Graduate programs
The School of Public Health graduate programs are designed to prepare students for professional work in the fields of community health, health promotion, health management, and health policy in a wide variety of settings. Students may also complete a plan of study that prepares them to pursue a doctoral degree in a health-related area.
The School of Public Health offers eight graduate degrees.
1. A Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree in Health Promotion.
2. A Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree in Health Management and Policy.
3. A Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree in Biostatistics
4. A Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree in Environmental Systems and Human Health
5. A Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree in Public Health Practice
6. A Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree in Epidemiology
7. A Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Biostatistics.
8. A Master of Arts/Master of Science (M.A./M.S.) degree in Health Studies - Not Currently Admitting
Students with a wide variety of undergraduate degrees and professional experience are admitted to the School of Public Health.
Health Promotion M.P.H.
The Health Promotion program is an interdisciplinary course of study providing students with specialized training in public health promotion and education. Through coursework and community-based experiences, students learn to address factors in the broader social, economic, policy, and built environments to improve the health of populations. In this track students build practice and research skills for population-level intervention, including program development, implementation, and evaluation. The curriculum further offers opportunities to focus on health across the lifespan. Graduates of the Health Promotion track will be able to effectively recognize and assess health disparities, communicate health information, promote health equity, and mobilize resources for social change.
Program Competencies
Students graduating from this program will be able to:
- Apply theory in the development, implementation, and evaluation of health promotion interventions, programs, and policies.
- Develop interventions and programs to effect change at multiple levels, including individual, community, organizations, and policy.
- Design and implement strategies to promote health.
- Solicit and integrate input from community and organization stakeholders.
- Design and deliver health communication messages.
- Evaluate and interpret results from program evaluations and other research.
- Define research problems, frame research questions, design research procedures, and outline methods of analysis.
- Apply ethical principles that govern the practice of public health.
- Demonstrate cultural competency in health promotion among all social and cultural communities.
Requirements
Students pursuing the M.P.H. degree must complete at least 60 credits, including a core of 17 credits, 28 additional required credits, an Interprofessional Education course (1-2 credits), the 1-credit Applied Practice Experience seminar, the 4-credit Integrative Learning Experience, and 9 credits in an Area of Emphasis. Students must earn a grade of "B-" or higher in all core required, and program required courses. A grade of "C-" or higher must be earned for elective courses. The student’s academic advisor must approve the Area of Emphasis. All students must pass a Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam before graduation.
The following courses are required:
Core Courses (17 Credits)
Health Promotion Required Courses (34-35 Credits)
| PHE 511 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| PHE 517 | Community Organizing | 3 |
| PHE 519 | Introduction to the Etiology of Disease | 3 |
| PHE 520 | Qualitative Research Design | 3 |
| PHE 521 | Quantitative Research Design and Analysis | 3 |
| PHE 550 | Health Promotion Program Planning | 4 |
| HSMP 573 | Values and Ethics in Health | 3 |
| HSMP 588 | Program Evaluation and Management In Health Services | 3 |
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| PHE 540 | Mass Media and Health | 3 |
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| PHE 541 | Media Advocacy and Public Health | 3 |
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| PHE 504 | Integrative Learning Experience | 4 |
| IPE | Interprofessional Experience | 1-2 |
Area of Emphasis (9 credits)
The student’s academic advisor will work the student to define and must approve the Area of Emphasis.
Total Credit Hours: 60-61