[ Table of Contents | Graduate School of Public Health Home | Bulletins Homepage | Next Section ]





General Information
  • Graduate School of Public Health

  • Introduction
    Public health is concerned with maintaining and improving the general health of the community. The objective of the Graduate School of Public Health is to prepare individuals who will originate and carry out programs in the broad field of public health, which includes the entire range of environmental and personal health services, or who will contribute to broadening the base of knowledge in the sciences that support public health action. Thus, the Graduate School of Public Health undertakes research and teaching of fundamental principles that underlie public health activities--principles frequently derived from the mathematical, biological, social, behavioral, and physical sciences.

    The Graduate School of Public Health cooperates closely with other schools and departments of the University, many of which contribute to education in public health or to broadening its scientific base, as well as with the health professions in the community, the state, and the nation. All available scientific and technical resources are thus fused to promote that synthesis of the sciences and disciplines which, in effect, constitutes the domain of public health.

  • History of the School
    In 1998, the Graduate School of Public Health will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding. The School was established in 1948 by official action of the University's Board of Trustees, with a gift of $13,600,000 provided from the A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust. In 1950, the School was fully accredited by the American Public Health Association and continues to be accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (see Accreditation section). The Graduate School of Public Health is one of 26 accredited schools of public health in the United States.

    The School is located on an entire city block, bounded by Fifth Avenue, Bouquet, O'Hara, and DeSoto Streets (see campus map at the end of this Bulletin). The original building was opened in 1957. It contains an auditorium seating 282 persons, a lounge, administrative offices, seminar rooms, classrooms, and research and teaching laboratories, including computer facilities. A wing of the School was opened in 1968, providing additional classrooms, seminar rooms, and faculty offices. In 1992, the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health became the nucleus of the Center for Environmental and Occupational Health and Toxicology in a suburban research park in a facility constructed especially for toxicology research. As projects in various departments expand and change, space is leased in the vicinity of the School or wherever the project may be carried out.

    On May 29, 1969, the original building of the Graduate School of Public Health was rededicated and named Thomas Parran Hall, in honor of the former Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service who served as the first Dean of the School until 1958. The annex of the building was dedicated and named for James A. Crabtree, who was head of the Department of Public Health Practice and later Dean from 1958 until 1966.

    The Graduate School of Public Health is adjacent to the other schools of the health sciences, to the hospitals associated with the University of Pittsburgh, and to the University campus. It is an important unit in the University's total program for its schools of the health sciences: Medicine, Dental Medicine, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health.

  • Organization of the School
    The Graduate School of Public Health is an independent unit in the University, although it operates closely with other units of the University and especially the other schools of the health sciences. While its teaching and research programs are completely the responsibility of a full-time faculty, the School draws heavily upon the professional resources of other departments of the University and of the community. Most members of the faculty of the Graduate School of Public Health are likewise members of the University's Graduate Faculty. The School is composed of the Departments of Biostatistics, Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Health Services Administration, Human Genetics, and Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. Programs and areas of concentration available are detailed under individual department headings. The School houses a number of centers that offer specialized research and educational programs such as the Health Policy Institute and the Center for Research on Health Care, which are described under individual department headings. In addition, the School has created two new centers, both of which have important educational components:

    The Center for Public Health Practice (125 Parran Hall, (412) 624-8700) was created in 1994 for the purpose of enhancing the linkages between academics and practice in the public health arena. This purpose is pursued through three core activities: (1) continuing education and training of professionals in the public and private sectors with responsibility for the health of populations; (2) internships and practicum experiences for students of public health; and (3) technical advice and consultation by faculty on issues and problems related to the practice of public health. Three priorities have been identified as the focus for these core activities: assessment of health needs of populations, public health skills enhancement for professionals, and application of distance learning technologies. One example of distance learning activities this year will be the Video Colloquium Series, a unique combination of videotaped presentations and live-moderated discussions.

    Director: Margaret Potter, JD
    Office: 125 Parran Hall, (412) 624-8700


    The Center for Minority Health (125 Parran Hall, (412) 624-8700) was established in 1994 to provide the organizational infrastructure for a long-term, comprehensive program focusing on minority health care research, education, and training. The center will focus on the following activities: (1) creating partnerships between GSPH and public and private agencies to promote minority health research and policy change; (2) advancing research, especially among minority scholars; (3) developing policy recommendations to improve access to and delivery of health care services; (4) ensuring that public health issues pertinent to minority populations are an intrinsic part of the public health curriculum; and (5) serving as a resource center for both university students and faculty.

    Associate Director: Angela Ford, MSW
    Office: 125 Parran Hall, (412) 624-8700

  • Accreditation
    The University of Pittsburgh, a member of the American Association of Universities, is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, the Graduate School of Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. The Department of Health Services Administration's Health Administration program is also accredited by the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration. The American Board of Medical Genetics has accredited the Human Genetics program for six different tracks, including the PhD and MS degrees. The Occupational Medicine program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

  • Relationships of the School
    Public health depends upon the mathematical, biological, physical, behavioral, and social sciences to achieve its goal. The School integrates its facilities and resources with a variety of the University's other graduate programs such as anthropology, biochemistry, sociology, psychology, engineering, business administration, social work, public and international affairs, history, education, and law. In addition, the School relates to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Resources within UPMC afford an opportunity of unique quality for training advanced students in mental health and, for example, in research involving epidemiology, health services administration, genetics, microbiology, and radiation and health physics. The Graduate School of Public Health also relates its teaching and research programs closely to many state, regional, and local organizations.

    The Allegheny County Health Department, serving a population of about 1,340,000 is headquartered in Oakland, only a few blocks from the School. This facilitates access to a local health department for many of the School's special interests in both teaching and research. The School has close working relationships with a number of other institutions, voluntary agencies and organizations, and local, national, and international official agencies that provide, coordinate, or manage health services. The relationships enrich the teaching and research programs of the School. The School enjoys equally close association with the excellent health programs in many of the industries located in the community, and while such programs contribute to the overall interests of the School, they have particular relevance to the School's special interests in occupational and environmental health.

  • Educational Programs
    A major interest of the School is to provide graduate instruction to students who intend to pursue a career in some branch of public health. A complete curriculum is offered covering the several branches of the theory and practice of public health. The courses of study normally lead to the degree of Master of Public Health, Doctor of Public Health, Master of Health Administration, Master of Health Administration/Master of Business Administration, Master of Health Administration/Master of Public Health, Master of Science, Master of Health Promotion and Education, or Doctor of Philosophy. To emphasize the central purposes of the School, the faculty has agreed that all candidates for the master's degree should have a common learning experience in the following three areas that are basic to all public health activities:

    Human/Environment Relationships: Required courses under this heading give the master's candidate the opportunity to study the influences and interrelationships of biological, physical, and social environments on the health of people.

    Group/Population Concepts: Promoting the effective use of the group and populations rather than the individual in the study and control of health problems is accomplished in part by courses of instruction in the principles of epidemiology and biostatistics.

    Health Practices: The history of the development of public health activities; the current structure, management, and function of agencies, organizations, and institutions concerned with the delivery of various types of health services; and the principles of administration relevant to these activities constitute the content of the required courses in this area. The individual courses of study in the School are described under departmental headings.

  • Research Programs
    Programs of research in the Graduate School of Public Health are described later in relation to the various departments.

  • Public Service
    Students will find numerous opportunities for active participation in community affairs. The School has a long tradition of faculty and student involvement in public service activities. In such activities, the School tries to blend its academic objectives with its continuing interest in helping to alleviate significant community health problems.

  • Thomas Parran Lectureship
    The late Dr. Thomas Parran, after 12 years as Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, served as the first Dean of the Graduate School of Public Health from its inception in 1948 until his retirement from the University in 1958. In recognition of Dr. Parran's distinguished contributions to the field of public health generally, and more especially for his leadership of the School of Public Health during its formative years, the Thomas Parran Lectureship was established by the School in 1963.

  • Convocation and Alumni Dinner
    Annually, in conjunction with the University Commencement, two School events take place. One is Convocation and the second is the Annual Alumni Dinner. The Convocation focuses on recognizing graduating students and students who have graduated throughout the year. At the Alumni Dinner, Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented. At both events, recognition is given, and various awards are presented to outstanding individuals from the alumni, faculty, and students. For the Alumni Dinner, graduating students from the current year are invited as guests of the School and are received into the Alumni Society.

  • Libraries
    The University of Pittsburgh libraries maintain collections totaling more than 6.9 million volumes including microtext and have 25,000 periodical subscriptions. The system is centered in the Hillman Library and includes 14 branch and associated libraries serving individual schools and departments. Libraries are also maintained at each regional campus.

    The main library of the University Health Center is the Maurice and Laura Falk Library of the Health Sciences located on the second and mezzanine floors of Scaife Hall. It serves as the library for the Schools of Public Health, Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. The library receives more than 2,000 periodicals and has approximately 300,000 volumes. The library is open from 7 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Thursday; Friday, 7a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to midnight.

    In addition to the Maurice and Laura Falk Library, there are related libraries such as those in the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Magee-Womens Hospital, Children's Hospital, the University Chemistry Department Library in Alumni Hall, the libraries of the Schools of Engineering, Law, and Information Sciences, the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (includes Economics), and the School of Nursing Learning Resources Center.

  • Computing and Information Systems
    University: Computing and Information Services (CIS) provides support for instruction and research and delivers services that meet the University of Pittsburgh's computer, information processing, and telecommunications needs.

    The academic and research computing environment of the University of Pittsburgh is based on Digital Equipment Corporation's VAX family of computers. The VAX cluster consists of three VAX processors running the VMS operating system, while the UNIX environment is built from a VAX processor and two DEC system 5000 processors running Digital's Ultrix operating system. Each of these systems supports a wide range of software applications including database management systems, graphic analysis programs, mathematical and statistical program libraries, simulation packages, tape utilities, file transfer facilities, and text processors. Academic computing timesharing services are provided to students and faculty.

    An Amdahl 5890/300E mainframe computer running the MVS/XA operating system provides for some of the University's administrative information needs, including ISIS, the University-wide, comprehensive, and complex Integrated Student Information System (ISIS) that provides student records management. Library patrons and administrators rely on the Amdahl for the PITTCAT PLUS and NOTIS library systems.

    CIS also supports and provides access to the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, a joint venture of the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The Center's Cray Y-MP supercomputer is one of the fastest processors in the world.

    Information and Office Services provides personal computer and workstation hardware and software consultations, automation needs analyses, installations, non-credit education workshops, and troubleshooting services. This group operates the PC Support and Service Center, which enables students, faculty, and staff to purchase quality personal computing equipment for educational and research purposes at substantial discounts. Educational services include maintenance of on-line news and documentation services; related services include preparing and publishing newsletters (Connections! and the PC Support and Service Center News), user's guides, brochures, flyers, and other documentation addressing a broad range of computing topics.

    CIS operates eight computing labs, with access to 260 Apple Macintosh personal computers, 221 DOS-based personal computers, and 27 UNIX-based workstations. Five of these labs are equipped to double as classrooms, and non-credit classes are offered on an ongoing basis. Some labs feature specialized services such as "talking terminals" for use by visually impaired users. The computing devices in these campus labs are linked to the VMS and UNIX Timesharing Services via PittNet, the University of Pittsburgh's campus-wide data network based on ethernet technology. This area is also responsible for faculty project support and the Faculty Technology Evaluation and Consulting Center, which enables University faculty to evaluate a wide variety of computing hardware and software on-site.

    Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH): Within the Graduate School of Public Health, access to personal computers and other computing devices is available for faculty, staff, and students through the departments. The Epidemiology Data Center and the Biostatistics Consulting Center provide state-of-the-art computing facilities for faculty and students involved in their programs. The Human Genetics Department and the Environmental and Occupational Health Department provide computer facilities dedicated to students for course work and for research projects. Computer facilities for large-group instruction are available in two areas of the GSPH, the main auditorium and the lecture hall.

  • Student Organizations
    The Student Government Association is an organization within the Graduate School of Public Health that is run entirely by students. The primary function of the organization is to provide students with a greater degree of participation in the decision-making processes within the School. The organization sponsors several social events during the school year to enable faculty, staff, and students to become better acquainted.

    The Student Government Association Assembly is composed of officers elected each spring by the student body, and representatives selected from each department. Individual students are selected to serve as full members on various faculty committees, through which they participate directly in the development of curriculum and administrative policies of the School. In addition, the organization stresses direct student/faculty involvement in current public health issues affecting the Pittsburgh community.

    The Doctoral Student Organization provides an ongoing structure that encourages interaction among GSPH doctoral students and faculty, with an emphasis on developing an informal network of contacts to facilitate their research efforts. There are no dues, and monthly meetings during the school year are open to all members.

    The American College of Health Care Executives Student Chapter brings together the students in the Health Administration program for discussion of Health Administration issues and other matters related to their career field.

    A Minority Student Organization was formed in 1996 to promote the welfare and interests of minority students at the Graduate School of Public Health. The organization sponsors social events and community outreach activities throughout the school year.

    Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) is the official umbrella graduate and professional student organization at the University of Pittsburgh. The purpose of GPSA is to represent both the academic and non-academic interests of all graduate and professional students, and to provide student-initiated and student-controlled services. GPSA is not intended to supplant graduate student organizations in departments or schools, but rather to coordinate joint efforts, promote communications among the schools, and provide a unified voice of graduate students to the University community. In recent years, GPSA has offered a number of services to graduate and professional students, including Carnegie Museum passes, travel funding, and free appointments with a lawyer. For more information, see the GPSA Web site at http://www.pitt.edu/~gpsa. Dues of $10 are assessed on all invoices as an Activities Fee to full-time graduate students, and $5 to part-time graduate students. Approximately three-fourths of the dues raised from each school reverts to its individual Student Government Association to help carry out its activities.

  • Alumni Society
    The Graduate School of Public Health Alumni Society is part of the general University Alumni Association. All GSPH graduates attain membership upon graduation.

    The purpose of the GSPH Alumni Society is to promote the welfare and interest of the University of Pittsburgh and the Graduate School of Public Health, to foster close cooperation between the members of the Graduate School of Public Health Alumni Society and the Graduate School of Public Health, and to support and advance the cause of public health and graduate education for public health.

  • Delta Omega
    Delta Omega is the national honorary public health society with the objectives of encouraging scholarship and research in the science of public health and the recognition of attainment in the field of public health. Members are elected to the Omicron Chapter (Pittsburgh) from the GSPH alumni, faculty, and student groups.

  • Public Health Careers Opportunity Program
    The Public Health Careers Opportunity Program (PHCOP), only one of four such specific programs in the nation, focuses primarily on educating precollege, undergraduate and college graduates about careers in public health and helps them make the transition to the next level of education. The program's objectives are to increase the number of minorities and economically disadvantaged students in the field of public health, to facilitate entry into a public health program, and to improve the retention of minorities and other disadvantaged students in the field of public health. Since 1984, more than 127 students have enrolled in PHCOP, including high school seniors and people who have been out of college and want to resume their education.

    PHCOP consists of an intensive six-week summer program that includes classroom skill building, laboratory work, and research projects and reports. The program includes courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, technical writing, and introduction to computers. A research component gives students the opportunity to develop and carry out a research project under the guidance of an assigned mentor. Financial assistance for room and board, transportation expenses, and a stipend have been provided through state, federal, and foundation support. The application deadline for the program is April 30 each year.

    GSPH is also committed to giving special attention to the financial needs of PHCOP students. Other sources of support include graduate assistantships and training grants. For more information on PHCOP, please call (412) 624-4624, or FAX (412) 624-3755, or E-mail: BEVANS@VMS.CIS.PITT.EDU

    [ Graduate School of Public Health Home | Bulletins Homepage | Next Section ]