Graduate Education

The School of Public Health at Nanchang University has developed a comprehensive and progressive graduate education system built upon decades of disciplinary development and academic innovation. Since launching its undergraduate program in Preventive Medicine in 1985, the School has steadily expanded its graduate training capacity—establishing a Master of Public Health (MPH) program in 2009, first-level master's degree program in 2011, and a doctoral program in Public Health and Preventive Medicine in 2021. Today, the School offers an integrated training pathway spanning bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, forming a well-structured talent development system.

Guided by the principles of demand-oriented education, interdisciplinary integration, and collaborative training, the School is committed to cultivating high-level public health professionals equipped with strong theoretical foundations, advanced research competence, and outstanding practical skills. Graduate training covers six master's specialization areas:

—  Epidemiology and Health Statistics

—  Nutrition and Food Safety

—  Environmental and Occupational Health

—  Health Laboratory Sciences

—  Social Medicine and Health Management

—  Disease Prevention and Control

Four distinctive doctoral research directions further align with national public health priorities and regional health development needs.

Training Model

The School has established a distinctive graduate training model characterized by integration of education and research, innovation-driven learning, and practice-oriented training. Leveraging high-level research platforms—such as the State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources Exploration and the Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Disease Prevention and Public Health—the School integrates cutting-edge research resources into graduate education. These laboratories collectively provide more than 3,000 square meters of research space and advanced  equipment valued at over RMB 50 million, ensuring strong support for student research and innovation.

A dual-mentor system is implemented for graduate students, combining academic supervisors with experienced professionals from public health practice. The supervisory team includes 51 full-time faculty members (76.9% with senior professional titles and 88.5% holding doctoral degrees) as well as 31 industry mentors from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitals, and research institutes. This model strengthens the integration of theoretical learning with real-world public health practice. The School also partners with numerous public health institutions nationwide to provide practice bases where students develop hands-on competencies in disease control, health assessment, and emergency response.

Quality Assurance

Quality is the foundation of graduate education. The School has established a comprehensive quality assurance system covering the entire training process—from admission to graduation. A total of 22 core public health courses are offered, and moral and professional development are embedded throughout the curriculum. Rigorous academic requirements include proposal evaluation, mid-term assessment, pre-defense review, and blind thesis review, along with a structured diversion and exit mechanism to ensure academic standards.

In the past three years, the pass rates for master's thesis blind review, thesis defense, and national quality evaluations have remained at 100%. Doctoral students have achieved excellent results in national and international academic competitions, and one doctoral student was selected for the Young Talent Support Program of the China Association for Science and Technology. Graduate training quality continues to improve and is widely recognized by employers and academic peers.

Future Development

Responding to national public health priorities, the School will continue to refine its training system, strengthen research platform support, and deepen collaboration between medical and preventive disciplines. The goal is to cultivate a new generation of public health leaders and professionals with strong regional commitment, national impact, and global perspectives, contributing to the advancement of the Healthy China initiative and the protection of population health.

Responding to national public health priorities, the School will continue to refine its training system, strengthen research platform support, and deepen collaboration between medical and preventive disciplines. The goal is to cultivate a new generation of public health leaders and professionals with strong regional commitment, national impact, and global perspectives, contributing to the advancement of the Healthy China Initiative and the protection of population health.

Contact

Tel: +86 791 86353050

Email: NCUkeyanban@163.com