General Requirements

MPH degree graduates will be trained principally as health policy analysts. They will have a rich background in epidemiology, health economics, health behavior, health administration, health policy and policy analysis, and statistical and qualitative analytic skills. Careers are likely to include government agency or legislative staff positions, policy and consulting firms, think tanks, advocacy organizations and lobbying firms, international organizations focused on health and population issues, academic or media positions.

The program of study for the MPH degree includes a set of required and elective courses, an internship, a capstone project and an efolio. Students can set their own pace from part-time to full-time. With appropriate planning, the program's requirements may be completed in 3-4 semesters and a summer. Other students prefer to follow a more relaxed pace. Internship may be waived under special circumstances on a case-by-case basis with appropriate experience in a public health position conducting policy analysis.  Waived credits must be made up in an approved elective.

Total Credits

Students must complete 42 credit hours which include 30 required hours, a 3 hour internship and 9 hours of electives. A capstone project is included in the core hours. Also required is an efolio constructed by each student throughout his or her course of study, including indications that public health competencies have been met, examples of projects completed, writing samples, course summaries, resume, and other materials indicating preparedness for a career in public health

Course Requirements: Master's of Public Health (42 credits)

Required MPH Core Courses (36 credits including internship placement)                             Semester Usually Taken

(a) Temporary number, subject to change.
(b) Statistics course must be completed before internship is begun.  
(c) Capstone requirement is met with either course (see capstone description below).
(d) Prerequisite required GEO 5934 Medical Geography

Capstone Project (hours included in core above)
All students must complete a capstone project.  This requirement may be met by completing PUP 5607 Health Politics and Policy Analysis which includes a capstone project, or GIS 5400 GIS Social Applications which also includes a capstone project.  However, those using GIS 5400 to meet their capstone requirement must have earlier completed GEO 5934 Medical Geography.

Approved Electives (6 Hours are required)

• ECP 5536 Seminar in Health Economics
• GEO 5934 Medical Geography
• GIS 5400 GIS Social Applications
• ISS 5930 Health and Poverty
• ISS 5930 Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• LIS 5912 Health Informatics
• PAD 5106 Public Organizations
• PAD 5397 Foundations of Emergency Management
• PAD 5836 Health Policy Administration
• PAD 5938 Emergency Management Policy & Planning
• PAD 5935 Public Health and Emergency Management
• POS 5036 Health Regulation
• PUP 5932 Policy Analysis Methods
• SYA 6933 Ethnicity and Health
• SYA 6933 Communicating Applied Social Research
• SYA 6933 Health Regulation
• SYA 6935 Epidemiology of Stress
• SYA 6936 Epidemiological Research Methods
• Any advanced multivariate statistics course approved in advance

Program Specializations

The MPH degree program can be tailored so that the student can specialize in specific areas of interest. Examples include epidemiology, statistics and research methods, economics and finance, and emergency management. Other areas of specialization may be possible with the approval of the program director.

Along with the MPH, students can obtain a certificate in emergency management from the School of Public Administration and Policy. The emergency management certificate program requires 15 hours of course work. These hours may sometimes count towards elective credit for the MPH degree.