Our reimagined Brown MPH curriculum—available to students entering Fall 2026 and beyond—builds technical expertise that can be applied across the complete range of public health problems and settings, preparing graduates to meet the field’s evolving demands.
Master of Public Health (In-Person)
Curriculum
A closer look at the new Brown MPH curriculum.
Questions about application and admission to the MPH program? Schedule an admissions appointment, arrange a campus tour, or connect with our dynamic student and alumni ambassadors.
Curriculum
A closer look at the new Brown MPH curriculum.
Components of the new Brown University MPH
The curriculum has four parts, which work in concert to ensure your academic and professional success:
The MPH Core Curriculum
The MPH Core delivers the essential competencies that every public health professional needs. (6 courses)
Methods-based Concentrations
Add marketable skills that employers are looking for in one of our 5 concentrations. (3 courses)
Elective Bundles
Develop expertise in a specific topic area with one of our elective bundles. Or try courses in three different areas to explore your passions. You can also add a second concentration to develop more skills. (3 courses)
Applied Knowledge
Apply what you’re learning in the real world through the MPH Practicum and the thesis or capstone project.
This innovative approach means you learn public health your way, grounded in a rigorous yet flexible course of study that empowers you to build expertise in your own areas of interest.
Advance your career
The Brown MPH is designed with career advancement in mind, from day one. Our curriculum focuses on building the core skills employers are looking for, not just theoretical knowledge.
Through our methods-based concentrations, students graduate with a concrete, marketable toolkit: data analysis, problem-solving and applied research skills that translate directly to the workplace.
Beyond their concentration, students have the flexibility to curate a specialized elective bundle designed to align with their unique career ambitions. By mastering a focused area of study —such as nationalized health care systems, maternal health outcomes or environmental toxins—students cultivate the expertise needed to stand out in the job market.
Through core coursework, students develop analytic and problem-solving skills in areas such as:
- Epidemiologic methods
- Data analysis
- Causal inference
- Health behavior change
- Intervention design
- Policy evaluation
- Community-engaged research
Our curriculum emphasizes learning how to answer complex public health questions using rigorous, adaptable methods that can be applied across health topics, populations and settings.
Apply your learning
The program also includes hands-on learning through a required practicum and an integrated learning experience, such as a thesis or capstone project. These experiences allow students to apply their training in real-world settings, collaborate with public health partners and graduate prepared for a meaningful career in research, policy or practice.
Questions about application and admission to the MPH program? Schedule an admissions appointment, arrange a campus tour, or connect with our dynamic student and alumni ambassadors.