Student Handbook 2023 – 2024
Washington University in St. Louis offers several master degree programs within the field of public health. Each is distinct in its target audience (e.g. clinicians, pre-doctoral students, postdoctoral trainees), focus (e.g. quantitative methods, clinical research, applied public health, genetic epidemiology, statistical genomics), and approach (e.g. coursework vs. mentored research vs. practicum).
More specifically, the Master of Population Health Sciences (MPHS), offered by the School of Medicine, is designed as a one-year full-time degree program that meets the needs of clinicians seeking training in clinical research methods. Its quantitative curriculum emphasizes the role of epidemiology and biostatistics in approaching clinical effectiveness and outcomes research. Although there is no research component to the degree, an emphasis on applied coursework allows for students to focus application of concepts in areas most relevant to their clinical careers including development of research study protocols, performing systematic reviews, and designing epidemiologic studies.