Our curriculum is founded on the understanding that issues in public health are too complex for any one discipline to solve. The MPH program’s interdisciplinary emphasis equips students to identify the numerous factors that affect public health and strategically work across disciplines to create sustainable and comprehensive solutions. Among the unique features of WashU Bursky Public Health’s MPH program are:

• Foundational courses focused on health through a life course perspective, public health methods, health policy and advocacy, and environmental health.
• Skill building in leadership and communication, program planning and evaluation, entrepreneurship, and digital innovation and AI in public health.
• Transdisciplinary problem-solving courses covering topics such as global mental health, eliminating health disparities, sustainable food systems, reproductive health and the built environment and public health.
• Skill labs, which provide in-depth training in areas such as statistical analysis skills, data management and visualization, and team leadership. These labs advance students’ research skills and equip them with knowledge that is in high demand within the profession.

The 4+1 MPH program is available to all WashU undergraduate students pursuing any major. We encourage students to begin planning for the program early in their undergraduate careers. Keep in mind:

• Students must complete all distribution and major requirements for their undergraduate degree prior to starting in the MPH degree.
• Students are encouraged to take undergraduate courses relevant to public health.
• WashU undergraduate international students must work closely with the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) to determine eligibility for adding a graduate degree. International students may only enroll in the 1.5 year MPH option at this time.
• All admission requirements for the regular MPH program also apply to 4+1 MPH applicants.

Extensive research opportunities exist for our students; some 70% of MPH students serve as research assistants at WashU. Research provides students with meaningful opportunities to bridge the gap between coursework and professional practice.

Tuition and fee charges are based on the student’s primary, full-time enrollment. Bursky Public Health tuition and fees are assessed separately from undergraduate tuition and fees. Applicants to Bursky Public Health will be awarded scholarship at the time of admission to the MPH.