Joint Degree
Bachelor of Science + Master of Public Health
The Department of Health and Kinesiology offers a joint Bachelor of Science + Master of Public Health (BS-MPH) degree program for at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Students can earn a BS-MPH in either offered MPH area of focus —Epidemiology Major or Public Health Major with focus in Health Behavior & Promotion. The BS-MPH allows students to complete their degree at an accelerated pace by taking some courses that count towards their MPH degree during their final year of undergraduate studies.
Eligibility
Only University of Illinois Urbana-Chapmpaign undergraduates majoring in Community Health, I-Health, or Kinesiology are eligible to apply for this joint, accelerated pathway. Student who have completed their junior year but have not yet completed their senior year are eligible to apply. Note: Student who plan to graduate a semester to a year early are still eligible to apply as long as their completed credit hours are equivalent to a junior standing at the time of applying. The curriculum, degree requirements, and faculty for the MPH portion of the joint degree are the same as the regular MPH program.
The BS-MPH program is accelerated. Students complete the accelerated degree by taking coursework that counts towards their BS and MPH degrees during their final year of undergraduate and by taking a heavier course load during the MPH portion of their joint degree. The standard MPH degree is a two-year program. Students completing the BS-MPH in Epidemiology finish in 1.5 years, and students completing the BS-MPH in Health Behavior & Promotion finish in 1 or 1.5 years.
Curriculum
BS-MPH students complete the standard MPH curriculum, but they do so at an accelerated pace and begin during their senior year (see note below about . Please read the detailed information about the Epidemiology core and specialization courses or the Health Behavior & Promotion core and specialization courses to learn more about the curriculum for these programs.
BS-MPH students are allowed to apply 12 credit hours from undergraduate study to the MPH degree. This will come from the following courses the student takes during their undergraduate studies:
- HK 410 Public Health Practice (4 Credits)
- HK 408 Environmental Health (3-4 Credits depending on when taken)
- 400-level elective course OR one 400-level 4th MPH concentration course (3 or 4 Credits)
*There is a possibility that some BS-MPH applicants complete one or more of the courses listed above before applying to the program. If admitted, it is not required to retake the courses after entering the joint degree program and those credits will automatically be applied toward both the BS and MPH degrees.
Applying: BS-MPH
Those that are eligible and interested in the joint program should apply before the start of their final undergraduate year. There are two deadlines to apply for the BS-MPH program: July 15th and November 15th.
Should applicants submit an application by the July 15th deadline and be admitted, those students will have their entire final year to complete course requirements before starting the MPH portion of their joint degree.
Should applicants submit an application by the November 15th deadline and be admitted, those students will only have the Spring semester of their final year to complete the course requirements before starting the MPH portion of their joint degree.
FAQs
Questions about the BS-MPH program and the specific requirements for your undergraduate degree? See our FAQs.