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Studies & Degrees in Epidemiology and Public Health Unit

Public health is the organised effort to keep whole populations healthy. In the words of the University of York, its essence is to prevent disease, promote health and prolong life. Epidemiology is its core science. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines it as the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the control of health problems.

In practice, epidemiologists ask who becomes ill, where, when and why, and public health professionals turn the answers into vaccination campaigns, screening programmes, regulations and health education. In Spain the medical side of the field is called Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública (preventive medicine and public health).

What students learn

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), epidemiology programmes include coursework in public health, biological and physical sciences, and mathematics and statistics. Students learn to design studies, collect and analyse health data and communicate the results to health professionals, policymakers and the public. The MPH in epidemiology of the University of Minnesota, for example, trains students to design epidemiologic investigations, analyse data and translate findings into action.

Public health degrees are broader. Besides epidemiology and biostatistics they cover areas such as health promotion, health protection, environmental and occupational health, and health management and policy.

Qualifications and levels

This is mainly a postgraduate field. Students arrive from medicine, nursing, biology, statistics and the social sciences.

  • Master of Public Health (MPH). The best-known qualification. At University College Cork it lasts one year full-time and totals 90 credits, with pathways in health promotion, health protection, and epidemiology and biostatistics. At the University of York it takes one year full-time or two years part-time; the typical offer is a 2:2 undergraduate degree or equivalent, including medical degrees, and the core modules include epidemiology. In the United States, Drexel University offers two-year, three-year and part-time plans of study, with on-campus majors in community health and prevention, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, and health management and policy.
  • Research master's degrees. The Master's programme Epidemiology of Utrecht University is taught in English, lasts two years full-time and starts in September. Students choose between six specialisations and spend thirteen months on a research project.
  • Spain. Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. For doctors, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública is one of the medical specialties trained through the residency system. At the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid the subject belongs to the Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública y Microbiología of the Facultad de Medicina.
  • Doctorate. Epidemiologists who direct research projects often have a PhD or a medical degree, according to the BLS.

In the United States, the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accredits schools and programmes of public health; Drexel University describes its MPH as CEPH-accredited. Elsewhere, ask each school what recognition its degree has.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 23 active schools for this subject. Ten are in the United States, three in the United Kingdom and two in Ukraine. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Russia, Nigeria, Ethiopia and the Philippines have one each.

In the United States the list includes Yale University, the University of Minnesota, Drexel University, Temple University, Vanderbilt University and the University of California at Berkeley. In the United Kingdom it includes University College London and the University of York. Other schools on the list are University College Cork, Utrecht University, the University of Copenhagen, the Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the University of the Philippines Manila.

The schools in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland teach in English, and so does the Utrecht programme. For the other countries, check the language of each programme with the school.

Careers

Graduates work in health ministries and regional or local health departments, hospitals, research institutes, universities, international organisations and non-governmental organisations. In the United States, the BLS counted about 12,800 epidemiologist jobs in 2025. State governments employed 33% of them, local governments 22% and hospitals 10%. The BLS projects employment of epidemiologists to grow 19 percent from 2025 to 2035. These figures cover only the United States and only epidemiologists, not the wider public health workforce.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a medical degree to study public health?

No. Master's programmes admit graduates from many fields. The University of York, for example, asks for a 2:2 undergraduate degree or equivalent. A medical degree is needed only for the medical specialty, such as Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública in Spain.

What is the difference between epidemiology and public health?

Epidemiology is the science that studies how health problems are distributed in populations and what causes them. Public health is the wider field that uses that knowledge to prevent disease and promote health.

How long does a Master of Public Health take?

One year full-time at University College Cork and the University of York. In the United States, Drexel University offers two-year, three-year and part-time plans.

Can I study epidemiology in English outside English-speaking countries?

Yes. The two-year Master's programme Epidemiology of Utrecht University in the Netherlands is taught in English.