Master of Public Health & Medicine in Epidemiology (MPH/MD)

Epidemiology Program Description

As a partnership between two high-level research universities with commitments to health-promoting social change, the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health (SPH) provides a uniquely comprehensive setting for pursuing training in one of our graduate degrees in Epidemiology. You will learn from and collaborate with epidemiologists, biostatisticians, policy professionals, behavioral/social scientists, and other nationally prominent experts in medicine and other clinical professions, environmental science, health administration, and other fields. Your Epidemiology degree will cover the full spectrum of design and analytic methods used to conduct epidemiologic studies in public health settings. You will gain first-hand experience in analyzing, interpreting, and reporting epidemiologic data to a variety of public health professionals.

Faculty in the OHSU-PSU SPH’s pioneering Epidemiology programs study exposures such as genetic and molecular factors; diet, physical activity, and sleep; worksite, school, and healthcare system characteristics; structural racism and other social determinants of health; environmental pollutants, community design, and social and economic policy. Our faculty study the prevention, management, and treatment of a wide range of health outcomes, including infectious disease, pregnancy outcomes, early childhood development, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, injury and violence, and dementia.

Program Benefits

• Small, intimate graduate programs that foster strong relationships between faculty and students, and a sense of community among graduate students.
• A spirit of community engagement that encourages you to get involved and make an impact in real-world public health issues.
• Groundbreaking epidemiology research exploring obesity, infectious disease, perinatal outcomes, injury/violence, aging, racial segregation, quantitative methods, and factors related to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease.
• Robust partnerships and collaborations that connect you with neighborhood groups, nonprofits, government programs, healthcare systems, and other organizations that are actively involved in public health.
• Close collaboration with OHSU’s healthcare practitioners and scientific researchers, as well as with PSU’s faculty experts in urban affairs, social work, environmental science, community engagement, and other fields.
• A commitment to health equity and social justice.
• Access to an expansive inventory of data sets, due in part to our broad partnerships with state and county health departments.

Dual MD/MPH in Epidemiology

In the five-year MD/MPH dual degree program, you will take foundational MPH coursework during the first two years of medical school. In the third year, you will focus full-time on the MPH in Epidemiology, with most of the year devoted to field experience, research, and community engagement. After completing the Epidemiology MPH, you will return to medical school with a broadened public health lens to complete the final two years of the MD program and plan for your career at the intersection of these two important fields.

By pairing the MPH in Epidemiology with an MD, you will be prepared to engage in population-based clinical practice, conduct epidemiological research as a medical practitioner, and take leadership roles in public-health policy, research, and advocacy.

Accreditations & Rankings

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Specific MD/MPH program description, curriculum outline, and contact information can be accessed at the School of Medicine.