Graduate School of Public Health

The Graduate School of Public Health consists of programs offered by the Departments of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Biostatistics, Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, Human Genetics, and Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, the multidisciplinary MPH program for doctoral-level health professionals, and nine certificates. Programs and specialty tracks, including joint programs, are detailed under individual department sections.

The mission of the Graduate School of Public Health (Pitt Public Health) is to promote health, prevent disease, and achieve health equity for everyone through leadership in education, research, and service. Visit our Web site, www.publichealth.pitt.edu, for more information.

Contact Information

Office of Student Affairs
A519 Crabtree
412-624-3002
Fax: 412-624-3755
E-mail: stuaff@pitt.edu
www.publichealth.pitt.edu

Joint, Dual, and Cooperative Degree Programs

Certificate Programs

Admissions

GSPH Admissions Requirements  

Early Admission

University of Pittsburgh undergraduates may apply for early admission to a number of master’s degree programs. Students must have completed the number of undergraduate credits required by their school before they can become a Pitt Public Health student.

3+2 Accelerated Master’s Program Admission Requirements  

Financial Aid

Almost all Pitt Public Health doctoral students and many master’s students receive financial aid. Most financial aid is provided through the departments, and the amount of aid available varies among programs. Applicants should contact departments directly for information about available financial aid.

GSPH Tuition & Financial Aid  

Academic Standards and Academic Integrity

Students are expected to exhibit academic honesty and to uphold the ethical standards of public health professionals. A student who is not in satisfactory academic standing will be placed on probation and may be subject to dismissal. Students should refer to the Pitt Public Health academic handbook for complete information on the school’s academic performance standards.

Grading Policies

The Graduate School of Public Health follows the University’s letter grade system in evaluating student performance in course work, though a variety of options are detailed below.

Pitt Public Health school-wide core courses are graded A, B, C, etc.

Students electing to audit a course must register for the course as for any other course, and must also complete a grade option form in the Office of Student Affairs and obtain the instructor’s permission to audit the course. Students receive a grade of N for audited courses and receive no academic credit for the course.

See the Grading and Records  section of this bulletin for detailed discussion of University Grading System and Grading Options.

Course Repeat

A student may repeat a course in which a grade of B- or lower is received if authorized by the student’s advisor. Students may not repeat a school-wide core course or required departmental course more than once (i.e., course may only be taken twice), and students who fail a school-wide core course or required departmental course twice are subject to dismissal. (See Pitt Public Health academic dismissal and probation guidelines. See also Repeating Courses for more information.)

GPA Calculation

In general, a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA) is obtained by dividing the total number of letter grade credits taken in the graduate program into the total number of quality points earned in the graduate program.

Courses taken to correct undergraduate course deficiencies and courses taken at other institutions are not included in the calculation of the GPA.

Advanced Standing and Transfer Credits

For details on advanced standing and transfer credits, students should consult the Pitt Public Health academic handbook. Acceptance of transfer credits is at the discretion of the program.

Acceptance of a maximum of 12 credits taken as a non-degree student at Pitt Public Health is at the discretion of the program.

Students enrolled at Pitt Public Health may take credits in another school or institution, providing that their department has approved application of those credits to the degree requirements. In all cases, any combination of advanced standing credits and credits taken from another school or institution during enrollment at Pitt Public Health may not exceed the limits established by the University or the Regulations Governing Graduate Study at the University of Pittsburgh.

Academic Advising

The Graduate School of Public Health considers effective academic advising an essential component of educating students. Departments have the primary responsibility for identifying and assigning to each student a major advisor, who, in consultation with the student, plans a program of study and research in accord with school and departmental guidelines. Departments are expected to provide students with a copy of school and departmental regulations appropriate for their program, and students are expected to become familiar with University, Pitt Public Health, and department regulations concerning graduate study and to accept responsibility for the completion of all degree requirements.

The student’s academic advisor is to direct and assist the student in the selection of classes and the conduct of research. Waivers from program requirements are processed at the program level, and waivers from school requirements by the Office of Student Affairs. The Application for Graduation is processed through the Pitt Public Health Office of Student Affairs after clearance has been received from the academic advisor. A student will be certified for graduation only after the academic advisor has confirmed that all degree requirements have been met.

For students required to take preliminary, comprehensive, or defense examinations, the academic advisor, in consultation with the student, designates faculty members to act as the examining committee.

Each doctoral student is required to complete an Individual Development Plan per year and to submit it to his/her advisor.

Each doctoral student, together with the student’s doctoral committee, is responsible for assuring accomplishment of all elements of the student’s course of studies, including the core requirements, the research tools requirement, course work in the field of specialization, advanced standing, the qualifying and comprehensive examinations, and the dissertation overview and its final oral defense.

Placement

Pitt Public Health - The Career Services office offers programs, services and resources to help master’s and doctoral students as they prepare for employment or additional training in their chosen field of study. These services include Pitt Bridges, an online job board where jobs and training positions are posted weekly. Career counseling appointments are available to help with resume/CV critiques, cover letters, and mock interviews. Students can also register for skills- based workshops that are held regularly on a variety of topics. Networking functions and public health job fairs are also sponsored by this office.

Faculty

GSPH Primary Faculty  

Pitt Public Health Course Offerings

http://www.publichealth.pitt.edu/home/academics/courses

A number of courses of general interest to all departments are offered. Descriptions may be found at www.publichealth.pitt.edu/home/prospective-students/academics/classes/course-descriptions.

A list of course offerings by department may be accessed through the departmental sections of this bulletin.

Program and Course Offerings