Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Established in January of 2000 by the Arizona Board of Regents, the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health is the first nationally accredited college of public health in the Southwest. The UA Zuckerman College of Public Health offers a dynamic academic curriculum that includes the undergraduate degree in public health and graduate degrees in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and environmental health sciences. In its short history, MEZCOPH has gained national and international recognition for its research productivity and integration into communities across Arizona, the Southwest, Mexico and the globe. The faculty, alumni and students are consistently finding new approaches to chronic disease prevention, community public health preparedness, family wellness and advocacy for public health policy. MEZCOPH is also known nationally for expanding the definition of public health service in the academic setting.

Dean: Iman Hakim, MBBCh, PhD, MPH

College Features

  • MEZCOPH consistently ranks among the top five in American Indian and Hispanic graduates and students enrolled among 42 accredited schools of public health, according to recent data from the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH).
  • MEZCOPH will be expanding the Master of Public Health Program to Phoenix. A curriculum in Public Health Practice has been designed and students will be accepted into the program beginning in spring 2010.
  • MEZCOPH’s Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention and Health Promotion (A CDC designated Prevention Research Center) was funded for the 3rd term (2009-2014) for a total of $3.95 million. The Center research activities are focused on alleviating health disparities in AZ border communities with programs focused on chronic disease prevention through community advocacy and the dissemination of effective interventions targeting obesity and diabetes prevention.
  • MEZCOPH started a new global initiative and is working on building a strong global presence and collaboration as part of a “Global Health Institute.”  The Global Health Institute is being created to foster global partnerships with key universities and develop innovative education and evidence-based research and community programs.
  • MEZCOPH’s Arizona Center for Public Health Preparedness is formalizing a new partnership with the U.S. Federal Public Defenders at the Tucson Federal Courthouse to enhance their role as a non-traditional public health partner in response to the H1NI outbreak, which began in April of 2009. Additionally, the center will work with the Phoenix Federal Bureau of Investigations to develop an online Forensic Epidemiology course.
  • MEZCOPH’s Rural Health Office (RHO) was established through an Arizona legislative appropriation more than 23 years ago, RHO has provided an extensive framework for outreach collaboration with underserved communities in Arizona as well as throughout the Southwest and internationally. RHO received a HRSA-funded Rural Hospital Flexibility grant, which allows for assistance to 14 critical access hospitals (CAH) in rural and remote areas of Arizona through the provision of performance improvement opportunities and initiatives.

College Statistics

Number of Degrees Awarded since College was Established

  • 844 Master of Public Health
  • 42 MS Epidemiology
  • 28 PhD Epidemiology
  • 395 BSHS degrees since 2000

List of Degree Programs

  • Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BS)
  • Master of Public Health (MPH)
  • Master of Science in Epidemiology (MS)
  • Master of Science in Environmental Health Sciences (MS)
  • Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH)
  • Doctorate in Biostatistics (PhD)
  • Doctorate in Epidemiology (PhD)
  • Doctorate in Environmental Health Sciences (PhD)

Dual Degree Programs

  • MD/MPH
  • MBA/MPH
  • MPH/MA (Latin American Studies)
  • MPH/MS (Mexican American Studies)
  • JD/MPH

Notable Alumni

  • Richard H. Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States
  • Iman Hakim, Dean and Professor, UA Zuckerman College of Public Health
  • Mark Smolinski, Director of the Predict and Prevent Initiative at Google