Master of Public Health (MPH@GW), Climate and Health Concentration

Program Director: G. Gray, PhD

In the master of public health (MPH@GW), climate and health concentration program, students gain a multidisciplinary knowledge base and skill set that provide them a framework for transforming how health issues associated with anthropogenic climate change and global environmental change are addressed. Graduates understand the scientific foundations of climate change and environmental health, the social dimensions of health risks associated with climate change, the policies and practices that can mitigate these health risks, and how to communicate about these subjects.

Program graduates will be able to:

• Analyze health risks from anthropogenic climate change and global environmental change using methods and research findings from the epidemiological, environmental exposure assessment, and implementation sciences;
• Communicate about the effects of climate change and environmental degradation to varied audiences, including both technical and non-technical audiences; and
• Manage diverse teams to design, implement, and evaluate actions to advance systemic change towards mitigating health risks from climate change and environmental degradation, for example through governmental mitigation and adaptation policies, urban planning, public engagement, corporate action, and finance.

Students leave the program prepared for leadership careers in catalyzing systemic change that mitigates health risks from climate change and environmental degradation. Career paths include government, nongovernmental organizations, research and academia, multilateral organizations, media, consulting, and industry, opening doors wherever solutions to climate change and environmental health happen.

Visit the program website for more information.

Visit the Milken Institute School of Public Health website for additional information about academic programs and information about GWSPH. Graduate admissions information, including application requirements and deadlines, can be found on the GWSPH Graduate Admissions website.

The following requirements must be fulfilled: 45 credits, including 19 credits in core courses, 10 credits in program-specific courses, 12 credits in courses for the concentration, and 4 credits in elective courses.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Required
Core courses
PUBH 6000	MPH Applied Practice Experience
PUBH 6002	Biostatistical Applications for Public Health
PUBH 6003	Principles and Practices of Epidemiology
PUBH 6007	Social and Behavioral Approaches to Public Health
PUBH 6009	Fundamentals of Public Health Program Evaluation
PUBH 6011	Environmental and Biological Foundations of Public Health
PUBH 6012	Fundamentals of Health Policy
PUBH 6021	Essentials of Public Health Practice and Leadership I
PUBH 6022	Essentials of Public Health Practice and Leadership II
PUBH 6023	Interprofessional Education Experience
PUBH 6060	MPH@GW Culminating Experience I
PUBH 6061	MPH@GW Culminating Experience II
Program-specific courses
PUBH 6052	Practical Data Management and Analysis for Public Health
PUBH 6133	Social Dimensions in Climate Change and Health
PUBH 6442	Comparative Global Health Systems
PUBH 6500	Planning and Implementing Health Promotion Programs
Climate and health concentration courses
PUBH 6128	Global Environmental and Occupational Health
PUBH 6130	Sustainable Energy and the Environment
PUBH 6135	Researching Climate Change and Human Health
PUBH 6136	Introduction to Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
PUBH 6140	Global Climate Change and Air Pollution
Electives
4 credits in any graduate-level PUBH courses.

Visit the MPH@GW website for an updated list of elective options.

MPH graduation requirements

1. Graduate credit requirement: 45 graduate credits.
2. Course requirements: Successful completion of core and program-specific courses.
3. Practicum Requirement: Students are required to fulfill all requirements of the Applied Practice Experience (Practicum) to receive credit for PUBH 6000 MPH Applied Practice Experience.
4. Interprofessional Education Experience (IPE): Students are required to enroll and participate in an authorized IPE activity (PUBH 6023 Interprofessional Education Experience).
5. Minimum grade-point requirement: minimum 3.0 (B) cumulative grade-point average.
6. Time limit requirement: The degree must be completed within five years.
7. Transfer credit policy: With approval, up to 12 graduate credits that have not been applied to any previous graduate degree may be transferred to the master of public health program. External credits must have been earned from an accredited institution in the last three years with a minimum grade of 3.0 (B) in each course. Students in SPH graduate certificate programs can transfer as many credits earned toward the certificate to the MPH degree as meet MPH degree requirements, to a maximum of 18 credits.
8. Graduate certificate students wishing to transfer to a degree program may apply to do so after completion of three or more courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 via the online change of concentration petition. A minimum grade of B is required for a specific course to be eligible for transfer.  
9. CITI Training requirement: All students are required to complete training regarding human subject protection regulation and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
10. Integrity Quiz and Plagiarism requirement: All students are required to review the George Washington University Code of Academic Integrity and take the SPH Academic Integrity Quiz at GWSPH Source. within their first semester of study.
11. Professional Enhancement requirement: Students must participate in eight hours of public health-related lectures, seminars, and symposia, related to their field of study.