About This Program
Looking for a career in public health that can make a real difference in communities and populations? With the Master of Public Health degree offered in person or fully online, you can specialize in health policy and management or social and behavioral sciences, each with its own unique skill set and career opportunities. Whether you are interested in analyzing health data, investigating disease outbreaks, developing effective health services delivery models or designing and evaluating public health interventions, the M.P.H. degree can help you achieve your goals and make a positive impact in the field of public health. Read more...
Contact Information
Program Delivery
- 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)
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*
Epidemiologists
- 4.6% about as fast as the average
- 8,000 number of jobs
- $74,560 potential earnings
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- 20.5% much faster than the average
- 254,000 number of jobs
- $99,090 potential earnings
Medical and health services managers
- 31.5% much faster than the average
- 422,300 number of jobs
- $104,280 potential earnings
Social and community service managers
- 17.0% much faster than the average
- 175,500 number of jobs
- $69,600 potential earnings
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- 7.3% faster than the average
- 337,800 number of jobs
- $54,180 potential earnings
Accreditation
The M.P.H. degree in Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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
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
- Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice.
- Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
- Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate.
- Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice.
Public Health and Health Care Systems
- Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
- 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
- Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health.
- Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs.
- Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention.
- Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
- Select methods to evaluate public health programs.
Policy in Public Health
- Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
- Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
- Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
- Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.
Leadership
- Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making.
- Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.
Communication
- Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
- Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
- Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.
Interprofessional Practice
- Perform effectively on interprofessional teams.
Systems Thinking
- 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
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| ACCT 63037 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING | 2 |
| ACCT 63038 | MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING | 2 |
| BA 64005 | ANALYTICS FOR DECISION MAKING | 2 |
| BA 64026 | SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 2 |
| BST 52019 | BIOSTATISTICS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| CIS 64042 | GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY | 2 |
| ECON 62021 | MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS | 2 |
| ECON 62022 | MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS | 2 |
| EHS 52018 | ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CONCEPTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| EPI 52017 | FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| FIN 66050 | LAW AND ETHICS | 2 |
| FIN 66060 | MANAGERIAL FINANCE | 2 |
| HPM 52016 | PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION | 3 |
| HPM 53010 | COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 3 |
| HPM 60192 | APPLIED PRACTICE EXPERIENCE IN HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HPM 63003 | HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS | 3 |
| HPM 63006 | COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS IN PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS | 3 |
| HPM 63007 | PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS: PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION | 3 |
| HRM 64271 | HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | 2 |
| MGMT 64158 | LEADERSHIP | 2 |
| MGMT 68051 | BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT I 1 | 0-1 |
| MKTG 65051 | MARKETING MANAGEMENT | 2 |
| SBS 54634 | SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH BEHAVIORS | 3 |
| MGMT 64399 | BUSINESS STRATEGY | 3 |
| PH 61199 | INTEGRATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE | 1 |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 58-59 |
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
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.
