Students in this program earn two professional degrees: the Master of Public Health (MPH) and the Master of Architecture (MArch). This partnership between WashU’s Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts and WashU Public Health prepares graduate architecture and public health students to understand the built environment through a public health lens.
The built environment is a key factor in public health outcomes, including injury prevention, obesity, climate change, and natural disasters. Architects are looking at new ways to enhance health as they design environments that promote physical, mental, and social well-being through buildings, neighborhoods, and cities. This transdisciplinary approach ensures that architecture and public health professionals are responsive to the needs and societal changes impacting communities, institutions, and individuals by transforming communities at the intersection of complex public health issues and the built environment.
The MArch/MPH program requires 139 units for those entering the three-year MArch program (i.e., those without a bachelor’s degree in architecture) and 109 units for those admitted to the two-year MArch program.
Recommended course sequence
The MArch/MPH program requires 139 units for those entering the three-year MArch program (i.e., those without a bachelor’s degree in architecture) and 109 units for those admitted to the two-year MArch program. Students begin their MArch coursework at the Sam Fox School and begin their MPH in Year 2 or 3, depending on which MArch program they are following. 9 Sam Fox credits are applied to the MPH. Students spend three semesters prime to the School of Public Health.
37.5 credits across fall, spring and summer semesters.
32 credits across fall, spring and summer semesters. Classes may include:
- Foundations of Public Health courses (21 credits)
- MPH Research Methods (3 credits)
- Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Evidence-Based Programs (3 credits)
- MPH practicum (3 credits)
- Transdisciplinary Problem Solving in Public Health (3 credits)
11 credits in the fall semester (including 3 credits of practicum), 4 credits in the spring semester. Classes may include:
- Transdisciplinary Problem Solving in Public Health (3 credits)
- Applied Linear Modeling (3 credits)
- MPH Skill Labs (1 credit)
- MPH Capstone (2 credits)
Tutition structure
Tuition and fee charges are based on the division of the student’s primary, full-time enrollment, which varies by semester and is referred to as the student’s prime division.
When enrolled at The Sam Fox School, students are assessed tuition according to the Sam Fox School tuition structure, and can receive the Sam Fox School scholarships. For the remaining semesters, students are prime to WashU Public Health, are assessed tuition according to WashU Public Health’s tuition structure, and can receive WashU Public Health scholarships.
Apply
New students applying to this dual-degree program must apply to the MPH program through SOPHAS, the centralized application service for public health, and also submit a separate application for the MArch program through the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.
Current WashU MArch students who wish to add the MPH should apply through SOPHAS and are eligible for a discounted fee waiver code when they submit their application.