Degree Requirements
The Accelerated Bachelors/Master of Public Health (BS/MPH) Program allows Simmons students who are pursuing a BS in Public Health to simultaneously complete coursework toward their MPH through our online program, MPH@Simmons, which focuses on health inequities. This option is available for students who may not qualify for, or do not wish to pursue, the 3+1 BS/MPH Program. This option is available for students who may not qualify for, or do not wish to pursue, the 3+1 BS/MPH Program. Sophomore and junior Public Health majors are invited to apply for the accelerated program by March 1st each year. Students who are interested must reach out to the Chair of the Department of Public Health by February 15th to receive academic advising related to the application process.
Sophomores who apply to enter the program in their junior year take MHEO 410 (Health Equity and Social Justice) in the fall semester of their junior year through the MPH Program and MHEO 415 (Epidemiology) in the fall or spring of their senior year. Juniors who apply to enter the program in their senior year take both MHEO 410 and MHEO 415 during their senior year. MHEO 410 counts as an undergraduate elective, either for the Public Health major or as a general elective for the BS. MHEO 415 will replace PH 201 (Introduction to Epidemiology) for the BS, or counts as general undergraduate credit if a student has already taken PH 201.
Note that students need 128 unique credits to graduate with an undergraduate degree. Students doing accelerated degrees will need to use one credit from SIM 101, SIM 201, or SIM 301 to make up the one-credit shortfall associated with taking two 3-credit graduate classes while they are still undergraduates.
Through the accelerated program, undergraduate students complete 6 of the 45 credits required for the MPH degree. Following graduation from the BS Program, accelerated students then continue their studies in the MPH Program as graduate students. Please visit the Simmons University website and view the MPH Catalog for graduate requirements.