I. School History and Organization

About the School of Public Health and Health Sciences

History of the University of Massachusetts Amherst

One of today's leading centers of public higher education in the Northeast, the University of Massachusetts Amherst was established in 1863 under the original Morrill Land Grant Act. Its campus is the oldest and largest in the state university system. The University has achieved a reputation for excellence in an increasing number of disciplines, for the breadth of its academic offerings, and for the expansion of its historic roles in education, research, and public service. The University prides itself on the diversity of its student body, and is committed to the principles of affirmative action, civility, equal opportunity, and the free exchange of ideas.

History of the School of Public Health and Health Sciences

The Department of Public Health was first created in 1938 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (then known as Massachusetts State College). It joined the School of Public Health in 1973. In 1978, it was accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the 16th school of public health to be accredited by CEPH nationally. CEPH-accredited schools of public health in New England include Boston University, Harvard University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Yale University. The health science departments (Communication Disorders, Kinesiology, and Nutrition) merged with the School of Public Health in 1993 to form the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS). All departments in the SPHHS share a commitment with their fellow departments to optimize human health and well-being.

Within the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, emphasis is placed on the pursuit of basic and applied research as well as the dissemination of the knowledge gained. Technical assistance and consultation to health and other human service agencies, to communities in the private sector, and to innovative demonstration programs are important objectives. The School participates in scientific, professional, and policy-making bodies at the state, regional, national, and international levels. The School recognizes its special obligations to ameliorate health-related problems, and to promote continued good health, thereby enhancing the quality of life. It also recognizes its responsibilities to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its citizens.

School Mission and Vision Statement

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences is as follows:

Mission: Education and Scholarship for a Healthier World

Vision: To Serve, Inspire and Improve Quality of Life and Health Equity for the Commonwealth and Beyond

Values: Collaboration, Community Building, Compassion, Engagement, Equity, Inclusion, Innovation, Local and Global Impact, Excellence

School of Public Health and Health Sciences at a Glance

The School of Public Health and Health Sciences is made up of six departments: 1) Biostatistics & Epidemiology; 2) Environmental Health Sciences; 3) Health Promotion & Policy; 4) Kinesiology; 5) Nutrition; and 6) Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

SPHHS has doubled in size in the past decade, with over 2000 undergraduate majors and over 500 graduate students in on-campus and online programs.

The School offers a wide array of degree programs:

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in Kinesiology, Nutrition, Public Health Sciences, and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.
  • 4+1 Bachelor and Master degree programs in Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Community Health Education, Health Policy Management, Nutrition, and Environmental Health Science.
  • Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with concentrations in Community Health Education, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, and Health Policy and Management.
  • MPH degree is also offered through distance or distance education programs with concentrations in Public Health Practice (PHP) and Nutrition (NUTR). The MPH in Public Health Practice includes a subset of students who are affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School (Worcester, MA) and complete their coursework through a combination of distance and on-campus courses taught at the medical school by SPHHS permanent and/or adjunct faculty (PHP-W)
  • Master of Arts (MA) degree in Speech-Language Pathology.
  • Master of Science (MS) degrees in Biostatistics, Community Health Education, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, Kinesiology, and Nutrition.
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Kinesiology and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and in Public Health with concentrations in Biostatistics, Community Health Education, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, and Nutrition.
  • Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree.
  • Graduate Certificate in Global Health.

Research is a significant component of the efforts of the faculty in SPHHS. Preliminary data from the VCRE’s office show that, in Fiscal Year 2023, the School received 78 new awards totaling $14,646,588. A total of 93 new proposals were submitted in Fiscal Year 2023, with a total budget of $80,727,593. We are currently fourth among schools and colleges in the amount of research dollars being brought into the University. These data do not include grants and contracts received by the HPP Center for Program Evaluation or the SNAP-ED contract which is administered through CNS but the Department of Nutrition plays a major role in its implementation.