MPH in Population and Health Sciences Courses
2 YEARS | 42 Credits | 100% Online
The curriculum for the Master of Public Health (MPH) in Population and Health Sciences has been designed to be completed in 2 years. Students can expect to spend 15-20 hours per week on coursework, making it feasible for working professionals to earn this degree. View all courses in the MPH curriculum below:
The school year is broken into three terms: fall, winter, and spring/summer. Each course will include both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities, with most live class sessions scheduled on a weekday at 7pm ET and typically occurring once per week.
Students may reference the Course Schedule document below which includes the courses and course timing across both years of the degree program. Please be aware that variations in the course offerings are possible due to faculty availability and program changes.
MPH Core Courses
Students typically take all core classes in the first year of the program. This will introduce each subject offered in the elective series, and help students prepare for deeper study and to choose electives in their area(s) of interest.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOSTAT 501 | Introduction To Biostatistics | 3 |
| PUBHLTH 508 | Social Determinants Of Health | 1 |
| PUBHLTH 510 | Communication Fundamentals | 1 |
| PUBHLTH 511 | Nutrition And Public Health | 2 |
| PUBHLTH 512 | Principles Of Epidemiology For Public Health | 3 |
| PUBHLTH 513 | Public Health Systems, Policy And Management | 3 |
| PUBHLTH 514 | Public Health Sciences And The Environment | 2 |
| PUBHLTH 515 | Population Health | 3 |
| PUBHLTH 516 | Leadership Skills For Interprofessional Practice | 1 |
MPH Elective Courses
Students have the opportunity to enroll in elective courses that focus on personal and professional areas of interest. Students begin electives in their second year, and typically pursue two complete series, either in the same subject or a mix.
Variations in the following schedule are possible based on faculty availability and program changes. MPH students may earn graduate certificates by completing select elective series, learn more.
Environmental Health Sciences I Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
| Course | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EHS 601 | Exposure Science and Health | 3 |
| EHS 591 | Environmental Toxicology in Communities | 3 |
| EHS 592 | Infectious Disease And Emergency Response in Communitie | 3 |
| EHS 593 | Risk Assessment for Decision-Making | 2 |
Epidemiology I Applied Epidemiology
| Course | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EPID 590 | Epidemiological Methods | 3 |
| EPID 591 | Social Epidemiology: From Frameworks to Policy | 3 |
| EPID 602 | Applied Epidemiologic Data Analysis | 4 |
| EPID 643 | Surveillance and Publicly Available Datasets | 1 |
Health Behavior & Health Equity I Health Behavior and Health Equity
| Course | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HBHEQ 590 | Principles of Community Engagement for Health Promotion | 3 |
| HBHEQ 591 | Planning and Implementing Health Promotion Programs | 3 |
| HBHEQ 592 | Health Program Evaluation | 3 |
| HBHEQ 593 | Theoretical Foundations for Understanding Psychosocial Determinants of Health |
2 |
Health Management & Policy I Healthcare Accounting and Finance
| Course Number | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HMP 603 | Organization and Management of Healthcare Systems | 3 |
| HMP 654 | Operations Research and Control Systems in Health Care | 2 |
| HMP 670 | Accounting for Health Care | 3 |
| HMP 607 | Corporate Finance for Health Care Administrators | 3 |
Environmental Health Sciences II Public Health and Environmental Sustainability
| Course Number | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EHS 672 | Healthy and Sustainable Food and Products - Life Cycle Assessment | 3 |
| EHS 594 | Global Environment and Health | 2 |
| EHS 570 | Water Quality Management | 2 |
| EHS 596 | Climate, Justice, Health & Sustainability | 2 |
| EHS 597 | Environmental Health and Policy | 2 |
Health Behavior & Health Equity II Health Behavior Methods and Skills
| Course Number | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HBHEQ 620 | Behavioral Research Methods in Public Health | 3 |
| HBHEQ 671 | Motivational Interviewing in Public Health | 3 |
| HBHEQ 530 | Techniques of Survey Research | 2 |
| HBHEQ 597 | Clear Health Communication | 3 |
Health Management and Policy II Managing Health Policy and Practice
| Course Number | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HMP 660 | Economics of Health Management and Policy I | 2 |
| HMP 650 | Dissemination and Implementation Science In Public Health | 3 |
| HMP 610 | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Health | 3 |
| HMP 669 | Data Management and Visualization in Health Care | 3 |
*Not included in any elective series
| Course | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR 593* | Food Security Policy and Programs | 3 |
| NUTR 597* | Precision Nutrition: Translating the Science to Practice | 2 |
Note: Beginning in Fall 2023, electives offered by Nutritional Sciences will be reduced to select individual courses.
Capstone Courses
The Master of Public Health Applied Practice and Integrated Learning Experience (APEx and ILE)
| Course Number | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PUBHLTH 680 | Applied Practice and Integrative Experience I | 2 |
| PUBHLTH 681 | Applied Practice and Integrative Experience II | 2 |
The capstone projects in the online MPH degree program will allow students to apply knowledge in real-world settings while implementing the field’s common communication methods. The second year includes two sequential courses (PUBHLTH 680/681) dedicated to synthesizing the skills and competencies learned throughout the program in applied practice and integrative learning experiences.
Applied Practice Experience (APEx)
The applied practice experience is a real-world writing project that is all about contributing to the world of public health. Students will work with real community organizations to create documents or products that meet their needs. Each course assignment will take learners one step closer to the final products.
Organizations may include public health departments, community health organizations, charities or nonprofits, clinics, or labs. Students may produce project materials such as patient education materials, infographics or visual aids, brief training manuals, or brochures.
| APEx Partner Organization Examples | APEx Product Examples |
|---|---|
| Public Health Departments | Patient education materials |
| Community Health Organizations | Infographics and visual aids |
| Charities and Nonprofits | Brief Training Manuals |
| Clinics or Labs | Brochures |
Integrated Learning Experience (ILE)
The integrated learning experience involves addressing a real-world applied health problem and representing your work in a professional communication format such as a program plan or research paper, synthesizing competencies you achieved throughout the program. Students can expect to focus on one of five aims:
- analyzing population health of communities
- integrating public health and health care efforts for population health improvement
- recommending evidence-based interventions for population health improvement
- designing multi-sector collaborations for population health improvement
- evaluating changes in population health
Our faculty will provide guidance as students research, analyze, evaluate and create an integrative project and its written deliverable, your capstone. This capstone will be in the format of a technical report, research paper, policy analysis, community needs assessment, community health improvement plan, or other professional format.
The integrative learning experience will be completed during the final term of the program. Students will develop a high-level written product (e.g., policy brief, program plan, research paper, community health needs assessment) relevant to a real-world applied health problem, synthesizing competencies achieved throughout the program. Faculty will provide guidance as students research, analyze, evaluate, and create the integrative project and written deliverable.