Public Health - M.P.H.

Full Description

The Master of Public Health degree in Public Health is designed to help students develop real-world knowledge and skills needed to pursue success in the public health industry.

The Public Health major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Biostatistics concentration prepares students in the quantitative science of health data collection, storage, retrieval, analysis and interpretation. Graduates are equipped to use statistical methods to design and analyze health-related surveys and experiments for improving health. The college’s faculty research interests include applying biostatistical analysis to understand critical health problems. Graduates in biostatistics are in demand at hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, state and local health departments, federal health agencies and biotechnology companies to analyze the effectiveness of new drugs and interventions, identify risk factors for disease and develop effective prevention strategies.
• The Epidemiology concentration prepares students to analyze the distribution and determinants of disease, disabilities and death in populations. Graduates are able to apply quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate disease outbreaks, determine causal relationships between environmental and biological factors and conduct studies to project health trends in populations. Students benefit from public health faculty research agendas in bio-preparedness, public health surveillance systems, chronic disease, cancer and infectious disease epidemiology. Career opportunities for graduates include research positions in universities, medical schools and pharmaceutical companies; disease prevention specialists in hospitals; and surveillance managers in state and local health departments.
• The Health Policy and Management concentration prepares students to address public health risks and develop effective health services delivery models. This concentration incorporates health services research, health policy analysis and health care planning and management. Given the active research of the college’s faculty in identifying service gaps and in developing evidence-based practices and policy analysis, students emerge with strong skills in health services management, alternative models of service financing and strategies for improving services. Career opportunities for graduates include administrative and management positions in hospitals, clinics, state and local health departments, nursing homes and mental health facilities; policy analyst positions in health planning organizations and governmental agencies; and planning and management positions in health maintenance organizations and health insurance companies.
• The Social and Behavioral Sciences concentration provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to improve health in populations across the life course. Students learn to apply theoretical principles to design, implement and evaluate effective programs that include behavioral and environmental approaches. Graduates are able to design and evaluate public health interventions intended to improve health for families, workplaces, communities and other settings. The active research of the college’s faculty—particularly in the areas of childhood obesity, violence and injury prevention, substance abuse prevention and chronic disease prevention—provides students the opportunity to work on large-scale externally funded prevention research. Students are prepared for careers in health promotion; program design and evaluation; and prevention program development for state and local health departments, workplace health promotion programs, hospitals, international health agencies, mental health centers and non-profit organizations.

Students in the M.P.H. degree have the opportunity to complete a dual degree with the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree. A separate application must be submitted for each program. Students can view admission requirements for each program on their respective catalog page.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 3.000 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• GRE scores or other standardized admission exam (GMAT, MCAT, LSAT or PCAT)¹ (effective for spring 2024 admission term, test scores are no longer required)
• Goal statement
• Résumé is required effective for spring 2024 admission term
• Three letters of recommendation
• English Language Proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:
  • Minimum 550 TOEFL PBT score
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL IBT
  • Minimum 77 MELAB score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 Duolingo English score

¹

GRE scores may be waived, as determined by graduate coordinator, using program criteria.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester​
  • Priority deadline: March 15 (international student)
    Applications submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.
  • Rolling admissions (domestic student)
• Spring Semester​
  • Priority deadline: August 15 (international student)
    Applications submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.
  • Rolling admissions (domestic student)
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions (domestic student)

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

Evidence-based Approaches to Public Health

1. Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice.
2. Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
3. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate.
4. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice.

Public Health and Health Care Systems

1. Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
2. Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels.

Planning and Management to Promote Health

1. Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health.
2. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs.
3. Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention.
4. Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
5. Select methods to evaluate public health programs.

Policy in Public Health

1. Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
2. Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
3. Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.       
4. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.

Leadership

1. Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making.
2. Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.

Communication

1. Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
2. Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
3. Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.

Interprofessional Practice

1. Perform effectively on interprofessional teams.

Systems Thinking

1. Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Biostatistics Concentration Requirements

¹

It is expected that students enrolled in BST 60192 who does not complete the course in one term will continuously register for BST 60292 each semester, until all requirements have been met. Credit hours for BST 60292 do not apply to the minimum 46 credit hours for the degree.

Epidemiology Concentration Requirements

¹

It is expected that students enrolled in EPI 60192 who does not complete the course in one term will continuously register for EPI 60292 each semester, until all requirements have been met. Credit hours for EPI 60292 do not apply to the minimum 46 credit hours for the degree.

Health Policy and Management Concentration Requirements

¹

It is expected that students enrolled in HPM 60192 who does not complete the course in one term will continuously register for HPM 60292 each semester, until all requirements have been met. Credit hours for HPM 60292 do not apply to the minimum 46 credit hours for the degree.

Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentration Requirements

¹

It is expected that students enrolled in SBS 60192 who does not complete the course in one term will continuously register for SBS 60292 each semester, until all requirements have been met. Credit hours for SBS 60292 do not apply to the minimum 46 credit hours for the degree.

Graduation Requirements

• Practicum placement at an approved public health agency under the guidance of a qualified preceptor (150 or 300 contact hours)
• Final portfolio/report and a seminar presentation integrating theory and practice
• Participation in at least one approved interprofessional education event; event requires students to participate at a specific time/date to be determined in consultation with the student's advisor

• Delivery:
  • Fully online
  • Mostly online
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus
  • Twinsburg Academic Center (Health Policy and Management concentration only - mostly online)
  • Independence, Ohio (Health Policy and Management concentration only - mostly online)

The M.P.H. degree in Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).