Public Health Policy

The Department of Public Health Policy and Management offers two specializations: (1) Public Health Policy and (2)Public Health Management. The department aims to develop leaders who will influence policy and manage organizations to improve and protect the public’s health. You will be prepared to develop, implement, and evaluate policies and management strategies in health care and public health. If you are interested in working with government agencies, nonprofits, or private health care organizations that seek to advance public health, these concentrations are suited to your career goals.

Like all MPH students, you will take the core public health courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, social and behavioral determinants of health, environmental health, and the essentials of public health biology. You will then select a concentration in either Public Health Management or Public Health Policy.

Quick Links:
Key Skills
Professional Development
Degree Requirements and Full-Time Sequence
Public Health Policy Planning Checklist (for students who matriculated in 2024)
Public Health Policy Planning Checklist (for students who matricualted prior to 2024)
 

Key Skills

When you graduate with the Public Health Policy concentration, you will be prepared to influence policy and develop creative strategies to improve health care delivery and public health systems. You will stand out to employers with a skill set that has both breadth and depth in key public health policy and management areas.

Public Health Policy Concentration

When you graduate with the Public Health Policy concentration, you will gain the following competencies that will prepare you to:

  1. Analyze the main components and challenges in the organization, financing and delivery of health care and public health services.
  2. Describe the legal basis for public health and health services.
  3. Analyze public health data to evaluate policy impacts on the target population.
  4. Discuss policy options to improve the health status of populations, especially vulnerable groups.
  5. Describe the utility of evidence-based theories or frameworks, such as logic models, in the design and implementation of public health programs.

Find out even more about the core competencies of the overall MPH degree.

 

Professional Development

You will benefit from countless opportunities to build skills and experience to prepare you for successful careers in public health policy and management. Learn more about the professional development opportunities available to you at NYU GPH, including internships, fellowships, employment, volunteer opportunities, professional association membership, and more.

 

Public Health Policy Course Checklists

The Public Health Policy checklist (see above for links) outline the requirements for this concentrations, as well as which core and concentration courses have pre-requisites. Use these tools as you move along in your program to help keep track of the courses you have taken, as well as those you plan to take later on in the program.

All students in the Public Health Policy concentration take the following courses (18 credits):

GPH-GU 2030 Introduction to Global Health (2) [F, S]
GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3) [F, S]
GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3) [F, S]
GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (2) [F, S, Su]
GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Policy and Management (2) [F, S, Su]
GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3) [F, S, Su]
GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3) [F, S, Su]
GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0) [F]
GPH-GU 5170 Introduction to Public Health (0) [F, S]
 

All students in the Public Health Policy concentration take the following concentration courses (15 credits):


GPH-GU 2294 Designing and Managing Organizations in Public Health (3) [S]
GPH-GU 2282 Health Economics (3) [S]
GPH-GU 2155 Public Health Policy (3) [S]
GPH-GU 2349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3) [F]
GPH-GU 2292 Public Health Law (3) [S]
 

Culminating Experience (4 credits)

Students in the Public Health Policy and Management concentrations complete an internship, inclusive of a seminar course and 180 hours of public health practice experience, and serves as the culminating experience of the MPH degree.

GPH-GU 2359 Applied Practice Experience Seminar (2) [F, S]
GPH-GU 2360 Integrative Learning Experience Seminar (2) [F, S]

As of Fall 2024, all students in the Public Health Policy concentration may take any GPH-GU course as an elective; 9 credits of electives are required.

Please note that some GPH-GU courses may be restricted to certain concentrations or have course prerequisites that must be completed in order to enroll.

Year 1:

Fall semester 1 (12 credits)
GPH-GU 2030 Introduction to Global Health (2)
GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (2)
GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management and Leadership (2)
GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0)
GPH-GU 5170 Introduction to Public Health (0)

Spring semester 1 (12 credits)
GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3)
GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 2294 Designing & Managing Organizations in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 2155 Public Health Policy (3)

Summer
Fieldwork hours for the Applied Practice requirement.


Year 2:

Fall semester 2 (11 credits)
GPH-GU 2359 Applied Practice Experience Seminar (2)*
GPH-GU 2349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3)
Elective (3)
Elective (3)

Spring semester 2 (11 credits)
GPH-GU 2360 Integrative Learning Experience Seminar (2)*
GPH-GU 2282 Health Economics (3)
GPH-GU 2292 Public Health Law (3)
Elective (3)

* these courses meet 7 weeks each and may be taken in the same semester.

Year 1:

Fall semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2030 Introduction to Global Health (2)
GPH-GU 2110 Health Care Policy (2)
GPH-GU 2112 Public Health Management and Leadership (2)
GPH-GU 5171 Global Health Informatics Workshop (0)

Spring semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 2294 Designing & Managing Organizations in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 5170 Introduction to Public Health (0)


Year 2:

Fall semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
GPH-GU 2106 Epidemiology (3)

Spring semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2155 Public Health Policy (3)
GPH-GU 2153 Global Environmental Health (3)


Year 3:

Fall semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3)
Elective (3)

Spring semester (6 credits)
GPH-GU 2282 Health Economics (3)
GPH-GU 2292 Public Health Law (3)

Summer
Fieldwork hours for the Applied Practice requirement.


Year 4:

Fall semester 2 (5credits)
GPH-GU 2359 Applied Practice Experience Seminar (2)*
Elective (3)

Spring semester 2 (5credits)
GPH-GU 2360 Integrative Learning Experience Seminar (2)*
Elective (3)

* these courses meet 7 weeks each and may be taken in the same semester.

Are you ready to reinvent the global public health paradigm and become a leader that helps populations around the world? Apply for the Master of Public Health now!