Public Health, M.P.H. *

OSRHE Program Code: 166
CIP Code: 512201
Major Code: 7930
Option Codes:

• 7933 - Global Health
• 7932 - Public Health Leadership
• 7934 - Nutritional Health

Purpose:

The Master of Public Health program is a post-baccalaureate program with three pathways - Public Health Leadership, Global Health, and Nutritional Health. The program accepts both full and part-time students and provides students with knowledge essential to the practice of public health on a global scale. Students develop a strong foundation in public health by studying biostatistics, environmental health issues, epidemiology, health policy and management, and social and behavioral determinants of health, as well as study in specialization areas so graduates gain the expertise necessary to address some of the world’s most pressing problems.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Contribute to the public health profession through sound professional public health attitudes, values, concepts and ethical practices.
2. Integrate and apply the crosscutting knowledge and skills (competencies) within five core public health areas of knowledge (behavioral sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health science, and public health administration).
3. Successfully participate in the professional certification examination processes.

Student Learning Outcomes - Global Health

1. Analyze the relationship between health, poverty, and development.
2. Synthesize information from primary and secondary sources to help identify appropriate interventions and actions in global health and development.
3. Demonstrate skills in program design, monitoring, and evaluation.
4. Demonstrate competence in using one database relevant to global health and development.
5. Demonstrate skills in systematic reviews of the evidence-base of current global health and development policies and programs.

Student Learning Outcomes - Public Health Leadership

1. Integrate research and practice-based evidence to identify, design, implement or evaluate systems, structures, programs, policies and practices that promote well-being and improve health where people live and work in local, national or global settings.
2. Develop innovative strategies to facilitate constructive dialogue and collaboration across health professions and with diverse stakeholders to create effective, sustainable and resilient systems that address current and emerging public health challenges.
3. Employ adaptive leadership skills and systems thinking to optimize the use and management of public health resources to reduce morbidity and mortality, improve well-being of individuals and communities, and advance health equity.
4. Design multidimensional approaches to evaluate the processes, outcomes and impacts of complex public health systems, programs and policies.
5. Adopt practices to engender leadership skills in others, recognizing and rewarding those whose work exemplifies the values, principles and practices of public health leadership, professionalism and commitment.

Student Learning Outcomes - Nutritional Health

1. Examine existing community- and population-based nutrition programs.
2. Utilize public health frameworks to assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ nutritional health
3. Evaluate the role of nutrition in the prevention and management of health conditions.
4. Collect, analyze and interpret nutrition-related qualitative and quantitative data.
5. Demonstrate the ability to communicate nutrition-related public health content.

Admission, Retention, and Graduation

Admission. Beyond the admission requirements for the Graduate College, admission to the Public Health, M.P.H. program requires:

• Minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale. 
  • Conditional Program Admission:  Applicants with a cumulative GPA of 2.80 - 2.99 may be granted conditional admission. Students admitted conditionally must earn at least a “B” in each course of the first 9 hours attempted (as outlined on the program of study) to remain in the program and advance to regular admission.
• Completion of all prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or better.
• Be in good standing with the college or university last or currently attending.
• World Education Services (WES) evaluation for all foreign coursework.
• International applicants must submit a TOEFL score of 550 or higher on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 79 on the Internet-based test. Minimum IELTS score is 6.5.
• Submission of MPH program application packet.

Advisement. The Graduate College assigns students an advisor upon admission to graduate studies. It is the candidate’s responsibility to make an appointment with the advisor prior to enrollment to discuss policies and procedures relevant to the degree program. Conferring with the student, the advisor develops the plan of study, assists in the selection of classes, and counsels the student.

Retention and Graduation. The candidate for the Master of Public Health degree must satisfy the following requirements:

1. Continue to meet the Graduate College’s Retention Standards. See the Academic Information page for more information.
2. Monitor degree progress using the degree audit system in the goNSU portal.
3. Meet Graduate College policies detailed in Academic Information and Master’s Degree Requirements regarding GPA, minimum grades, coursework age, residency and institutional / state regulations governing degree conferral.
4. Students must receive a grade of “B” or above in each course taken within the curriculum. Students earning a grade below a “B” are placed on probation. Once on probation, the student may proceed to subsequent coursework, but must retake the course with the below par grade before proceeding with subsequent coursework. A second course grade below a “B” results in suspension from the Graduate College and termination from the program.