To effectively address public health policy problems and influence policymakers, students emerging from the JD/MPH program will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complex relationship between legal and health care delivery systems.

Students are able to complete the majority of the MPH online with the option of taking electives inperson at the Public Health Institute during the May session (3 weeks) .  Public Health Institute courses are taught in the concentrated format and the topics tend to be more applied and practice based.  Other electives courses are taught during online and inperson during the academic year: Fall and Spring.  Allowing students the flexibility they prefer.

Students enrolled Fall 2018 or later

The School of Public Health has revised its curriculum across programs and divisions to meet the new guidelines issued by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Students who enroll in Fall 2018 or later will meet the following revised curriculum:

PUBLIC HEALTH CORE REQUIREMENTS (16 credits)
The basic curriculum courses are offered online and on-campus:

• PubH 6414 Biostatistical Literacy (3 cr and a 1 cr statistical programming course**)   OR   PubH 6450 Biostatistics I (4 cr)
• PubH 6320 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (3 cr)  OR  PubH Epidemiologic Methods I (3cr)
• PubH 6250 Foundations of Public Health (2 cr)
• PubH 6020 Fundamentals of Social and Behavioral Science (2 cr)
• PubH 6102 Issues in Environmental & Occupational Health (2 cr)
• PubH 6741 Ethics in Pub Hlth: Professional Practice & Policy (1 cr)
• PubH 6751 Principles of Management in Health Services (2 cr)

ELECTIVE COURSES (18 – 24 cr)
As a student in the JD/MPH dual degree program you can choose your graduate elective courses based on your career goals and interests in law and public health.

The majority of JD/MPH students complete elective courses at the Public Health Institute (PHI), which is a 3 week session offered in the last week in May and first weeks in June.

Public Health Institute offers on-campus courses on a variety of current topics in a concentrated format. PHI provides course content that emphasizes research to practice with opportunity for field trips, case studies and simulations. It provides a perfect setting to network with other professionals and explore new areas of interest in public health.

Sample of course titles: Globalization & Health; Public Health Law; Motivational Interviewing: Strategies to Effect Behavioral Change. Over thirty courses are offered over the 3 weeks.

You may attend one to three weeks dependent upon your time and you can complete up to 1 – 7 credits at the PHI. Other elective courses are offered online and oncampus during the fall and spring terms.

APPLIED PRACTICE EXPERIENCE (1-4 credits)

The Applied Practice Experience is a hands-on opportunity to implement your public health knowledge and skills in a real-world setting with the goal of demonstrating attainment of at least 5 public health competencies by producing two products.

Since LAW students usually complete many hours of experience learning, JD/MPH dual degree students usually find a law experience that pertains to public health, so it can count as the MPH applied practice experience and transfer to the MPH, with our approval.

INTEGRATED LEARNING EXPERIENCE  (1-4 credits)

The integrated learning experience is a highly quality written paper that demonstrated your proficiency with the written word and is appropriate for your educational and professional objectives. The paper must address at least 3 public health competencies.

Many LAW programs require a scholarly paper and if it can incorporate a public health perspective and MPH competencies, it may qualify to meet the MPH integrated learning experience, with approval.

PHP and MPH FDT Competencies (PDF)

2018-2019 JD/MPH Curriculum Information (PDF)

2018–2019 Dual and Executive Programs in Public Health Practice Student Guidebook (PDF)

2018–2019 SPH-wide Guidebook (PDF)

Students enrolled prior to Fall 2018

Students who enrolled prior to Fall 2018 should follow the requirements that were in place at the time. Please refer to curriculum information in the student guidebook according to the year of your enrollment.

SPH Student Guidebooks Archive

Contact Kate Hanson at hanso041@umn.edu should you have any questions.