Master of Public Health
Description and Outcomes
Public health professionals are concerned with the health of a population—populations as large as several countries (i.e., international) and as small as a local neighborhood. Public health efforts involve improving population health by implementing health education programs, researching disease or injury as it relates to groups and/or geography, and promoting healthy lifestyles. Professionals in the public health field also develop health policy and legislation, manage health services and facilities, and serve as a consultant on health initiatives. The Master of Public Health program could prepare you to pursue a variety of career opportunities in the public health field and private industries.
The Master of Public Health curriculum is designed to provide you with core knowledge and skills in the foundational areas of public health. The program focuses on the public health core knowledge areas and practical skills to prepare you to enter the public health field. In addition, you will study concepts, values, research methods, and applications that could assist you as you prepare for a leadership or administrative career in public health within local, state, or federal governments as well as private industries. Core curriculum topics include biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health policy, and social and behavioral sciences. Courses teach you to apply principles of public health to real-world situations and develop administrative, ethical, and professional skills. These skills may help you pursue leadership positions in the expanding field of population health.
You will have the opportunity to select elective courses in a variety of special topics, and may choose courses that closely align to your interests within the field of public health.
In addition, you will solidify your skills through the completion of a capstone project. The project entails analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing public health constructs within a real-world issue or scenario, without the use of human research participants. As the final course in the program, the capstone experience allows you to demonstrate readiness to enter the public health workforce.
Concentrations
You can personalize your degree with a concentration in epidemiology, public health informatics, or public health leadership and administration.
Program Length
The Master of Public Health program consists of a minimum of 64 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded the Master of Public Health degree.
Program Outcomes
- Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills: Analyze the impact of the social determinants of health on population-level outcomes.
- Research and Analysis: Appraise current and relevant health issues and policies.
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Incorporate an evidence-based approach that is culturally and linguistically appropriate.
- Professionalism and Ethics: Leverage ethical principles, epidemiological concepts, and socio-behavioral frameworks to make recommendations for public health practice.
- Leadership and Teamwork: Apply leadership and management principles to address a relevant issue.
- Communications: Demonstrate professional competence in communicating effectively with diverse target groups.
Professional Competencies
In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the professional competencies associated with your academic program in the Professional Competencies section of this Catalog.
Program Availability
For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.
Policies
Admissions Requirements
You must meet the below admissions requirements in addition to Purdue Global's general requirements.
Progression Requirements
If you are a graduate of a medical, osteopathic, naturopathic, chiropractic, or pharmacy program from an accredited university and hold the MD, DO, ND, DC, or PharmD degree, you may receive transfer credit fulfilling PU520 Principles of Epidemiology, PU535 Public Health Biology - A Global Perspective, and any available elective credits in your degree plan. Total credit awarded will range from 8 to 20 credits, depending on your election of a concentration.
To receive credit, by the end of the first term an official transcript must be received from your doctoral degree-granting institution. Transcripts received after the end of the first term may be denied eligibility for an official transfer credit evaluation.
Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams
Certification and licensure boards have state-specific educational requirements for programs that lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.
Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.
You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.