2009-2010 University Catalog
Public Health, MPH
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The Master of Public Health (MPH) emphasizes a skill-set tailored to expanding public health-related needs. The curriculum includes all the core disciplines of public health – epidemiology, biostatistics, health administration and policy, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health – as well as additional courses in nutrition, global health and other cross-disciplinary topics. In addition to required coursework in each of the core disciplines and a mandatory practical experience, students will pursue a concentration in community health, epidemiology, global health, or health administration and policy. The coursework and practicum experience will prepare graduates of the program to work for agencies, businesses, and organizations that seek to improve public health at the local, national, and global level. The MPH will follow the curriculum guidelines set by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), and the Department will apply for CEPH accreditation after the first group of students graduate as required by CEPH (http://www.ceph.org/).
The Master of Public Health program comprises 42 credit hours, distributed among the following categories of courses: Public Health Core (15 credits), Professional Development core (12 credits), and a concentration (15 credits). Concentrations will include community health, epidemiology, global health, and public health administration. These requirements are based on guidelines from the Council for Education in Public Health (http://www.ceph.org/). All students will take a comprehensive master’s exam that will assess mastery of key learning objectives.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the program is competitive, and a variety of criteria are evaluated in the admission process: the strength of the undergraduate record and any post-baccalaureate course work, the GRE general examination, professional goals and experience, letters of recommendation, and evidence of the ability to write and conduct research at the graduate level. Although the GRE is required, it is only one of several areas of evaluation in the admission process. Some background in statistics, biology, and the social sciences is preferred. With the exception of international applicants, the GRE may be waived at the discretion of the department for those who hold advanced degrees.
The application deadline is April 1 for fall and November 1 for spring. Late applications will be considered on a space-available basis. Those who miss the application deadline may apply through Non-degree Studies to enroll in an MPH course, as long as they have achieved a 3.0 GPA or above in their undergraduate degree. A maximum of nine credits may be taken in non-degree status. Students in non-degree status who are latter admitted to the MPH program may petition for courses taken as non-degree to apply toward the degree. |
Degree Requirements
Students must complete 42 credits of graduate course work. Each course can be used to fulfill only one requirement. A graduate course in which a grade of C or below is earned may be repeated only once. Graduate students may repeat no more than two courses in their stated program of study. Students must achieve a 3.00 GPA to graduate. Public Health Core (15 Credits)
Choose one from the following:
Professional Development Core (12 Credits)
Choose one of the following:
Practicum or Thesis Option
Students may register for 6 credits of practicum or thesis only with approval from their advisor and after they have completed at least 27 credits of the program
Practicum Option
For the practicum option, which entails the application of an idea or theory through fieldwork, students will be required to complete two practica of 112 hours each. Both practica must be performed within a public health agency under the guidance of a preceptor and a faculty advisor. As part of each practicum, students must attend a seminar course, complete a project, and produce a formal report and presentation during each practicum.
Thesis Option
Thesis option students will select a thesis director who will guide the work and be the ultimate judge of its acceptability. The director must be within the Department of Global and Community Health. Thesis topics must be related to a subject within their chosen concentration. Students must conduct an original research project that employs a standard research design to collect data and test a theory. Students must develop a research proposal and have it approved by their advisor before beginning the research project. Students must register for 6 hours of thesis research, but completion of these hours is not sufficient to satisfy the thesis requirement. The final thesis must conform to University Libraries guidelines. ▲ Community Health Concentration (15 Credits)
Community health seeks to improve the health of communities. It includes private and public efforts of individuals, groups, and organizations that promote, protect, and maintain the health of populations. The community health concentration emphasizes a health education and behavior approach and prepares students to address social and behavioral factors affecting the health of communities. Through coursework and opportunities for practical application, students will learn to develop, implement, manage, and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention strategies. Choose two of the following:
Elective: 3 credits as approved by advisor
▲ Epidemiology Concentration (15 Credits)
Epidemiology is the study of the factors that influence the occurrence, distribution, prevention, and control of disease. The epidemiology concentration emphasizes the development of skills such as study design, data collection and management, data analysis and interpretation, and communication of research findings. Choose three of the following:
At least one course must be GCH 722 or GCH 732. Elective: 3 credits as approved by advisor
▲ Global Health Concentration (15 Credits)
Global health is the study of health problems that extend across borders. Professionals working in global health need to be familiar with a wide range of issues, including infectious disease, nutrition, environmental health, the social and cultural factors that influence health and health behavior, and health policy and management. The global health concentration gives students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in all these areas through both coursework and practical experiences. Students completing this concentration will be prepared to design, implement, monitor, and manage global health programs. Choose two of the following:
Elective: 3 credits as approved by advisor
▲ Health Administration and Policy Concentration (15 Credits)
The health administration and policy concentration provides courses that explain the organization, financing, and delivery of health services and public health systems in the United States and prepare students to apply the principles of program planning, development, budgeting, management, and evaluation to organizational and community initiatives. Choose two of the following:
Elective: 3 credits as approved by advisor
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