Curricular Requirements
The Master of Public Health is a two-year course of study with classes conveniently offered in the evening, generally from 4 PM to 9 PM Monday through Thursday on a term basis - Fall, Spring I and Spring II. To complete the Master of Public Health degree, students are required to earn a minimum of 45 credits maintaining a grade point average of B (3.0), complete a 150-hour Applied Practice Experience and write a Culminating Experience (Master’s Thesis, First Author Manuscript, or Capstone).
Navigating Through the MPH Degree
MPH students must read and continually reference the Student Handbook, Curriculum Guide, Applied Practice Experience Guide, Culminating Experience Guide, Concentration Checklists, and Sample Curriculum to understand the expectations of the Master of Public Health degree.
Students should contact the Academic Program Office with questions regarding policies and procedures, degree requirements, and questions or concerns regarding the Program.
Students are expected to seek guidance from their Concentration Directors regarding their interest in specific topics in public health. Concentration Directors can provide information and advice regarding elective courses, Applied Practice Experience and Culminating Experience opportunities, proposals, competencies, and development, as well as information on the public health profession.
The following residencies and fellowships include either MPH coursework or completion of the full MPH degree as part of the training:
General Preventive Medicine Residency
Occupational Medicine Residency
General Internal Medicine Fellowship
Pediatric Environmental Health Fellowship
Family Planning Fellowship
Resident and fellow physicians in these programs should speak with their Program Directors about MPH course requirements and scheduling. Residency and Fellowship Directors have planned MPH curriculum that meets the requirements for MPH degree completion as well as the training requirements of each residency or fellowship program.
Mount Sinai resident and fellow physicians who are not part of these programs but would like to consider taking MPH courses or completing the MPH Degree should speak with their residency or fellowship Program Director as well as the Academic Program Office.
Curricular Requirements
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Graduate Program in Public Health offer a Dual MD-MPH Program that can be completed either during the 4 years of medical school or over a 5-year period with a “Scholarly Year” in medical school.
MD-MPH students choosing the Four Year Option take courses in the Graduate Program in Public Health beginning at 4 pm, after medical school classes have ended. Typically, four-year dual degree students complete all coursework and the Applied Practice Experience during the first two years of medical school and then complete the Culminating Experience during the last two years of medical school.
The five-year option allows current and new students to devote an entire year to MPH degree requirements. Students will be expected to complete at least three core courses during their first year of medical school. Typically, during the fifth year, students will take a Scholarly Year to complete the MPH requirements. Complete information about how to arrange a Scholarly Year is in the Scholarly Year packet available from the Medical Student Research Office, which is located in the Annenberg Building, 13th floor room 13-30. The timing of the Scholarly Year is flexible and up to each student, though many may choose to begin the MPH year after completion of their third year medical clerkships.
It is important to note that not all MPH concentrations can be completed in this five-year option. Careful and early planning with the Dual MD-MPH degree advisor is necessary in order to ensure completion of degree requirements.
Furthermore, it is important that students speak with the Student Financial Services early on in their planning to ensure that all financial aid requirements are met.
Interested students should contact the Academic Program Office to set up an appointment to discuss their individual interests and needs.
Students who are pursuing a medical degree and a Master of Public Health degree must meet with the MD-MPH Academic Advisor at the beginning of the first year to plan for the next two years of coursework. Students pursuing both degrees have special demands that require careful attention to planning their public health courses along with medical school curricula.
MD-MPH students benefit from pursuing both degrees simultaneously. MD-MPH students may earn a maximum value of 12 MPH credits by completing certain MD requirements. Please see the list of credit benefits below.
Ambulatory Care Clerkship: 4 MPH credits. This course is taken by medical students during Year 3 and has an emphasis on Clinical Preventive Medicine as well as population medicine. Students incorporate population-based medicine and evidence-based medicine into direct patient care by analyzing and applying USPSTF Guidelines; socio-behavioral models of health and illness; and culturally sensitive models of care giving.
InFocus Weeks: Maximum of 8 MPH credits. InFocus weeks are innovative and immersive courses taught through all four years of the medical school curriculum. They provide learning in topics critical to medical practice and biomedical research in the 21st century.
Please contact the Academic Program Office and the Medical School Administration for information on how to formally process these benefits and inquire about any additional waivers or exemptions that may exist.
Dual MD-MPH students whose status changes in the medical school (e.g., leave of absence, probation, dismissal) are considered to have the same status change in the Graduate Program in Public Health until and unless the circumstances are presented to the Academic Advisory Committee for review. The same applies to all students in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The MPH Program reserves the right to determine the students’ status in the MPH Program independently from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Dual MD-MPH students should meet with the dual MD-MPH Academic Advisor as early as possible during or prior to matriculating at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. If an MD-MPH student chooses to pursue a specialty track, they must meet with the Specialty Track Advisor as well. The Dual MD-MPH Academic Advisor will offer insight in managing the demands of both degrees and ensuring that students complete all necessary requirements for both programs.
Elizabeth J. Garland, MD, MS Dual MD-MPH Academic Advisor Email:
The NYCPM and the ISMMS Graduate Program in Public Health Program work together to offer podiatric college students the opportunity to complete an MPH degree during their podiatric training. Podiatric students interested in this should first contact Dr. Eileen Chusid at the NYCPM. Students interested in applying for matriculation to ISMMS while they are NYCPM students must first obtain approval from Dr. Chusid to apply to ISMMS.
Eileen Chusid, PhD Dean, Pre-Clinical Sciences New York College of Podiatric Medicine 53 East 124th Street New York, NY 10035 212-410-8127
All financial aid is handled through the NYCPM. Podiatric students accepted into the ISMMS MPH Program complete the degree over the four years they are enrolled at NYCPM. Students typically complete course work and Applied Practice Experience during the first two years of training and a Culminating Experience during the last two years of training.
Dual Degree DPM-MPH students may transfer a total of 3 credits from NYCPM to be applied to the MPH degree at ISMMS. The transfer credits are limited to DCHMD 2615 Medical Ethics and the Art of Doctoring and DCHMD 2602 Research Methodology and Epidemiology. Students must earn a grade of B or better in these courses to be eligible for transfer credits. The transfer credits will serve as general MPH elective credits.