Master of Public Health

Master of Public Health Program Tracks

Epidemiology and Clinical Research Track

Population-based quantitative evaluation for the development of public health scientists and professionals

The Epidemiology and Clinical Research track seeks students who have a strong clinical background – typically physicians or other doctorally qualified professionals – and provides them with additional training that fosters their development as public health scientists or professionals.

  • Eligibility
    • Bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree
    • Applicants seeking an MPH degree as part of a Vanderbilt post-doctoral fellowship program or training grant will submit a research proposal with their application. Other applicants will work closely with the MPH faculty and staff to identify potential projects and mentors in the fall semester of their first year.
  • Courses

    Core public health courses providing foundations in Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Biostatistics, Social and Behavioral Science, Environmental Science, Public Health Systems, and Research Ethics are required. Additional track-specific courses covering advanced content provide students with the knowledge needed to perform population-based quantitative evaluation. Click here to view course requirements.

  • Practicum

    The 240-hour public health practicum is individually selected and tailored to meet the needs and interests of each MPH student. Recent practicum placements for students in the Epidemiology track have included:

    • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
    • Center for Disease Control and Prevention
    • Veterans Administration
    • and state, county and local health and social service agencies
  • Culminating Experience

    The culminating experience is a graduation requirement for all students in the MPH program. It allows each student to demonstrate synthesis of the MPH foundational and track-specific competencies and produce a high quality written product that is developed and delivered in a manner that is useful to external stakeholders. Students choose to complete a thesis or a capstone project and they select their research topic or focus area.

    Many students in the Epidemiology and Clinical Research track choose the thesis option and complete a substantive piece of translational research that results in a manuscript suitable for submission to the refereed biomedical literature. The research may either comprise collection of original data, novel analysis of extant data, or structured synthesis of previously reported research (e.g., meta-analysis). Each student identifies a topic, conducts a literature review, writes a protocol, collects and analyzes data when appropriate, and prepares a manuscript.

    Click here to learn more about the culminating experience.

  • Careers

    The Epidemiology and Clinical Research Track provides clinical research fellows or faculty the interdisciplinary training and skill sets for a future career in epidemiologic, clinical, or health services research or health administration.

  • Student Stories

Track Leadership

Global Health Track

Collaborate across countries and disciplines to address complex health issues globally.

The Global Health track builds leaders who work effectively in cross-cultural and interdisciplinary teams. Through experiential learning activities, students hone their skills in developing initiatives that strengthen global health systems, engaging in meaningful partnerships with communities, and evaluating programs that improve public health globally.

Students in the Global Health track work closely with the faculty and staff of the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH).

  • Eligibility
    • Bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree
  • Courses

    In addition to the core public health coursework (Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Social and Behavioral Science, Environmental Science, and Health Services Administration), courses include Foundations of Global Health, Essential Skills in Global Health, and Leadership, Policy and Management in Public Health. Click here to view course requirements.

  • Practicum

    As part of the 400-hour public health practicum, students in the Global Health track may work in an international low-resource setting, or with international populations in the U.S. Previous practicum placements have included:

    • Lwala Community Alliance
    • Primero Pasos Clinic
    • Partners in Health / Compañeros En Salud
    • World Health Organization
    • World Bank
    • ministries of health and non-governmental agencies in countries including Brazil, China, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Peru, and Zambia Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, Guatemala, Haiti, and China
  • Culminating Experience

    The culminating experience is a graduation requirement for all students in the MPH program. It allows each student to demonstrate synthesis of the MPH foundational and track-specific competencies and produce a high quality written product that is developed and delivered in a manner that is useful to external stakeholders. Students choose to complete a thesis or a capstone project and they select their research topic or focus area. Click here to learn more about the culminating experience.

  • Careers

    The Global Health track equips global health professionals for leadership positions with government agencies, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, immigrant health agencies, philanthropic foundations, industry, and/or academic institutions. Graduates have the skills to positively impact global health outcomes through program and policy development, implementation, evaluation, and research.

  • Student Stories

    MD/MPH student finds community-driven health efforts are saving lives in Lwala, Kenya

    Second-year MPH students use shared passion to make a global impact

    Vanderbilt MPH alum receives CUGH Leadership Award

  • Connect

    Join Global Health Grand Rounds (bi-weekly online seminars)

    Join weekly Global Health admissions office hours every Friday at 11 a.m. US Central Time, through December 12, 2025. 

    Click here to join on Zoom
    Zoom meeting ID: 943 1963 3310
    Passcode: 020175

    Note: office hours will not be held on Friday, November 28.

Track Leadership

Health Policy Track

Analyzing how changes to public health policy and financing influence service delivery, health care spending, quality of care, and access to services

The Health Policy track prepares students for health policy leadership positions in the public and private sectors, potentially serving in a wide range of applied roles including as analysts, consultants, and policymakers.

Students in the Health Policy track work closely with the faculty in the Department of Health Policy.

Track Leadership