As an urban public research institution and safety-net provider, VCU has a long history of prioritizing the public health needs of communities. The 2023 approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia allowed VCU’s public health degree programs to unite as one academic entity. The School of Public Health will train a public health workforce that is ready to serve the commonwealth, the nation and the world.
The Master of Public Health has been accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health since 1996 and has the first known concentration in cancer health equity science. The School of Public Health is also home to Virginia’s first Ph.D. program in epidemiology. The school offers numerous graduate degrees taught by faculty in biostatistics, epidemiology, social behavioral science and health policy. Students may also earn a Certificate in Genomics Data Science.
Each advanced degree program is represented by a graduate program director, each of which is appointed either by the chair of the department administering the program or the dean. Graduate program directors administer all aspects of their programs and represent their programs within and outside of the School of Public Health.
Enrollment in the degree programs offered by the School of Public Health allows students to learn from exceptional researchers and educators, engage in community-centered research and be immersed in experiential learning with VCU’s many public health partners, including the Virginia Department of Health. Working in concert with students, faculty and the community, the school will create a hub for developing, evaluating and implementing high-impact programs to reduce disparities in health and disseminate knowledge that will impact populations across the country.