Concentrations

The Epidemiology Concentration prepares students for careers in epidemiologic practice across diverse public health settings. The objective of this concentration is to graduate students who will be able to:

1. Define basic epidemiologic concepts and terminology, including study designs, sources of bias, risk and preventive factors, and principles of causation; calculating common basic epidemiologic measures.
2.  Describe patterns of leading causes of mortality and morbidity for populations in terms of person, place, and time.
3.  Interpret the impact of bias, confounding, and effect modification on causal inference in epidemiologic research.
4.  Understand how to analyze and make appropriate inferences from epidemiologic data using common epidemiologic measures.
5.  Explain and apply epidemiologic methods in public health research and practice settings.
6.  Recognize the importance of epidemiology for informing scientific, ethical, economic, and political discussions around population health.
7.  Understand how to examine and identify health disparities and their potential causes.

Concentration lead: Dr. Richard Garfein

Required Courses (16 units total):

• FMPH 415 - Advanced Epidemiological Methods (4 units)
• FMPH 419 - Biostatistics II (4 units)

• FMPH 413 - Ethics in Public Health Research and Practice (4 units)
• FMPH 417 - Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology (4 units)
• FMPH 418 - Infectious Diseases: Epidemiologic Methods and Emerging Trends (4 units)
• FMPH 425 - Epidemiology of Public Mental Health (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Infectious Disease Epidemic and Health Economic Modeling (4 units) 

Sample Course Plan

The Health Behavior concentration will address the behavioral, social, and cultural factors related to individual and population health and health disparities. The objective of this concentration is to graduate students who will be able to:

1. Identify and understand the multilevel behavioral determinants of health that are individual, environmental, and social and health disparities stemming from them.
2. Understand and apply theories and models from psychosocial, behavioral, and medical disciplines to health behavior changes and promotion.
3. Apply evidence-based approaches in evaluating and designing interventions that improve individual and public health.
4. Understand methodological considerations in interpretations and applications of biopsychosocial factors in health outcomes.
5. Understand and apply ethical considerations in health behavior and intervention research and practice.
6. Understand and demonstrate knowledge in promotion of health in the community in a culturally sensitive and equitable manner.

Concentration lead: Dr. Suzi Hong

Required Courses (16 units total):

• FMPH 410 - Health Behavior Interventions (4 units)
• FMPH 411 - Program Optimization and Evaluation (4 units)*
• FMPH 413 - Ethics in Public Health Research and Practice (4 units)

Any one of the following courses:

• FMPH 412 - Health Promotion and Communication (4 units)
• FMPH 419 - Biostatistics II (4 units)
• FMPH 426 - Mental Health, Health Behavior, and Addiction (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Substance Use & Population Health (4 units) 

*will not be offered AY24-25

Sample Course Plan

The Public Mental Health concentration aims to train students to recognize and address mental health issues at a population level, and to understand the relationship between mental and physical health. The concentration's core competencies include: 

1. Apply epidemiological methods to monitor trends and determine risks in current public mental health issues
2. Design, evaluate, and implement effective mental health intervention and programs
3. Assess public health care systems in the context of specific mental illnesses to improve dissemination and implementation;
4. Prepare public health leaders to promote mental health among specific vulnerable populations and in a culturally appropriate manner;
5. Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve mental health in diverse populations
6. Assess selected trends, risks, disparities, and outcomes in mental illnesses across the lifecourse or substance use and related harms at the individual, relational, organizational, community, and societal levels building on clinical and epidemiological methods and assessment standards 

Concentration lead: Dr. Wael Al-Delaimy

Required Courses (16 units total):

• FMPH 425 - Epidemiology of Public Mental Health (4 units)
• FMPH 426 - Mental Health, Health Behavior, and Addiction (4 units)

Any two of the following courses:

• FMPH 427 - Mental Health across the Lifecourse (4 units)*
• FMPH 428 - Dissemination and Implementation, Policy, and Health Services in Mental Health (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Substance Use & Population Health (4 units) 

*will not be offered AY24-25

Sample Course Plan

This concentration prepares students to design and evaluate population-level interventions that are tailored to the biological, social, and contextual characteristics of diverse communities. Students learn to use diverse and novel data sources—including genomic, geospatial, and digital data—to inform targeted public health strategies, as well as apply ethical principles to the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. The curriculum emphasizes informatics, implementation science, and interdisciplinary collaboration to support the effective translation of precision public health approaches into real-world practice.

These competencies have been updated from the original competencies to emphasize more actionable, measurable outcomes and bring them into alignment with other public health concentration competencies.

1. Design and evaluate population-level interventions that are tailored to the biological, social, and contextual characteristics of diverse populations.
2. Identify diverse data sources (e.g., genomic, geospatial, digital, behavioral, environmental, and social) to inform targeted public health strategies.
3. Understand and apply ethical principles in the use of precision public health tools, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, with specific attention to privacy, bias, transparency, and equitable implementation.
4. Apply principles of implementation science and systems thinking to effectively scale precision public health interventions in real-world settings.
5. Recognize the role of interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration in the development, implementation, and evaluation of precision health approaches.

Concentration lead: Dr. Cinnamon Bloss

Required Courses (16 units total):

• FMPH 430 - Technology and Precision Health (4 units)

Four units from the following courses:

• FMPH 411 - Program Optimization and Evaluation (4 units)*
• FMPH 412 - Health Promotion and Communication (4 units)
• FMPH 413 -  Ethics in Public Health Research and Practice (4 units)
• FMPH 277 - Addressing Health Equity Through Policy (4 units)

Eight units from the following courses:

• FMPH 431 - Public Health Informatics (4 units)
• FMPH 460 -  Design and Public Health (4 units)*
• FMPH 491 - Infectious Disease Epidemic and Health Economic Modeling (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Internet as Data (4 units)
• FMPH 291 - Introduction to Genetic Epidemiology (4 units)

*will not be offered AY24-25

 Sample Course Plan

Health policy is a dynamic field comprised of three main academic disciplines: public policy/political science, economics, and organizational behavior. The concentration's core competencies include: 

1. Identify policies, laws, or regulations impacting health systems, the delivery of healthcare services, or health outcomes.
2. Identify the major frameworks for policy implementation and provide examples of health policy implementation challenges.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, or equity of health policies regulating the healthcare industry and impacting public health.
4. Describe the economic drivers of the healthcare system and the delivery of healthcare services.
5. Develop a plan for evaluating either the implementation or impact of a policy proposed to address health disparities.

Concentration lead: Dr. Sara McMenamin

Required to take:

• FMPH 440 - Introduction to Health Economics (4 units)
• FMPH 441 - The Organization and Financing of the US Healthcare System (4 units)
• FMPH 277 - Addressing Health Equity Through Policy (4 units)

Any one of the following:

• FMPH 413 - Ethics in Public Health Research and Practice (4 units)
• FMPH 428 - Dissemination & Implementation, Policy, & Health Services in Mental Health (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Qualitative Research Methods (4 units) 
• GLBH 260 - Global Health policy ( 4 units)
• GPPS 421 - The Politics of Economic Inequality (4 units)
• GPPS 428 - The Politics of Energy and Environmental Regulation (4 units)
• SIOC 291S - Introduction to Climate Policy (4 units)
• SPPS 207 - Introduction to Health Care Systems and Policy (4 units)
• MGT 433 - Managing Health Care and Life Sciences (4 units)

Sample Course Plan:

The General Public Health (GPH) concentration is designed for U.S. medical students, practicing physicians, and other healthcare professionals with a doctoral level degree who hope to utilize public health training within or in conjunction with the healthcare field. It can be completed in approximately one year. A student may qualify if they have already completed their medical degree at a U.S. institution, have a foreign medical degree but have license to practice in the U.S., or have completed at least two years of U.S. medical school. Eligibility is determined by program leadership.

The concentration's core competencies include:

1. Identify the role of the healthcare professional in the context of the healthcare system
2. Analyze a current health policy problem as it relates to the healthcare system
3. Describe how to implement evidence based practices in public health or medical settings
4. Describe the ethical frameworks involved in creating or implementing public health interventions
5. Utilize ethical frameworks to analyze current events related to a public health problem.

Concentration leads: Dr. Michael Pratt and Dr. Deepa Sannidhi

Required Courses (12 units total):

Any three of the following courses from the program's other concentrations*:

• FMPH 277 - Public Health Policy, Equity, and Development (4 units)
• FMPH 410 - Health Behavior Interventions (4 units)
• FMPH 411 - Program Optimization and Evaluation (4 units)**
• FMPH 412 - Health Promotion and Communication (4 units)
• FMPH 413 - Ethics in Public Health Research and Practice (4 units)
• FMPH 415 - Advanced Epidemiological Methods (4 units)
• FMPH 417 - Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology (4 units)
• FMPH 418 - Infectious Diseases: Epidemiologic Methods and Emerging Trends (4 units)
• FMPH 419 - Biostatistics II (4 units)
• FMPH 425 - Epidemiology of Public Mental Health (4 units)
• FMPH 426 - Mental Health, Health Behavior, and Addiction (4 units)
• FMPH 427 - Mental Health across the Lifecourse (4 units)**
• FMPH 428 - Dissemination and Implementation, Policy, and Health Services in Mental Health (4 units)
• FMPH 430 - Technology and Precision Health (4 units)
• FMPH 431 - Public Health Informatics (4 units)
• FMPH 440 - Introduction to Health Economics (4 units)
• FMPH 441 - The Organization and Financing of the US Healthcare System (4 units)
• FMPH 460 - Human-Centered Design and Public Health (4 units)**
• FMPH 491 - ID Epidemic & Cost-Effectiveness Modeling (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Qualitative Research Methods (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Substance Use & Population Health (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Race, Equity, Justice, and Technology in Public Health (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Internet as Data (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - VIIDAI (4 units)
• FMPH 491 - Public Health Anthropology (4 units)
• DSGN 201 - Human-Centered Design and Complex Sociotechnical Systems (4 units)
• MGT 433 - Managing Health Care and Life Sciences (4 units)

*Additional courses will be added to this list as the MPH Program grows.

***will not be offered AY24-25

Sample Course Plans

The course plans below assume waiving of 16 elective units. Students in this concentration who do not waive elective units will likely need 1-2 additional quarters to finish the program.

Completion in 3 quarters:

Completion in 4 quarters: