The School of Public Health and Community Medicine (SPHCM) is one of 17 schools and colleges at the University of Washington. In addition to the Dean's Office, there are five departments in the School: Biostatistics which is the study of theoretical mathematics and applied data analysis in modern medical research; Environmental Health which is the study of identifying agents in the environment and workplace that affect human health, analyzing and explaining their mechanisms, assessing and communicating their risks and developing strategies to reduce or eliminate their effects; Epidemiology which is the study of the patterns of occurrence and determinants of disease in human populations; Health Services which is the study of factors affecting the organization and delivery of health care and disease prevention services, emphasizing how societal resources are used to deliver health services; and Pathobiology which is the study of pathogenic biological agents and their interaction with their hosts, primarily humans.
In addition SPHCM offers many interdisciplinary programs in: Maternal and Child Health MPH, which examines the issues that influence the health and health care of children, women and families, emphasizing community assessment, policy development, health services research, program planning, management and evaluation. Social and Behavioral Sciences MPH, which focuses on the application of social and behavioral sciences to public health problems. International Health MPH which focuses on community health and primary health care systems of the developing world.
The School also has a Center that focuses on practice and outreach called the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice.
The School offers many different educational programs both through in residence and distance learning/continuing education.