About Us

History

Columbia University created the Institute of Public Health in 1922 with a mandate to study and teach the cause of human disease. In 1945, the Institute became known as Columbia University’s School of Public Health. More recently, the Mailman Foundation made an extraordinary $33 million gift to the School in honor of Joseph L. Mailman, a prominent businessman deeply committed to the welfare of others. Shortly thereafter the School was renamed as the Mailman School of Public Health.

Since its inception, the Mailman School has demonstrated core values that shape the institution. Deep commitments to community engagement, application of research findings to real-world settings, and cutting-edge curricular design have characterized the School’s focus for almost ninety years.

Dean

Linda Fried, MD, MPH

• Dean, Mailman School of Public Health
• DeLamar Professor of Public Health
• Professor of Epidemiology
• Professor of Medicine
• Senior Vice President, Columbia University Medical Center

School Structure

• 6 Departments
• 18 Centers
• 10 Programs

Faculty

• Full-time faculty: 152
• Part-time faculty: 430
• 38% of our full-time faculty hold joint or interdisciplinary appointments in 34 Columbia University departments, schools, and centers.

Rankings

• Ranked one of top 5 schools of public health by U.S. News & World Reports
• 3rd largest recipient of sponsored research for all schools of public health
• 3rd largest recipient of NIH funding for all schools of public health

Alumni

With nearly 12,000 worldwide, Mailman School alumni can be found in leadership positions in government, hospitals, universities, non-governmental institutions, and the private sector, particularly for pharmaceuticals.

Tuition and Credit Requirements

• $1,248 per credit hour
• MPH degree is 45 credits
• MS degrees range from 30 to 36 credits

Educational Programs

• Degrees offered: MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH
• Total doctoral degrees offered: 2 in 5 areas of specialization
• Dual degree programs offered in conjunction with other schools at the University: 10
• Classes offered at the Mailman School for the academic year 2010-2011: 300
• Graduate level courses offered at Columbia University: over 1,000
• Median class size at the Mailman School: 16

Commitment to Community Service in New York City

The only accredited school of public health in New York City, and among the first in the nation, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health's research, education, and service agenda addresses the critical and complex public health issues that affect millions of people locally and globally. For three decades, the Mailman School has been committed to addressing the health needs of the Washington Heights and Harlem communities. The School addresses a number of issues from immunization to asthma and environmental health to school-based health clinics and HIV/AIDS education.

Commitment to Community Service Globally

Spanning 100 countries around the globe today, Mailman School programs address such issues as infectious disease, environmental health, maternal and child health, and bioterrorism and disease surveillance. Mailman School programs emphasize capacity building and training in order to promote transferable knowledge and skills and to ensure the sustainability of projects over time.

The School has an outstanding record of global health funding having received the largest public and private gifts in Columbia University's history including: $50 million from the Gates Foundation in 1999 for the Averting Maternal Death and Disability Program; $125 million from the CDC in 2004 for the Multicountry Antiretroviral Program in Africa; and, in 2006 an anonymous grant of $80 million for the Reproductive Health Access, Information and Services in Emergencies (RAISE) Initiative. Through our strong partnerships with international, regional, national, and local public and private institutions, Mailman students and graduates are presented with endless opportunities to make an impact locally, nationally, and globally.

top