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 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 have the opportunity to declare the Addictions Counseling graduate certificate to become licensed chemical dependency counselors in the state of Ohio.

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 scale¹
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal statement
• Résumé
• Three letters of recommendation (effective for spring 2025, two letters will be required)
• English Language Proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:²
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

¹

Students with less than a 3.000 GPA will be considered for conditional admission.

²

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

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.

Dual Degree with Master of Business Administration

Students have the opportunity to complete a dual degree program with the Master in Public Health and the Master of Business Administration. A separate application must be submitted for each program. Students can view admission requirements for each program on their respective catalog page.

The M.B.A./M.P.H. dual degree program prepares students for responsible leadership positions and offers an integrated business and public health curriculum designed to help students develop real-world knowledge and skills needed to pursue success and management opportunities in the public health industry.

Dual Degree Requirements

¹

MGMT 68051 may be waived for students with at least two years of full-time work experience.

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

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Health Policy and Management Concentration Requirements

¹

It is expected that students enrolled in HPM 60192 who do 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

Only students admitted to the Addictions Counseling graduate certificate may apply CES 67664 toward the degree.

²

Only students admitted to the Addictions Counseling graduate certificate may apply CES 67692 toward the degree. Those students must consult with their advisor to ensure that they meet competencies for SBS 60192. It is expected that students enrolled in SBS 60192 who do 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

• No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
• Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.

• 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).