From Our Classroom to Your Community

Change the world for the better through the health promotion and policy graduate programs at UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Bring your passion for social justice and be on the frontlines of the nation’s efforts to reduce health disparities and improve the quality of life for all. You can earn your MPH, MS, or PhD in either community health education or health policy and management.

Diverse and Close-Knit Community

Work alongside faculty on community-engaged research through the SPHHS Center for Community Health Equity Research. Engage in opioid intervention efforts as part of a $10 million Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) grant. Study stress and chronic disease prevention in Black and Latinx men, and work on big-data-driven projects examining health care legislation and policy.

Community-Engaged Research

Collaborate with biostatistics faculty on hands-on research projects ranging from the nation’s first COVID-19 Forecasting Hub to international HIV intervention studies. Epidemiology students can work alongside faculty on research ranging from prenatal and reproductive health to infectious disease.  

Degrees with Great Value

Receive great value through New England’s only publicly funded school of public health. Most of the graduates of our master’s programs go on to work in hospitals, clinical settings, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. Graduates of our PhD programs go on to hold research positions at leading institutions.

"My UMass studies and my work with Define American (a nonprofit organization dedicated to shifting the conversation about immigrants, identity, and citizenship in America) have led me to the intersection of a fresh, exciting field of research today, one in which I wake up every day feeling excited by the work and hopeful about its impact."

— Sarah Lowe, PhD candidate, community health education

"I chose UMass because of the tight-knit community and the amazing and supportive faculty. The School of Public Health and Health Sciences has provided me with many opportunities to practice public health and also join faculty in their cutting-edge research."

— Isabella Caruso ‘21 MPH, community health education

• Distinct graduate programs: MS, MPH, and PhD in either community health education or health policy and management
• No GRE scores required
• Finish your master’s degree in less than 2 years
• Apply by Feb. 1 for fall admissions (priority deadline: Dec. 15)

Make a Difference in Our Communities

Make a difference as a public health professional in a variety of settings, from small nonprofits to large global health agencies, local health agencies to federal regulatory agencies, and as an educator or administrator from the community level to the major health care system level. Upon graduation, 100 percent of our graduates are fully employed or continuing with education and/or fellowships.

Why UMass SPHHS?

• Accreditation: Fully accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
• A rising research powerhouse: Over the past decade, faculty research productivity has increased by 120 percent with funding from the NIH, NSF, US DOE, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and more.
• Hands-on training with nationally recognized academics: Our low student-to-faculty ratio provides students with individual contact and hands-on training with leading scientific experts partnering with the CDC, NIH, and WHO.
• Vibrant and engaging community: Situated in the heart of western Massachusetts on the slopes of the Berkshires, UMass offers residents year-round outdoor recreation activities and a vibrant art scene in a community that values diversity, multiculturalism, and a commitment to sustainability.
• LGBTQ friendly: The university's LGBTQ and women's centers were among the first established in the nation, and Campus Pride rates UMass Amherst as one of the best campuses in the country for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.
• Great value: As New England’s only publicly funded school of public health, SPHHS provides great value compared to our private institution peers.