Public Health Concentrations
Introduction
The following concentrations, offered as part of specific MPH, MS, and PhD degrees at the UIC School of Public Health, are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Community Health Sciences Concentrations
About the concentration
The Community Health Practice and Methods concentration prepares public health practitioners and researchers to identify, explore, and address public health problems at the community level. Â The concentration is earned as part of the MPH in Community Health Sciences degree.
About the concentration
This concentration prepares public health practitioners and researchers with strong public health and leadership skills with specialized content expertise in maternal and child health, addressing health inequities among women, children and families. PhD students interested in focusing on Maternal and Child Health have some adaptations to the Community Health Sciences PhD requirements.
About the concentration
This concentration trains public health practitioners to carry out high-level analytic work, notably with state and local public health agencies.  Students gain background knowledge in reproductive/perinatal and pediatric epidemiology, and with the analytic and leadership skills necessary to enable them to engage in data based decision-making to promote the health of the maternal and child health population.
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Concentrations
About the concentration
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences prepares students to protect the environment and improve the health of workers and the general public. Students learn to anticipate, identify and assess environmental and workplace health hazards, recommend corrective measures, institute programs to reduce morbidity and mortality, and evaluate these efforts.
Master’s students may choose to pursue an MPH or MS  degree to gain comprehensive expertise in environmental and occupational health practices while doctoral students pursue a PhD with a focus on advanced research and scholarship related to complex environmental and occupational health issues.
The Industrial Hygiene concentration employs scientific principles to identify, assess, and control workplace hazards, safeguarding workers’ health through rigorous risk analysis and mitigation.
The Occupational and Environmental Medicine concentration focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing illnesses and injuries related to workplace and environmental exposures.
The Occupational Safety concentration is dedicated to preventing workplace accidents and injuries through risk assessment, hazard mitigation, and safety protocol implementation.
About the concentration
The Industrial Hygiene concentration aims to educate professionals with research skills and practical expertise at the masters and doctoral levels, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills needed to systematically solve occupational and environmental health problems.
This concentration can be pursued in the MPH* and MS in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences programs.
*Admission to this program is currently suspended. For information about the newly developed Master of Science (MS) program with a concentration in Industrial Hygiene, please contact us at eohsinfo@uic.edu or visit the new program webpage.
About the concentration
This concentration, which is only for students in the Residency in Occupational Medicine, prepares public health practitioners with clinical experience to provide health care and preventive services to workers in their workplaces.
This concentration is pursued through the MPH in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences degree.
About the concentration
The concentration in Occupational Safety will provide students a solid foundation in the prevention of acute traumatic injury in the occupational setting, and will help prepare students for leadership and research positions.
This concentration can be pursued in the MPH* & MSÂ in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences programs.
*Admission to this program is currently suspended. For information about the newly developed Master of Science (MS) program with a concentration in Occupational Safety, please contact us at eohsinfo@uic.edu or visit the new program webpage.
About the Concentration
Trains graduates to be highly successful in conducting research and research related activities (e.g. surveillance, risk assessment and policymaking) in academia, government, not-for-profit organizations, and industry. Â The program includes a required research field experience in which students will conduct research with outside governmental or non-governmental organizations. The field experience will provide trainees with an invaluable learning experience as they apply their classroom skills in the real world, apprenticing under the close mentorship of public health practitioners.
All applicants are eligible for traineeship funding.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Concentrations
About the concentration
Epidemiology studies the distribution and determinants of disease and other health-related events in populations. Epidemiologic methods are used to establish links between risk factors and disease (e.g., diet and prostate cancer), clarify the distribution of disease locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally (e.g., global distribution of AIDS), elucidate the natural history of many diseases (e.g., cervical cancer), assess the effectiveness of public health interventions and evaluate health resource utilization.
This concentration can be pursued at the MPH, MS, and PhD levels.
About the concentration
This concentration trains public health practitioners to carry out high-level analytic work, notably with state and local public health agencies.  Students gain background knowledge in reproductive/perinatal and pediatric epidemiology, and with the analytic and leadership skills necessary to enable them to engage in data based decision-making to promote the health of the maternal and child health population.
About the concentration
Trains graduates to be highly successful in conducting research and research related activities (e.g. surveillance, risk assessment and policymaking) in academia, government, not-for-profit organizations, and industry. Â The program includes a required research field experience in which students will conduct research with outside governmental or non-governmental organizations. The field experience will provide trainees with an invaluable learning experience as they apply their classroom skills in the real world, apprenticing under the close mentorship of public health practitioners.
All applicants are eligible for traineeship funding.
About the concentration
Biostatistics is the development and application of statistical methods to problems in biology, medicine, public health and other life sciences. Professionals create solutions through management, analysis and interpretation of data, through study design and the acquisition of data analysis knowledge.
This concentration can be pursued at the MPH, MS, and PhD levels.
About this concentration
The MS Biostatistics concentration in Health Data Science degree educates students with necessary skills from big data, data sciences, and computer sciences to meet new challenges in a wide variety of health-related fields.
Health Policy and Administration Concentrations
About the concentration
Health Policy and Administration provides students with the conceptual and analytical tools needed to: analyze the implications of proposed policies; influence their formation; evaluate them once implemented; and manage private and/or public health care organizations so as to improve the health of the population.
Learn more about the MPH and MS in Health Policy and Administration programs.
Generalist Concentration
About the concentration
This concentration provides the broad-based public health training and skills that public health employers are seeking. Ideal for working professionals, this 100% online program offers the flexibility to continue your career while earning a degree or certificate that delivers broad-based training in public health.