Bachelor's-to-Master's Programs
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Bachelor’s Degree to Master of Public Health (MPH)
Bachelor’s to MPH (BA/MPH, BS/MPH and BSPH/MPH) with a concentration in Environment, Climate and Health
Gillings School of Global Public Health with the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering currently offers BA/MPH, BS/MPH and BSPH/MPH professional degrees, subsequently referred to as bachelor’s to MPH.
The bachelor’s to MPH degrees with a concentration in Environment, Climate and Health (ECH) are terminal degrees designed for students who are interested in careers in public health and environmental health practice. The MPH is a CEPH-accredited public health degree. Graduates of the program will be equipped to identify environmental and climate-related health risks, assess exposure levels and design, implement, and evaluate solutions that protect public health. Read more/less.
Reflection from Jean-Pierre (Trey) Kanumuambidi
“Water and sanitation in rural India is vastly different from that which is available in North Carolina and throughout the U.S. Taking the skills obtained in class and applying them overseas in an area where basic sewage systems are limited was a remarkable learning experience during my practicum.”
-Jean Pierre (Trey) Kanumuambidi,
UNC Biology BS, ’19; MPH ‘20
Program Components
The bachelor’s to MPH degrees with a concentration in Environmental Health Solutions include:
- 42 total credits of MPH coursework
- Gillings MPH Core: Fourteen (14) credit hours of integrated public health curriculum
- Concentration Required Courses: ENVR 430, 500, 580, and 775 are required of all students along with 5 credit hours in ENVR Selectives (i.e., disciplinary domain courses), for a total of fifteen (15) credit hours. Note that students who have already completed ENVR 430, 500, 580 or 775 will need to fulfill those course credits with substitute courses approved by the MPH program director
- Electives: A minimum of nine (9) credit hours of relevant courses of interest
- Practicum: Two-hundred (200) hours +1 credit hr of practice-based experience to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom
- Capstone: Course in Global Environmental Crisis Management (3 credits) involves solutions-oriented interdisciplinary teamwork on simulated environmental crises and an individual technical report.
- Double count up to twelve (12) credit hours of graduate courses completed during undergraduate studies. To optimize course sequencing and time to degree, students should plan to take twelve (12) credit hours of MPH core courses in their senior year of undergrad. These courses may be counted towards both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Eligibility
- Be a junior or senior at UNC and making progress towards an undergraduate degree. We encourage students to apply during their junior years so that they can take MPH courses in sequence to prevent graduation delays.
- Current seniors should submit a formal application to the program using this Graduate School link. Current juniors should complete a pre-application.
Requirements and Sample Plan of Study
BSPH to MPH Requirements (2024-25 Academic Year)
BSPH to MPH Sample Plan of Study (2024-25 Academic Year)
Sample Course Plan of Study 2023-24 (PDF)
Schedule a Virtual Visit
Undergraduates considering the program should contact the program director or academic coordinator for a virtual meeting or plan to attend an upcoming webinar or virtual open house.
Adia Ware
Academic Coordinator for ECH
aware@.unc.edu
Courtney Woods, PhD
MPH Program Director
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
courtney.woods@unc.edu
Bachelor’s Degree to Master of Science (MS)
Bachelor’s to MS (BS/MS and BSPH/MS)
The Gillings School of Global Public Health with the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering currently offers BS/MS and BSPH/MS degrees, subsequently referred to as bachelors to MS.
The bachelor’s to MS degrees are designed for students who may want to continue for a PhD or may want to go into environmental health, sciences and engineering practice. Students in the program will work with their advisor to design a specialized course of study (specialized coursework) and will conduct a research project leading to a thesis and publication. Read more/less.
Program Components
The bachelor’s to MS includes:
- 24 credits of formal coursework (30 credits total)
- Public Health. Six (6) credit hours of public health curriculum are required, specifically SPHG 600 and ENVR 601.
- ESE Required Courses. In addition to our one (1) credit seminar (ENVR 400), students must take at least nine (9) credits of specialized courses to provide depth in an area of ESE and to provide the knowledge needed to conduct research. These courses are determined by the student in consultation with their graduate research advisor. In addition, the student must master one (1) research skill through a course, workshop or training leading to certification.
- Electives.
- Total of 24 credits of formalized coursework. A total of 24 credits of formal coursework must be taken, including electives. This is beyond any courses that are needed to complete the student’s undergraduate degree and all undergraduate majors, minors and certificates.
- Comprehensive Exam. This is an oral defense of the student’s research thesis.
- Transfer up to twelve (12) credit hours of graduate courses completed during undergraduate studies. To optimize course sequencing and time to degree, students should plan to take 12 credit hours of in their senior year of undergrad. These credits may count towards both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Course selection should be coordinated with their graduate research advisor.
Eligibility
- Be a senior at UNC preparing to graduate and enter a master’s degree in the immediate fall/spring term following graduation.
- Demonstrate a strong STEM background.
- Submit a formal application to the program through the Graduate School by the application deadline using this link for Internal UNC Applicants only.
Schedule a Virtual Visit
Undergraduates considering the program should contact the academic coordinator for a virtual meeting or plan to attend an upcoming webinar or virtual open house (https://sph.unc.edu/students/visit-us/). They should also look on the ESE research page (https://sph.unc.edu/envr/department-research/) and identify faculty whose research interests are similar to theirs. They are encouraged to contact faculty to discuss research possibilities as early as possible, even during sophomore year.
Jason West, PhD
ESE Graduate Program Director
jjwest@email.unc.edu