Overview: M.S. in Applied Anthropology/M.P.H. in Community Health

The Department of Anthropology at the University of North Texas and the School of Public Health have developed a cooperative agreement that allows students to pursue the Master’s of Public Health and a Master’s of Science in Applied Anthropology. The dual degree program in Applied Anthropology and Public Health offers an opportunity to strengthen collaboration in public health, anthropology and social science research and practice. Medical anthropology is a field that uses anthropological theories as a framework to understand public health issues. Its emphasis on social and cultural influences on health, illness, and healing are central to the shared goals of improving health and social justice to eliminate local and global disparities. This 2 ½ year program prepares students for careers in research, public health, and public policy planning relating to health and health care in the U.S. or in an international setting.

Curriculum

Total hours for degree:  63

Master’s of Science in Applied Anthropology – 27 hours

Required courses in Applied Anthropology – 21 hours
ANTH 5010 Anthropological Thought and Praxis I
ANTH 5021 Anthropological Thought and Praxis II
ANTH 5031 Ethnographic and Qualitative Methods
ANTH 5041 Quantitative Methods
ANTH 5050 Pre-Practicum: Problems & Cases in Applied Anthropology
ANTH 5201 Medical Anthropology 
ANTH 5210 Anthropology and Public Health

Practicum in Medical Anthropology and Public Health – 6 hours
ANTH 5800 Practicum I (topic to overlap with SPH 5950 Thesis)
ANTH 5810 Practicum II (topic to overlap with SPH 5950 Thesis)

Master’s of Public Health/Concentration in Community Health – 36 hours

Required courses in MPH Program – 21 hours
BIOS 5210 Biostatistics for Public Health I
ENVR 5300 Environmental Health
EPID 5100 Principles of Epidemiology
HMAP 5210 Introduction to Health Management and Policy
SCBS 5115 Behavioral Foundations of Public Health
SCBS 5410 Community Assessment
SCBS 5411 Community Program Planning
SCBS 5515 Public Health Interventions

Elective courses in MPH Program – 6 hours
Any two 5000-level course offered in the School of Public Health

Culminating experience in Public Health – 6 hours
SPH 5950 Thesis (topic to overlap with ANTH 5800 & 5810)
SPH 5950 Thesis (topic to overlap with ANTH 5800 & 5810)

Additional Information

1. New students are encouraged to apply simultaneously to both programs.
   Application deadlines for the Department of Anthropology are Feb. 1 and May 1. You can find more information about the Anthropology application process here. 
   
   The application deadline for the M.P.H. is April 1.  You can find more information about the M.P.H. application process here.  
   
   Students who have already started in the anthropology program may also apply to the dual degree program, so long as they have not yet completed 18 credit hours (see #2). In these cases, it is most likely that a student will make this decision during their first semester of the anthropology program and will then apply to the M.P.H. program in the spring of their first year (if full-time). Students are not given dual degree status until they have been successfully admitted to both the M.P.H. and M.S. in Applied Anthropology programs.
   
   
2. Students currently enrolled in only the M.P.H. program or Anthropology have 18 credit hours to decide if they would like to enter the dual degree program. Before they have completed 18 credit hours, they may apply to the program in which they are not currently enrolled. If a current M.P.H. student, they must apply to the anthropology program for the following fall semester. If a current anthropology student, they can apply to the School of Public Health for any semester (fall, spring, or summer). If they are accepted, they must submit new degree plans to both of their programs to ensure that their academic record reflects the dual degree program.
   
   
3. The primary program will be in anthropology.  Dr. Lisa Henry is the Director of the Dual Degree in Applied Anthropology and Public Health.
   
   
4. At the end of this program, students will have two degrees – one in applied anthropology and one in public health. The programs share 21 hours and coordinate a practicum/culminating experience that fulfills both degrees.
   
   
5. Students will have a 4 person committee – 2 members from anthropology and 2 members from public health. One member from each program will be identified as a major advisor. These two advisors will cooperate on all matters pertinent to the student’s degree.
   
   
6. Practicum Portfolio - although students will not enroll in SPH 5855 (Public Health Practice Experience), they must complete a Practicum Portfolio for the SPH practicum, which will include a poster presentation, notebook, and reflection paper. These assignments will be coordinated between the student’s anthropology advisor, public health advisor, and the UNT Health Sciences Center Practicum Coordinator.
   
   
7. The Practicum in Applied Anthropology and the Culminating Experience in Public Health – dual degree students will do a thesis in lieu of comprehensive exams for the culminating experience requirement in public health. The topic for this thesis is overlapped with the practicum in applied anthropology – it is essentially one large project to satisfy both degrees. This project will be decided by the student and the student’s committee, and must be broad enough to incorporate the knowledge and tools acquired in both programs.
   
   
8. Although UNT Denton and the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth are part of the UNT System, they are considered two separate universities.  They have separate admissions, separate financial aid offices and different academic calendars.  It is important that students let administrative offices know that they are a dual degree student, particularly the financial aid office.  Although there is a high level of cooperation between the two programs, students will be working with two universities.  They will apply to two universities, submit separate degree plans to two universities, apply for graduation to two universities, and graduate twice.
   
   
9. Your advisors will help you with your degree plan, but an easy way to think about the shared hours is this – UNT Denton is accepting 9 hours of public health towards an applied anthropology degree.  Likewise, UNT HSC is accepting 12 hours of applied anthropology towards a master’s in public health.  Because UNT Denton considers the public health courses as transfer credit, and because you cannot take transfer hours during your last semester at UNT Denton, it is important to complete the 9 hours of transfer credit in public health early in your degree.  Again, your advisors will help you with this.

Suggested Timelines

This program is designed to take 2 ½ years for students taking 4 courses per long semester, plus 1 course each summer.  Students are allowed to take fewer classes per semester but should be aware that some classes are only offered once a year or once every two years.   

Note: Timelines are specific for each cohort because some classes at the Health Sciences Center are only offered every two years.

For full-time students starting in 2008-2009:

Fall 1
ANTH 5010    Thought and Praxis I
ANTH 5031    Ethnographic and Qualitative Methods
ANTH 5201    Medical Anthropology
SCBS 5110   Behavioral and Social Aspects of Public Health

Spring 1
ANTH 5021    Thought and Praxis II
ANTH 5041    Quantitative Methods
ANTH 5050    PrePracticum
ANTH 5210    Anthropology in Public Health
           
Summer 1
SCBS 5215     Health Disparities

Fall 2
HMAP 5210    Introduction to Health Management and Policy
BIOS 5210      Biostatistics
ENVR 5300    Environmental Health
SCBS 5400    Community Health

Spring 2
EPID 5100       Principles of Epidemiology
SCBS 5410     Community Assessment
PH elective      
PH elective

Summer 2
ANTH 5800    Practicum I

Fall 3
ANTH 5810    Practicum II
SCBS 5800   Capstone
SPH 5900      Professional Report

Extra requirements for Fall 3:
Practicum Portfolio for SPH 5850 – dual degree students are required to participate in this aspect of SPH 5850 even though they are not taking the class.  This includes: a poster presentation, notebook, and reflection paper.