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Graduate Programs

Program Overview

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Advance health equity in a variety of local, state, national, and global health settings, including research, policy-making, and implementation.
Flexibility: in-person*, hybrid, remote
 

MS in Population Health Management | CAHME Certified

Address the determinants of health using data science and epidemiology, and develop methods advancing health equity.
Flexibility: fully remote and asynchronous
 

Ph.D. in Population Health 

Pursue an independent line of inquiry and develop a robust, self-determined body of Population Health research.
Flexibility: in-person only
 

Graduate Certificate in Population Health 

Flexibility: in-person*, hybrid, remote
 

Graduate Certificate in Global Health

Flexibility: in-person*, hybrid, remote
 

*International students who elect to participate in person must be enrolled as full-time students with a minimum of 9 credits. 

Graduate Admissions Information Sessions

Info Sessions for MPH and MS Programs (virtual):

Ready to Apply?

Applications for the 2025/2026 academic year are now open: APPLY HERE.

4+1 Accelerated Master's Program

Current Lehigh undergraduate students who have achieved junior standing (a minimum of 54 credits) and have earned a minimum overall GPA of 3.5  may elect to be enrolled in the 4+1 accelerated BS/MS program or 4+1 accelerated BA/MS program, whereby they complete the MS program in one year after the completion of their undergraduate degree, and the successful completion (a grade "B" or higher) in twelve (12) credits of graduate coursework. Program requirements and deadlines and can be found on the Admissions website.  Students in the 4+1 accelerated program are expected to start the MS program as full-time graduate students immediately following the undergraduate program’s completion.

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Lehigh University's Master of Public Health (MPH) degree prepares graduate students to work in a variety of local, state, national, and global public health research, practice, and policymaking settings. Students gain expertise in the core domains of public health, investigate and address the determinants of health using data science, and develop novel and effective avenues for disease prevention and health promotion. The program combines foundational courses in public health with additional courses in data science, qualitative research methods, leadership, cultural understanding and health, and policymaking. Students gain knowledge and skills through coursework, experiential learning opportunities, research projects, and engagement with traditional and non- traditional partners to pursue a healthier world.

CourseCourse TitleCredits
Core Requirements1
BSTA 402Biostatistics in Health3
BSTA 403Health Applications in Statistical Learning3
EPI 404/304Methods in Epidemiology I23
EPI 405Methods in Epidemiology II3
POPH 405Qualitative Research Methods3
POPH 409Social Determinants of Health3
POPH 431Environmental Health Sciences3
PUBH 401Health Promotion and Education3
PUBH 402Health Services, Administration, Politics, and Policy3
PUBH 403Health Program Planning and Implementation3
PUBH 405Program Evaluation Methods3
PUBH 410Applied Practice Experience3
PUBH 411Public Health Capstone3
Electives1One graduate-level course, chosen in consultation with an adviser. Students are encouraged to take a course that will provide them with additional expertise in substantive and/or methodological areas of interest. This course can be taken outside the College of Health, but advisor approval is required.23
 Total Credits42
1 For students enrolled in the 4+1 accelerated BS/MPH or BA/MPH program, courses taken during the student’s undergraduate degree cannot be applied as an undergraduate degree requirement.
2 If EPI 304/EPI 404 Methods in Epidemiology I was completed at the undergraduate level at the College of Health, the student is expected to take EPI 450 Special Topics in Epidemiology instead.

 

Master of Science in Population Health Management

NEXT INTAKE: FALL 2026
Applications open in Fall, 2025

Lehigh University's Master of Science (MS) in Population Health Management program prepares graduate students to design, implement, and improve systems and programs that enhance the health and well-being of a community or population. Specifically, students will gain valuable knowledge and skills to investigate and address health determinants, and develop novel and effective avenues for disease diagnosis and prevention, health promotion, and intervention.

We have designed our curriculum around a set of core competencies that define professional excellence in population health management. The curriculum combines foundational courses in population health with additional courses in healthcare management, health data science, epidemiology, and qualitative research methods. Beyond coursework, learning activities also include experiential learning opportunities, research projects, and engagement with traditional and non-traditional community partners to pursue a healthier world.

The MS degree requires a minimum of 33 credits. It provides students with a strong conceptual background in population health, healthcare management, and extensive methodological expertise in health data science, epidemiology, and qualitative research. 

Certified: Population Health Management

The MS in Population Health Management program at Lehigh University is a founding member of the Population Health Management Accreditation Program at The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). Our program is one of the first five programs that received the CAHME certification status in 2022.

As a proud CAHME Certified program, students enrolled in the MS in Population Health program receive no-cost access to American Hospital Association (AHA) Professional Membership, a free Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Student Membership, and a complimentary Modern Healthcare Classic Subscription. These resources provide you with opportunities to network with industry leaders, read up on industry trends via newsletters, magazines, background papers and other publications, discover career opportunities, and more.

CourseCourse TitleCredits
Core Requirements1
BSTA 402Biostatistics in Health3
CGH 331Health Services, Administration, Politics, and Policy3
CGH 335Healthcare Operations Management3
POPH 401Population Health Concepts and Methods23
POPH 403Biological Basis of Population Health: Concepts and Methods3
POPH 409Social Determinants of Population Health3
PUBH 402Health Services, Administration, Politics, and Policy3
Select one other 400-level BSTA course
 BSTA 403Applications in Statistical Learning3
 BSTA 404Data Architecture, Mining, and Linkage3
EPI 404Methods in Epidemiology I3
POPH 405Qualitative Research Methods3
POPH 410Population Health Capstone/Thesis Project3
 Total Credits33
For students enrolled in the 4+1 accelerated BS/MS program or  BA/MS program, courses taken during the student’s undergraduate degree cannot be double-counted as an undergraduate degree requirement. 
2 4+1 students who have taken BSTA 101/102 and BSTA 103/104 as undergraduates should not take BSTA 402 but will still need to fulfill those three credits with another quantitative course approved by advisor. 

 

PhD in Population Health

The PhD in Population Health degree prepares doctoral students to investigate, integrate and address health determinants using data science and develop novel and effective avenues for disease diagnosis and prevention, health promotion and intervention. The program combines foundational courses in population health with additional data science, qualitative research methods, population health survey methods, research ethics and policymaking. By providing a strong disciplinary and methodological foundation in population health through coursework, experiential learning opportunities, research projects and engagement with traditional and non-traditional partners to pursue a healthier world, the PhD program prepares students to pursue an independent line of inquiry and develop their own body of research.  All PhD students will be fully funded.

CourseCourse TitleCredits
Core Requirements27
POPH 401Population Health Concepts and Methods 
POPH 403Biological Basis of Population Health: Concepts and Methods 
POPH 405Qualitative Research Methods 
POPH 409Social Determinants of Population Health 
POPH 412Research Ethics in Population Health 
POPH 416Grant Writing 
BSTA 402Health Data and Computational Science 
CGH 417Teaching Community and Population Health 
EPI 404/304Methods in Epidemiology I1 
Methods or Electives27
Twelve graduate-level courses, a minimum of 36 credits, chosen in consultation with an adviser. Students are encouraged to take courses that will provide them with additional expertise in substantive and/or methodological areas of interest; three of these courses must focus on a methodological area of interest. Courses taken outside the College of Health must be approved by an advisor.
Population Health Dissertation Proposal26
POPH 482Population Health Dissertation Proposal 
Students will work closely with their doctoral advisor and doctoral committee to develop their dissertation proposal. Students will orally defend their dissertation proposal to their doctoral committee and will need to obtain approval before proceeding to the dissertation phase.
Population Health Dissertation312
POPH 499Population Health Dissertation 
Students will work closely with their doctoral advisor and doctoral committee to complete their dissertation project. Students will be required to pass their dissertation defense and incorporate feedback from the committee in order to meet the graduation requirements for the doctoral degree.
Total Minimum Credits72
1 If EPI 304 /EPI 404 Methods in Epidemiology I was completed at the undergraduate level at the College of Health, the student will be expected to take EPI 450 Special Topics in Epidemiology or a second epidemiology course selected in conjunction with an advisor instead.
2 If students complete 72 credits beyond the undergraduate degree and prior to advancing to candidacy, they need to be enrolled in at least 3 credit hours per semester.
3 After completion of 72 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree, students are permitted to register for ‘Maintenance of Candidacy’ and will be charged a single credit hour of graduate tuition per semester.

 


 

Graduate Certificate Programs

The graduate certificates in Population Health and in Global Health will prepare students to learn and apply graduate-level introductory concepts and methodology in population health and global health. Certificate programs are ideal for students who may not be ready to commit to a Master's program. The 12 credits earned through the certificate program can be applied toward either the MPH or the MS in Population Health.

Graduate Certificate in Population Health

CourseCourse TitleCredits
POPH 401Population Health Concepts and Methods3
EPI 404/304Methods in Epidemiology I3
BSTA 402Health Data and Computational Science 
or POPH 405Qualitative Research Methods3
Elective chosen in consulattion with the advisor3-4
 Total Credits12-13

 

Graduate Certificate in Global Health

CourseCourse TitleCredits
POPH 413Foundations of Global Health3
POPH 414Global Health Research or Field Experience3
BSTA 402Health Data and Computational Science 
or POPH 405Qualitative Research Methods3
Elective chosen in consultation with the adviser3
 Total Credits12

Contact Us!

Request more information or email us at cohgrad@lehigh.edu.