6 Best MPH Programs in NYC – 2025
Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org
New York City’s public health professionals identify and solve health-related issues that affect the Big Apple’s population. Would you like to become one? MPH programs in New York City can help qualify you for that role. As a public health professional in New York City, you’ll have plenty of employment opportunities, and you’ll earn an average salary of $135,690 a year. Many New York City MPH programs utilize an online format so that you can integrate your studies with your existing work and family responsibilities. Get started today by learning about the 6 best MPH programs in New York City for 2025.
FOLLOWING ARE THE 6 BEST MPH PROGRAMS IN NYC, NEW YORK FOR 2025
(Based on our Ranking Methodology, we have ranked the 6 best campus-based and online MPH programs in NYC.)
1) Columbia University in the City of New York - NYC
Programs Offered: MPH (Accelerated and Executive)
Accelerated MPH Specializations: Epidemiology, Health Policy & Management, Population & Family Health, Sociomedical Sciences, and General Public Health
NYC offers public health professionals a broad spectrum of career avenues that you can explore post-graduation. If you are interested in graduating from one of the best MPH programs in NYC that prepares you for this interdisciplinary career, then Columbia University in the City of New York must high on your list. Founded in 1922, the college has over the years produced public health leaders who through collaborative interdisciplinary efforts and enhanced decision-making skills improved health, both at the national as well as global levels.
Understanding the significance of leadership in the effective management of public health, the college incorporates a leadership and innovation component into its curriculum which allows you to sharpen your skills through extensive experiential learning and participation in various leadership building activities.
This MPH in NYC can be completed in two formats; accelerated and executive. While the accelerated is paced at one year and offers the same curriculum as the regular MPH, it is meant for highly motivated students who can stay committed to the rigors of this intensive coursework. On the other hand, the Executive MPH program, designed for mid-level healthcare professionals can deepen your professional knowledge and take your career to managerial positions. The executive track offers classes over weekends and requires 24 months to complete. For both the tracks graduation requires you to complete 45 credits.
If you choose the accelerated format you have concentration options in Epidemiology, Health Policy & Management, Population & Family Health, Sociomedical Sciences, and General public Health. Regardless of the track you enter, the program’s core focuses on foundations of public health, research methods & applications, determinants of health, public health interventions, global & developmental perspectives, and health systems.
2) New York University - NYC
Programs Offered: MPH (On-Campus & Online)
Specializations Offered: Biostatistics, Community Health Science & Practice, Environmental Public Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Global Health, Public Health Nutrition, Public Health Policy, Public Health Management, and Social & Behavioral Sciences
Online Specializations Offered: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
New York University can prepare you for public health leadership through a curriculum that focuses on health equity, ethics, and social justice. In a city that boasts of prominent local and federal agencies, including the United Nations and the New York City Department, here you will be trained to explore a wide range of job possibilities. With an emphasis on critical thinking and decision-making skills, the core curriculum takes into account the interdisciplinary as well as the business aspect of healthcare. Some of the public health areas where graduates have been playing a pivotal role include - migrant health, HIV/AIDS, and malnutrition.
The program is available, both in the face-to-face format as well through distance learning, however that depends on the concentration you choose. If online MPH programs in NYC is what you are looking for, then the Sustainable Development Goals concentration could be the track you may want to consider.
To be eligible for this MPH program you must have completed your bachelor’s from an accredited university. Depending on your interests and career goals you can enroll in any of the 10 areas of focus. The coursework is structured to include core, specialization-specific and elective courses allowing you to customize the curriculum to suit your career aspirations. The common core courses of 18 credits, regardless of the track you enter educate you in epidemiology, health care policy, public health management & leadership, essentials of public health, global health informatics, and philosophy of public health. After completing the concentration-specific courses which comprise another 18 credits, you must complete electives worth almost 9 credits from a wide choice of options. Towards the end of the coursework, you complete a public health internship and a seminar of 180 hours. The online track of Sustainable Development Goals which prepares you for solving issues in disease control and prevention too offers a similar program structure and requires you to complete an on-site internship.
3) Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - NYC
Programs Offered: MPH
Specializations Offered: General Public Health, Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Environmental Health Sciences, Global Health, Outcomes Research, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Health Care Management
Whether you choose to complete your MPH degree in general public health, health promotion & disease prevention, environmental health sciences, global health, biostatistics, epidemiology, healthcare management, or outcomes research, at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai you will learn through interdisciplinary research, innovation and policy analysis. Equipped with skills to promote good health, graduates of this program work in varied environments, including government agencies, universities, private organizations, and non-profit institutions. Some of the prominent employers where you can expect to find employment include UNICEF, Pfizer, Inc, Mount Sinai Health System, and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
To be considered for this master of public health program in NYC you must have completed your undergraduate degree from an accredited college. Regardless of the track you take you must complete 45 credits, out of which 25 credits are in core courses and the remaining are concentration-specific courses and electives. Some of the core courses you take include an introduction to public health, policy & management, socio-behavioral health, research methods, epidemiology, environmental health, and leadership & professionalism in public health. The program ends with either a capstone or thesis, depending on your chosen track. You are required to attend the Public Research Day and present your culminating experience through a poster, presentations, or speech.
4) CUNY School of Public Health - NYC
Programs Offered: MPH (On-Campus & Online)
Specializations Offered: Community Health, Environmental Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology Biostatistics, Health Policy Management, and Public Health Nutrition
Online Specializations Offered: Community Health, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Health Policy & Management, and Public Health Nutrition
Established in 1972, today CUNY School of Public Health offers one of the well-known master of public health programs in NYC. In all these years the college has prepared leaders who are ready to face the challenges of the future. The college offers all its MPH tracks with a choice of face-to-face or online classes. The online format is basically for students who prefer the convenience of studying from the comfort of their home. Additionally, with the online format of the program, you can complete the practicum virtually, without having to be physically present on site. Regardless of the format you choose, upon completion of the program, along with earning a master’s in public health you will be eligible to take the certification exam within your chosen area of focus.
This program can be completed by choosing an area of emphasis from several concentrations including, Community Health, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Health Policy & Management, and Public Health Nutrition.
You gain the eligibility to apply for this MPH by completing your undergraduate education with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Also, you must have at least one year of work experience in public health or a related field. While the curriculum for the online and on-campus programs remains the same, the coursework differs depending on the concentration you choose. As such, for any track, you are required to complete 42 credits in foundational knowledge, core courses, concentration-specific courses, electives, practice experience, and finally, a culminating experience which could be either a thesis or capstone. During the two years of the program, you take classes on a full-time basis, however, if you prefer the part-time schedule you must seek help from the college’s advising office.
5) Teachers College at Columbia University - NYC
Programs Offered: MS in Nutrition and Public Health
Are you passionate about food and nutrition? Do you find your calling public health? If your answer is yes to both these questions, you may want to check out the MPH program offered by Teachers College at Columbia University. Here you will learn to use food and nutrition to improve public health by evaluating and implementing food and nutrition plans across various federal and private organizations. As a graduate of one of the leading MPH programs in NYC, you will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to reach public health goals.
Apart from having a bachelor’s degree, any work experience in a related field would be preferable. The program comprises 47 credits of core, and nutrition-related courses. The core courses mainly educate you on food, nutrition & behavior, nutritional ecology, community nutrition, advanced nutrition, nutrition counseling, and nutritional epidemiology. Additionally, you are trained in principles of epidemiology & health promotion, and social policy. Also, in addition to an elective course, fieldwork in nutrition & public health is required, however, you can skip the fieldwork course if already completed earlier.
6) Yeshiva University - NYC
Programs Offered: MD/MPH
Specializations Offered: Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Health Policy & Management, and Public Health Nutrition
Counted among the top-ranked MPH programs in NYC, New York, Yeshiva University’s MPH offered as a dual degree in collaboration with City University of New York School of Public Health and Health Policy is listed in U.S. News & World Report’s best public health programs in the state. Standing out because of CUNY’s location in upper Manhattan, it is an easy commute from Yeshiva’s Einstein college of medicine where you will pursue your M.D. The program offers a unique advantage of completing MPH courses during the gap year of the M.D. program. Depending on your preference the MPH portion of the program can be completed either part-time or full-time.
The MPH component of the dual M.D./M.P.H. comes with three areas of focus; Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Health Policy & Management, and Public Health Nutrition so you can enroll in the one depending on your interest. In this 5-year dual degree program, you will take some MPH courses in the first and fourth years, with the fourth year being the gap year which entails completing the MPH courses. Also, as a student of this dual degree, the global health fellowship which you will complete as part of your M.D. curriculum can be applied towards the MPH fieldwork requirement. Foundations of public health, public health leadership & management, public health research and health equity, communications & advocacy are some of the core courses you will take, in addition to the concentration-specific and elective courses.
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