Overview
Florida State University offers a unique Joint Graduate Pathway through which students earn both the Master of Public Health (MPH) and the Master of Science in Planning (MSP). This program reflects the growing recognition that healthy communities depend not only on healthcare, but also on thoughtful planning of the environments where people live and work.
The pathway requires 66 total credit hours, including shared courses that reduce the time to completion from four years to about three. Students complete both an MSP capstone (research paper, thesis, or studio) and the MPH capstone (PHC 5151, integrating planning and public health).
All students also complete a 400-hour internship with planning and public health policy-related content, typically during the summer, though part-time options are allowed. Internships may be local or outside the Tallahassee area but must be approved by the program directors.
By combining training in planning and public health, the joint pathway equips graduates to address complex challenges in urban growth, community health, and policy development.
The joint pathway requires a minimum of 66 graduate credit hours:
Core Curricula
30 credits from the MSP curriculum
30 credits from the MPH curriculum
6 credits that are shared between both programs
Planning Internship (MSP)/Applied Practice Experience (MPH): Students must complete an internship that combines planning and public health. The total minimum number of hours is 400.
Requirements
MSP Program Requirements (30 credits)
| Course Number | Credit | Class Name |
| URP 5101 | 3 | Planning Theory |
| URP 5125 | 3 | Local Government and Land Use Law |
| URP 5847 | 3 | Growth and Development of Cities |
| URP 5939 | 3 | Professional Development |
| URP 5930 | 0 credits (two semesters required) | Professional Topics |
| URP 5261 | 3 | Forecasting for Plan Development |
| URP 5316 | 3 | Land Use/Plan Making |
| URP 5059 or URP 5123 | 3 | Community Involvement or Collaborative Governance |
| URP 5342 URP Required Capstone | 3 | Advanced Plan Problems |
| Two URP electives, excluding URP 5525 or URP 5521 | 6 | |
| URP Internship | (400 hours, 0 credits) |
MPH Program Requirements (30 credits)
| Course Number | Credit | Class Name |
| PHC 5475 or URP 5525 | 3 | Health Behavior & Education |
| PHC 5300 | 3 | Environmental Health |
| PHC 5155 | 3 credits (must be taken first semester) | Health Services Organization & Policy |
| PHC 6110 | 3 | Comparative Health |
| PAD 5216 | 3 | Healthcare Finance |
| PAD 5884 | 3 | Healthcare Management |
| PHC 5001 or URP 5521 | 3 | Public Health Epidemiology |
| PHC 5151 | 3 credits (must be taken within 1-2 semesters of graduating) | Politics of Health Policy |
| PHC 5797 | 3 | Advanced Public Health Statistics and Data Analysis |
| PHC 5945 | 3 credits (minimum 400 hours in PH/URP-related field) | Applied Practice Experience |
Shared Credits (6 credits)
| Course number | Credits | Class name |
| URP 5211 | 3 (Must be taken prior to enrolling in PHC 5797) | Planning Statistics or ECP 5538 Health Policy Statistics |
| URP 5272 | 3 | Urban Information Systems |