Mar 29, 2024  
2012-2013 Graduate Catalog 
    
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Public Health M.P.H.


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The Master of Public Health Degree Program is designed to prepare students to be public health professionals in the private and public sectors with the overall goal of promoting and protecting the health of individuals in our society. The Master of Public Health degree (MPH) is comprised of an 18-credit required core for every student. The 27 credits represent the four primary areas of specialty offered in Public Health programs, plus one additional course entitled Fundamentals of Public Health. The four specialty areas include: (1) Social and Behavioral Health, (2) Environmental and Occupational Health, (3) Health Care Administration and Policy, and (4) Biostatistics and Epidemiology. In addition to the core courses, each student will select one 27 to credit concentration area from one of the four aforementioned concentrations. All candidates will finish their MPH degree with a 3-6 credit capstone project resulting in a 45-credit degree program.

 Educational Objectives

The purpose of the MPH Program is to prepare individuals to become effective health care practitioners, researchers and teachers who will competently identify public health problems and needs, develop effective strategies to address those needs, and promote appropriate services to be available for the protection of human health.

At a minimum, the following criteria should be met to assure each student a) develops an understanding of the areas of knowledge that are basic to public health, b) acquires skills and experience in the application of basic public health concepts and of specialty knowledge to the solution of community health problems, and c) demonstrates integration of knowledge through a capstone experience.

Admissions Requirements

To be considered for admission to the MPH, an applicant must:

  1. Hold a bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from a regionally accredited institution and have adequate preparation in the biological, physical, or social sciences. A criterion for admission is at least a B (3.0) grade-point average or the equivalent in work completed after the first two years of a bachelor’s degree program and in all post-baccalaureate course work.
  2. Completion of the school’s application process.
  3. Submit a personal essay describing what you perceive to be pressing public health issues, why a career in the field appeals to you, and how it will use your strengths and commitment
  4. Three letters of recommendation
  5. Take and submit scores for the Personal Potential Index (PPI) exam
  6. Student’s that do not have a Master’s degree or higher must submit scores for the GRE
  7. Satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for applicants whose first language is not English
  8. Official copies of all transcripts sent to the Graduate College and unofficial copies to the School of Public Health

Degree Requirements

All students are required to complete six core courses including (18 credits): Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Fundamentals of Environmental and Occupational Health, Theoretical Principals of Health Promotion, Survey of U.S. Health Care Systems, and Fundamentals of Public Health. Additionally, all students are required to complete a three credit internship and a Capstone Project. The Capstone Project requirement may be fulfilled by a professional paper or a thesis. Students will also be required to take seven courses (18-21 credits) in a concentration area and complete a capstone experience (3-6 credits). The total program of study is a minimum of 45 credits. A student must have at least a B (3.0) grade point average in all graduate work in order to graduate.

The MPH degree will be awarded only when all these requirements are met.

MPH Core Course Requirements - Total Credits: 18

1.

 

2.

 

3.  
4.

 

5.

 

6.  

 

Social and Behavioral Health Concentration -Total Credits: 27

I.  

Students are required to take the following courses - Credits: 12

   1.  
   2.

 

     
   3.  
    or
    EAB 785 - Qualitative Methods
     
   4.

 

    or
     
     
II.   Six (6) to Nine (9) credits may be selected from the following list:
      HED 607 Stress Management
    HED 627 Methods in Health Education
     
    HED 630 Nutrition (credits: 3)
    HED 635 Health Studies of Dangerous Drugs
     
 
   
   
III.   Internship Requirement-Total Credits: 3
     
     ** 3 credits are required, an additional 3 credits may be taken as an elective for a total of 6 credits of internship.
     
IV.   Capstone Requirement
     
    or
     
    *Students opting to take HED 750 (3 credits) must take a total of 9 credits of electives to reach the required minimum of 45 hours.

Environmental and Occupational Health Concentration -Total Credits: 27

I. Students are required to take the following courses -Credits: 12
  1.  
   
 
2.  
  or
 
 
3.  
 
    or

 

 
4.  
    or
 
   
II. Six (6) to Nine (9) credits may be selected from the following list:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
   
   
   
   
III. Internship Requirement-Total Credits: 3
   
  ** 3 credits are required, an additional 3 credits may be taken as an elective for a total of 6 credits of internship.
   
 IV. Required Capstone Project: Students must receive prior approval from their committee before registering for any capstone experiences.
   
   
 
*Students opting to take EOH 794 (3 credits) must take a total of 9 credits of electives to reach the required minimum of 45 hours.

Health Care Administration and Policy Concentration -Total Credits: 27

I.

Students are required to take the following courses-Total Credits: 15

  1.

 

  2.  
  3.  
  4.  
  5.

 

     
II.   Plus one of the following 3 credit-hour course:
     
     
    HCA 652 Health Politics and Policy
   

 

    HCA 680 - Organization and Management of Long-Term Care Services
     
    or
    Other advisor approved courses from the pool of university approved graduate level courses.
     
 III.   Internship Requirement- Total Credits:3
     
   
 ** 3 credits are required, an additional 3 credits may be taken as an elective for a total of 6 credits of internship.
     
 IV.   Required Capstone Project
   

 

    or
     
   
*Students opting to take HCA 709 (3 credits) must take a total of 6 credits of electives to reach the required minimum of 45 hours.

Biostatistics and Epidemiology Concentration -Total Credits: 27

I.  

Students are required to take the following courses - Total Credits: 12

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4. EAB 763 - Linear Statistical Models 
     
II.   Students may select from one or two of the following - Total Credits: 3-6
   

 

     
   

 

     
          
     
     
     
     
     
 III.  
 
 
Internship Requirement- Total Credits: 3
 
 ** 3 credits are required, an additional 3 credits may be taken as an elective for a total of 6 credits of internship.
 
 IV.   Required Capstone Project - Total Credits: 3-6
    * Students must receive prior approval from their committee before registering for any capstone experience.
     
     

 

 

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