Degree Title and Name:  Master of Public Health

Program Name and Number: Master of Public Health (Online) – MP8175

Department/Unit: Department of Social and Public Health

Delivery Mode:  Online

Term(s) of Entry: Fall, Spring, Summer

Program Overview:  The program’s mission is to prepare public health professionals to address community health needs locally, nationally, or internationally, in collaboration with partnering organizations and entities.

The online Ohio University Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, with a concentration in Community Health, prepares students to examine the behavioral, social, and cultural factors that impact health behavior and health outcomes. Students complete coursework related to social, behavioral, environmental, and cultural determinants of health as well as courses focused on the assessment, design, implementation and evaluation of health interventions in rural and underserved settings. Through online instruction, research and/or field experience, students will work with OHIO faculty and public health leaders in rural or underserved areas who are actively engaged in rural and underserved community health research and/or practice. Students who complete an MPH are well positioned for careers in a variety of settings, including: local or state health departments, community-based organizations, governmental organizations (CDC), and global health.

In addition to the core and elective courses, all students are required to complete a practicum in which they are required to work a minimum 200 hours at a rural or underserved community health organization. This practicum can be done in an approved location, either nationally or internationally. Finally, students are required to complete a capstone project. Each student will complete a capstone project under the guidance of their MPH faculty advisor. The purpose of the capstone project is to provide an in-depth educational experience that will prepare the student for future practice and/or academic endeavors.

The expected time to degree following program model is two years.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the program:

• Students will be able to synthesize a body of scientific literature in order to document the social, behavioral, and environmental determinants of a specific health behavior among a specified population.
• Students will be able to communicate, both orally and in writing, outcomes of a diagnostic investigation of a specific health disparity among a rural community.
• Students will be able to 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.
• Students will be able to design a public health program that is based upon established theoretical or conceptual frameworks in the social and behavioral sciences.
• Students will be able to develop a proposal for funding for a community based public health program.

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.

Graduation Requirements:  A total of 42 semester hours is required, including the completion of a capstone project.

• Minimum semester hours required: 42
• Students will complete the following required courses:

• HLTH 6720 - Social and Behavioral Sciences (3)
• HLTH 6740 - Biostatistics in Public Health (3)
• HLTH 6001- Program Planning and Implementation in Rural Public Health (3)
• HLTH 6760 - Environmental Health (3)
• HLTH 6140 - Rural Health Disparities (3)
• HLTH 6730 - Epidemiology in Public Health (3)
• HLTH 6770 - Grant Writing in Public Health Practice (3)
• HLTH 6920 - Practicum/Field Experience (3)
• HLTH 6100 - Evaluation and Quality Improvement in Health Care (3)
• HLTH 6911 - Capstone Project (3)
• HLTH 6710 - Public Health Concepts (3)
• HLTH 6802 - Quantitative Methods in Health Research (3)
• IHS 5300 - Fundamental Health Policy Concepts, Components and Systems (3)
• IHS 5510 - Interprofessional Healthcare in Rural/Underserved (1)
• HLTH 6790 - MPH Seminar (1) (taken twice for a total of 2 hrs)

Culminating Experience:  Each student will complete a Capstone Project under the guidance of their MPH faculty advisor. The purpose of the capstone project is to provide an in-depth educational experience that will prepare the student for future practice and/or academic endeavors. The capstone project may include, but is not limited to, a research project (using primary or secondary data), a publishable paper, literature review, or grant proposal. Graduation requirements include a presentation of the capstone project and a portfolio compiling accomplishments.

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
• GRE optional (highly recommended if the individual has not previously taken a statistics course). If taken, scores should be sent directly to Ohio University.

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.

• TOEFL required for non-native speakers of English (at minimum, must meet unconditional requirements without funding eligibility – see the Graduate College website for more information).