, and parasites, including classification, replication, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, and pathogenesis—essential to the understanding of the epidemiology of microbial disease. Through these experiences the student gains a clear understanding of the quantitative and qualitative biological spectrum of microbial diseases.

Using a problem-solving approach the student learns about surveillance through collection and analysis of data followed by synthesis of information as a basis for public health decisions. The same approach is used to investigate epidemics and to study basic biologic problems.

Emphasis is placed on the application of epidemiological concepts to intervention in transmission cycles and disease progression. Intervention may be accomplished through such measures as vaccination, antimicrobial therapy, vector control, or behavior modification. The student is encouraged to obtain a solid laboratory foundation for diagnosis, for population-based serologic surveys, and for understanding the molecular basis of the disease process and intervention strategies. Third World infectious disease problems and their solutions are considered extensively.

Nearly half of EMD graduates in the M.P.H. program enter administrative/epidemiological control units at the local, state, or national level, and a portion of the remainder enter hospital, medical center, or industrial programs. Many students continue graduate and professional education beyond the M.P.H. degree.

Divisional Requirements for the M.P.H. Degree in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases

Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases Learning Objectives
Upon receiving an M.P.H. degree with a concentration in the Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, the student will be able to:

• Understand the causes, detection, transport, transmission, and pathogenesis of infectious diseases and apply the methods of epidemiology to problems of disease prevention and control.
  
  
• Understand the available solutions and approaches for the control of important infectious diseases globally, integrate the epidemiology of specific diseases with research methodology, and appreciate the challenges in their effective control.
  
  
• Understand the immunological basis of vaccination and how the use of vaccines allows for the effective control of infectious diseases in the United States and abroad.
  
  
• Apply his/her knowledge to studies planned for prevention and control of these infections.
  
  
• Intervene in transmission cycles and disease progression by: (a) conducting surveillance through collection, analysis, and synthesis of data; (b) participating in the investigation of an epidemic; and (c) carrying out population-based surveys using laboratory methods to diagnose infectious diseases and molecular technology to track spread of an infection.
  
  
• Understand how to modify human behavior in order to control and prevent infectious diseases.
  
  
• Investigate the interaction of infectious agents with vertebrate hosts and the environment and develop models to predict the spread of an infection.
  
  
• Understand the quantitative and qualitative biological spectrum of infectious diseases.
  
  

Global Health

Brian P. Leaderer, M.P.H., Ph.D.
Acting Division Head

The Global Health Division prepares students for a career in international health in a rapidly changing economic, social, and political environment. It addresses the interdependent nature of health and the globalization of disease within the context of social development. It allows students to study the organization of international health and the global forces that influence its dynamics, and to compare responses and solutions in different parts of the developing and the developed world. Global health builds on a wide range of disciplines—the social, environmental, and biological sciences, demography, law, and the policy sciences—all of which contribute knowledge and strategies to improve the health of populations. The division introduces students to a skill set that includes resource-based community development and organization, investment-oriented strategic health planning and evaluation, and partnership and alliance building.

In addition to offering a set of core courses and electives, the Global Health Division encourages students to take courses in all divisions of EPH as well as other professional schools and graduate programs throughout the University, including the Economic Growth Center, Forestry & Environmental Studies, International Relations, Law, and Management. The division exposes students to international public health practice by bringing leading experts in health from around the world to campus during the year to participate in formal and informal teaching, discussion, and research.

The curriculum allows students to develop their areas of interest while building skills in public health practice, program development, and policy analysis. Specific in-depth studies are pursued according to the career plans of individual students, i.e., human rights, public-private partnerships, global health policy, and international health promotion.

A summer internship is required, and in recent years students have interned with organizations such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Population Council, Human Rights Watch, and some forty other nongovernmental and international organizations. Graduates have found positions around the world in international health, development, and advocacy organizations, in both the public and the private sector, and with a variety of charitable and faith-based organizations and foundations.

Divisional Requirements for the M.P.H. Degree in Global Health

• Construct and apply an analytic tool to assess health resources capacity.
  
  
• Undertake to isolate and weigh (relative) factors and forces in a given situation affecting the health of a given population.
  
  
• Apply in a systematic manner the collection and analysis of data appropriate to achieving a health goal (including delivering requisite resources).
  
  
• Apply a standard analytic tool to perform a comparison of health systems including economic, organizational, managerial, and health outcome measures.
  
  
• Construct a health gains “map”; isolate appropriate interventions (policy adjustments) which meet given standards of acceptability, ethics, feasibility, etc.; and mediate and/or negotiate in the policy shift process.
  
  
• Describe and critically assess the infrastructure of the global health enterprise, e.g., players, strategies, agency interfacing, and effectiveness.
  

Health Policy and Administration

A. David Paltiel, Ph.D.
Acting Division Head

The goal of the division of Health Policy and Administration (HPA) is to address the critical issues in improving the nation’s public health, especially the health of high risk and vulnerable populations. The Division offers two M.P.H. degree programs: Health Policy and Health Management.

The specific objectives of the M.P.H. program in Health Policy and Administration are: (1) to provide its students with a basic foundation of knowledge in public health, health policy, and health services management, and (2) to teach concepts, principles, and scientific skills necessary for health services management and health services policy development and evaluation. The program aims to have students develop an understanding of the importance of research as a policy and management tool. Students are taught to anticipate future needs relative to expanding technology, changing patterns of community health, and emerging societal and programmatic needs.

The division’s program consists of a unique, unified approach to policy and management. It is built on the recognition that issues of health policy cannot be divorced from principles of sound management, nor can health care management or policy be developed without a fundamental understanding of morbidity, mortality, and epidemiologic methods. Further, the division recognizes that leaders cannot make successful decisions about the delivery of health care nor solve the health problems affecting society over the next decades without extensive analytic and decision-making skills. Students need to be able to translate sound scientific evidence into effective health policy. The HPA program emphasizes training in quantitative methods, economics, financing, epidemiology, and evaluative methods for policy and management. Social and behavioral sciences are integral parts of many courses throughout the two-year curriculum.

Students design their own sequence of courses to form a concentration in HPA. Students may emphasize either policy or management, and may also specialize in particular substantive areas (e.g., mental health, family health, health economics, or aging) or receive training at a more advanced level in health policy, administration, or management. Students are required to take an integrative seminar in either health policy or health management.

Given the sequence in the policy courses and the need to complete a rigorous methods course prior to the second year, transfers into the Health Policy program will not be allowed after the first term unless the student has successfully completed Methods in Health Services Research or Principles of Epidemiology II.

Graduates with an emphasis in Health Policy and Administration are employed in both the public and private sectors including federal and state agencies, for-profit and nonprofit health care organizations, hospitals, and private consulting firms, as well as in research.

Divisional Requirements for the M.P.H. Degree in Health Policy and Administration

The thesis is not a requirement in the Health Policy Program.

Health Policy and Administration Learning Objectives
Upon receiving an M.P.H. degree with a concentration in Health Policy and Administration, the student will be able to:

• Identify and assess the major values and institutions that affect health and social policy in the United States.
  
  
• Understand the historical origins and evolution of the major public programs and policies affecting the delivery of medical care.
  
  
• Describe the legal and ethical bases for public health and health services.
  
  
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the broader social determinants of health and the role of public policy in mediating these influences.
  
  
• Develop skills for reshaping the policy agenda on key legislative, regulatory, and financing initiatives.
  
  
• Articulate and apply major models of policy analysis to social problems.
  
  
• Evaluate public programs and policies, in light of available epidemiological and statistical evidence as well as economic criteria for program effectiveness.
  
  
• Craft effectively written policy analysis that compares alternative approaches to dealing with problems and develops a rationale for selecting among alternatives.
  
  
• Analyze how organizational behavior, program administration, and other factors affect the implementation of public policy.
  
  

Health Management Program

Elizabeth H. Bradley, Ph.D.
Director

Future health care managers will be involved in a wide range of settings like hospitals, health systems, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, health maintenance organizations, managed care companies, insurance companies, and consulting. The Health Management Program was designed with the realization that both management training and public health training are needed to adequately prepare future leaders in health management in the years ahead.

The Health Management Program emphasizes this need for training in both management skills and public health. This track is offered in conjunction with the Yale School of Management (SOM). The management courses at SOM, combined with offerings in HPA in advanced health management and policy, and a capstone course in the second year, give students an excellent foundation for work in the field. Given the sequence of courses at EPH and SOM, students are not allowed to transfer into the Health Management Program after the first two weeks of the first term.

Divisional Requirements for the M.P.H. Degree in Health Management

The thesis is not a requirement in the Health Management Program.

* These courses are offered in the School of Management.

International Health Management
In recent years the Health Management Program’s international health management component has grown considerably. If a student chooses this area of study, he or she is required to take three global health classes and a global health elective in addition to other health management requirements. The three required global health courses for the international component of health management are:

GHD 551a, Global Organizations and Health
GHD 585a, Comparative Health Care Systems
GHD 595b, Economic, Social, and Political Dimensions of Development

The student must also complete an internationally relevant internship when fulfilling the internship requirement for the HMP. Students will work with faculty advisers to secure internships with international organizations, such as the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, the World Health Organization, and the Foundation for Professional Development in South Africa.

Health Management Learning Objectives
Upon receiving an M.P.H. degree with a concentration in Health Management, the student will be able to:

• Identify and assess the factors influencing health care finance and delivery.
  
  
• Understand fundamental management skills in the areas of accounting, finance, marketing, operations management, and organizational behavior and apply these skills to address health care management problems.
  
  
• Use core public health skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral sciences, environmental health, and health policy to anticipate and address problems and opportunities in the management of health care organizations.
  
  
• Understand the legal, ethical, social, and environmental issues affecting the delivery of health services.
  
  
• Craft effectively written orally presented analyses of management issues, comparing alternative approaches to management problems and developing a rationale for selecting among the available alternatives.
  
  
• Employ the principles of evidence-based management to translate cutting-edge research into practice to improve health care delivery and financing systems.

One-Year M.P.H. Program for Health Professionals

The One-Year M.P.H. Program is an intensive program for individuals with a doctoral-level degree in a field related to public health (e.g., M.D., D.V.M., D.D.S., or Ph.D. in the biological, behavioral, or social sciences). This program has no divisional affiliation; it is a generalist program that is completed in one academic year of full-time study. A total of fourteen course units are required for this program. The One-Year M.P.H. Program provides a general grounding in the core areas of public health. Students have the opportunity to focus on a specific area of interest, such as health policy, health management, global health, or chronic disease epidemiology. In the capstone experience students learn to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in their other course work.

Students in the program take the core curriculum including biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health.

Students also take one of the following three capstone experiences:

CDE 617b, Developing a Research Protocol
HPA 561b, Capstone Course in Health Management
HPA 597b, Capstone Course in Health Policy

In addition to the required courses, students take seven elective courses. In the absence of previous relevant work experience, one of these courses must involve a practical experience.

There is no internship or thesis requirement in the One-Year M.P.H. Program.

B.A.-B.S./M.P.H. Select Program

The Select Program in Public Health gives Yale College students interested in the field of public health the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree from Yale College and an M.P.H. degree from the Yale School of Medicine Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) in a five-year joint program. During four years of Yale College enrollment, students will complete a standard Yale College major and six course units applicable toward the M.P.H. Students will complete a public health internship between the fourth and fifth years of the program. They will be at EPH full time in their fifth year, during which they will complete the master’s thesis and the remaining ten courses for the master’s degree.

Candidates must present evidence of a commitment to public health, as well as one year of college-level mathematics and either biology, chemistry, or physics. Students may apply to EPH for the joint program in the fall term of their junior year. Applicants must complete EPH application forms, and must submit transcripts, SAT scores, three letters of recommendation, and a personal statement.

Financial aid, if provided during the fifth year, will come from EPH. We cannot guarantee that the financial aid award in the fifth year will be equivalent to previous awards.

Further information about this program may be obtained from the Office of Student Affairs, 47 College St., Suite 108, New Haven CT 06510, 203.785.6260, or on the Web at www.publichealth.yale.edu.

Master of Science in Epidemiology and Public Health (M.S. in EPH)

The M.S. degree program in Epidemiology and Public Health is designed with an emphasis on mastering the skills in individual specialty areas within public health. The length of study leading to the M.S. degree may be either one or two academic years, and is determined by course requirements necessary for students to acquire a strong grounding in the skills in their chosen area of concentration. Programs are currently offered in Biostatistics and Chronic Disease Epidemiology.

The M.S. in EPH is offered through the department’s affiliation with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The departmental Doctoral Committee and the director of graduate studies (DGS) are responsible for overseeing the progress of M.S. students.

Biostatistics Track (BIS)

The M.S. in Biostatistics is a two-year program. It is designed to train students to meet the growing need in managed care organizations, medical research, and the pharmaceutical industry for graduates with technical skills in data analysis. In contrast to the more general M.P.H. degree, the M.S. degree emphasizes the mastery of biostatistical skills from the beginning of the plan of study. While graduates of this program may apply to the Ph.D. degree program, the M.S. degree is itself quite marketable as a terminal degree.

Degree Requirements

The Biostatistics track requires a minimum of 12 courses plus a Master’s Thesis.

Curriculum

The following courses are required:

* These are half-term courses.
† These courses are offered in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

In addition, students must take two elective courses either in Biostatistics theory or Statistics and one elective in Epidemiology and Public Health (not in Biostatistics). An additional elective is required and can be taken in any area relevant to the student’s interest.

Biostatistics electives are to be selected from Database Management in Medicine and Epidemiology (BIS 560); Topics in Genetic Epidemiology (BIS 631); Theory of Generalized Linear Models (BIS 691); Stochastic Processes in Biology and Medicine (BIS 637); Nonparametric Statistical Methods and Their Applications (BIS 646); Theory of Survival Analysis and Its Applications (BIS 643); or other biostatistics courses to be chosen with consent of the degree candidate’s adviser.

Students demonstrating a mastery of topics covered by the required courses may replace them with more advanced courses, but must receive written permission from the DGS prior to enrolling in the substitute courses.

Master’s Thesis

In the second year of the program, the student is required to execute a program of independent research under the direction of a faculty member. This project usually falls into one of these main areas:

1. Development of a new statistical theory or methodology.
   
   
2. A computer-based simulation study to illustrate properties of an existing method.
   
   
3. The analysis of a real data set.

The student is required to prepare a written thesis under the supervision of a Biostatistics faculty member. Upon completion of the thesis, the student will make an oral presentation of the results of his/her work.

For specific instructions on the organization, mechanics, and publication of the thesis, see Appendix I: Thesis Guidelines

Chronic Disease Epidemiology Track (CDE)

With the growth of biotechnology and medical research in the pharmaceutical industry there is a high demand for well-trained graduates in chronic disease epidemiology. This track provides intensive training in epidemiology and research methods for science Ph.D.s, medical professionals, or others wishing for a more specialized one-year program in epidemiology methods.

Degree Requirements

The CDE track consists of required and elective course work and the satisfactory completion of the Capstone experience. A total of 10 courses are required. It is expected that this program will be completed during a single academic year. Students with an M.P.H. or other related degrees may be eligible to substitute advanced courses for some of the required courses. Written permission of the DGS is required prior to enrolling in substitute courses.

Curriculum

Doctoral Degrees (Ph.D.)

Doctoral training has been part of Yale’s mission since early in its history. The University awarded the first Ph.D. in North America in 1861, and the doctoral program in public health began with the establishment of the department in 1915. Six years later, in 1922, Yale conferred the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Public Health on two candidates.

Public health spans disciplines that use tools available in the laboratory, field research, social sciences, the public policy arena, and mathematics. Students engage in a highly focused area of research reflecting scholarship at the doctoral level but are exposed to a broad view of public health as seen in the diverse research interests of the department’s faculty.

The primary mission of the doctoral program in Epidemiology and Public Health is to provide scholars with the disciplinary background and skills required to contribute to the development of our understanding of better ways of measuring, maintaining, and improving the public’s health. The core of such training includes the mastery of research tools in the specialty discipline chosen by the candidate.

Within the Yale academic community, the Ph.D. is the highest degree awarded by the University. EPH offers studies toward the Ph.D. degree through its affiliation with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The Graduate School makes the final decision on accepting students into the program, admission to candidacy, and the awarding of the degree.

Academic Advising

Each student is assigned to an academic adviser at the time of matriculation. The academic adviser is available for help with course selection and preparation for the comprehensive examinations. A student must address a request for a change of his/her academic adviser in writing to the director of graduate studies (DGS). The request must be co-signed by the new academic adviser.

Teaching Fellowships

Teaching experience is regarded as an integral part of the graduate training program. Doctoral students are required to complete four terms satisfactorily as a Teaching Fellow (10 hours per week). These teaching experiences are typically completed during the second and third years of study. First-year students are encouraged to focus their efforts on course work and in most instances are not permitted to serve as Teaching Fellows. First-year students may be allowed to serve as Teaching Fellows if they have been awarded advanced standing. Advanced standing is only available to students who have completed previous graduate study at Yale (e.g., M.P.H. program). If a student has been awarded one year of advanced standing, he/she will be allowed to teach in both the fall and spring terms of the first year. If a student has been awarded one term of advanced standing, he/she will only be allowed to teach during the spring term of the first year. Students interested in serving as Teaching Fellows during their first year of doctoral study should submit a petition to the DGS well before the start of the term in which they hope to participate in a course. In some instances, when a student has demonstrated excellent teaching abilities, and with the approval of the DGS, graduate research assistantship opportunities may take the place of teaching in the third year of study. By year four, all students are expected to be engaged in full-time research activities.

Degree Requirements

There are five divisions in EPH in which doctoral students may choose a specialty. Requirements for each division vary and are outlined below under “Divisional Requirements.” In addition, all candidates for the Ph.D. degree must conform to the requirements of the Graduate School.

Required Course Work

The normal requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is four full years of graduate study. Generally, the first two years are devoted primarily to course work. Each student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of ten courses or their equivalent and must satisfy the individual divisional requirements (see each division for course requirements). The Graduate School requires that Ph.D. students achieve a grade of Honors in at least two doctoral-level courses. All EPH doctoral students are required to participate in an ethics course that exposes students to both practical and theoretical issues in research ethics. This course is generally offered every other year through EPH.

Comprehensive Examinations

The required comprehensive examinations are usually taken at the end of the second year of study. In order to meet the different divisional needs, each division has developed a comprehensive examination format. Details about the comprehensive examination structure are given in each divisional program description below. The comprehensive examinations serve to demonstrate that the candidate has mastered the background and the research tools required for dissertation research. The comprehensive examinations are usually scheduled in June, and all examinations must be scheduled within a two-week period. Students who have not completed the comprehensive examinations with an average grade of High Pass by the end of their second year will not be permitted to register for the third year.

Admission to Candidacy

To be admitted to candidacy, a student must have completed all course work and the honors requirement, must have completed the comprehensive examinations with an average grade of High Pass or better, and must have an approved dissertation prospectus. Students in the Ph.D. program must be admitted to candidacy by the end of the third year of study. Students who have not been admitted to candidacy will not be permitted to register for the fourth year of study.

The Dissertation

Dissertation Advisory Committee

Soon after passing the comprehensive examinations and with the assistance of his/her academic adviser, each student requests appropriate faculty members to join a Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC) to review the dissertation prospectus prepared by the student. The dissertation adviser continues to advise during the course of thesis research. The Dissertation Advisory Committee usually consists of at least three members. Two members are expected to be EPH faculty, and one member may be from another department but is expected to have a faculty appointment in the Graduate School. EPH encourages participation of faculty members from other departments. An additional committee member may be selected from outside the University if he/she is a recognized authority in the area of the dissertation. Documentation (such as a C.V.) must be provided in support of this additional member. A chairperson (who must have a Graduate School appointment) is designated at the time of the formation of a DAC. The chairperson can be from another department as long as he or she has a Graduate School appointment and the other two members are EPH faculty. The composition of the Dissertation Advisory Committee must be approved by the DGS and the Departmental Doctoral Committee at the time a dissertation prospectus is submitted.

The DAC reviews and approves the prospectus as developed by the student and recommends to the director of graduate studies (DGS) and the departmental doctoral committee that the prospectus be approved. Each DAC is expected to meet as a group at least once each year, and more frequently if necessary. Since dissertation progress reports are due at the close of the spring term, it is advised that the annual meeting be scheduled during this term. The student schedules meetings of the DAC. The chairperson of the DAC produces a summary evaluation of progress and plans for the coming year. This document is to be distributed to each committee member for comments and signature. Each student and the DGS are to receive a copy of the signed document from the DAC chairperson.

After approval of the prospectus the DAC reviews the progress of the dissertation research and the dissertation and decides when it is ready to be submitted to the readers. At that time the chair of the DAC submits its recommendation to the DGS and the Departmental Doctoral Committee, together with the approved dissertation and its recommendation of suitable readers.

Readers of the Dissertation

At the time of submission of a dissertation, a minimum of three readers are proposed by the student and the DAC. The Departmental Doctoral Committee reviews the proposed readers and approves a final list. For the Ph.D., formal recommendations for readers of each dissertation are made by EPH to the Graduate School. There will be a minimum of three readers, one of whom is from EPH (with a Graduate School appointment), a second reader from Yale with a Graduate School appointment, and one who is an authority in the dissertation research, typically from outside the University. The selection of Yale faculty readers should include at least one senior faculty member. All readers must be recognized authorities in the area of the dissertation. The outside reader must submit a curriculum vitae for review by the doctoral committee. Members of the Dissertation Advisory Committee are not eligible to serve as readers. The Graduate School sends a copy of the dissertation and a reader’s report form to each reader.

When the completed readers’ reports are received by the Graduate School and the department, they are reviewed by the DGS and the Departmental Doctoral Committee prior to making a departmental recommendation to the Graduate School that the degree be awarded. The DAC may be asked to comment on the readers’ reports before recommendations are made to the Graduate School.

Oral Presentation of the Doctoral Dissertation

Doctoral dissertations originating in EPH must be presented in a public seminar. This presentation is scheduled after the submission of the dissertation to the readers and preferably prior to the receipt and consideration of the readers’ reports. At least one member of the DAC supervising the dissertation and at least one member of the departmental Doctoral Committee are expected to attend the presentation. It is expected to be presented during the academic year and must be widely advertised within the department.

Divisional Requirements

The specific requirements with regard to courses, comprehensive examinations, and admission to candidacy set by EPH divisions are described below.

Biostatistics

Biostatistics involves the development and application of sound statistical and mathematical principles to research in the health sciences. Because original theoretical research in biostatistics flows from medical research, it is essential that the foundations of methodological development be firmly grounded in sound principles of statistical inference and a thorough knowledge of the substantive area that provides the source of the medical questions being addressed. Thus, the division of Biostatistics encourages excellent methodological work that is motivated by sound science that includes but is not limited to active collaborations with other investigators.

Research collaborations for biostatisticians take place both within and across divisions in EPH, as well as with other departments in the School of Medicine and the University at large. Areas of current research include development of general methods that have wide applicability across different areas of health research, as well as more specific techniques for dealing with the underlying processes that give rise to the data of interest. A broad range of health topics addressed by students in this division include chronic diseases such as cancer, genetic epidemiology, clinical research, and mathematical models for infectious diseases.

Graduates of the doctoral program in Biostatistics are employed in universities throughout the country, as well as in such dedicated research institutions as the National Institutes of Health. In addition, graduates have pursued careers in the pharmaceutical industry in which they are actively involved in the evaluation of new therapeutic strategies.

Required Course Work
Students in the division of Biostatistics prepare for their comprehensive examination by taking the courses listed below. Course waivers must be recommended by the adviser and approved by the division head and DGS.

* These are half-term courses.
† These courses are offered in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Under the guidance of the academic adviser, students choose three courses in their applied area. The applied area consists of an intended area of methodologic research applied to such areas as epidemiology, genetics, microbiology, or health policy. For example, the courses required for students taking an epidemiology examination are: CDE 508a, Principles of Epidemiology I; CDE 516b, Principles of Epidemiology II; and CDE 619a, Advanced Epidemiologic Research Methods.

Comprehensive Examinations
The examination includes both an in-class and a take-home portion on biostatistics, an in-class portion on statistical theory, and a third exam in a specialty area. One faculty member is responsible for coordinating this examination, and the examination content is developed by the overall faculty. The specialty area examination is usually developed by an expert in the field following discussions with the candidate and the BIS faculty adviser.

Research Experience
In a number of courses, students gain actual experience with various aspects of research including preparation of a research grant, questionnaire design, preparation of a database for analysis, and analysis and interpretation of real data. In addition, doctoral students can gain research experience by working with faculty members on ongoing research studies prior to initiating dissertation research, which includes but is not limited to BIS 695.

The Dissertation
The division of Biostatistics strives for doctoral dissertations that have a strong methodological component motivated by an important health question. Hence, the dissertation should include a methodological advance or a substantial modification of an existing method motivated by a set of data collected to address an important health question. The dissertation must also include the application of the proposed methodology to real data. A fairly routine application of widely available statistical methodology is not acceptable as a dissertation topic. Candidates are expected not only to show a thorough knowledge of the posed health question, but also to demonstrate quantitative skills necessary for the creation and application of novel statistical tools.

Chronic Disease Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the study of disease in populations. Such populations may be groups of people in certain geographic areas, people with a common disease, or people with some suspected risk factor. The division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology (CDE) has traditionally focused on either chronic or noninfectious diseases although in recent years the artificiality of this distinction has become obvious and the view has been broadened. A recent thesis, for example concerned the perinatal transmission of HIV/AIDS, and others have examined the viral etiology of cancer.

The division is perhaps best known for its doctoral programs in the epidemiology of aging, cancer, perinatal diseases, genomics, and psychosocial disorders. However, students in the division often work on projects with other divisions within EPH, other departments in the School of Medicine, and other schools within the University. Thus there are numerous opportunities for creating an experientially rich doctoral program.

Graduates from the division’s doctoral program are found on the faculties of universities throughout the world, at the highest levels of federal and international research programs, in numerous private and public foundations and institutions, and in leadership positions at many multinational corporations.

Required Course Work
Students in this division are expected to complete the following courses or their equivalents:

* These are half-term courses.

Comprehensive Examinations
The comprehensive examinations in CDE entail a three-part system emphasizing Biostatistics, Epidemiologic Methods, and the student’s chosen specialty area.

The examination covering epidemiological methods includes both an in-class and a take-home portion. One faculty member is responsible for coordinating this examination, and the examination content is developed by the overall faculty. The specialty area examination is usually prepared in a tutorial with one or more faculty members.

Research Experience
In a number of courses, students gain actual experience with various aspects of research including preparation of a research grant, questionnaire design, preparation of a database for analysis, and analysis and interpretation of real data. In addition, doctoral students can gain research experience by working with faculty members on ongoing research studies prior to initiating dissertation research.

The Dissertation
For the doctoral dissertation, some candidates will design and develop their own research protocol, collect the data, and conduct appropriate analyses. However, epidemiologic studies are often large, time-consuming, and expensive enterprises that often cannot be realistically completed within the time frame expected for a doctoral dissertation. Consequently, some dissertations often result from “piggy-backing” the dissertation research onto a larger study being conducted by a faculty member. If a student has previously documented experience with data collection, the doctoral dissertation may emphasize the statistical analysis of a data set in such a way as to address a new hypothesis. However the thesis is constructed, the division requires that the research makes a significant contribution to new knowledge in the field of epidemiology. Many dissertations are presented as three or more completed or published manuscripts based on the dissertation research.

Oral Presentation of the Doctoral Dissertation
The oral presentation of the doctoral dissertation is scheduled after the thesis has been submitted to the readers. It must be presented during the academic term and must be widely advertised within Epidemiology and Public Health.

Environmental Health Sciences

The Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) doctoral program focuses on how the environmental agents—physical, chemical, and biological—affect human health, considered within the general framework of epidemiology and public health. Students are skilled in research, assessment, and evaluation of the impact of environmental stressors; they identify potentially adverse environmental agents, assess their exposures, determine their impact on health, and estimate the consequent risk. The Ph.D. emphasizes the preparation of students for scholarly careers in research and teaching.

Required Course Work
The student’s adviser determines which core background requirements have been satisfied by previous course work, and which courses, if any, the student has to complete successfully. Subsequently, the student and his/her adviser form a plan for the student’s course work.

Students typically complete the equivalent to all the EHS divisional course requirements for the EHS specialization area:

Students who select specialization in an area other than Environmental Epidemiology, together with the faculty adviser, will identify the specialization area and determine the selection of courses required. These courses may come from other graduate programs in the department, as well as from programs in other parts of the University. Students are particularly encouraged to seek additional courses in such subjects as chemistry, cellular and molecular physiology, engineering, forestry, medicine, pharmacology, and physics.

Comprehensive Examinations
The comprehensive examinations in this division test the student’s knowledge in three areas—a specialty and two other areas based upon the student’s specialty. The majority of students select Environmental Epidemiology as their area of specialization, and then have Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Biostatistics as the additional areas covered in the comprehensive examinations. Specialization in other basic biomedical sciences or departments of the University is also possible.

Research Requirements
During the second term of the first year and the first term of the second year, students rotate through the laboratories of three faculty members in the division. In each case, over a period of six to eight weeks, the student participates in ongoing research activities, thereby gaining an opportunity to learn hands-on techniques in two subject areas within environmental health sciences.

The Dissertation
The dissertation for the Ph.D. degree must make an original contribution to the field.

Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases

The goals for doctoral students in the division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD) are to obtain a current theoretical and practical base of epidemiological and microbiological principles, to master research methods, and to apply these skills to investigations of the biology of infectious organisms of public health importance, their transmission, and the epidemiology of the diseases they cause. The approach is multidisciplinary. It includes in-depth ecological, pathogenetic, clinical, cellular, immunologic, and molecular aspects of infectious diseases, their causative agents, vertebrate hosts, and vectors.

Required Course Work
Courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, and microbiology are strongly recommended. The specific courses recommended depend on the background of individual students and their stated research interests. An individual program that includes courses, seminars, and laboratory rotations is developed by the student and his/her advising committee with the advice of the EMD divisional representative to the Doctoral Committee. Student progress is reviewed at the end of each academic year.

The following courses are ones that are appropriate for Ph.D. students in EMD. However, other courses in EPH or in other departments may also be appropriate.