Education and Training

The Department of Public Health Sciences's educational responsibilities are focused on medical and dental students, residents, the public health workforce, and other health care professionals.

Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education

M Delta
Public Health Sciences faculty participate in the School of Medicine curriculum, called M Delta (Making a Difference in Education, Learning, and Teaching Across the Curriculum) which has three stages, with most of the typical classroom course work occurring in Stage 1, but with some elements continuing throughout the curriculum. Our faculty contribute to the courses: VITALS (Vertically Integrated Teams Aligned in Learning and Scholarship), DoCC (Delivery of Clinical Care), COrE (Case Oriented Essentials), and Clinical Home as well as have involvement in Home Week and the Scholarship and Discovery Capstone projects.

Certificate in Social Determinants of Health and Disparities

The Certificate in Social Determinants of Health and Disparities (CSDH&D) is intended to train 21st century health care and public health practitioners with skills and vision necessary to identify health disparities and develop public policies that promote health equity. The certificate provides students with both conceptual understanding and practical skills. UConn Medical and Dental students enrolled in the CSDH&D complete the equivalent of four graduate level courses (PUBH 5201, 5202, 5408, and 5409) while simultaneously completing Years 1 and 2 of the School of Medicine’s MDelta curriculum. Subject matter of the certificate focuses on principles and methods for examining the distribution and determinants of health and health care services across populations, the origins and impact of social inequality/inequity in society, and the resources and evidence-based opportunities to remedy observed disparities in health care and outcomes.

Community Based Education
Community oriented primary care is the governing philosophy of this program and incorporates community needs assessment, population-based planning and intervention, community participation and evaluation. Community based education has developed educational experiences with a variety of community programs, including more than 150 community programs located across numerous Connecticut towns, that compliments the classroom learning in the School of Medicine. Stacey Brown, Ph.D., director of UConn's Community Based Education Program is an associate professor in this department.

Undergraduate Public Health Education

In an effort to assure that every UConn undergraduate has access to the field of public health, the Program in Applied Public Health Sciences offers PUBH 1001 Introduction to Public Health and PUBH 3001 Introduction to Epidemiology to students on the Storrs campus. Courses are open to all individuals, regardless of major or year of study.

Program in Applied Public Health Sciences

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
The M.P.H. degree's purpose is “to prepare public health professionals ... in order to benefit the well-being of Connecticut residents and others through organized, comprehensive, effective and just action.” The curriculum focuses on applied public health practice to prepare leaders for our state’s workforce. Dual degree options are available for students in the schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Law, Social Work, and Nursing. The M.P.H. program is directed by David Gregorio, Ph.D. The Master of Public Health program is nationally accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Learn More.

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health (Ph.D.)
The Ph.D. offered at UConn is particularly strong in three areas including: social and behavioral health sciences, occupational and environmental health sciences, and chronic disease epidemiology. The Ph.D. in public health is designed to prepare future public health leaders with the academic skills needed to enhance health in human populations, focusing on the preparation of researchers, teachers, public health administrators, clinicians, and industry employees competent to carry out the broad public health mission within Connecticut. Learn More.

Graduate Certificate Programs