Master of Science in Public Health: Public Health Informatics

The MSPH in public health informatics is aimed toward students with strong quantitative skills interested in statistical research.

Skills

MSPH public health informatics students learn how to:

  • Analyze how public health information is acquired, organized, and used.
  • Introduce new technology and distribute information systems to support public health decision-making.
  • Understand issues in population-level disease surveillance and health outcomes.
  • Use basic terminologies in public health.
  • Have a firm foundation in geographic information systems, advanced database management systems, and analytics.

Jobs

Graduates of the MPH program are well positioned for biostatistical analyst positions as part of research teams in government, industry, or academia.

Click the pie chart to see careers of alumni, by sector.

Careers by Sector

Admission Requirements

In addition to the SOPHAS application, all applicants will need to submit the following materials when applying to Rollins.

  • College transcripts
  • GRE scores 
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Personal statement
  • Resume (optional)

Detailed information about each of these admission requirements can be found in Admissions.

Department Requirements

  • GRE scores in the 70th percentile or above
  • GPA of 3.0 or above
  • Background or interest in health or biomedical sciences
  • Previous courses in numerical analysis and calculus are desirable
  • Computational competencies gained from intro database management systems classes or experience
  • International applicants whose native language is not English must score 85 or above on all sections of the Test of English as a Foreign Language exam
  • Computational and quantitative background

MSPH in Public Health Informatics Degree Requirements

48 credit hours, successful completion of a practicum and capstone and a B- GPA or higher

Applied Practice Experience

All Rollins MPH and MSPH students are required to complete a 200-400 hour The Applied Practice Experience (APE) is a unique opportunity for graduate students to integrate and apply practical skills and training learned through coursework in a professional public health work environment.  In most cases, students can use a part-time work position, graduate assistantship or internship to meet the Applied Practice Experience requirement.  The Applied Practice Experience is a significant educational experience that requires a minimum of 200 clock hours in a public health agency, institution, or community under the supervision of a Field Supervisor and the guidance of the student's department and/or the Office of Career Development. 

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Capstone Course

MSPH students must complete a Program Planning or Special Topics capstone seminar. In Program Planning, students apply basic program planning skills—including problem analysis, needs assessment, intervention design, implementation, and evaluation to a public health problem of interest. In the Special Topics seminar, students critically examine the concepts, theories, and methods applied to study a particular health outcome and evaluate related interventions with an agenda for future action. Regardless of the capstone format, students will undertake an independent project that will result in a substantial paper and a public presentation.

During my previous study experience, I became fascinated with the beauty of statistics, and realized the great importance of both medical information systems and public health surveillance systems. So, I enrolled in the public health informatics MPH program at Rollins, which provided me with an excellent platform for studying developments in biomedical and public health Informatics in the United States.
Ye Ye

Ye Ye

MSPH 2011