DMD-MPH Dual Degree

Temple University's Department of Public Health and the Kornberg School of Dentistry have created a program whereby dental students may obtain a Masters in Public Health (MPH) while they complete the DMD program. This degree combination enhances careers in medicine by enabling physicians to better understand and address the social, behavioral and environmental factors that influence the health and health practices of their patients. Additional benefits include new career opportunities and access to a broader base of external funding.

Temple's MPH is fully accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH) and provides a credential that indicates competency in social, environmental, and behavioral aspects of health, the analytic sciences of epidemiology and biostatistics, and principles of health service management, including program planning, evidence-based practice, and evaluation.

The combined DMD-MPH degree program interweaves the dental school curriculum and the public health curriculum so that students will add only one year to their school experience. The first year of study (Fall, Spring and Summer sessions) in the DMD/MPH program will be spent in the College of Health Professions and Social Work’s, Department of Public Health, where the student will complete the majority (24-30 credit hours) of the required MPH courses. After completion of the first year MPH curriculum, students will proceed to matriculate into the School of Dentistry, finishing the remainder of the required MPH courses and field work on a part-time basis over a four year period.

The Department of Public Health offers four MPH concentrations to choose from:

MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS)

This MPH program has a strong focus on addressing the behavioral, social and cultural factors related to individual and population health and the social and behavioral aspects of community health, health communication, program implementation and evaluation, and health education.

MPH in Environmental Health (EH)

MPH in Environmental Health is designed to prepare graduates for practice-oriented careers in environmental health and management, with an emphasis on examining environmental factors and environmental policy that affect the health and sustainable environments of communities.

MPH in Epidemiology & Biostatistics (EBS)

The MPH in Epidemiology & Biostatistics is a terminal, professional degree for those students who desire to receive fundamental training in the public health sciences, epidemiological study design, chronic and infectious disease surveillance, and core biostatistical methods.

MPH in Global Health (GH)

This program is intended for students interested in exploring how globalization is affecting determinants of health, the health status of populations, health policy and the capacity of nation states to deal with health and disease. Temple University is an international institution with a global focus with Temple campuses in China, Japan, Rome, and London. This concentration builds upon departmental faculty strengths in global health training and research programs in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

The MPH curriculum includes the following core courses in the broad disciplines of public health: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Science, Health Policy and Management, Public Health Practice, and Social and Behavioral Sciences; as well as cross-cutting competencies such as cultural competency, leadership, and public health biology.

MPH degree requirements for dual degree students in medicine:

Dual degree students receive 6 semester hours (2 courses) of credit towards the elective requirement of the MPH based on their medical schoolwork. As such, the dual degree program is an efficient way for students to complete the two degrees.

Culminating Experience: MPH Fieldwork

Students have the opportunity to select an appropriate fieldwork experience to apply theory and skills in the classroom to public health practice. Fieldwork sites are selected based on individual student interest, competency requirements within the declared MPH program (SBS, EH, EBS or GH), and advisement from the MPH program faculty. Six hours of fieldwork coursework (a two course sequence) during the final year of the program enables students to reinforce guidelines for ethics, professionalism, skills development, and linkages between the domains and cross-cutting competencies of public health to essential service areas in public health practice.

The MPH culminating experience requires students to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experience, and to apply theory and principles in professional practice through an internship or independent project.

In the fieldwork practicum, students complete an in-depth community-based project in one of a wide range of approved local health agencies in order to gain experience in applying skills acquired in the academic program, including epidemiological assessment of health problems, program development, data management and analysis, and program evaluation.

Particular skills targeted include: reviewing and critiquing research literature, managing background data, selecting appropriate interventions based on theory and previous evaluation activities, planning and implementation of a formal project, developing tools and systems necessary for project completion, collecting and analyzing data, time management, and interpersonal skills. International fieldwork opportunities are available in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.