The M.D./ Master of Public Health dual degree program prepares physicians for roles in public health, health policy and community medicine. The M.P.H. program is offered through the USC Graduate School and the Keck School Department of Preventive Medicine and is normally completed within five years.

Keck School students apply to the MPH program in their second year of medical school and begin the core MPH courses in the Department of Preventive Medicine in year three. The last two years of the dual degree are devoted to clinical clerkships and to the completion of the elective courses and practicum (field experience) of the MPH program. Joint MD/MPH students may pursue any track in the MPH, which include health behavior, biostatistics/epidemiology and nutrition.

The joint MD/MPH Program at the Keck School of Medicine is designed for individuals who envision a medical career that combines public health and medical disciplines. Many individuals entering careers as medical doctors or public health practitioners wish to acquire not only medical practice competencies, but also an understanding of the history, organization, goals, and philosophy of public health. The joint MD/MPH program offers a broad-based orientation to public health while a student completes medical school requirements. The Master of Public Health degree provides increased knowledge of and sensitivity to the political, historical, economic, and social environments of health promotion and health services delivery.

The MD and the MPH degrees are awarded simultaneously upon completion of the School of Medicine and the Master of Public Health Program requirements.