University of Southern California
Keck School of Medicine
Public Health
Los Angeles, California
Overview
The program is currently ranked twelfth among all U.S. public health programs, according to U.S. News & World Report. The M.P.H. Program is proud to exemplify the excellence in academics, research, and community involvement that earned USC its recognition as “College of the Year” in 2000.
The M.P.H. Program maintains an enrollment of more than 120 students annually. The student population is ethnically diverse and international: African American (5 percent), Hispanic/Latino (10 percent), Asian/Pacific Islander (46 percent), Native American (1 percent), non-Hispanic white (35 percent), and multiethnic (2 percent). Women make up 75 percent of the student body, while the international student population accounts for 17 percent.
Program graduates are trained to assess health needs of individuals and communities; design, implement, and evaluate effective health promotion interventions; coordinate and manage collaborative programs in health service provision; and communicate with leaders in government and industry about public health policy.
The Location and Community
Program offices, classrooms, and the Institute for Prevention Research (IPR) library are located at the USC Health Sciences-Alhambra Campus, a business park-like complex in the San Gabriel Valley. The city of Alhambra is a multicultural community, just minutes from USC's University Park and Health Sciences-Los Angeles Campuses. Shuttle buses connect the Alhambra Campus with neighboring campuses.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) offers the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree. The mission of the M.P.H. Program is to assist in creating healthy communities by preparing graduates to lead and collaborate with others in organized community efforts across a variety of settings, focusing on disease prevention and health promotion among diverse populations. The program addresses behavioral theory, intervention strategies, and evaluation procedures for community health promotion and primary and secondary prevention. The program is built upon the strength of its faculty members, who are world leaders in the implementation and evaluation of school- and community-based health promotion programs. Faculty members command expertise in substance use prevention, unhealthful patterns of diet and physical activity, HIV/AIDS, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Faculty members also specialize in developing culturally tailored public health interventions.
The M.P.H. is a 42- to 46-unit program designed to give students a solid foundation in the core areas of public health theory, research, and practice. Students begin with five core courses and then pursue an area of concentrated study from one of four tracks: health promotion, biostatistics/epidemiology, nutrition, or health communication. To integrate concepts and skills gained in the academic program, students complete a supervised field training experience in an area of public health practice within a county, state, federal, community-based agency, or University-sponsored research project. Students also have the opportunity to serve as research or teaching assistants and are encouraged to engage in service work with community groups and agencies. The M.P.H. Program accommodates the needs of both full-time and part-time students. Program requirements may be completed in one year full-time or within two to four years part-time. Five dual-degree programs are available with the Schools of Psychology (Ph.D./M.P.H.), Medicine (B.S./M.P.H., M.D./M.P.H.), Pharmacy (Pharm.D./M.P.H.), and Physical Therapy (D.P.T./M.P.H.).
Facilities & Resources
Founded in 1880, USC is the oldest and largest private research university in the American West, ranking among the top ten research universities in the nation, based on federal research and development support. M.P.H. students have access to USC's numerous libraries, including the comprehensive Norris Medical Library and the Institute's own dedicated library. The Institute offers extensive research opportunities in tobacco use prevention and cessation, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, physical activity and nutrition, obesity, cancer and diabetes control and prevention, gender and cultural issues in health promotion, cardiovascular disease epidemiology and prevention, health communication, prevention of HIV/STDs, dissemination of prevention technologies, and prevention policy.
Expenses and Aid
Based on the academic year, the following are estimated two-semester costs at USC for a full-time master's degree student (8-14 units) living in University housing or non-University housing—not with parents or relatives (other than a spouse): tuition and fees, $26,664; room and board, $12,006; books and supplies, $948; transportation, $1384; and personal/miscellaneous costs. Tuition costs vary by course load.
Financial Aid:
The M.P.H. Program has a limited number of graduate assistantships available for fall, spring, and summer semesters. Interested students are encouraged to submit an online application for consideration. Applicants pursing federal and private financial aid, grants, scholarships, and fellowships are strongly encouraged to contact the USC Keck School of Medicine Financial Aid Office at the address listed in this In-Depth Description..
Housing/Living Expenses:
Off-campus apartment and housing rental rates vary widely by community, ranging from $600 to $2000 per month for a one-bedroom unit.
How to Apply / Application
The M.P.H. Program accepts applicants for both fall and spring semesters. The fall application deadline is June 1 (final). Extended application deadlines for fall may be possible. Spring application deadlines are November 15 for domestic applicants and October 1 for international applicants. Admissions requirements include the University graduate application; the M.P.H. supplemental application; a bachelor's degree from an accredited university, with a minimum GPA of 3.0; official transcripts from every college or university attended; Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores of at least 1000 (verbal/quantitative combined); a personal statement; three letters of recommendation (must include one academic reference); and a curriculum vitae or resume. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with a minimum computer score of 250 (equivalent to a paper score of 600), is required of international students.
Who to Contact
M.P.H. Program
Keck School of Medicine
University of Southern California/IPR
1000 South Fremont Avenue
Alhambra, California 91803
626-457-6676
E-mail: mphusc@usc.edu
Faculty and Research
Teaching Faculty
Stanley P. Azen, Ph.D., Professor and Co-Director, Biometry/Biostatistics Division. Biostatistical methodology with applications in the areas of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, ophthalmology, diabetes, and gerontology. (sazen@usc.edu)
• Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Preventive Medicine and Sociology. Cancer control research with special emphasis on minority populations. (baezcond@usc.edu)
• Michael Cousineau, Dr.P.H., Associate Professor, Family Medicine. Issues that impact public health, in particular, access to primary care for the low income uninsured; impact of privatization on safety-net providers, including public hospitals and community-based clinics and health centers; vulnerable populations. (cousinea@usc.edu)
• Wendy Cozen, D.O., Assistant Professor of Clinical. Epidemiology of hematologic neoplasms, particularly Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and multiple myeloma; analysis of cancer 'clusters.' (wcozen@usc.edu)
• N. Tess Boley Cruz, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Research. Public health communications research, anti-tobacco media and pro-tobacco marketing effects. (tesscruz@usc.edu)
• William J. Gauderman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Biostatistical methodology, statistical methods for genetic-epidemiological analysis of pedigree data, design and analysis of studies relating health outcomes to environmental exposures. (jimg@usc.edu)
• Anne Bradford Harris, Ph.D., M.P.H. Visiting Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics; RD. Public health nutrition; child development and developmental disabilities; nutrition and feeding for children with, or at risk for, special health-care needs; interdisciplinary leadership training. (abradfor@usc.edu)
• C. Anderson Johnson, Ph.D., Sidney Garfield Professor of Health Sciences; Professor of Preventive Medicine and Psychology; Director, Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research and Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC); and Director, Postdoctoral Training Programs in Health Behavior Research. Determinants of health-related lifestyles and approaches to prevention of behavioral, social, environmental, and genetic risks for disease. (carljohn@usc.edu)
• Carol Koprowski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor; RD. Diet and nutrition, relationship between diet and physical activity among adolescent girls, nutrition for dialysis patients and those with diabetes. (koprowsk@usc.edu)
• Nino Kuenzli, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor. Investigation of long-term effects of ambient air pollution on health in children and adults, assessment of the public health impact of environmental pollution. (kuenzli@usc.edu)
• Rob McConnell, M.D., Associate Professor. Epidemiology of respiratory disease in children, studies examining causes of asthma and its relationship with indoor and outdoor air pollution. (rmcconne@usc.edu)
• Roberta McKean-Cowdin, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of Research. Epidemiology of breast cancer, including the role of endogenous sex hormones and hormone replacement therapy; epidemiology of childhood brain tumors, including developmental genetics. (mckeanco@usc.edu)
• Paula H. Palmer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical. Social and cultural determinants of health in ethnically diverse populations; school- and community-based research. (ppalmer@usc.edu)
• Louise Ann Rohrbach, Ph.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor of Research. Community-based interventions for disease prevention and health promotion, with emphasis on interventions for prevention of tobacco, alcohol, and other drug abuse. (rohrbac@usc.edu)
• Thomas W. Valente, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Evaluation of health promotion and substance abuse prevention programs, application of social network analysis and mathematical models to health-related behavior. (tvalente@usc.edu)
Participating Faculty
• Ricardo Calderon, M.D., M.P.H., Adjunct Professor. Applied public health practice through strategic leadership, planning, and management of programs. (mrcalderon@dhs.co.la.ca.us)
• Chih-Ping Chou, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Evaluation of approaches to substance abuse prevention among adolescents, evaluation of substance abuse treatment, statistical methods in prevention research. (cchou@usc.edu)
• Clyde W. Dent, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Evaluation of research that examines the onset, prevention, and cessation of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs in large-scale contexts, such as schools, medical clinics, and worksites. (cdent@usc.edu)
• Michael Goran, Ph.D., Professor of Preventive Medicine, Physiology, and Biophysics. Etiology and prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes in children. (goran@usc.edu)
• Elahe Nezami, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Determinants of behavior risk factors for chronic diseases—cancer and cardiovascular disease in particular. (nezami@usc.edu)
• Mary Ann Pentz, Ph.D., Professor. Community-level tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse prevention, prevention policy, and large-scale dissemination. (pentz@usc.edu)
• Kim Reynolds, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director, Ph.D. Program in Health Behavior Research. Diet and physical activity involving the prevention of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases through the modification of diet, physical activity, sun-safety behavior, and substance use. (kdreynol@usc.edu)
• Jean Richardson, Dr.P.H., Professor. Cancer control research that interfaces closely with clinical and epidemiological research and draws upon behavioral research and epidemiological research methods. (jeanr@usc.edu)
• Kimberly D. Siegmund, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Statistical methods for genetic-epidemiology studies. (kims@usc.edu)
• Donna Spruijt-Metz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Adolescent health, particularly in the areas of physical activity and obesity. (dmetz@usc.edu)
• Alan Stacy, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Memory models of addiction and prevention; projects include studying alternative models of alcohol and drug abuse etiology, prevention of drug abuse, and effects of alcohol labeling legislation on adolescents. (astacy@usc.edu)
• Ping Sun, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Technology-facilitated interventions to prevent behavioral risk factors of cardiovascular disease and cancer (e.g., cigarette smoking and obesity). (sping@usc.edu)
• Steven Y. Sussman, Ph.D., Professor, Preventive Medicine and Psychology. Drug abuse prevention and cessation; school-based adolescent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse prevention and cessation research. (ssussma@usc.edu)
• Jennifer B. Unger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Role of psychosocial and cultural factors in adolescent health risk behaviors. (unger@usc.edu)