THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Degree Types: PhD/MPH

The combined PhD/MPH Program in Medical Anthropology prepares graduates for leadership in academic and government institutions requiring expertise in biocultural approaches to the study of human health and disease. Drawing on the broader strengths of our department in political-economic analysis, global health, and human biology, Medical Anthropology at Northwestern focuses on the intersection of health with various forms of social and political inequality. The program provides rigorous interdisciplinary training linking the fields of medical anthropology and public health in both domestic and international settings.

Students pursing the combined PhD/MPH degree fulfill all requirements for both the Doctorate in Anthropology and the Master of Public Health through a selected interdisciplinary curriculum. A full three years of credit-bearing courses (18 units) is required in addition to the PhD dissertation. In the MPH curriculum, students complete the coursework requirements for the "Generalist Concentration". In addition to the MPH coursework, students also complete an Applied Practice Experience (APEx) and a Culminating Experience paper. 

Applicants apply to the combined PhD/MPH degree program at the time they apply for admission to the graduate program in Anthropology. 

Additional resources:

• Department website
• Program handbook(s)

Degree Requirements

The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.

MPH/PhD

Total Units Required:  MPH requires a total of 16 units and Anthropology PhD requires a minimum of 9 units. Three Anthropology courses can be double-counted towards the MPH. These include: (1) a methods course (either ANTHRO 386-0 Methods in Human Biology Research or ANTHRO 389-0 Ethnographic Methods and Analysis), and (2) two other elective courses from the list below.  All MPH/PhD candidates in Medical Anthropology complete the requirements for the "Generalist Concentration" in the MPH Program. 

MPH Course Requirements

PhD Course Requirements

Students are required to complete PhD course requirements based on the chosen subfield.

Required Papers and Proposals

Students are required to complete a Second Year Qualifying Paper, an Applied Public Health Experience (APEx), Culminating Experience Paper,  a Dissertation Proposal, and a PhD Dissertation.