Coordinated Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies / Master of Public Health Program

The coordinated Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and Master of Public Health (MSPAS/MPH) degree program, offered through the UAB School of Health Professions and UAB School of Public Health, provides students with important skills for dealing with population health issues. MPH focus courses may be customized to the experience and needs of the student.

The coordinated graduate degree program provides opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and a public health practice experience with rural primary care clinical community partners. This innovative program enhances physician assistant education with integrated training in public health and primary care and thereby provides students with the information and skills needed to monitor and assess community health, develop and analyze programs and policies, coordinate and integrate care, and utilize appropriate population health measures in quality improvement strategies. 

Curriculum

Students must complete the MPH Core plus 9 credit hours of MPH focus courses for a total of 32 credit hours in addition to the required MSPAS curriculum requirements. 12 credit hours from the MSPAS curriculum are credited toward the MPH degree for a total of 42 MPH credit hours. Students may complete the MPH degree program totally online, in class, or through a mix of online and in class experiences.

Requirements		Hours
MPH Core Requirements: (14 hours)
PUH 601	This is Public Health	1
PUH 602	Community Assessment	3
PUH 603	Quantitative Methods in Public Health	3
PUH 604	Programs and Policies	3
PUH 605	Public Health Management and Evaluation	3
PUH 606	Leadership for Evidence-Based Public Health	1
MPH Degree Requirement: (1 hour)
ENH 690	Environmental Health Perspectives	1
Population Health Degree Requirement: (3 hours)
PUH 610	Population Health	3
Approved Electives: (9 hours)
Select 9 credit hours of Public Health 600-699 level courses		9
Applied Practice Experience: (3 hours)
PUH 688	Public Health Internship	3
Integrative Learning Experience: (2 hours)
HB 689	Health Behavior Integrative Learning Experience	2
or ENH 689	Environmental Health Sciences Integrative Learning Experience
or EPI 689	Epidemiology Integrative Learning Experience
or HPO 689	HPO Integrative Learning Experience
Total SOPH Hours:		32
Shared Hours from MSPAS Curriculum: (10 hours)
PA 617	Applied Behavioral Medicine	3
PA 618	Risk Management	1
PA 619	Fundamentals of Clinical Research	2
PA 620	Analysis of Professional Literature	2
PA 633	Navigating Healthcare Delivery and Reimbursement Systems for Physician Assistants	2
Total Hours Earned for MPH Degree:		42