Community Health and Prevention Research

The Master of Science in Community Health and Prevention Research (CHPR) program is a specialized graduate degree offered by the Stanford Prevention Research Center (SPRC) within the Department of Medicine. Founded in 1972, SPRC is a world-renowned research center dedicated to reducing the global burden of chronic disease. The CHPR program is built on the understanding that community-level interventions, implementation science, and preventative health are critical to achieving health equity.

The program prepares future public health professionals, researchers, and clinical leaders to responsibly and effectively address health challenges across the life course. Students learn to study patterns of chronic disease, critically evaluate health literature, and collaborate with diverse communities to design, implement, and assess real-world health and wellness solutions.

Academic Programs and Pathways

The CHPR program is highly interdisciplinary and accommodates students from diverse academic, professional, and personal backgrounds:

• Master of Science (M.S.) in Community Health and Prevention Research: A rigorous, 45-unit curriculum designed to be completed in one academic year (from Autumn through Summer quarter).

• Flexible Enrollment Options: The program welcomes external applicants, current Stanford graduate students looking to pursue a dual master's degree, and Stanford undergraduates applying through the Coterminal Master’s Program.

• Optional Subplan — Contemplation by Design: Applied Contemplative Science: This unique subplan offers students the opportunity to study the intersection of contemplative science and community health. Requiring 12 units of specialized coursework, this track equips students to incorporate contemplative practices (such as mindfulness, stress reduction, and mental well-being) into preventative health research and community-based programs.

Core Curricular Elements and Experiential Learning

To graduate, CHPR students must successfully bridge theoretical knowledge with practical, community-based application through three key requirements:

1. Quantitative and Qualitative Methodology: Developing advanced skills in research study design, epidemiological methods, biostatistics, implementation science, and data analysis.

2. Community-Based Research Internship: Students complete an immersive internship with an external community organization or public health agency. Applying implementation science, students design, execute, and evaluate localized interventions addressing preventable community health challenges.

3. Master’s Thesis: Students conduct independent, faculty-mentored research on a distinct topic in community health or prevention science, culminating in a written thesis.