Master in Public Health (MPH)

Overview

Our interdisciplinary Master’s programme in Public Health (MPH) offered by the Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health (CII) has been designed upon the more than 10 years of CII official association with the Harvard School of Public Health. The MPH is accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance Accreditation in Higher Education and its curriculum is validated by the European Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation. The CII has developed research teams and programs dealing with smoking, diabetes and obesity, air and water pollution and health, epidemiology of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Specialized laboratories equipped with human biomonitoring equipment are in full operation.

Whether you are a medical doctor, an established public health professional, or new to the field of public health, the unique structure of our MPH programme allows for the acquisition of core practical skills in key areas of public health science and practice, as well as a specialization between one of two concentrations (Environmental Health; or Epidemiology & Biostatistics). The small number of students in class together with the continuous interaction with faculty allows the cultivation of critical thinking and synthesis skills and ensures a high-quality learning experience.

Strengths

The teaching and research structure and rules of the new MPH program have been built on those of the Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health (Cll), as previously established through its historical association with the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

The Institute has more recently been invited to address the educational and research gap in public health in Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region. CII is the only academic entity in Cyprus that is actively involved in research on the impact of the environment on population Health, and since 2009, the Institute is part of the School of Health Sciences at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), which offers an environment of stability and perspective.

The current faculty members form a dynamic and energetic team of young scientists with a wide a range of research interests, including environmental and lifestyle risk factors of obesity and diabetes, epidemiology of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, the human exposome, and the use of systematic reviews and meta-analysis in relevant areas of public health research.

The existing Infrastructure of the Institute with dry and wet laboratories (accompanied by a small biobank) provides a useful resource for the training of MPH students. For example, the advanced technology of atmospheric pollution measuring station is created and installed in the Institute’s building.

The use of English as the language of instruction allows admission to students not only from Cyprus but also from many other countries in the region and around the world. More than 130 students from Cyprus, Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and America have already graduated from Cll. The quality of our educational programs is reflected by the career destinations of CII graduates. Several of them have been awarded full fellowships for doctoral programs at some of the best universities in the world, including Harvard, Yale and Oxford. Other graduates have taken key relevant jobs in Cyprus and abroad.

The Institute is a proud member of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the Europe Region (ASPHER) and the MPH programme.

For further information about the Institute, please visit its official website: https://www.cut.ac.cy/faculties/hsc/cii/?languageId=1.

Employment opportunities

Potential career paths

The Master program in Public Health will provide knowledge and expertise to a wide range of new graduates and professionals in order to make a difference in their communities and beyond by succeeding in advancing the overall health of populations locally as well as globally.

An MPH degree could open doors far beyond the commonly assumed government career path. It can also serve as a tool to boost an already established career in the health sciences or the healthcare sector. There is a variety of settings in which public health graduates may work:

• Health department administration, disaster preparedness and public nursing are just three areas in which a public health graduate may work for the government.

• Whether as a consultant or employee, public health graduates often work for pharmaceutical brands, healthcare organizations or insurance companies.

• Non-profit roles for public health graduates tend to address gaps in healthcare or specialize in specific populations. For example, a non-profit role may serve minorities or single mothers.

• Education-related roles often serve as teachers to students in health-related courses at different levels (from primary school to university level).

• The programme may also serve as a preparation for further postgraduate studies in a public health-related field at the doctoral (PhD) level and ultimately for an academic career.