Dual Degree Programs
Advanced study in public health and aging studies is available through a dual degree and certificate program co-sponsored by the School of Public Health and Department of Gerontology in the College of Health Professions.
This program allows students to earn a Master of Public Health and a Certificate in Aging studies with a minimum of 51 credits rather than the 60 credits necessary if the two degrees were pursued separately. This efficiency lowers the overall cost of tuition while reducing time to earn both degrees.
The objective of the dual-degree M.D./M.P.H. program is to provide high quality and in-depth training in public health to qualified medical students. The M.D./M.P.H. Dual Degree Program provides an opportunity for VCU medical students who wish to pursue a public health or research career to graduate from medical school trained in both clinical and preventive, population-oriented medicine. The five-year program includes four years of medical school and one year of study in the M.P.H. program. The M.P.H. curriculum is completed after the third year of medical school, focusing on M.P.H. coursework and applied experiences during the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Students take a minimum of 36 credits of didactic courses. Successful completion of Population Health and Evidence-based Medicine satisfies the three credits of the M.P.H. core course, EPID 571; Patient Safety and Quality Improvement satisfies the one credit required for IPEC 501; The Patient, Physician, and Society satisfies two credits of elective course work; and a minimum of one public health elective during the M-4 year satisfies the three-credit public health internship (EPID 693) requirement. No credits in the M.P.H. program apply to the M.D. program.
The purpose of M.S.W./M.P.H program is to prepare graduates to work with individuals, families, groups, communities and/or organizations, advocate for social and economic justice in a diverse and multicultural society, and promote physical and mental health across the life course. Through this collaborative program between the VCU School of Social Work and the VCU School of Public Health, students complete a three-year, full-time program of study, including some summer coursework, to obtain the Master of Social Work and the Master of Public Health degrees.
Students spend the first year completing foundational work in the M.S.W. curriculum, then take a mixture of public health and social work courses in the second year, with an emphasis on the M.P.H. curriculum. Final program requirements are completed in the third year, with a relatively even mix of coursework from each curriculum. During the last year, the School of Social Work places dual-degree students in a field instruction placement focused on public health and approved by the M.P.H. Program Director. A final research project is completed through the M.P.H. program with the guidance of a public health faculty advisor.
This Pharm.D./M.P.H. program provides students with the opportunity to earn a doctorate in pharmacy while learning to combine their expertise in pharmaceutical care with the perspective of benefit to populations. Through this collaborative program between the VCU School of Pharmacy and the VCU School of Public Health, VCU Pharm.D. students complete a five-year program in which they spend their fourth year pursuing M.P.H. requirements full-time.
Pharm.D. students are required to complete 36 of the 45 required M.P.H. credit hours. After the fourth year, students transition back into advanced pharmacy course work and practice experiences. Students meet the M.P.H. internship requirement with advanced community health practice experiences in their fifth year of the program. The M.P.H. capstone project requirement is completed in a community setting during the fifth year and involves a comprehensive project that serves the needs of a professional public health organization, typically involving the development of one or more deliverables. Examples include a disease surveillance project, development of an immunization education campaign, or a needs assessment.
VCU's Medical Scientist Training Program, which leads to dual M.D./Ph.D. degrees, educates a wide spectrum of physician-scientists to improve human health through discovery in basic and social sciences and biomedical engineering.
The VCU School of Medicine has had a recognized M.D./Ph.D. program since 1986. Over the years, the school's commitment to the program has grown alongside it, providing support to all students with paid tuition, fees, health insurance and stipend.
In 2022, the program received a prestigious MSTP award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, placing VCU within an elite group of universities that have an NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and an MSTP award.
In partnership with the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health offers Dual Degrees for:
- Ph.D. in Epidemiology
- Ph.D. in Healthcare Policy and Research
- Ph.D. in Social and Behavioral Sciences
How to Apply
Applications to the M.P.H. Program are made through the SOPHAS website. A supplemental application is also required. For details, visit our Apply Now page.
The M.D./M.P.H. and Pharm.D./M.P.H. programs are available only to students already accepted to the VCU Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, respectively.
Applicants may apply simultaneously to the M.S.W./M.P.H. program but must apply separately to each degree program, applying through the SOPHAS website for the M.P.H. portion and VCU Graduate Admissions for the M.S.W. Program. Applicants must be accepted to both programs and will matriculate in the M.S.W. Program for the first year, beginning the M.P.H. curriculum in the second academic year.