About EPRC
The MPH Program at El Paso is part of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health (UTHSPH). Located less than a mile from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico the school has a current enrollment of 60 students and has trained many public health professionals in the area. There are five departments: Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Disease Control, Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, Management, Policy and Community Health, and Biostatistics with nine faculty members. The campus encompasses over 4,700 sq. ft. and houses a computer lab, two dedicated classrooms, a reading room, and several research offices.
The unique location of the campus offers the opportunity to focus on health problems that affect over two million people living along the largest metropolis of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Consistent with the school’s mission we strive to:
-Improve public health and public health practice in this region
-Conduct applied research
-Focus on assessing local public health problems
-Evaluate the effectiveness of local programs
-Develop new approaches to solve local problems.
Faculty bring expertise and experiences into the classroom based on local situations, statistics, and field experiences as part of their involvement assisting local public health agencies.
Many projects are multidisciplinary in nature and include collaborations with the Centers for Disease Control, Pan American Health Organization, UT El Paso and other universities.
The El Paso Regional Campus offers the Master of Public Health degree. Requirements for completion include 45 hours of class work that include competency in the five basic sciences of public health as well as a variety of electives. All core classes are letter graded and include:
-1610 Introduction to Biostatistics
-2110 Overview of Environmental Health
-2610 Introduction to Epidemiology
-3715 Introduction to Management and Policy Sciences
-1111 Health Promotion Theory and Methods 1
Electives are usually graded on a Pass/Fail system but may carry a letter grade at the instructor’s discretion. *Additional courses may also be required depending on the student’s previous background, area of interest, and academic preparation.
In addition, to coursework, each student must conduct research that will culminate in a written thesis, which demonstrates substantial knowledge of a particular public health issue. Students must also complete a planned, supervised and evaluated practice experience. The practicum affords each student the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills obtained through course work.
Courses are offered during fall, spring and summer semesters. El Paso students have the unique opportunity to take classes via Interactive Television (ITV) held on the ground floor of the school. Many of the ITV courses are jointly taught by faculty from El Paso and the other regional campuses.
*Students are also allowed to register for courses at UTEP to fulfill the MPH requirements (prior faculty approval required) without having to go through the admissions process.
