National Institute of Preventive & Social Medicine (NIPSOM) is the apex institution of the country in the field of public health. It is one of the post graduate institutes in the health sector. The formal courses of NIPSOM were started in 1978. This institute was established to develop public health workforce at the post graduate level and to conduct research and provide advisory and consultancy services to support primary Health Care services. This institute is headed by a Director and consists of 12 departments. The institute conducts one Mphil (PSM) course and eight MPH programs in different disciplines of public health. The Mphil course is running in conventional system and MPH programs are running in credit-based semester system. The institute also conducts short training courses, workshops, seminars and conferences. For examinations and award of degrees, the institute is affiliated to the Bangabasndhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka and functions through the Dean of the Faculty of Preventive and Social Medicine of the university. The syllabus and curse curricullum are approved by the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC).