Designed exclusively for Binghamton University students in the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, the Harpur/MPH 4+1 program is compatible with most Harpur College undergraduate majors. The Harpur/MPH 4+1 is open to students in any Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) undergraduate major in Binghamton’s Harpur College of Arts and Sciences. Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Music (BMus) are not eligible for this program.

This program allows students to take the first year of MPH coursework in their senior year with at least some of those credit hours double counting towards fulfilling their Harpur upper-level electives. Students in this program earn an undergraduate degree and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Binghamton University in only five years, saving one year of graduate tuition. No prerequisite coursework is required to enter this 4+1 program.

Admission Requirements for the Accelerated MPH 4+1 Program

The Harpur/MPH 4+1 program requires a two-step admissions process:

1. Admission to the MPH 4+1 program when a student has second semester junior standing. 

2. Admission to the Graduate School when the student has second semester senior standing.

The process for applying to a 4+1 program can be found online.

Admission to 4+1 Program

To be eligible to apply to the MPH 4+1 program, students must have enough room in their senior year schedule to complete their undergraduate degree AND make sufficient progress toward their MPH degree. Prior to applying, the MPH program, as well as the student’s Harpur and major advisor(s), must have approved their degree plan. Students declare their intent to apply in their sophmore ot junior year by completing the 4+1 Intent Application, located on your my.binghamton portal. 

Criteria:

• You must have a minimum of:
  • 3.5 GPA overall OR
  • 3.5 GPA in your undergraduate major and 3.2 GPA overall

When applying, students must submit the following materials to the MPH program:

• Personal statement (2-3 double spaced pages) describing why the student is interested in enrolling in the Harpur/MPH 4+1 program
• Current résumé
• 2 letter(s) of recommendation from University faculty members or instructors

Admission to the Graduate School

Students apply to the Graduate School through the graduate program application process when they have senior standing. In order to be accepted into the Graduate School as a graduate student in the MPH program, a student must have made sufficient progress toward their MPH degree in their senior year. This means they will have successfully completed PH 501 , PH 510 , PH 512 , PH 520 , PH 502 , PH 515 , PH 517 , as well as the first elective. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA in their MPH courses.

Course Curriculum: Harpur/MPH 4+1 program

Harpur College Undergraduate Academic Requirements

Students can begin preparing for the Harpur/MPH 4+1 program as early as their freshman year by planning to take their required undergraduate coursework as soon as possible. All Harpur College students must complete all components of their bachelor’s degree by the end of their fourth year, which includes 94 liberal arts and sciences credits, 126 total credits, general education requirements, Harpur College requirements (writing, upper-level, and residency) and major requirements.

To be eligible for this Harpur/MPH 4+1 Program, by the second semester of their junior year, students must be able to create a degree plan that shows they will complete the following coursework by the end of their senior year:

• General Education requirements
• Major requirements
• Harpur College requirements (upper-level, writing and residency requirements)
• 126 total credits
• 94 liberal arts and sciences credits

It is important to note for planning that at least some of the courses taken towards the Harpur/MPH 4+1 program in a student’s senior year can double count towards the Harpur upper-level requirement and the 126 total credits required for graduation.

4th Year (Senior/Transition Year)

Students take the first year of MPH coursework, including PH 501 , PH 510 , PH 512 , PH 520 , PH 502 , PH 515 , PH 517 , and the first elective. In this 4th year, students may complete up to a total of 18 credits towards their MPH degree.

5th Year (Graduate Status)

Students finish their MPH coursework. At a minimum, students must successfully complete at least 18 graduate credits that count toward residency (i.e., graded coursework) to satisfy the Graduate School’s residency requirement. In this year, students complete fieldwork experiences that include a supervised Internship Practicum and a mentored Capstone Project.