Master of Public Health
Public Health (Online) – MP8175
Department of Social and Public Health
Grover Center W324
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
740.593.4675
sph@ohio.edu
Delivery Mode: Online
Terms of Entry: Fall, Spring, Summer
Terms of Entry Requiring Program Permission: None
Program Overview
The program’s mission is to prepare current and future public health professionals to advance effective and participatory solutions to address the needs of rural and other underserved communities on a local, national, or global level. The MPH program accomplishes this mission through coursework and experiences that seek to:
- Cultivate and maintain a vibrant and engaging learning environment that is diverse in terms of its human characteristics, and teaching methods and practices, to promote student success and progressive approaches to developing public health solutions.
- Promote the advancement of public health knowledge through an active and community-focused research culture.
- Sustain a focus on improving the capacity of public health organizations to advance our collective ability to meet the needs of rural and underserved communities.
In addition to coursework, all students are required to complete a 200-hour applied practice experience at an approved public health related organization. Finally, each student will complete an integrative learning experience under the guidance of the MPH faculty.
The expected time to degree following the program model is two and a half years.
Program Learning Outcomes
The Master of Public Health program engages students in coursework and other experiences designed to meet the “MPH Foundational Public Health Knowledge Competencies” and “MPH Foundational Competencies” as defined by the Council on Education in Public Health. The “MPH Foundational Public Health Knowledge Competencies” include twelve competencies that cover the areas of the Profession and Science of Public Health and Factors Related to Human Health. The “MPH Foundational Competencies” include 22 learning outcomes that cover the following areas: Evidence-based Approaches to Public Health, Public Health & Health Care Systems, Planning and Management to Promote Health, Policy in Public Health, Leadership, Communication, Interprofessional Practice, and Systems Thinking.
Additionally, the MPH program is focused on Community Health, which has the following learning outcomes that will be attained by each student. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- synthesize a body of scientific literature to document the social, behavioral, and environmental determinants of a specific health behavior among a specified population.
- analyze, and develop strategies responsive to, the unique characteristics of rural and other underserved communities that challenge or facilitate access to care and services.
- design a public health program that is based upon established theoretical or conceptual frameworks in the social and behavioral sciences.
- design a plan for the evaluation of a public health program that includes a logic model, methods for formative evaluation, methods for process and impact evaluation, and methods for disseminating evaluation results to stakeholders.
- develop a proposal for funding for a community based public health program.
Further Information
Link to Program: https://www.ohio.edu/chsp/social-public-health/community-public-health/graduate/online-mph
Opportunities for Graduates
Graduates with an MPH work in a variety of public health settings, including: local and state health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitals, and non-profit health organizations.
Admission Requirements
- Earned bachelor’s degree at the start of the MPH program
- GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (undergraduate)
- GPA of 3.5 of higher on a 4.0 scale (graduate)
- Submit 3 professional letters of recommendation
- Submit a personal statement (1000 word limit) (academic background, professional background, why they want to pursue an MPH at OU, and what they plan to do in the future)
- Send official transcripts
- CV or resume
International Students
This program does not permit full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 may not be issued based on admission to this program.
Graduation Requirements
Complete 42 credit hours as follows: