The new MPH in Climate Change and Health offered by the UArizona’s Zuckerman College of Public Health provides the crucial public health skills needed to respond to climate change – the single biggest threat facing humanity – and the many climate-driven health risks we face today and tomorrow.

To prepare the public health professionals that will lead community responses to the health threats of climate change, the Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona now offers an MPH (Master of Public Health) in Climate Change and Health starting this Summer 2024 online, and on main campus this Fall 2024. The degree program provides the crucial public health knowledge, data analysis skills, and program implementation abilities needed to respond to the many climate-driven health risks we face today and tomorrow. This new program is one of only a few CEPH-accredited programs that focus on climate change response in the United States.

Climate change stands as the single biggest threat facing humanity. Droughts, floods, severe storms, and wildfires have already displaced millions and caused widespread food insecurity.  Excessive heat causes multiple health risks. As these climate-driven crises unfold, it is the most vulnerable communities – the poor and disadvantaged – who suffer the most.

The MPH in Climate Change and Health degree program prepares students to respond to climate-driven health risks. Our multidisciplinary program trains students to evaluate complex challenges with courses from several departments, including Environmental Health Science, Global Health, One Health, Food Systems, Community Engagement, Policy, and Communications. Our program also benefits from the college’s Climate Change and Health Initiative, a portfolio of cutting-edge climate-focused research from our experienced faculty, including our new NIH funded Southwest Center on Resilience for Climate Change and Health (SCORCH).

As in all our MPH programs, students work with a faculty advisor to design a unique ‘applied practice experience’ that enables them to acquire real-world experience with an organization in the field and gain practical knowledge alongside core educational competencies. The faculty advisor also helps connect students to resources, networks, and career opportunities in climate-related programs and research.

Students from a variety of educational backgrounds and professional experience are encouraged to apply.  In addition to the general admission requirements for the MPH Program, we review the work and volunteer experience of applicants, their statement of interest and recommendations. Educators or colleagues who can highlight an applicants’ intellectual curiosity and abilities are especially helpful. Applications for both online and in-person programs are now being accepted.

“Here in the Southwest, we have developed unique expertise in response to the health threats of climate change, from extreme heat to drought and wildfires, and now we are able to prepare students to face these challenges with our MPH in Climate Change and Health program,” says Iman Hakim, Dean of the Zuckerman College of Public Health, “In public health we must work collaboratively to meet these emerging threats and build resilient communities. With this program we are training the next generation of public health leaders. I also want to thank our team in the Office of Academic Affairs and our faculty for making this happen.”