Designed exclusively for ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ students in the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, the Harpur/MPH 4+1 program is compatible with any Harpur College undergraduate major. This program allows students to take the first year of MPH coursework in their senior year with at least some of those credit hours double counting towards fulfilling their Harpur upper-level electives. Students in this program earn an undergraduate degree and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ in only five years, saving one year of graduate tuition. No prerequisite coursework is required to enter this 4+1 program.
Admission Requirements for the Accelerated MPH 4+1 Program
The Harpur/MPH 4+1 program requires a two-step admissions process: admission to the MPH 4+1 program when a student has second semester junior standing, and admission to the Graduate School when the student has second semester senior standing. The process for applying to a 4+1 program can be found online.
Admission to 4+1 Program
To be eligible to apply to the MPH 4+1 program, students must have enough room in their senior year schedule to complete their undergraduate degree AND make sufficient progress toward their MPH degree. Prior to applying, the MPH program, as well as the student’s Harpur and major advisor(s), must have approved their degree plan.
When applying, students must submit the following materials to the MPH program in Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences:
- Personal statement describing why the student is interested in enrolling in the Harpur/MPH 4+1 program
- Current resume
- 2 letter(s) of recommendation from 2 individuals
Admission to the Graduate School
Students apply to the Graduate School through the when they have second semester senior standing. In order to be accepted into the Graduate School as a graduate student in the MPH program, a student must have made sufficient progress toward their MPH degree in their senior year. This means they will have successfully completed PH501, PH510, PH512, PH520, PH502, PH515, PH517, as well as the first course of their chosen elective sequence. If one or fewer major or undergraduate degree requirements remain, students may also complete PH522 in the spring of 4th year.  
Course Curriculum: Harpur/MPH 4+1 program
Harpur College Undergraduate Academic Requirements
Students can begin preparing for the Harpur/MPH 4+1 program as early as their freshman year by planning to take their required undergraduate coursework as soon as possible. All Harpur College students must complete all components of their bachelor’s degree by the end of their fourth year, which includes 94 liberal arts and sciences credits, 126 total credits, general education requirements, Harpur College requirements (writing, upper-level, and residency) and major requirements.
To be eligible for this Harpur/MPH 4+1 Program, by the second semester of their junior year, students must be able to create a degree plan that shows they will complete the following coursework by the end of their senior year:
- General Education requirements
- Major requirements
- Harpur College requirements (upper-level, writing and residency requirements)
- 126 total credits
- 94 liberal arts and sciences credits
It is important to note for planning that at least some of the courses taken towards the Harpur/MPH 4+1 program in a student’s senior year can double count towards the Harpur upper-level requirement and the 126 total credits required for graduation.
4th Year (Senior/Transition Year)
Students take the first year of MPH coursework, including PH501, PH510, PH512, PH520, PH502, PH515, PH517, and the first course of their chosen elective sequence. If one or fewer major or undergraduate degree requirements remain, students may also complete PH522 in the spring of 4th year. In this 4th year, students may complete up to a total of 18 credits towards their MPH degree.
5th Year (Graduate Status)
Students finish their MPH coursework. At a minimum, students must successfully complete at least 18 graduate credits that count toward residency (i.e., graded coursework) to satisfy the Graduate School’s residency requirement.
Sample curriculum and program plan for BA-MPH 4+1 students (48 credit hours for the masters):
| YEAR 4 [undergraduate senior status – terms 7 & 8] | |
| Fall | Credits |
| Undergraduate Major Course | 4 |
| Undergraduate Major Course | 4 |
| PH 501 Experiential Public Health I | 1 |
| PH 510 Foundations of Public Health | 2 |
| PH 512 Social & Behavioral Sciences in Public Health | 3 |
| PH 520 Epidemiology I: Basic Principles & Methods | 3 |
| Spring | Credits |
| Undergraduate Major Course | 4 |
| Undergraduate Major Course | 4 |
| PH 502 Experiential Public Health II | 1 |
| PH 515 Introduction to Biostatistics | 3 |
| PH 517 Public Health Biology | 2 |
| Elective Sequence Course I | 3 |
| Total | 34 |
| YEAR 5 [graduate status – terms 9 & 10] | |
| Fall | Credits |
| PH 503 Experiential Public Health III | 1 |
| PH 518 Environmental Health | 3 |
| PH 524 Program Planning & Evaluation | 2 |
| PH 525 Epidemiology II: Case Applications | 3 |
| Elective Sequence Course II | 3 |
| PH 598 Internship Practicum & Capstone Project | 3 |
| Spring | Credits |
| PH 522 Health Policy, Finance & Management | 3 |
| PH 552 Topics in Population Health | 3 |
| Elective Sequence Course III | 3 |
| PH 598 Internship Practicum & Capstone Project | 6 |
| Total | 30 |