The Northeastern University physician assistant program and Department of Health Sciences offer a dual degree program: Master of Science in Physician Assistant/Master of Public Health. The dual MS and MPH degree program allows qualified and interested students an opportunity to achieve their goal of obtaining a more robust understanding of public health through an MPH degree, while also completing their Master of Science degree in the PA program.
The Northeastern Master of Public Health program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. CEPH is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and public health programs outside of schools of public health. The MPH program has a strong commitment to providing a flexible course of study for working professionals. This flexibility allows for easy incorporation into a dual degree program.
The dual degree program is designed to help diversify the public health workforce and improve graduates’ ability to approach clinical situations with cultural sensitivity and awareness. Graduates of the program benefit from having a greater understanding of public health issues in clinical practice, including the racial and ethnic health disparities prevalent in the U.S. healthcare system, as well as a strong grounding in epidemiology, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and the use of scientific evidence, skills critical to many fields of healthcare practice.
This dual degree takes less than three years to complete (as opposed to four years, if each degree were pursued separately), and a total of 12 semester hours are shared between both degrees.
For more information, including the application and admissions process, please visit the dual degree program website.