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Graduate Programs

Director
Kristine Tollestrup

Degrees Offered

• Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
  Concentrations: Community Health; Epidemiology; Health Systems, Services, and Policy. 
• Doctor of Philosophy in Health Equity Sciences (Ph.D) 
  Concentrations: Biostatistics; Community Based Participatory Research; Community Health Education; Epidemiology Concentration; Global Health Equity and Policy; 

Dual Degree Programs

Master of Public Health and Doctor of Medicine: The College of Population Health and the School of Medicine offer a Dual Degree Program leading to the M.P.H. and the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) See the Graduate and Professional Dual Degree Programs section of this Catalog.

Master of Public Health and Master of Arts in Latin American Studies: The College of Population Health and the Latin American Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences offer a Dual Degree Program leading to the M.P.H. and the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Latin American Studies. See the Graduate and Professional Dual Degree Programs section of this Catalog.

Master of Public Health and Master of Science in Nursing: The College of Population Health and the College of Nursing offer a Dual Degree Program leading to the M.P.H and the Master of Science (M.S.) in Nursing. See the Graduate and Professional Dual Degree Programs section of this Catalog.

Individual Dual Degree Program: Individual dual degrees with the M.P.H. may be organized by students with any department. Students in dual degree programs must complete both degrees in the same semester. The students must prepare a written rationale for the dual degree and a chart outlining the requirements for both degrees and the shared credit hours. This must be approved by the M.P.H. Program Director, the Director or Chair of the other Department and the student advisors of both departments. The agreement must be signed by all parties involved. The student must meet all requirements for both master's degrees; a maximum of 6 credit hours from each field may be shared between the two programs. See the Graduate Program section of this Catalog.

Master of Public Health Admission Requirements

The program only reviews applicants who have met all admission requirements listed below:

1.  B.A., B.S., or equivalent from an accredited U.S. institution or a recognized foreign institution.

2.  GPA of at least 3.0 is required in undergraduate upper-level courses (300- to 400-level), or 9 credit hours with GPA of 3.0 or better in public health-related graduate courses.

3.  An undergraduate basic statistics course or a graduate-level basic statistics course with a 3.0 GPA or higher must have been completed within the previous 7 years.

4.  Foreign applicants must submit one of the following English proficiency tests: 

Additional Information

Students may transfer up to 17 credit hours with grades of "B" or better to the program from other institutions or other non-degree or graduate programs within UNM. However, those credit hours cannot have been used to meet the requirements of another degree program.

For Graduate Studies admissions requirements, refer to Graduate Studies Web site.

Master of Public Health

The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) at UNM promotes an interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to research and interventions to address health problems. It also provides multiple opportunities for students to practice public health skills in communities and organizations, and fosters critical thinking about issues addressed by the students. Students come to the program from a broad range of social science, biomedical science and clinical disciplines. To complete the degree, students must complete 42 credit hours that include completion of a practicum experience, and either a thesis, professional paper, or the integrative experience courses (PH 595 and 597). All students must also complete an oral master’s examination. Students may enroll either full-time or part-time and have seven years to complete the degree from the time they take their first course applying towards the M.P.H. 

The M.P.H. is completed in four required components:

• M.P.H. core courses (22-23 credit hours).
• Practicum experience (2 credit hours).
• Culminating experience (3 credit hours).
• Required concentration courses (9 credit hours)
• Electives (5-6 credit hours)

Master of Public Health Concentrations

Community Health

The mission of the Community Health concentration is to prepare students for leadership roles in population-based disease prevention and health promotion in public and private settings. The philosophical foundation of the concentration relies on a community capacity building, empowerment approach to promote social justice and equity in health. The concentration is designed for students with prior experience, education or interest in community-focused public health practice or research that values diversity, self-reflection and critical analysis of evidence-based practice and practice-based public health approaches. The purpose of this concentration is to provide students with the multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills necessary to plan, implement, and evaluate public health programs at multiple levels of the social-ecologic framework.

Requirements:

• MPH core curriculum (22-23 credit hours).
• Practical field experience (2 credit hours).
• Culminating experience (3 credit hours).
• Required Community Health Concentration Courses (9 credit hours).
• Electives (5-6 credit hours).

Epidemiology

The concentration in Epidemiology provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to collect, analyze, and interpret epidemiologic data for the solution of public health problems. The concentration prepares students for employment as a master’s level epidemiologist or research scientist in various settings such as the New Mexico Department of Health, the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and other public health research and service organizations.

Requirements:

• MPH core curriculum (22-23 credit hours).
• Practical field experience (2 credit hours).
• Culminating experience (3 credit hours).
• Required Epidemiology Concentration Courses (9 credit hours).
• Electives (6 credit hours).

Health Systems, Services, and Policy

The concentration in Health Systems, Services, and Policy provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze health systems, public health and health care services and programs, and related governmental and non-governmental policies. Students develop the capacity to analyze and develop interventions and health policies at local, national, and global levels. The goal of the concentration is to prepare students to work in health organizations and policy arenas to improve population health and decrease health inequities.

Requirements:

• MPH core curriculum (22-23 credit hours).
• Practical field experience (2 credit hours).
• Culminating experience (3 credit hours).
• Required Health Systems, Services and Policy Courses (9 credit hours).
• Electives (5-6 credit hours).

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Equity Sciences

The Ph.D. in HES will be a 66-credit hour program of study broken down into core and concentration coursework and dissertation hours. It will be flexible and responsive to the needs of individual students with multiple concentration options to choose from at UNM, NMSU, or a jointly run concentration between the two institutions in Biostatistics.

The core curriculum will be similar at both institutions and includes advanced research methods, applied research skills, a doctoral seminar, and concentration courses. The core features classes in advanced epidemiology and biostatistics that emphasize rigorous quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as classes in prevention, intervention, and health policy research. Training will be based in translational, participatory, theory-driven, and culture-centered designs for diverse populations. Skill-building courses include data analysis software packages (SAS, STATA, AtlasTi, etc), among others. Doctoral seminars will be student-driven journal clubs and employ diverse case studies (drawing from our rural/frontier, tribal, & U.S.-Mexico border partners).

The admissions criteria (see below) will be the same across the two institutions to foster reciprocity through the use of the State’s Cross Enrollment Agreement. Students will choose either NMSU or UNM as their degree-granting institution (their "home" institution) to which they will apply and complete core coursework predominantly at that institution. Participation in research projects will commence during the first year with mentorship provided by faculty at either institution. After 48 credit hour requirements, students will take a comprehensive exam at their home institution after which (if completed successfully), they will begin work toward their dissertation. The comprehensive examinations will be similar for the core material. However, since the two universities have different concentrations, the concentration portion of the examination will differ depending upon the concentration the student selects.

The dissertation committee chair will be a faculty member from the degree-granting (home) institution; however, students may select a co-chair who serves as an additional mentor from the other institution if it makes sense for their chosen path. At least two committee members (chair and one other) will be from the degree-granting institution. Faculty at either institution may opt to have a joint appointment, but this is not required. An oral defense will follow the written dissertation.

The expected length of time is four years to complete, during which students will hold graduate  assistantships and be involved in research and teaching. Students will have the opportunity to apply for a variety of graduate assistantships, including research assistantships. Many will be graduate assistantships supporting the undergraduate courses. Our BSPH student differential will be used to fund these graduate assistantships. We currently do not have enough master’s level students to fill our needs for assistantships in all of our undergraduate and graduate courses. The doctoral students will have the needed training in more specialized topics such as epidemiology to assist with those classes at the master’s level.

Shared Admissions Criteria

The admissions criteria will be the same across the two institutions to foster reciprocity that allows students to enroll in courses at either university. Students will choose either NMSU or UNM as their degree-granting
institution (their "home" institution, to which they will apply) and complete core coursework predominantly at that institution. The admission criteria include the following:

1) Applicants must hold a graduate master’s degree, with preference given to applicants holding an MPH degree from a CEPH-accredited program or other health- or medical-related degree. However, in some instances, students with a bachelor’s level degree will be considered for admittance.

2) Documented experience in the form of research, job experience, completion of a master’s thesis, and/or other similar experience including work in non-governmental agencies (NGOs).

3) GPA of 3.0 or higher.

4) One graduate-level coursework in statistics or biostatistics.

5) Two-page Statement of Interest describing professional experience, research interests, career aspirations, and experiences that have prepared the applicant for doctoral work.

6) Three letters of recommendation: one from a faculty member who has worked with the applicant in a research capacity, one from a faculty member who taught a class attended by the applicant, and one from an individual of the applicant's choosing.

7) Preference will be given to applicants who have submitted a thesis during their master’s coursework or have completed a comparable extended project or publication.

Credit Hour Requirements

The program focuses on full-time students who already have a master’s degree from a CEPH accredited MPH program. The program will also accept students with a master’s degree from other disciplines. However, in some instances, students with a bachelor’s level degree will be considered for admittance. These students will be required to take an additional 13 MPH-specific credit hours. The Biostatistics concentration also has prerequisite requirements for students with a non-statistics degree.

Master's Level Prerequisites (13 credits)

• PH 501 Determinants of Health Equity in Public Health, 4 credits
• PH 502 Epidemiology and Biostatistics I, 4 credits
• PH 538 Epi and Biostats Lab, 2 credits
• PH 552 Interventions in Health Equity, 3 credits

Biostatistics Concentration Prerequisites (if entering with non-statistics degree)

• STAT 561 Probability and its Applications, 3 credits
• STAT 553 Statistical Inference, 3 credits 

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Equity Sciences Core Requirements

Comprehensive exam required after 48 credits and includes the proposal defense.

Final oral dissertation defense and presentation required for doctoral degree.

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Equity Sciences Concentrations

Biostatistics (Shared UNM and NMSU)

This shared concentration will provide instruction on using advanced statistical concepts and procedures to measure health-related constructs and analyze data sets ranging from small-scale research project outputs to large population-scale epidemiological databases. Students successfully completing this program will be able to:

 (a) quantitatively address a novel or complex problem by developing an innovative statistical methodology or adapting existing methods to a new problem;

(b) demonstrate mastery of advanced statistical theory and applications;

(c) understand and implement innovative statistical approaches emerging in the literature to biomedical and public health or social issues;

(d) communicate the results of statistical analyses to individuals with varying degrees of statistical knowledge;

(e) recognize strengths and weaknesses of proposed approaches, including alternative designs, data sources, and analytic methods;

(f) determine the data best suited to address public health or social issues, program planning, and program evaluation; and,

(g) contribute to the body of knowledge in the field of biostatistics by submitting an article for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Community Based Participatory Research Concentration (UNM only)

The concentration in Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR), alternatively called community engaged research (CEnR), is based on a philosophical foundation of community capacity building, empowerment, and participatory approaches to research to promote social justice and equity in health. The concentration emphasizes a full range of research methods, including indigenous, decolonizing, and critical methodologies. Students will complete course work in the conceptual and theoretical foundations of CBPR; in rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research; in challenges to traditional power inequities in research design and implementation, in bidirectional participatory intervention development based on psychosocial-structural theories and evaluation, and special topics of their choosing. Local, national, tribal, and global research opportunities are available for doctoral students with faculty and community partners, across the life course, across geographic and social identity diversities, and across distinct health issues and social-political contexts. Some courses are shared with the Community Health Education Concentration.

Community Health Education Concentration (in collaboration with UNM College of Education Program in Health Education)

The concentration in Community Health Education emphasizes a strong foundation in psycho-social theory and methods so that students establish a specialty focus on community health intervention and health education research, and critical thinking in advancing health equity built on the science of cultural alignment, community methodologies, social determinant pathways to health, geographic and regional diversity, and evidence-based practices and practice-based approaches. The concentration provides students with a unique research skill-set that builds on capacity to maximize the communities' research potential as well the students' by building bi-directional research and leadership skills anchored in the principles of social justice, health equity and generational sustainability grounded in local epistemologies with communities. Some courses are shared with the CBPR concentration.

 Epidemiology Concentration (UNM only)

The concentration in epidemiology provides rigorous training in epidemiologic methods and educates students to become independent, productive, and creative research scientists in the field of epidemiology. Graduates of this program will be prepared to assume prominent positions in research, teaching, or health administration and are trained to address some of the most urgent public health issues facing us today.

 Global Health Equity and Policy Concentration (UNM only)

The concentration in Global Health Equity (GHEP) prepares students in multi-disciplinary research competencies and skills to tackle complex global public health issues that can be applied to their research, practice and policy careers. Based in deep roots in the communities we serve and in principles of social justice and human rights, we encourage transdisciplinary course work in a wide variety of global health-related areas such as: trauma related migration, international drug and sex trafficking, political and economic determinants of health, comparative primary care systems, design and evaluation of prevention strategies from a social justice approach (HIV/AIDS, obesity, vaccines, maternal and child health), community resiliency interventions to tackle violence, causes of diseases and health conditions including poverty, colonialism and neoliberalism. Students will also engage in virtual and/or place-based observatories for conducting independent and mentored research, in support of effective and evidence-based health policy, planning, decision-making and action in public health and health systems.

Health Program Administration and Policy (NMSU only)
This concentration will provide instruction on the administration of policy and the management and organization of health programs and agencies of varying sizes. By using a systems approach, the intersectional factors that influence the functioning of such organizations will be identified and analyzed.
Specific attention will be given to administrative structures, operations, financial management, and quality assurance in public health departments, hospitals, multi-institutional systems, integrated health systems, and strategic alliances.

Underserved and Marginalized Populations (NMSU)
This concentration will provide a survey of underserved and marginalized populations found regionally,
nationally, and globally with specific focus on the economic, social, cultural, and environmental factors that
contribute to disparity. These factors continue to impact these groups due to a history of discrimination,
exclusion, and marginalization. Students will learn this history and consider solution-focused strategies that
encourage equity, agency, and empowerment.

Note: only concentrations offered at UNM are listed below. To view requirements for the concentrations offered at New Mexico State University (Health Program Administration and Policy; Underserved and Marginalized Populations) please consult the NMSU Course Catalog. 

Graduate Minor

The graduate minor in Public Health provides a basic understanding of the core principles, sciences, and skills behind the discipline of public health. The four core courses in the minor include basic behavioral and social sciences, and the science of disease causation and distribution. The additional course is chosen from a selection of PH courses.