The School of Public Health and Social Sciences (SPHSS) is one of five schools that make up Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS); the others being Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Nursing. The School was created through the amalgamation of the former Institute of Public Health, the Institute of Developmental Studies and the institute of Primary Health Care and Continuing Education in accordance with the collective promotion of these departments to university status.

The Institute of Public Health however dates back to July 1991 when it was established after the then faculty of medicine was upgraded into a college. Currently the SPHSS has six departments: Behavioural Sciences; Community Health; Developmental Studies; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Parasitology and Medical Entomology; and Environmental and Occupational Health.