- Admissions – MPH Dual Degrees
Current Student Profiles
Sutton Fox (Epidemiology, 2nd year)
I applied to over ten MPH Epi programs across the country because I knew that my future career as a physician would depend on knowing where, when, and how disease plagues our country and the world. Among big-name programs–Yale, Columbia, Brown–I chose SDSU not only because it offered quality education close to home but also because the staff taught me so much before I even stepped foot on campus; researching the works of Drs. Richard Shaffer and Penelope Quintana foreshadowed a global scope and rigor in methodology that I now know defines the leaders who graduate from the program. The network I have built here and the faculty who have encouraged my career goals have thoroughly prepared me to critically analyze the research and discoveries of leaders in the field. Beyond academics, I have made new friends and enjoyed San Diego, expanding my horizons through work and play alike. I cannot imagine a better personal, professional, or academic growing experience than the MPH Epi program at SDSU.
Taufa Islam (Epidemiology, 1st year)
Impacting the health of communities and populations was what interested me about public health. I liked that we studies about diseases as well as various social aspects that contributed to the burden of diseases. Through various research projects during my undergraduate degree, I developed an interest for maternal infant and child health. I like that public health has many different contributing aspects to it such as infection control, disease surveillance, health education, along with others that anyone with an interest in improving the health of the nation can find find their own niche in public health. I chose public health program at SDSU because it was an accredited program that was both affordable and allowed me to concentrate on Epidemiology. all of the professors are extremely knowledgeable in their fields and there are many opportunities in San Diego to implement public health practices in forms of research as well as community health work.
Amim Faria ( Environmental Health, 1st year)
My Name is Asmim Faria, 1st year MPH student of Department of Environmental Health, who came from Bangladesh, a small South Asian country bestowed with all natural splendor that one can imagine. Although, I was born and brought up in the megacity Dhaka, capital and the largest city of the country, I had strong bonding with village and this fact facilitated to realize the contrast between the urban and rural environments which later on played a vital role in choosing my course of study. My primary interest was to dedicate myself in a field where I had an opportunity to work directly for the betterment of human health. This motivated me to pursue my undergraduate in Pharmacy which provided me a basic idea about human health and necessary drugs needed for the remedy of disease.
During my study, I started working as a news presenter in “Bangla Vision,” one of the renowned news channel in Bangladesh. As part of my job responsibility, I was assigned to make an investigative report on slum dwellers, focusing on their lifestyle, need and desire. That was the first time I had an opportunity to familiarize with real world problems. One of the prime concerns was health issues of adults and infants. Then in 2011, I moved to USA with my husband just after the completion of my bachelor. Initially, it took some time for me to adjust with new environment and lifestyle. My insatiable thirst for learning inspired me to acquire further knowledge in the field of environmental health as I was always concerned about our surrounding environment. After a thorough research, I came to know about the rich faculty, wide range of courses and the advanced research work that are carried out in the department of public health, San Diego State University (SDSU). Soon, I started to feel an urge to be a part of that. The rich academic tradition of SDSU’s graduate school of public health also encouraged me to apply for admission to the MPH program. I believe that the knowledge I will gather after completing my MPH will ultimately help me provide vital contributions to society and work in a way to expedite the advancement and betterment of humanity as a whole.
Gerald Biando (Environmental Health, 1st year)
My name is Gerald Biando, and I am a first year student, focusing on Environmental Health!
I completed my undergrad at San Diego State while majoring in Public Health. I low-key decided that I wanted to come back to the campus for graduate school because it was affordable, I already have an apartment that’s a five minute walk away, and a campus with so many taco shops within its vicinity is a winner in my book. I high-key wanted to return because I’ve lived some of the best years of my life as an Aztec and it’s no secret that the faculty members at SDSU SPH are a close team of compassionate individuals who are not only intelligent, but are also caring about you as a human being. Caring for others is a value that I hold closely, and it’s a big reason as to why I initially chose to pursue a career in public health. I was born in the Philippines, spending roughly fifteen years growing up in Viva Las Vegas, and now I’m living out my collegiate years here in San Diego. I’ve had several homes throughout my life, but it’s safe to say that I found a home here at San Diego State, and within this program. Go Aztecs!”
Jessica Polk (Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, 2nd year)
Being a Gates Millennium Scholar I was blessed with the opportunity to apply to any accredited graduate school of public health in the nation on a full paid scholarship. As a registered nurse and Alabama native I applied to several graduate schools of public health across the United States, but San Diego State University stood out to me among the rest. Being close to an international border and having several Gates Scholars already in the program helped make the decision an easy one. I knew I was moving to San Diego to get a Master’s in Public Health at SDSU, but I had no idea of all the opportunities and connections that would be made available to me. Southern California has offered a unique cultural diversity not found in other parts of the Unites States. For example, I had the opportunity to collaborate with students from a University in Tijuana to create a proposal for a public health intervention and then traveled to San Quintin, MX to implement the program and collect data for evaluation. In just over a year, I have developed lifelong friendships with classmates and have made a remarkable professional network with professors, lecturers, and colleagues at school, at my internship, and at my job. Attending San Diego State University for my Master’s in Public Health was one of the best decisions I have ever made and living in beautiful sunny San Diego has defiantly been a plus!
Pierra Moise (Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd year)
My name is Pierra Moise. I am a second-year graduate student in the Masters of Public Health program with a concentration in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences. I chose San Diego State University because it was listed as one of the top ranking universities in Public Health. I wanted to meet new people and explore new opportunities. My experiences at San Diego State have been phenomenal. My growth and knowledge in public health has improved tremendously. I have also met and made life-long friends that are like family. Attending San Diego State has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made.
