3. Departments
3. DepartmentsThe School of Public Health and Health Sciences is comprised of six departments: Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Environmental Health Sciences, Health Promotion & Policy, Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.
Biostatistics & Epidemiology
Biostatistics and Epidemiology are complementary disciplines both academically and professionally. These related fields are based on the mathematical, natural, and social sciences. In the Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, state of the art M.P.H, M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs are offered. The Epidemiology faculty work closely with the Biostatistics faculty, and are involved in multiple avenues of research, including community-based research, women’s health issues, physical activity, nutrition, and biomarkers. The Department Chair is Professor Lisa Chasan-Taber.
Information on the Biostatistics program and a faculty and staff listing can be found at: https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/about/directory/faculty/program-area/biostatistics
Information on the Epidemiology program and a faculty and staff listing can be found at: https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/about/directory/faculty/program-area/epidemiology
Health Promotion & Policy
The Department of Health Promotion and Policy offers academic programs in Community Health Education and Health Policy and Management that are related academically and professionally. Both fields are based on the social and behavioral sciences. Much of the work in the department involves community-based participatory research and the department faculty are involved in community engagement efforts including several projects in Western Massachusetts. The Department Chair is Associate Professor Sarah Goff.
Information on the Community Health Education program and a faculty and staff listing can be found at: https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/about/directory/faculty/program-area/community-health-education
Information on the Health Policy and Management program and a faculty and staff listing can be found.
Environmental Health Sciences
The Department of Environmental Health Sciences combines the public health sciences of biostatistics, environmental health and epidemiology with natural sciences, mathematics and engineering to provide a quantitative basis to measure and mitigate the effects of environmental stressors on human health. The Department Chair is Professor Song Liang. A faculty and staff listing can be found for the Department of Environmental Health Sciences here.
Kinesiology
The Department of Kinesiology offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human movement, investigating the mechanical, neurological, biochemical, physiological, and behavior components of human movement. Health and wellbeing outcomes of exercise and physical activity are considered for a variety of populations. The department offers programs resulting in Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The Chair of the Department is Professor Richard van Emmerik. A faculty and staff listing can be found here.
Nutrition
The Department of Nutrition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is among the most comprehensive nutrition departments in New England, offering training at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral level, along with dietetic internship (DI) experiences and off-campus outreach and education. The Department of Nutrition also includes Nutrition Extension faculty, a program supported as part of the Land Grant status of the Institution. The department’s undergraduate program is accredited with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, ensuring that students achieve national standards of competency. Graduate offerings include the 4+1 Accelerated MS in Nutrition, MS in Nutrition, the PhD in Public Health, Nutrition option, and fully online MPH and MS degrees in Nutrition. The department also offers an online MPH/DI option. The Department Chair is Associate Professor Lindiwe Sibeko. A faculty and staff listing can be found here.
Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
The field of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences is involved in the study of the normative processes underlying speech, language, and hearing abilities, as well as the effects of disorders and/or differences in any of these areas on communication function. Professionals in the field of speech-language pathology and audiology are responsible for the evaluation and treatment of individuals with communicative disorders. They work with children and adults in education and health care systems, including public schools, early intervention centers, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and private practice offices. The department offers a wide range of academic programs, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degree options. The Chair of the Department is Associate Professor Sarah Poissant. A faculty and staff listing can be found here.
Online Programs
The School of Public Health and Health Sciences offers two fully online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree programs and one blended satellite MPH program in association with the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts. These programs are designed for working health care, public health, and nutrition professionals. All programs are part-time, flexible, and allow professionals to complete an MPH degree on their own time without the need to leave their current positions. The Executive Director of all online programs in the school is Lori Peterson. More information about the programs and a faculty and staff listing: https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/about/directory/faculty/program-area/professional-programs
MPH-Public Health Practice
This program is one of the first fully online MPH programs in the country and was established in 2001. The program is a generalized degree, where students complete coursework in all five areas of concentration in public health. Students are required to apply what they learn in the field through the completion of a practicum experience and all students complete the degree with a capstone. The Director of the online MPH and Public Health Practice Program is Lawrence Pellegrini. More information about the program can be found at: https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/academics/professional-programs/mph-public-health-practice
MPH-Nutrition
The Master of Public Health in Nutrition was established in 2008, the first fully online degree of its kind. The program incorporates the five core areas of public health with a concentration in nutrition. Students work in interdisciplinary teams and incorporate critical thinking and experiential learning in their course work and receive advanced training in public health nutrition and health program management. The Director of the online MPH in Nutrition program is Heather Wemhoener. More information about the program can be found at: https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/academics/professional-programs/online-mph-nutrition
MPH-Blended Program in Worcester
The MPH-blended program offered in Worcester is designed to work around the demanding lives of medical and public health professionals. The program is blended, offering both on-campus evening courses and online web-based courses. The program offers four different areas of concentration: the general public health practice concentration, epidemiology, health policy and management, and an option specifically tailored for current medical students. The majority of courses are provided online. The director of the MPH-Blended Program in Worcester is Jackie Coghlin-Strom. More information about the program can be found at: https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/academics/professional-programs/blended-mph-worcester-program
Centers, Institutes and Programs
The School of Public Health and Health Sciences provides leadership in several centers and institutes that foster trans-disciplinary research, teaching and service that spans the basic and applied sciences and public health, clinical practice and community applications. Centers reside within school and colleges, and report to the Dean. Institutes cross schools and colleges and report to the Vice Chancellor of Research and Engagement. The SPHHS hosts the following groups:
- The Institute for Global Health (IGH)
- The Northeast Regional Environmental Public Health Center (NREPHC)
- The Center for Community Health Equity Research (CCHER)
In addition, individual departments within the SPHHS host the following centers, institutes, and programs:
- The Center for Language, Speech, and Hearing (SLHS Dept)
- Massachusetts Nutrient Data Bank (Nutrition Dept)
- UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program (NEP) (Nutrition Dept)
- The Biostatistics Consulting Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (BioEpi Dept)
- The Center for Program Evaluation (HPP Dept)