Population Health Sciences, MS

Population health is an interdisciplinary field that integrates clinical care and public health practices to prevent, reduce, and manage human disease. Population health achieves these goals by using patient-centered approaches to understand the needs of a diverse clientele and by incorporating a value-based care system.

The changing landscape of health care will require intellectual investments in the future of health. Those interested in acquiring a degree in population health from The University of Alabama will benefit from a value-based culture that embraces diversity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative thinking. The Master of Science in Population Health Sciences at UA is designed to suit the educational needs of professionals from diverse backgrounds:

• Social and behavioral scientists interested in health outcomes research
• Providers who would like additional training in the structure and delivery of health care in an evolving system
• Hospital administrators and office managers looking to expand current roles and responsibilities in clinical settings
• Anyone in the health care field interested in identifying best practices to adhere to value-based payment systems in an effort to increase reimbursement rates and improve health outcomes

Unique attributes of our program:

• We offer convenient online classes and flexibility for students who wish to pursue a degree while working.
• Our program is specifically designed to prepare graduates to succeed in a value-based healthcare system.
• We have a diverse faculty with backgrounds in medicine, nursing, public health, psychology, business, exercise, health education, and health policy.
• A variety of electives allows tailoring of the program to your individual interests.
• Our courses will provide hands-on training in classes that range from qualitative research methods to database management.

For more information, please visit https://cchs.ua.edu/pophealth/. 

To be considered for regular admission to the Graduate School, you must have at least one of the following GPAs (on a 4.0 scale):

• An overall 3.0 GPA.
• An overall 3.0 GPA in your last 60 semester hours.
• A 3.0 GPA in your graduate program.

Non-native speakers are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE scores unless they meet at least one of the following criteria: 1) at the time of initial enrollment, they will hold a degree from a U.S. institution or an institution in one of the English speaking countries or regions listed below; 2) at the time of initial enrollment, they will have been enrolled in coursework for at least two years at a U.S. institution or an institution in one of the English speaking countries or regions listed below; 3) they are a citizen or legal resident of one of the English speaking countries or regions listed below. Information on registering for the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE is available online or at U.S. embassies, consulates, Institute of International Education offices, AMIDEAST offices, and other organizations concerned with international education. Note that during the application process we only need unofficial language score reports. Official reports must be sent on admission. 

• Copy of your passport
• Relevant visa and immigration documents (This includes PR card, current visa, or F-1/ J-1 visa request and supporting documents)
• Unofficial transcript copies from every secondary school you have attended. This includes academic transcripts, mark sheets, grade reports, diplomas or certificates, national standardized examination results, or other academic course work.
  • Include an English translation for all documents not written in English. If you need assistance translating your documents into English, we recommend using the American Translators Association to find a certified translator.
  • Students graduating high school in Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, The Gambia or Sierra Leone must submit a copy of their WASSCE results and scratch card information (serial number and PIN) in order to complete their application.
• Students that graduated 6 or more months ago should also provide a brief statement listing any academic activities since graduation (including any post-secondary coursework at institutions inside or outside of the US, English language programs, study abroad programs, etc.) List name(s) of the institutions and dates of attendance. If you have no additional academic activities, please write a short statement that speaks to your activities during the gap period. In the statement, please include the following and send to International Admissions at [email protected]:
  • Full Name
  • Address
  • High School/Secondary School
  • Graduation Date