Discipline

A central component of your coursework will be in the discipline that you choose as the focus of your studies. The department that teaches your discipline is your academic hub: the place where you build your primary professional expertise, home to your faculty adviser, the focus of your capstone project or thesis, and a community you can tap into while at Columbia and long after you graduate.

Every department at the Mailman School puts a strong emphasis on teaching and mentorship -and not only in class. Outside the classroom, accessible and engaged faculty mentors will guide your academic path, open doors to research opportunities, and nurture your career goals.

The faculty includes a remarkable variety of professionals: in addition to epidemiologists, biostatisticians and other public health experts, there are anthropologists, toxicologists, psychologists, economists, lawyers, political scientists, and historians, among others. Many have joint appointments at other Columbia graduate schools and share cross-disciplinary perspective, experience, and networking contacts with students. Many are leaders in their fields, expanding the boundaries of knowledge in the laboratory, shaping health policy, and creating ground-breaking initiatives to protect and promote health.

(Health Policy and Management applicants should note that the department is only accepting policy-focused students into this program. Those interested in management should consider the MPH for Healthcare Management programs or the Columbia MPH program.)