Medicine/Public Health (MD/MPH)
Combine medical training with public health knowledge.
A degree in public health provides a broader lens through which to examine individual patient care. Physicians with a public health background look at how environments and community resources can contribute – or detract from – overall health and wellness. Our dual MD/MPH degree is offered by the Parkinson School of Public Health and the Stritch School of Medicine, and can be completed in five years. The MPH is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Curriculum
The MD/MPH requires 42 credit hours towards the Master of Public Health program (six of which are transferred from electives in the MD program), practical experience in public health, and a capstone project.
Doctor of Medicine Requirements
Degree requirements for the MD can be found on the Stritch School of Medicine website.
Students will begin the MPH curriculum during the summer before the first year of medical school (M0) and complete all eleven (11) didactic courses (33 credit hours). Six (6) credits are transferred from electives taken during year M3 or M4 in the MD program. A two-credit capstone project completed during a Stritch research elective or discretionary time in the M3 or M4 year. An applied practice experience in public health is required and can be completed during the M0 year.
The dual MD/MPH program focuses on health disparities and identifying strategies to minimize them. Loyola’s Health Sciences Campus is located in Maywood. This underserved community provides a unique opportunity to promote health equity in our own community and collaborate with local groups to improve public health.
Master of Public Health Requirements
Curriculum
Offered in-person, online, or hybrid, Loyola's MPH is a 42-credit curriculum. Online courses include both synchronous and asynchronous components. We offer concentrations in three study tracks: Epidemiology, Policy and Management, and Global Health Equity. The curriculum includes six core courses, concentration-specific courses, electives, and applied practice and integrative learning experiences.
Online Learning
Convenient and rigorous, the online program is geared to working professionals, non-traditional students, and individuals who need a more flexible learning format. Loyola University Chicago faculty with expertise in Public Health, Public Health Policy and Management, Environmental Health, Bioethics, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics teach in this program. The vast resources of Loyola's Parkinson School and the Health Science Campus, along with the combined knowledge and experience of distinguished faculty from medicine, social work, bioethics, health policy and law, will help you take on many opportunities and challenges.
Courses & Tracks
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MPH Core Courses | ||
| MPBH 400 | Determinants of Population Health | 3 |
| MPBH 402 | Public Health Practice and Management | 3 |
| MPBH 403 | Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 |
| MPBH 404 | Biostatistics for Health and Biological Science | 3 |
| or MPBH 409 | Biostatistics I | |
| MPBH 407 | Public Health Policy: Concepts and Practice | 3 |
| MPBH 499 | Public Health in Action | 3 |
| MPH Track-Specific Curricula | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Epidemiology
This hybrid program combines online and evening classes. Epidemiology is the basic science of public health: it helps us understand the causes of and solutions to diseases. This track equips students to design, conduct, analyze, and interpret population health research, while they learn the basic principles of all public health disciplines.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MPBH 412 | Intro to Statistical Computing for Public Health | 2 |
| MPBH 421 | Biostatistics II | 3 |
| MPBH 423 | Intermediate Epidemiology | 3 |
| MPBH 427 | Introduction to Correlated Data Analysis | 1 |
| MPBH 431 | Grant Writing | 3 |
| Choose One Research Methods Course from the following: | 3 | |
| The Epidemiology of Obesity: An Energy Balance Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Global Health | ||
| Clinical Trials | ||
| Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Global Health Equity
This concentration is a hybrid program of online and evening classes. Study the health of global populations with the ultimate goal of identifying and eliminating structures and practices of inequity and injustice to advance health equity for individuals and populations.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MPBH 414 | Introduction to Global Health | 3 |
| MPBH 417 | Global Maternal & Child Health | 3 |
| MPBH 422 | Population Health Planning & Management | 3 |
| MPBH 431 | Grant Writing | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Social Determinants of Health and Bioethics | ||
| Global Bioethics | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
- 1
Students may choose an elective course not on this list with Track Director approval.
Public Health Policy and Management
This concentration can be completed entirely online, and also can be taken with in-person courses. This curriculum studies the organization, structure, and delivery of health-related services, and associated population health outcomes. Students may customize their academic focus in either public health policy, administration, or both.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MPBH 416 | Health Services Research Methods | 3 |
| MPBH 425 | Policy Analysis | 3 |
| Choose one of the following | 3 | |
| Justice & Health Care | ||
| Biomedical Ethics and Law | ||
| Social Determinants of Health and Bioethics | ||
| Public Health Ethics | ||
| Organizational Ethics: Business, Professionalism, and Justice | ||
| Advancing Health Equity Practice | ||
| Global Bioethics | ||
| Choose two of the following | 6 | |
| Policy-oriented | ||
| Public Health Law: Theories and Cases | ||
| Health Economics and Healthcare Financing | ||
| Management-oriented | ||
| Population Health Planning & Management | ||
| Fiscal Management in Health Care Organizations | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Applied Practice Experience (1 credit)
Also known as the MPH practicum, it provides the student with practical experience in a public health setting, requiring the student to apply and integrate skills and knowledge learned in courses. The applied practice experience (APE) must be 210 hours or more. Students must apply five program competencies to their APE and produce at least two deliverables, which will become part of their portfolio. Examples of APE sites include MRSA Research Center, North Shore Mosquito Abatement District, Summer Field Research in Ghana, Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, Chicago Department of Public Health, and Mount Sinai Hospital.
Integrated Learning Experience (2 credits)
The integrated learning experience is a student-led capstone project culminating with a presentation and written manuscript. The project should demonstrate student's ability to apply acquired skills and competencies to a public health problem that simulates a professional practice experience. Depending on their interests, some students may analyze data collected during their practicum to help complete their capstone.
Dual Degrees and Other Programs
The needs of the public health workforce are diverse and ever-changing. Our students are diverse and pursue public health graduate studies at different points in their careers, from undergraduate through practicing nurses and physicians. To meet these needs, the Department of Public Health Sciences offers six additional programs:
- Five-Year Bachelor/MPH Degree
- Environmental Science BA or BS/MPH
- Health Care Administration BS/MPH
- Public Health BS/MPH
- Doctor of Medicine/ Master of Public Health (MD/MPH)
- Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health (MSW/MPH)
- MS in Clinical Research Methods and Epidemiology (CRME)
- Public Health Certificate
Note: Students entering the program may wish to pursue careers that may require licensure (e.g. Registered Environmental Health Specialist) or certification (e.g. Certified in Public Health or Certified Professional in Food Safety) upon or before employment. Loyola University Chicago cannot guarantee that the Master of Public Health will prepare students to meet the unique requirements for licensure or certification in their specific location and/or area of expertise. Students should check with their local licensing or certifying authority to determine what requirements are necessary.
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supercede school policies.
Dual Degree Programs
Students in dual degree programs are responsible for abiding by academic policies and graduation requirements of both academic units to which they are enrolled. It is strongly recommended that students schedule regular meetings with academic advisors from both units to ensure timely degree completion. Dual degree programs may have slightly different degree requirements from the standard for one or both of the degrees earned. Students should closely read through all degree requirements and ask for clarification as needed.