The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health (SPH) was established in 1970 and admitted its first class in 1972. Accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, SPH is the only fully accredited school of public health in Illinois.
The city of Chicago provides a dynamic and diverse urban environment in which over 100 faculty, 337 staff members, and 550 students pursue the school's threefold mission of research, education, and service for improved health and quality of life through initiatives that reach from neighboring communities to other countries. The UIC SPH is particularly recognized for its strong programs in prevention research, community health, health systems management, occupational and environmental safety and health, quantitative methods, and public health practice and leadership.
Two buildings provide modern, well-furnished, well-equipped teaching, research, conference, and study facilities for faculty, students, staff, and community groups and organizations.
The Office of the Dean and school's administration, the Community Health Sciences Division, the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, and the Health Policy and Administration Division are housed in the School of Public Health building located at 1603 West Taylor Street. The 1603 West Taylor (School of Public Health-Psychiatric Institute or SPHPI) building also offers an auditorium, a multi-purpose activity room for special events, a parenting room, the Paul Q. Peterson Reference Center, the Alan W. Donaldson Student Lounge, and a café.
The Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Division faculty, classrooms, and laboratories are housed in the School of Public Health building at 2121 West Taylor Street (School of Public Health-West or SPHW). In addition, the Health Research and Policy Centers are located at 850 West Jackson Boulevard.
The School of Public Health offers four degrees:
Academic Divisions
The SPH is divided into four academic divisions:
Community Health Sciences (CHS) focuses on public health practice aspects of community health as they relate to the interaction of individuals, families, and community structures. The behavioral sciences form the theoretical basis for the community applications to enhance health and well-being. Specific content areas within CHS include behavioral sciences and health promotion, gerontology, and maternal and child health.
Environmental Health characterizes the environment to determine health risks in order to develop and evaluate methods to reduce those risks. Occupational Health explores toxicology, hygiene, and safety in the workplace.
Epidemiology assesses the distribution and determinants of disease. Biostatistics focuses on data collection and analysis, statistical methods, and computer utilization.
Health Policy
and Administration studies organizational behavior, planning and evaluation,
health policies, health law and advocacy, management of cost and quality of
health care, and issues of effectiveness in health services.