Community Health and Prevention Research (CHPR)
Master of Science
The CHPR program includes students from diverse stages of life, such as Adrienne Lazaro, shown above with her daughter during Commencement 2018. Lazaro, as an alum, continues her connection with CHPR by serving on its Advisory Board and Admissions Committee.
The diversity of the CHPR program and student body is highlighted in the Department of Medicine's 2021 Annual Report, Meeting the Moment. The report features the above photo and data on the diversity of the CHPR program and its students.
Stanford Prevention Research Center (SPRC), CHPR's home, also values diversity, equity, and inclusion. See here for information on SPRC's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force and DEI Resources.
The CHPR program recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.
The CHPR program welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. The review process is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, prior research experience, and admissions essays to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field and how they might enrich the learning community at Stanford.
External Applicants (Global)
Applications for the 2024-2025 academic year are open. See the External Applicants page for more information.
Current Stanford Fellows on a MCHRI or T-32 grant please contact TO Preising for information on how to apply.
Coterminal Applicants (Stanford)
Applications for the 2024-2025 are open. See the Coterminal Applicants page for more information.
Current Graduate and Professional Student Applicants (Stanford)
Students pursuing a PhD at Stanford are eligible to count up to 45 units from the CHPR Master’s degree towards the PhD requirements (135 residency units). See the Stanford Bulletin for more information.
Current Stanford graduate and professional schools students may apply to the program on a rolling admissions basis.
See the Stanford Graduate Student Applicants page for more information.
CHPR Information Sessions September 28 and December 6, 2023
Want to learn more about the CHPR program? Bring your questions to one of our upcoming information sessions, which will be in person at Stanford and on zoom. Faculty, staff, and alumni will be available to answer your questions about the program and life at Stanford.
Both sessions will be held on zoom, and the December 6 session will also be held in person on Stanford School of Medicine campus. There is no need to attend both sessions.
WHERE: September 28 ZOOM ONLY
December 6 session on zoom and Medical School Office Building (MSOB), room X303 (third floor)
1265 Welch Road, Stanford, CA 94305
WHEN: September 28, 2023 from 5:30pm-6:30pm and December 6, 2023 from 4:30pm-5:30pm
Parking on campus is free after 4:00pm.
ZOOM INSTRUCTIONS are here (disregard the times given on the zoom instructions)
About the program
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Community Health and Prevention Research (CHPR) consists of a minimum of 45 units and is designed for students pursuing health-related careers focusing on chronic disease prevention, health and wellness promotion, and the pursuit of health equity. Most students complete the program in one academic year, from Autumn through Summer quarter.
The growing and increasingly recognized and valued fields of community health and prevention research are concerned with expanding and enhancing disease prevention and control efforts in communities at local, state, national, and international levels. The Stanford Prevention Research Center (SPRC), a world-renowned research center founded in 1972, recognizes that community health and prevention research play an increasingly vital role within the field of medicine, the study of global health, and population-level efforts to prevent and reduce chronic diseases. The purpose of this program is to:
- Engage students from a range of backgrounds in didactic and experiential learning opportunities with the goal of gaining an in-depth understanding of community health and prevention research applications in diverse practice settings
- Prepare future public health professionals to responsibly and effectively address health challenges faced by diverse communities across the life course.
Why Complete a Master of Science in Community Health and Prevention Research?
Students who complete the Master of Science in Community Health and Prevention Research will:
- Study patterns of chronic diseases in diverse communities and settings and examine how prevention can optimize health and promote health equity at the individual, family, community, and population level
- Critically interpret and evaluate research on community health and prevention
- Become involved in research teams that encourage health equity promotion and social responsibility
- Gain and hone methodological skills including research study design, study implementation, and data analysis related to community health and prevention research
- Utilize translational research and applied science in a community-based research internship with the expectation that they design, implement, and assess health and wellness solutions addressing preventable community health challenges
- Complete a master’s thesis.
What is CHPR?
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Community Health and Prevention Research (CHPR) consists of a minimum of 45 units and is designed for students pursuing health-related careers focusing on chronic disease prevention, health and wellness promotion, and the pursuit of health equity.