Epidemiology

Master of Public Health Option

Uncover clues, discover patterns and improve population health

Applications reviewed on Dec 1 (Priority), March 1 & June 1 (Final).

Earn your MPH in epidemiology degree from Oregon State

In the MPH epidemiology program, you’ll learn how to use your skills in applied settings or prepare for doctoral or further professional training.

With small epidemiology classes and personalized attention, you’ll learn from and collaborate with our diverse and talented faculty and study a variety of factors that affect human health.

Epidemiologists seek to reduce risk by uncovering clues about what causes disease and injury so they can better detect, plan for and prevent them – here and across the globe.

Accelerated MPH program

If you are a current Oregon State undergraduate student, you can apply to the accelerated graduate program now. Start taking graduate classes and apply those credits (maximum of 22) to your current undergraduate degree, as well as the MPH in epidemiology.

Learn more

Study epidemiology with the experts

In the MPH epidemiology program, you’ll learn from and collaborate with faculty who are epidemiological experts.

They study how a variety of factors affect human health, including climate change, complex chronic disease management, disease prevention and management, disaster preparedness, foodborne outbreaks, healthy aging, HIV, maternity care, and pollutants at work, at home and in the environment.

Priya Kumar, MPH ’20
Currently a research analyst II with the Division of HIV/AIDS and STD program at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

“My MPH degree in epidemiology was very helpful in getting my current job. The degree not only is a preferred qualification for this job, but it also has trained me in important data management and programming skills needed for my work.”

Meet Priya

MPH curriculum and coursework

The Oregon State MPH EOH program requires 60 credit hours (about 40 semester credits), does not require a thesis and culminates with an integrative learning experience.

You’ll get hands-on experience, build professional contacts and learn from experts in the field as part of a required 200-hour professional internship. You’ll be guided along the way by a dedicated MPH internship coordinator.

See which courses you'll take as an epidemiology student.

Option-specific handbooks

What you'll learn as an MPH student.

Learning competencies

How you'll apply your knowledge.

MPH internships

Epidemiology career options

Our MPH epidemiology graduates go on to work in various settings, such as health departments, non-governmental agencies or CDC or WHO field programs.

You’ll also be prepared to pursue a PhD in epidemiology or other professional training.

Sample careers:

Data scientist
Epidemiologist
Epidemiological fellow
Health data analyst
Research associate

Jeff Bethel, PhD
Associate Professor

“Epidemiology is the basic science of public health.

“I think there will always be a market for those with quantitative and basic epidemiological skills – those who can look at a health problem and see how that problem is distributed in a population in terms of time and space, and then use public health tools to identify risk factors and causes to ultimately improve the population’s health.”

Affordability

Your graduate public health education is an investment in your future. We understand you must weigh the cost and benefits of your graduate education.

OSU’s MPH options are among the most reasonably priced in the Pacific Northwest.

We have reduced the tuition cost by nearly $4,000 to help address affordability and reduce barriers for the future of public health.

The Oregon State MPH participates in the Western Regional Graduate Program. You may be eligible to save about $8,000 in tuition over the course of the program.

Estimated costs

The MPH program is a 59-61 credit program that can be completed within 6 quarters on a full-time credit load (except for summer). Estimated costs for the whole program:

Resident

$31,591

Resident Tuition ($26,892)
+ Fees ($4,699)

Non-resident

$63,397

Non-resident Tuition ($58,698)
+ Fees ($4,699)

Western Regional Graduate Program

$45,037

WRGP Tuition ($40,338)
+ Fees ($4,699)

Tuition and fees estimates were calculated using the 23-24 academic year tuition and fees tables in combination with the tuition calculator. Please note, tuition and fees can change for the 24-25 academic year.

MPH Epidemiology Option