30 Best MD/MPH Programs (Online & Campus) For 2023
Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org
Does promoting the health and wellness of the public, preventing disease, or taking part in deciding on key policies related to public health interest you? If you have a desire to have a career that will allow you to identify risk factors of individuals and communities and significantly impact public health, this article is for you. MD/MPH dual degree programs offer students the chance to earn a license as a Medical Doctor and a Master’s in Public Health degree concurrently, which opens unlimited doors of opportunity as a physician in the public health setting. In this article, you will learn about the best MD/MPH programs for 2023 and how you can take advantage of this dual degree option and begin your career in this field.
FOLLOWING ARE THE 30 BEST MD/MPH PROGRAMS (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2023
1. Harvard University – Cambridge, MA
While you complete the MD courses at Harvard or the medical school you enroll in, the MPH courses at Harvard public health school are to be completed while you are on leave of absence from the MD program. Most students prefer to apply for the leave during the fourth year, that is after completing three years of medical school. The MPH coursework comprises 45 credits which can be completed in eight concentration options. Depending on the MPH concentration you take, you will be able to complete the coursework either through online or on-campus classes.
Key Highlights
• The MPH program begins after you complete the entire Principal Clinical Experience at the medical school.• Regardless of where you choose to complete your MD program, the MPH degree is conferred upon you after completing graduation requirements of both, the medical as well as the MPH school.
2. Columbia University in the City of New York - New York, NY
This dual degree requires completing four years in medical school and a minimum of 32 MPH credits. Whether you are keen on serving the underserved or aspire to engage in research activities, the university provides you with unmatched learning opportunities to prepare you in providing the highest quality patient care in diverse environments.
Key Highlights
• Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, where you will complete majority of the coursework is known for its intensive research and top-notch quality education. Here, to be accepted into the MD program, you must-have among the highest MCAT scores in the nation.• As a student of the college’s medical school, you may be eligible for an application fee waiver at the school of public health.
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Chapel Hill, NC
To earn this dual degree, you must consider entering the MPH school preferably in the third year of your medical school. This allows you to build upon your clinical skills by completing MPH courses after three years of MD coursework. Upon completing one year at the MPH school, you must return to medical school to complete the remaining graduation requirements. By adding one year of the MPH program into your MD degree you will gain an expanded view in understanding health groups of people, which eventually will help you in contributing towards improved health of our communities.
Key Highlights
• The MPH coursework is to be completed in the Health Care & prevention concentration, although there are other track options, this track is most suited to the dual degree.• Upon approval, you will be able to transfer up to six MPH credits towards the MD coursework.
4. New York University - New York, NY
To be eligible for this program you must be in the third year of medical school. This dual degree requires you to fulfill the admission requirements of both, the medical and public health school separately. The first two to three years into the program you take MD courses, after which you must complete a year of MPH courses. During the fourth or fifth year, you get back to completing the MD courses and the remaining MPH practicum and culminating experience. The MPH curriculum emphasizes Global Health Leadership, preparing you for health promotion with a global perspective.
Key Highlights
• The MPH coursework entails completing 12 credits of elective courses. Upon approval of the program director, you may be able to take some of these courses in medicine.• If you intend to complete this dual degree, it is recommended you register with the dual degree program director before the application deadline of each program.
5. Emory University – Atlanta, GA
To enter this dual degree program, you must first apply to Emory’s medical school after which you will be guided with your application to the public health program. Upon enrollment, four years are spent taking MD courses, and the MPH courses are preferably taken just before the clinician rotation block year, which is the third year of the MD coursework. The MPH program can be completed in any of the nine concentration options offered by the college, ranging from Environmental Health, Global Health to Health Policy, and Healthcare Management.
Key Highlights
• Although the program is ideal for Emory Medical School students, admission into this dual degree is also open to highly qualified students currently pursuing a medical degree at any other accredited medical school, provided they attend Emory’s MPH school before completion of their medical studies.• During the MPH year of this dual degree program, you can apply to the CDC Epidemiology Elective program. Through this opportunity, you can gain valuable practical experience in closely investigating and understanding a real-world public health issue, all this under the expert guidance of a CDC mentor.
6. University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, PA
Admission into this program is highly competitive and you can apply to the MPH school during your first, second, or third year of medical school. Typically, once you enter the program, for the first three years you take MD courses. The fourth-year is exclusively meant for the MPH program. During the fifth year, you get back to completing the MD residency and any outstanding MPH courses.
Key Highlights
• Here, adding an MPH to your medical degree may come at hardly any or no cost, especially if you stand eligible for any of the Public Health Scholarships.• The MPH coursework requires you to take five electives, out of which two must be taken in MD courses.
7. Boston University – Boston, MA
To be considered for admission you must fulfill the admission requirements of both the public health and medical school separately. While four years are spent completing the MD courses, the one year of MPH requires completing 48 credits. As a student, here you will go through extensive practical training, almost starting the very first week of the program where you meet and provide care to patients.
Key Highlights
• Your rotations include on-site experiences at varied settings such as hospitals, and clinics throughout Massachusetts, California, Maine, and Rhode Island.• Out of the total 48 MPH credits, eight credits can be completed at the medical school. This means the MPH electives can be completed in MD courses, provided you have the program director’s approval.
8. University of California-Berkeley – Berkeley, CA
Programs Offered:
MD/MPH with UCSF and MD/MPH with Stanford University
On the other hand, Stanford medical students enrolled in the Scholarly Concentration in Community Health can apply for this dual degree by combining Berkley’s MPH program. Here, you must apply during the second year of medical school, take MPH courses during the third year, and return to the medical school in the fourth year of this dual degree program.
Regardless of the medical school, Berkley's MPH program is offered with several concentration options to help you achieve expert public health knowledge in your area of interest.
9. Stanford University – Stanford, CA
To apply to this program, you must fulfill the admission requirements of Stanford as well as the MPH school you are applying to. The MPH can be completed in any concentration option of your choice provided by the partner MPH school. You must apply to the MPH school preferably in the third year of the MD program. So, you start with three years at Stanford and then go to the MPH school to complete one year of MPH courses and then again, come back to the medical school to complete the outstanding MD graduation requirements.
Key Highlights
• Some of the popular MPH concentration options for Stanford’s dual degree MD/MPH students include Epidemiology, Global Health, Infectious Disease, Health Policy, Environmental Health, Maternal & Child Health, and Biostatistics.• Graduation requirements for this program mainly include core courses in medicine, all MPH courses at the partner MPH school, and finally a culminating research project, that basically integrates the skills and knowledge of both the degrees.
10. George Washington University – Washington, D.C.
You can apply for this dual degree in the second or third year of medical school. Upon enrollment, you will complete four years in medical school and one year at the public health school. The highlight of this dual degree is that with the MPH being a generalist degree you will be able to choose several electives in your specific area of interest. So, out of the 45 MPH credits, 15 are cross-credit electives.
11. Vanderbilt University – Nashville, TN
You apply and enter the MPH school either in the fall of the second year or during the fall of the third year. With the second-year option, after two years of medical school, you spend the third year taking MPH courses and completing the MPH practicum. The fourth-year entails the MD immersion which also continues to the first half of the fifth year. For the remaining duration of the fifth year, you complete the MPH elective courses and either the MPH thesis or capstone. Alternatively, if you opt to apply in the third year, you start the MPH program in the fourth year. Both options offer certain benefits, therefore depending on your goals, you can decide on which option will work best for you.
Key Highlights
• You can complete the MD Research Immersion either before being admitted into the MPH program or choose to integrate it with the MPH thesis and practicum requirements.• With this program, you earn two degrees at a reduced tuition cost as against if completed separately. This means you pay 3.5 years of MD and 1.5 years of MPH tuition costs, instead of 4 and 2 years, if taken as two standalone degrees.
12. Baylor College of Medicine – Houston, TX
The program is a five-year plan, requiring you to apply to the MPH program before the second year of medical school. Most students choose to complete the MPH part of this dual degree at the University of Texas, as they can obtain 12 shared credits. Alternatively, you may also choose to attend another MPH school, however, the number of shared credits allowed may vary. The program is structured in a way for you to attend the first three years at the Baylor medical school and then take the fourth year at UTHealth School of Public Health, finally returning to Baylor to complete the remaining MD coursework.
13. Northwestern University – Chicago, IL
To join this program, you must be first accepted into the medical school after which you must apply to the graduate school for the MPH program. The program focuses on the key competencies of biostatistics, behavioral science, management, epidemiology, and environmental health sciences. The MPH electives which you must complete as part of your graduation requirements can be completed in MD courses, saving you time and tuition dollars.
14. University of South Florida-Main Campus – Tampa, FL
The program requires you to apply to the two schools separately. To be eligible for applying to the MPH school you must be a highly motivated student who is already admitted into the MD program. The MPH coursework comprising 42 credits prepares you in key competencies of evidence-based approaches, planning & management in promotion of health, policy in public health, and leadership.
Key Highlights
• Being a dual degree, nine credits, shared between the MD & MPH programs are cut short from the total graduation requirement of 411 credit hours. The courses approved for shared credits include Professions of Health and Doctoring I. Both these MD courses are applied towards the MPH coursework.15. Drexel University – Philadelphia, PA
This dual degree program spans across five semesters and offers the MPH curriculum with four concentration options. Upon enrollment, the first three years are spent taking MD courses. Although you will study MPH courses only during the fourth year, in the second year you will be introduced to public health through a seminar series, held once a month, from October to April. In the final fifth year, you will go back to completing MD-related coursework.
Key Highlights
• As a dual degree student, the college provides you opportunities to participate in seminars, research presentations, and several other professional development activities throughout the program.• In the summer between the 3rd and 4th year, you can complete courses in Global Health. Through this opportunity, you can benefit from hands-on learning experiences in Africa, Cuba, and Israel.
16. Tulane University - New Orleans, LA
The dual degree program can be pursued as a four-year or five-year degree. In the four-year plan, you complete courses of both degrees concurrently, starting the program preferably in the summer before medical school begins. Whereas the five-year plan is more suited for those who prefer to spend an exclusive year at the public health school taking only MPH courses. Regardless of the plan or the MPH concentration you choose, you can transfer up to 10 credits from the medical to the public health school.
An offering since 1971, this dual degree program has been one of the first in the country to provide students an option of completing two degrees simultaneously during their four years at medical school.
17. University of Illinois at Chicago – Chicago, IL
Most students complete this program within four years of full-time study, with the first three years spent at medical school and the fourth year, exclusively dedicated to taking MPH courses. Just like with other MD/MPH programs, you must apply to the medical and MPH school separately. Although during the three years of medical school, taking MPH courses is not advised, but if you are a promising student you can concurrently pursue MPH courses through online or night classes, provided you have the approval of both the colleges. The 42-credit MPH courses when added to the MD program will prepare you in various aspects of public health, including determinants of health, epidemiology, chronic diseases, and population health.
18. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - New York, NY
One of the sought-after MD/MPH dual degree programs in New York, this program offers two study plans, four-year and five-year, so you can enroll based on your career goals. While the four-year plan is intensive and suited for highly-motivated students, the five-year plan allows one entire year focused solely on the MPH program. With the four-year plan, you take the MPH courses in the evenings after medical school. The four-year plan can be a demanding schedule you must be prepared to adhere to. Regardless of the study plan you choose; the MPH curriculum requires completing 45 credits and is offered with eight concentration options.
19. University of Florida – Gainesville, FL
To enroll in this program, you must meet the admission requirements of both schools separately. Once accepted, you spend the first three years completing the requirements of the medical school and thereafter proceed to complete the 48-credit MPH program in the fourth year. The final fifth year entails mostly completing medical school electives.
Key Highlights
• The advantage of this dual degree is that you can apply 12 MD credits towards MPH courses and likewise 6 credits from the MPH program can be applied towards medical school.• For admission into the MPH school, you can request the consideration of MCAT scores instead of GRE.
20. University of California-Irvine – Irvine, CA
Admission into this program requires you to first be accepted into the medical school and then apply to the MPH school, either in the second or third year. Upon enrollment, just like other well-known MD/MPH programs in the nation typically, you spend the first three years at medical school, followed by the MPH year, and then finally complete the MPH practicum and MD rotations. The MPH curriculum comprises core, concentration-specific and elective courses.
Key Highlights
• The School of Medicine has earned the distinction of being consistently ranked in the US News and World Report’s list of best graduate schools for its medical research.• As a dual degree student, you can participate in innovative research in various areas, ranging from trauma & injury prevention, stress & health, and health diabetes to disaster medical science and clinical translation science.
21. Tufts University – Boston, MA
To qualify for the MPH degree, you must have first been accepted into Tuft’s medical school. As this is an accelerated track, the MPH curriculum is integrated into the MD coursework and does not allocate an exclusive year for MPH courses, unlike the other similar dual degree programs. So, during the first two years of medical school, you complete MPH courses on Tuesday afternoons. During the summer between the first and second year, you complete the MPH field experience. Similarly, during the third and fourth year, you continue to take courses from both the degrees, completing electives, and the remaining coursework.
22. University of Southern California - Los Angeles, CA
To pursue this dual degree, you must apply no later than the beginning of the third year in medical school. Upon enrollment, you complete the program in five years. You will spend four years in medical school, and one year taking MPH courses. Through this program, you will add public health competencies in biostatistics, epidemiology, policy analysis & evaluation to your medical practice. As a graduate, you will be able to improve the health of the populations, especially focusing on the underserved regions.
Key Highlights
• The MPH portion of this dual degree program can be taken through a 100% online format.• You can choose to complete the MPH program in any of the four concentrations offered by the college, including Community Health Promotion, Health Service & Policy, Global Health, and Biostatistics & Epidemiology.
23. Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI
You must apply to both the MPH and MD programs separately by fulfilling the admission criteria of each program. Because this is a dual degree you can complete 12 credits worth of MPH electives in MD courses. While you have two paths to complete this degree, option A where you complete the MPH courses in four semesters before beginning medical school, and option B where you earn only nine MPH credits in the summer before medical school and complete the remaining MPH courses in the gap year. These two options are the recommended study plans, in case you wish to alter your path you can do so by contacting the college.
24. University of Maryland-Baltimore – Baltimore, MD
Depending on your goals and interest, you can choose to complete this program either in Community & Population Health, Epidemiology, or the Global Health concentration. Admission into this program starts with the medical school where you complete the first three years of MD coursework. Thereafter, you complete a 42-credit MPH coursework, comprising 17 credits in core and six credits in a capstone. The remaining credits are to be completed in concentration-specific courses and electives.
Key Highlights
• The AAMC ranks the college’s medical school among the nation’s top 10 public medical schools.• The medical school accepts only highly-qualified candidates and the average GPA of students applying is 3.79.
25. Pennsylvania State University – Hershey, PA
To qualify for admission in this dual degree, you must first enter the medical school and complete at least one year of MD courses. Typically, you will spend the first year at medical school and start with the MPH courses in the fourth year of this dual degree. The program mainly focuses on behavioral health, global health, and population health. The MPH coursework is offered in a combination of online and on-campus courses. The advantage of this program is that you will be able to transfer up to 16 credits from the MD program towards the MPH courses, requiring you to complete only 27 credits instead of the standard 42 credit coursework.