SDG Program FAQs

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which were ratified by 193 UN partner countries, including all of the developed and developing countries in the world, build on the Millennium Development Goals. The SDGs seek to realize the human rights of all and take an integrated and indivisible approach, balancing the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental. All of the SDGs have a health component, but SDG 3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages” is specifically focused on improving health outcomes in the 193 countries that signed on to the agreement.

By graduation, students will have obtained and improved the necessary skills through the program to deliver a National Plan, a Strategy, a System- and Sector-wide Investment Case, and/or a Budget for their respective Ministries of Health. Currently, many Ministries of Health hire outside consultants to develop any of the above deliverables. This is often expensive and does little to improve the capacity of local staff to take on these responsibilities. Local resources with these skills will not only save money, but by learning critical skills to target specific bottlenecks they will be able to deliver better programs. In addition, as the competencies developed through the SDG MPH translate beyond health, having a group of trained individuals and in-country mentors will create a ripple effect across other sectors.

1. Select relevant data sources to assess the global burden of disease, health interventions, and health system platforms
2. Analyze context specific causal pathways for the global burden of disease, health interventions, and health system platforms, to set and monitor priorities for action
3. Select evidence based planning and evaluation methods, and apply these to context specific theories of change for interventions, health systems, or equity in health
4. Categorize health related targets within the Sustainable Development Goals according to global burden of disease, disease control priorities and health system platforms
5. Select and apply, as a member of an interdisciplinary team, communication strategies to advocate for intervention policies, system strengthening, equitable strategies, or investments
6. Critically assess the different components of the global health governance infrastructure, and health systems designs in different global contexts
7. Select and apply methods for analyzing costs, health returns on investment, budgets, financing and sustainability as appropriate

Core Courses (18 Credits)
GPH-GU 5106 Epidemiology (3) 
GPH-GU 5110 Global Health Policy & Management (3) 
GPH-GU 5140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3) 
GPH-GU 5153 Global Environmental Health (3)  
GPH-GU 5190 Essentials of Public Health Biology (3) 
GPH-GU 5995 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)

Required 0 Credit Courses (0 Credits)
GPH_GU 5171 Global Health Informatics (0)
GPH-GU 5175 Readings in the History & Philosophy of Public Health I (0)
GPH-GU 5180 Readings in the History & Philosophy of Public Health II (0)
GPH-GU 5185 Readings in the History & Philosophy of Public Health III (0)

Concentration Courses (15 Credits)
GPH-GU 5380 Data-Driven Decision Making In Global Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 5410 Results Focused Strengthening Of Health Systems In LMICs (3)
GPH-GU 5420 Monitoring And Management Of Public Health Programs For Equity (3)
GPH-GU 5220 Accelerating Progress Towards Health-Related SDGs (3)
GPH-GU 5240 Budgeting for Sustainable Health Returns on Investments (3)

Electives (9 Credits)
GPH-GU 5025 Bioethical Issues in Society (3)
GPH-GU 5080 Bioethics Mediation (3)
GPH-GU 5120 HIV/AIDS from a Global Perspective (3)
GPH-GU 5210 Global Health Disaster Preparedness & Response (3)
GPH-GU 5270 Management of Public Health Disasters (3)
GPH-GU 5288 Perspectives on Migrant Health & Human Rights (3)
GPH-GU 5320 Data Utilization in Public Health Practice (3)
GPH- GU 2361 Research Methods in Public Health (3)* 
GPH- GU 2349 Program Planning & Evaluation (3)* 
GPH- GU 2230 Global Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Control (3)*
GPH- GU 2250 Health & Human Rights (3)*
GPH- GU 2218 Assessing Community Health Needs and Resources (3)* 

*These courses are NOT currently available online but should be in the near future. GPH is working hard to make more of our courses available online.  SDG MPH students are also eligible to take on-site courses available at any of our NYU campuses if they so choose. 

Applied Practice Experience (180 hours, 2 Credits)
All SDG MPH students are required to complete 180 hours of supervised, relevant public health practice in order to graduate. The qualifying practice experience may be related to students’ current employment, but students cannot use their job for this requirement. Instead, the SDG MPH candidate might use the time to apply the skills developed through the preceding course work to deliver a National Plan, a Strategy, a System- and Sector-wide Investment Case, and/or a Budget for their Ministry of Health or District Health office.

The course will be supervised in part by local professors under an agreement with GPH. 

Integrated Learning Experience (2 Credits)
The final course in the SDG MPH is designed to ensure that the student has acquired all of the competencies promised by the program. Evidence of mastery can take the form of exercises, tests, papers, and reports. Like the Applied Practice Experience, the course will be supervised in part by local professors under an agreement with GPH.

If taken as a full-time course load, the program can be completed in less than 2 years. In reality, however, we expect that the students will be working during the program and will opt for a part-time course schedule. The part-time course load involves 2 courses per semester during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. On this schedule, the program will take approximately 2.5 years to complete. 

Proposed Accelerated Full-Time Course Schedule (1.5 years):

Fall Term Year 1 (12 Credits):
GPH-GU 5106 Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 5995 Biostatistics in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 5190 Essentials of Public Health Biology (3) 
GPH-GU 5140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
GPH-GU 5171 GH Informatics (0)
GPH-GU 5175 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health I (0)

J-Term Year 1 (3 credits):
GPH- GU 5380 Data-driven Decision Making in Public Health (3)

Spring Term Year 1 (12 Credits):
GPH-GU 5420 Monitoring And Management Of Public Health Programs For Equity (3)
GPH-GU 5240 Budgeting for Sustainable Health Returns on Investments (3)
GPH-GU 5220 Accelerating Progress Towards Health-Related SDGs (3)
GPH-GU 5410 Results Focused Strengthening Of Health Systems In LMICs (3)
GPH-GU 5180 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health II (0)
GPH-GU 5185 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health III (0)

Summer Term Year 1 (7 credits):
GPH-GU 5360 Internship: Applied Practice and Integrative Experiences (4)
Elective (3)

Fall Term Year 2 (12 Credits):
GPH-GU 5110 Global Health Policy & Management (3) 
GPH-GU 5153 Global Environmental Health (3) 
Elective (3)
Elective (3)

Proposed Full-Time Course Schedule (2 years):

Fall Term Year 1 (12 Credits):
GPH-GU 5106 Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 5995 Biostatistics in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 5190 Essentials of Public Health Biology (3) 
GPH-GU 5140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)
GPH-GU 5171 GH Informatics (0)
GPH-GU 5175 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health I (0)

Spring Term Year 1 (9 Credits):
GPH- GU 5380 Data-driven Decision Making in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 5110 Global Health Policy & Management (3) 
GPH-GU 5220 Accelerating Progress Towards Health-Related SDGs (3)
GPH-GU 5410 Results Focused Strengthening Of Health Systems In LMICs (3)
GPH-GU 5180 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health II (0)
GPH-GU 5185 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health III (0)

Fall Term Year 2 (12 Credits):
GPH- GU 5420 Monitoring And Management Of Public Health Programs For Equity (3)
GPH-GU 5240 Budgeting for Sustainable Health Returns on Investments (3)
GPH-GU 5153 Global Environmental Health (3) 
Elective (3)

Spring Term Year 2 (10 Credits):
GPH-GU 5360 Internship: Applied Practice and Integrative Experiences (4)
Elective (3)
Elective (3)

Proposed Year Round Part-Time Course Schedule (2.5 years):

Fall Term Year 1 (6 Credits):
GPH-GU 5106 Epidemiology (3)
GPH-GU 5995 Biostatistics in Public Health (3)
GPH-GU 5171 GH Informatics (0)
GPH-GU 5175 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health I (0)

J-Term Year 1 (3 Credits):
GPH- GU 5380 Data-driven Decision Making in Public Health (3)

Spring Term Year 1 (6 Credits):
GPH-GU 5220 Accelerating Progress Towards Health-Related SDGs (3)
GPH-GU 5410 Results Focused Strengthening Of Health Systems In LMICs (3)
GPH-GU 5180 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health II (0)
GPH-GU 5185 Readings in the History and Philosophy of Public Health III (0)

Summer Term Year 1 (6 Credits):
GPH-GU 5153 Global Environmental Health (3) 
GPH-GU 5190 Essentials of Public Health Biology (3) 

Fall Term Year 2 (6 Credits):
GPH-GU 5110 Global Health Policy & Management (3) 
GPH-GU 5140 Global Issues in Social & Behavioral Health (3)

J-Term Year 2 (3 Credits):
Elective (3)

Spring Term Year 2 (6 Credits):
GPH-GU 5240 Budgeting for Sustainable Health Returns on Investments (3)
GPH- GU 5420 Monitoring And Management Of Public Health Programs For Equity (3)

Summer Term Year 2 (6 Credits):
Elective (3)
Elective (3)

Fall Term Year 3 (4 Credits):
GPH-GU 5360 Internship: Applied Practice and Integrative Experiences (4)

The program may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time is at least 12 credits per semester.

The program must be completed within a 6 year time frame, unless there are special circumstances.

Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 average. Falling below that level will result in academic probation and should the average remain below 3.0 for consecutive semesters, it may result in dismissal.

All of the materials are available online on the NYU Classes site. Students are not expected to purchase additional reading materials in most cases.

For individuals who have already earned an MPH, the Applied Global Public Health (AGPH) Certificate may be a better and less expensive option.  

The AGPH certificate is comprised of 4 of the concentration courses in the SDG MPH: 

1. Data-Driven Decision Making In Global Public Health (3) 
2. Results Focused Strengthening Of Health Systems In LMICs (3)
3. Monitoring And Management Of Public Health Programs For Equity (3)
4. Accelerating Progress Towards Health-Related SDGs (3)

You can apply for the certificate here.

The Department of Global and Environmental Health is no longer accepting applications for this concentration.

If you have at least 3 years work experience in a national or subnational health system, good grades as an undergraduate, a letter from your employer endorsing your candidacy, and a strong essay, your chances of gaining admittance are good.

We will accept up to 9 credits transferred from another program.  Transfer credits are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and are not considered until students are enrolled in the program.  Credits can not be transferred if they were already counted towards another degree. To be considered:

• transfer credits must be from an accredited institution
• there must be evidence that the credits are at the graduate level
• you must have earned a grade of B or better in the course(s)
• you must provide an official transcript of the course(s) and final grade along with the course syllabus(es)

The list price for the SDG MPH is $76,544 excluding NYU fees.  There are a number of potential scholarships and other funding mechanisms available  that may significantly reduce the cost (see below).

A variety of resources are available to help students fund their enrollment in the program:

Scholarships

Program scholarships are available to applicants who demonstrate an outstanding academic record and strong leadership potential.   When you apply, all applicants are automatically considered for our variety of scholarships, covering up to 20-40% of tuition costs; you will be notified of your scholarship status in your admission letter. Any scholarships that are awarded to you renew automatically each year, as long as you continue to maintain good academic standing.

The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health also has a comprehensive database of extra funding resources along with curated scholarships that can help minimize the cost of your degree.

Student Loans

Most GPH masters students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents subsidize their degree through federal loan programs offered by the U.S. Department of Education. To apply, you’ll need to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year in which you’d like to collect financial aid.

You can receive several types of financial aid loans through the FAFSA, depending on your eligibility:

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans
• Federal Direct PLUS Loan

You can also apply for private loans if you require additional financial assistance.

While international students who are not U.S. permanent residents do not qualify for any federal direct loans that are often made available to US citizens or permanent residents, you do have options to help subsidize your GPH degree.

Other Funding

International students should also explore funding options in their home countries and talk with employers about tuition benefits that may be available, including tuition reimbursement and low-cost loans. Based on the country of residence, some international students may also have access to education loans through private lenders.
Many independent organizations dedicate their efforts to finding and compiling scholarships for international students who seek to study in the United States. Explore these links for further information:

• FinAid
• Foundation Center Grant Space
• Institute of International Education
• International Education Financial Aid
• Peterson's Education Center
• EducationUSA
• NYU Bobst Library Resources for International Students

International students should also consult the Financing Your Degree website created by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, which includes tips and tricks for obtaining a scholarship and also includes a searchable list of external funding sources for public health students.

Additionally admitted students who are currently employed by organizations working in the field of public health may wish to seek sponsorship from their employers. While NYU does not coordinate this sponsorship or play a role in obtaining it, we have included below some of the benefits of sponsorship for employers to assist students seeking sponsorship.
 

GPH does not typically coordinate or provide sponsorship for this degree. If an admitted student has an employer that would like to sponsor part or all of their tuition, GPH is happy to accept such sponsorship. 

You may have heard of NYU’s recent partnership with Acfee to sponsor 20 students from low income countries with a significant scholarship. NYU is working with Acfee to select and vet potential students for this particular sponsorship. Acfee will work with Health Ministries in selected low income countries to identify candidates who will benefit most from the acquisition of these applied skills and are also in a position to help their respective countries achieve the SDGs. Once the nominated students are vetted by Acfee, they will apply to join the fall 2017 entering class of SDG MPH candidates.

The qualifications for this scholarship include:

• Nomination by a UN Agency or a Ministry of Health in a Low Income country
• A Bachelor's degree from a respected institution
• At least 3 years experience working in a public health-related field (certainly working for a District or County Health office or in the Ministry would quality)
• Motivation to assist the country in achieving the health-related SDGs

Many employers, including Ministries of Health, UN Agencies, and private institutions may be willing to sponsor their employees who wish to obtain an SDG MPH. The benefits of such sponsorship include: 

• More efficient, effective, and cost effective public health programming in the country and the region;
• Improvements in the competencies to access public health investment from the government and donors; 
• Improved health outcomes;
• Reduced opportunity cost (for the student of not having to take time off and live in a different city, and for the employer of not having to lose their employee during the time of the program);
• Credibility of the accredited MPH;
• Ability to immediately benefit from the transfer of critical skills from the classroom to the field - while classes are even in session;
• Global  network of well-trained, like-minded professionals who are in the program, and; 
• Continuing support by GPH faculty, mentors, and other students as the programs developed are negotiated and implemented. 

We are happy to provide a sample letter that applicants can give their employer to request sponsorship.  Simply email us at gph.admissions@nyu.edu to request the letter.