The University of Chicago’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program has earned accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), a key milestone that affirms the program’s quality and aligns it with national standards in public health education.
Accreditation ensures that MPH graduates have been trained in the core competencies required to work effectively across sectors and public health disciplines, said David Moskowitz, PhD, Senior Instructional Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, who co-directs the MPH program with Diane Lauderdale, PhD, the Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Public Health Sciences.
Moskowitz said the new accreditation also strengthens graduates’ credentials in the job market, where employers often look for degrees from CEPH-accredited programs. “This was a priority from day one,” he said. “We wanted every student, even those in our very first cohort, to have graduated from an accredited program [the accreditation is retroactive]. That’s why we pursued this as early and as quickly as we could.”
UChicago launched its MPH program in 2021, just as the COVID-19 pandemic cast a spotlight on global public health gaps and the need for a new generation of leaders trained in data, policy, and community-based solutions.
The program’s mission: training public health professionals who are community-focused and data-driven, and capable of collaborating with both medical institutions and grassroots partners to solve real-world health challenges.
“We want our students to be scientists, but public-facing scientists,” Moskowitz said. “That means working directly with communities, especially those that don’t always have access to high levels of health literacy or care and using evidence-based solutions to improve outcomes.”
A distinctive program for a diverse student body
While CEPH accreditation ensures all MPH programs cover a common set of core competencies, UChicago’s offering stands out in several ways, Moskowitz said.
The most obvious is its size. Each cohort currently enrolls around 30-35 students, strategically smaller than many peer institutions. That scale creates an intimate and collaborative environment where students form lasting professional and personal connections.
“There’s real value in being part of a select, full-time cohort,” said Moskowitz. “Students know each other well. They network across cohorts. They support each other’s research and careers in ways that just aren’t possible in a 200-student program.”
Moskowitz’s observations resonate with the program’s students.
“I chose UChicago’s MPH program because of its tight-knit, supportive community,” said Kayla Haile, a current MPH student. “I’ve been able to form meaningful connections with professors and classmates who genuinely care about my success.”
Another hallmark is the program’s quantitative rigor. Students are expected to gain fluency in at least one—often two or more—statistical programming languages, including R, STATA, and Python. This technical fluency has become a major draw for students and a selling point for employers.
“In many ways, our students are data scientists from day one,” Moskowitz said. “And we hear from employers all the time, that’s exactly what they’re looking for.”
The program attracts a wide range of students, including future physicians who want a strong public health foundation, aspiring data scientists with an interest in health, and social impact–minded professionals focused on health equity and community change.
Whatever their path, students are expected to apply their learning in the real world. Through community partnerships, applied research, and fieldwork, MPH students engage directly with public health issues affecting Chicago and beyond.
Faculty play an active role in mentoring and connecting students to these opportunities. That access often translates into meaningful experiences for students.
“UChicago’s MPH program is led by professors and staff who are highly respected in their fields, which gives students access to career-shaping experiences,” said Gabriel Harmon, MPH’23, now a research coordinator at Endeavor Health. “My capstone project will be published in a national textbook—an opportunity that came about because my professor was recruited to contribute and brought me into the process.”
Evolving to meet student needs
When the program was launched, it offered three concentrations: Data Science, Public Health Policy, and Epidemiology & Global Health. Each concentration aligned with the expertise of UChicago faculty and the program’s commitment to real-world impact. As students progressed through the curriculum, program leaders actively sought feedback and quickly identified opportunities to adapt.
“Some students expected public health policy to be more focused on managing health institutions, rather than the economics-heavy lens we use,” Moskowitz explained. “So, we responded.”
That response was the creation of a fourth concentration, Community Health Promotion, designed for students interested in nonprofit leadership, community-based healthcare, and building stronger ties between local organizations and large institutions like UChicago Medicine.
The curriculum has also expanded in other ways. New electives include courses on climate and public health, as well as the impact of private equity on healthcare systems. New faculty are bringing research and teaching expertise in areas like reproductive health equity and geographic information systems (GIS). And a forthcoming course on health education aims to prepare students to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam, adding a new professional credential to their toolkit.
“We’re constantly thinking about what our students will need to lead in this field,” said Moskowitz. “We plan to continue to evolve in response to student interests and career goals.”
