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Overview

Our straight forward curriculum ensures you graduate with an Master of Public Health on time and with purpose. No unnecessary stress. No guesswork. 

7 semesters. 6 credits per semester. Graduate on time and ready to lead.  

Download the Curriculum and Requirements Grid.

 

Full Course Descriptions

PUBH-5020 Determinants of Health (3 Credits) 
Since social and physical environments and health behaviors carry a far greater influence on health outcomes than medical care, this course will focus on the underlying causes of illness, wellness, and health by focusing on the evidence and the current theories supporting the underlying determinants of health. This course will also demonstrate how critical the understanding of determinants of health can impact public health research and planning, and public policy to promote healthier societies nationally and globally that provide greater health equity.  

PUBH-5030 Public Health Ethics (3 Credits) 
This course examines the normative frameworks and ethical issues as these are correlated to public health practice and policy. As such, public health policy is often the product of controversy. In this course, students will be introduced to a variety of ethical issues and cases concerning public health, both globally and domestically and will focus on two central ethical tensions shaping public health policy and practice between the allocation of resources and balancing community and individuals concerns. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5010, PUBH.5020 

PUBH-5040 Research Methods (3 Credits) 
This course will teach students the required concepts and skills to conduct research design, implementation, data collection and analysis, statistical tests, and report results, as these skills are essential to conducting original research, but also, to critically reviewing existing published public health research. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5010, PUBH.5020 

PUBH-5110 Health Policy (3 Credits) 
This course provides an overview of public health policy interventions decided, implemented, and influenced by the social, bureaucratic, and political environments, but also, by theoretical motivations which have consequences on population health. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5030, PUBH.5040 

PUBH-5120 Analytical Skills (3 Credits) 
This course focuses on the applied statistical (quantitative and qualitative) skills necessary to prepare students to answer public health questions using quantitative data and provide community members with the exact picture surrounding current populations health issues. In addition to applied statistical principles (quantitative and qualitative), this course focuses on data collection, analysis, interpretation, and most importantly, on the presentation of results to provide actionable insights based on analysis. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5030, PUBH.5040 

PUBH-5130 Environmental Health (3 Credits) 
This course covers global and local environmental issues. It examines the sources, routes, and the health impact correlated to physical, chemical, and biological agents in the environment and how these agents affect the air quality, health, diseases, food, and land resources in both occupational and community settings, thus demonstrating the interdependency between natural environments and humans. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5110, PUBH.5120 

PUBH-5140 Human Rights and Equity (3 Credits) 
This course provides a unique perspective on the interconnectivity of human rights and health equity in a changing world, not only in the United States, but globally. It will not only focus on the origins of human rights and health equity, but also on the notion of natural rights, or for example, the notion of religious and legal frameworks of health rights, but also, analyze the complementary and competing nature of human rights and the application of health for all including those in most need. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5110, PUBH.5120 

PUBH-5150 Public Health Program Planning (3 Credits) 
This course provides students with solid foundational knowledge and techniques to plan and evaluate public health programs, including administrative, behavioral, educational, and needs assessments, objective program writing, impact and outcome evaluation protocols, management, and evaluations. Students will apply the above knowledge and techniques to develop and critique both a public health program plan and evaluation plan. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5130, PUBH.5140 

PUBH-5160 Public Health Economics (3 Credits) 
To help students understand the delivery, financing, and organization of public health services within health systems, this course introduces economic concepts in the provision of all these health-related services: from the individual scale looking at the health care market mechanisms to identify the types of interventions the government and health care providers take (microeconomics), to the national scale of the economy (macroeconomies) by looking at the impact of economic growth, public health spending, public health policies on the health of the population. This course covers the demand and delivery for public health services, including the costs and the market structure within which they operate, along with the economic valuation and the cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, cost-utility, and cost-consequence analysis. This course also compares the performance (equity and health outcomes) of public health systems around the world.  
Prerequisites: PUBH.5130, PUBH.5140 

PUBH-5170 Implementing PH Interventions (3 Credits) 
This course will focus on the correlation between theory, concepts, evidence, community engagement, and ethics, and the practical on-site issues resulting from the conceptualization, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of public health interventions. Students will then focus on the identification of population needs, assets, and capacities to develop the appropriate interventions; then cover the implementation of public health interventions and strategies within a spectrum of socio-economical frameworks; and conclude with a focus on both the monitoring of interventions and evaluation of the public health intervention outcomes. Once again, students' focus shifts from evidence to action by building on the knowledge and skills acquired during all other courses. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5150, PUBH.5160

PUBH-5180 Pub Health Surveillance Methods (3 Credits) 
This course introduces public health surveillance concepts and principles by combining theory and practice by covering local, state, and national public health settings in the United States and globally to demonstrate how important these systems track diseases and any health threats. The course concludes by having students evaluate a surveillance system (individually or in groups, depending on the size of the selected system) and design a regional, state, or national system in cooperation with public health officials operating within the selected geographical setting. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5150, PUBH.5160

PUBH-5210 Public Health Practice (3 Credits) 
This course stands at the culmination of the program as it combines and applies principles and knowledge covered in all of the required courses to date, and uses evidence-based approaches and analytical skills to solve public health problems confronting the U.S. and the rest of the world, as COVID-19 has clearly reminded us, just like all prior pandemics did, that health knows no man-made borders. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5170, PUBH.5180

PUBH-5220 Public Health Practicum (1 Credits) 
This practicum is a supervised practical field experience that provides all participating graduate students with a unique opportunity to apply and further develop all the knowledge and skills which they acquired within the academic program in a public health organization, but also, in any organization where public health activities are implemented. Total practicum hours: 75. 
Prerequisites: PUBH.5170, PUBH.5180

PUBH 5901 - Capstone 1 - Research Topic Selection, Prospectus Outline and CITI Training" with the description, "Capstone represents a significant milestone in students’ academic journeys, marking the transition from coursework to independent scholarly contribution. As the first of four courses in the MPH capstone sequence, students in this course will identify and refine a research topic of personal and professional relevance by synthesizing the knowledge, skills, and perspectives acquired throughout their graduate study in public health to select a research topic and develop a research prospectus outline.  As a foundational document, the outline will demonstrate their ability to integrate theory, evidence, and methodological considerations into a clear and feasible plan of inquiry that prepares them to advance confidently in the next three stages of their capstone project.

PUBH 5902 - Capstone 2 - Literature Review" with the description, "As the second of four courses in the MPH capstone sequence, students in this course will build upon the research prospectus outline they drafted in Capstone 1 to develop a comprehensive literature review.  The literature review gathers and synthesizes critical existing information on the research topic, and relates it to the larger, ongoing dialogue. This helps identify and fill gaps while highlighting opportunities to extend prior studies. It also provides a framework for establishing the importance of the research and sets a benchmark for comparing the results with other findings.  By the end of this course, students will have a literature review that provides an evidence base on which they can refine their research design in Capstone 3 and finalize and present their research prospectus in Capstone 4.

PUBH 5903 - Capstone 3 - Research Design" with the description, "As the third of four courses in the MPH capstone sequence, students in this course will build upon the research prospectus outline they drafted in Capstone 1 and the literature review they drafted in Capstone 2 to review quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research designs to determine which best aligns with their research.  The course emphasizes across all research designs the importance of an introduction to a study, the significance of a purpose statement, and need to develop clear, answerable research questions and hypotheses.  By the end of this course, students will have a draft introduction section and draft research prospectus  that demonstrates methodological rigor, which they will finalize in Capstone 4.

PUBH-5904 - Capstone 4 - Research Prospectus and Presentation" with the description, "As the last of four courses in the MPH capstone sequence, students in this course will build upon the research prospectus outline they drafted in Capstone 1, the literature review they drafted in Capstone 2, and the draft introduction section and research prospectus they drafted in Capstone 3 to finalize and present the research prospectus.  The course emphasizes refinement of the research questions, methodological alignment, articulating the proposed study’s significance, and preparing a well-organized, high caliber research prospectus. From there, students will create and present a professional presentation that demonstrates their ability to communicate research effectively to academic and practitioner audiences.  By the end of this course, students will have a final research prospectus and presentation signaling their ability to design, conduct, and present basic public health research.  Prerequisites: All MPH courses.

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Across the MS in Public Health program, graduates develop expertise in:

• Evidence-based approaches to public health practice
• Policy development and advocacy
• Program planning and evaluation
• Leadership and systems thinking
• Cultural competency in health communication
• Interprofessional collaboration
• Quantitative and qualitative research methods

Through our program's focus on practical application and applied research, graduates are ready to:

• Pursue doctoral programs in public health
• Conduct research to address structural inequities in health systems
• Design and implement population-based health programs
• Analyze health policies and their impacts
• Lead public health initiatives
• Evaluate program effectiveness
• Communicate with diverse stakeholders

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MS in Public Health Careers and Salary Outlook 
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s Master of Science (MS) in Public Health prepares graduates for diverse positions across public health including: 

• Local, state, and federal government organizations 
• Healthcare systems 
• Higher Education and Research Institutions 
• International Health Organizations 
• Non-profit Organizations 

The MS in Public Health prepares graduates for high-demand roles with attractive average annual salaries such as:  
 - $81,390 
 - $84,380 
 - $110,680 Back to top

Faculty 
With decades of experience from local to global settings, our faculty brings a powerful blend of academic insights and real-world leadership in designing and driving public health programs.
Meet ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø faculty. Back to top

The MS in Public Health degree program at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø welcomes applications from current professionals, recent graduates, or career changers who are enthusiastic about public health research and practice. 

There are no application deadlines, so you can submit your online application anytime for consideration. 

Application requirements:

• Completed
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited academic institution
• Official transcripts from all previous academic institutions
• Current resume/curriculum vitae
• Personal statement:  In no more than 750 words, tell us why you are pursuing a Master of Science in Public Health at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. What drives your public health interest? What public health issue are you most enthusiastic about? How will this program help you grow as a public health researcher, practitioner, and leader?  
• Two letters of recommendation: One from an academic reference who can speak to your intellectual abilities and potential for graduate-level work. One from a professional reference who can speak about your interests, ambitions, and work style.  

Review complete graduate admissions information and contact Graduate Admissions team members with any questions.

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Review up-to-date tuition and fee information. Students in the  MS in Public Health may qualify for  financial aid  at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø: 

• Federal Direct Loans
• Graduate PLUS Loans
• Merit-based scholarships
• If available, graduate assistantships

For complete information, review financial aid at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and contact the Office of Financial Aid.

 

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Our program is built for impact. We offer a boutique experience with small class sizes of no more than 20 students. Direct access to program leadership and faculty. A straightforward, no-nonsense curriculum that keeps you on track to graduate. You’ll graduate with a research prospectus, a professional network, and real-world skills to lead in public health.  

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Yes! Our program follows a 6-credit-per-semester format ideal for balancing graduate school with work and personal commitments. Whether you’re already in public health or transitioning to it, you’ll graduate without burning out.   

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An MS in Public Health creates access to careers across public health, healthcare, government, consulting, and research sectors. Graduates work as health program managers, policy analysts, epidemiologists, research assistants, research professors, research directors, and data analysts. Graduates often pursue advanced studies such as PhD, DrPH, and MD degrees. Public health is a rapidly growing field with strong potential for meaningful work and competitive salaries. 

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No. We welcome applicants from diverse academic and professional paths who are enthusiastic about improving health outcomes and ready to lead public health programs to apply.  

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ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s MS in Public Health is a 42-credit program designed for working professionals, typically completed in 28 months through part-time, distance education.

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