Master of Public Health

Master of Public Health

Program Director:Robert R. Jacobs, Ph.D.

Program Administrator:Tammi A. Thomas

Website:

Introduction

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program is a school-based programdesigned to graduate students each with core competencies in public health and additional competencies in one of the following: a concentration inbiostatistics, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, health management, or health promotion and behavior; or an individual track in public health that is approved by the program.

Graduates of the MPH program are prepared for positions in the public health work force, in health-related industries, and in academic organizations and for further professional or academic education.

Competencies

The MPH program has adopted the competencies published by the Association of Schools of Public Health. (ASPH Education Committee. “Master’s Degree in Public HealthCore Competency DevelopmentProject, Version 2.3.”

The learning objectives for each course in the MPH curriculum are mapped to these ASPH competencies.

Admission

The ideal candidate for admission to the MPH program has received the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree or higher, has education or training in one or more health-related fields, has worked or studied in a public health-related situation, can comprehend and communicate effectively in English, has the recommendations of at least three persons in a health-related or advanced education field, has performed satisfactorily in one or more standardized test, and is very interested in pursuing a career in public health or a related field.

The requirements for admission to the MPH program are:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or its equivalent
  • Recommended minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • If candidate’s primary language is not English, one of the following:
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam with a minimum score of 250 (after conversion for test type) need to add other version score minimums, e.g. internet based (Recommend 100 as the score)
  • Passing the exit examination for the advanced level of the Intensive English as a Second Language Program at the University of Louisville
  • Degree from an accredited U.S. institution (requires provisional admission with evaluation of English language competency and potential requirement topass the exit examination for the advanced level of the Intensive English as a Second Language Program at the University of Louisville)

An application is considered once all of the following requirements have been received:

  • Graduate application and payment of application fee.
  • Three letters of recommendation written within the last twelve months.
  • Official transcripts of all degrees.
  • Resume or curriculum vitae.
  • One-page personal statement written by the application that is a clear, substantive description of his or her goals in public health, noting any professional or research experience.
  • Official score from any of the following standardized tests: GRE, MCAT, DAT, GMAT, or LSAT.
  • International applicants: Foreign credential evaluation of alldegrees from non-U.S. institutions. Please contact the MPH program prior to completing this requirement.

For information on the application process, please contact:

MPH Program

School of Public Health and Information Sciences

University of Louisville

485 East Gray Street

Louisville, KY 40202

Phone:502-852-3289

Fax:502-852-3294

Concentrations

Concentrations are offered in each of the five basic areas of public health by the department that focuses on the area. Each concentration is designed to develop the competencies needed by a public health worker in the corresponding area.

Concentration / Department
Biostatistics / Bioinformatics and Biostatistics
Environmental and Occupational Health / Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Epidemiology / Epidemiology and Population Health
Health Management / Health Management and Systems Sciences
Health Promotion and Behavior / Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Requirements for acceptanceto the concentrations in the MPH program are:

Concentration / Concentration Acceptance Requirements
All /
  • Student in good standing in MPH program
  • Successful completion of core courses

Biostatistics /
  • Grade from PHST-500 Introduction to Biostatistics
  • Other evidence of analytic ability, for example:
-Quantitative score from at least one of these exams: GRE, GMAT, or DAT
-Transcripts showing other college-level mathematics or statistics course
-Instructor recommendation
-Participation in or successful completion of a research project with analytical component
  • Exceptions may be granted.

Environmental and occupational health / No additional requirements.
Epidemiology /
  • Grade from PHEP-501 Introduction to Epidemiology
  • Grade from PHST-500 Introduction to Biostatistics
  • Exceptions may be granted.

Health management / No additional requirements.
Health promotion and behavior / No additional requirements.

Individual Track Option historically other programs have called this the ‘generalist track’

A student may complete an individual track in place of completing a concentration. The individual track option is designed for students who meet the requirements and wish to study areas of public health that are not directly addressed by one of the available concentrations or who are enrolled in a dual master’s degree program with the MPH. A student’s program of study in an individual track is established as part of admission to the individual track option.

Requirements for admission to the individual track option are the following:Who or what committee makes the admission decision?

  • GPA of 3.25 or higher in required first-year MPH program coursesWhat about making this 3.5, at least in the first year of the program?
  • One of:
  • Enrollment in a dual master’s degree program with the MPH
  • Personal statement of purpose and reasons for an individual track
  • Program director approval of a faculty member to serve as the student’s advisor for the track application process and, if admitted, for the track and practicum
  • An acceptable program of study for an individual track recommended by the student’s advisor
  • Competitive selection (not sure how this will work and who makes the decision?) of student’s application using rankings of the above requirements among all applicants for an individual track at that time

The program may limit the number of admissions to the individual track option in any one year based on the total number of MPH students and dual degree students (are their specific criteria that would initiate a limitation?). In addition the program director may seek review and advice from the MPH Advisory Committee on some or all of the applications. If a student is not admitted to the individual track option, he or she must choose and be admitted to an existing concentration.

Curriculum

The curriculum consists of courses in four areas: core (6 courses), concentration or individual track (5), practicum experience (2), and integrating experience (3). Core courses and two integrating experience courses are completed prior to taking courses inother areas. Toward the end of taking these courses, each student either identifies his or her area of concentrationand is admittedto the department offering the concentration or applies and is admitted to the individual track option. Once admitted into the concentration or individual track option, the student takes concentration courses or course in his or her individual track program of study, completes the practicum experience, and takes the remaining integrating experience course, which includes a comprehensive written examination focused on the program’s core MPH competencies.

Full-time students are expected to complete the program and graduate in two years. Part-time students are required to complete the program and graduate within six years.

Faculty Advisor

On matriculation, each studentis assigned a faculty advisor and is requested to meet at least twice each semester with his or her advisor. Advisors are available to address general academic and public health questions and to assist the student in declaration of his or her area of concentration or the individual track option.

After admission into a concentration, each student is assigned a faculty advisor who serves as academic practicum advisor, academic mentor, and counselor on career and employment opportunities, professional development, and opportunities beyond graduate school. The faculty advisor for a student in the individual track option is assigned as part of admission to the option.

Program of Study

The program of study is predetermined for courses in core, practicum experience, and integrating experience areasand in the majority of the concentration area. Concentrations have one or two elective courses. The program of study for an individual track is established as part of admission to the individual track option.

Degree Requirements

Requirements for the MPH degree are:

  • Successful completion of core, concentration, practicum experience, and integrating experiencecoursework
  • Completion of all deliverables for the practicum experience
  • Minimum score of 80% on either of two tries of a comprehensive examination on MPH competencies (part of PHPH-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health) or successful completion of remediation project (part of PHPH-601 ) Is this in place for this year? Also, if the national board exam is changed and students are able to take it prior to graduating with this change？The concept of the exam in the integration course probably needs to be reconsidered based on what is done with the NBPHE.

Coursework

47 total credit hours:

18 credit hours of core coursework

6 credit hours of practicum experience

8 credit hours of integrating experience

15 credit hours of concentration or individual track coursework

Required Coursework
Semester / Course # / Course Title (and Area, as needed) / Credit Hours
Fall I / PHMS-501 / Introduction to Public Health Practice and Administration (core) / 3
PHST-500 / Introduction to Biostatistics (core) / 3
PHMS-618 / Introduction to Public Health Informatics (core) / 3
PHPH-696 / Issues in Public Health (integrating experience) / 2
Semester Total / 11
Spring I / PHEH-500 / Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences (core) / 3
PHPB-501 / Introduction to Health Behavior (core) / 3
PHEP-501 / Introduction to Epidemiology (core) / 3
PHPH-614 / Critical Thinking and Program Evaluation (integrating experience) / 3
Semester Total / 12
Required Coursework
Semester / Course # / Course Title (and Area, as needed) / Credit hours
Fall II / Concentration or individual track course / 3
Concentration or individual track course / 3
Concentration or individual track course / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
Semester Total / 12
Spring II / Concentration or individual track course / 3
Concentration or individual track course / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
PHPH-697 / Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health / 3
Semester Total / 12
Degree Total / 47

PHPH-696 Issues in Public Health

The Issues in Public Health course is part of the integrating experience and is a trans-disciplinary course designed to integrate what students learned in other coursework and experiences and the application of these lessons to the broader scope of public health. Working in teams and on selected public health projects or initiatives are the focus of the course.

PHPH-614 Critical Thinking and Program Evaluation

The Critical Thinking and Program Evaluation course is an integrating experience course and focuses on the identification of public health problems and planning appropriate responses and evaluations.Planning and evaluation skills are considered pivotal learning concepts for the MPH degree and for successful public health practice.

PHPH-679 Public Health Practicum Experience

The Practicum Experience places the student in a non-academic organization providing public health-related services. The practicum experience and its required deliverables must be completed to fulfill degree program requirements.

PHPH-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health

This course is designed to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in course work and other learning experiences and to apply this knowledgeto situations that represent various aspects of professional public health practice. Through the evaluation of previous casesand the development of a new case from current and emerging areas of public health, students working in teams demonstrate their abilitiesin applying general and specific public health knowledge they have learned through their courses of study.

The course includes a comprehensive exam that assessesa student’s grasp of core public health concepts prior to graduation.The exam uses the format of the National Board of Public Health Examiners and includes questions covering the five core and cross-cutting competencies from the Association of Schools of Public Health(ASPH).The exam format consists exclusively of multiple-choice questions.Some questions may be grouped in a series following a short vignette, but they remain in an objective, multiple-choice format.

The exam is given twice, once in the middle of the semester and once at the end of the semester. All students are required to take the exam the first time it is given. Students who pass the exam (a grade of 80% or better) the first time are not required to take the exam the second time unless they want to try to improve their score. The higher score is used to calculate the student’s portion of the grade for the exam. Students not passing the exam the first time must retake the exam the second time.

A student failing to make a grade of 80% or better either time the exam is given receives an I (incomplete) for the course regardless of the scores on other evaluation components. The student is required to enroll in PHPH-601 for the next term or semester (usually summer term) and to successfully complete a remediation project as specified by the course instructors by the end of the term or semester in order to graduate. If the student successfully completes the project, the student’s grade of I is replaced with one calculated using an 80% score on the individual comprehensive examination. If the project is not successfully completed, the student’s grade for the course is F, which means the student does not graduate.

Biostatistics Concentration

Coursework

Biostatistics Concentration Coursework
Semester / Course # / Course Title / Credit hours
Fall II / PHST-680 / Biostatistical Methods I / 3
PHST-620 / Introduction to Statistical Computing / 3
Concentration elective course / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
Semester Total / 12
Spring II / PHST-640 / Statistical Methods for Research Design in Health Studies / 3
PHST-681 / Biostatistical Methods II / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
PHPH-697 / Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health / 3
Semester Total / 12
Concentration Total / 24

Electives

The elective course in the biostatistics concentration may be selected from any three-credit hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student’s faculty advisor and the program director.

Environmental and Occupational Health Concentration

Coursework

Environmental and Occupational Health Concentration Coursework
Semester / Course # / Course Title / Credit Hours
Fall II / PHEH-610 / Occupational Health and Safety / 3
PHEH-651 / Advanced Environmental Health Sciences / 3
PHPH-630 / Geographic Information Systems in Public Health / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
Semester Total / 12
Spring II / PHEH-620 / Global Issues on Environmental and Occupational Health / 3
Concentration elective course / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
PHPH-697 / Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health / 3
Semester Total / 12
Concentration Total / 24

Electives

The elective course in the environmental and occupational health concentration may be selected from any three-credit hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student’s faculty advisor and the program director.

Epidemiology Concentration

Coursework

Epidemiology Concentration Coursework
Semester / Course # / Course Title / Credit Hours
Fall II / PHEP-602 / Epidemiologic Methods / 3
PHEP-616 / Disease Surveillance and Health Statistics / 3
Concentration elective course / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
Semester Total / 12
Spring II / PHEP-617 / Field Epidemiology / 3
PHEP-655 / Emerging Issues in Epidemiology / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
PHPH-697 / Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health / 3
Semester Total / 12
Concentration Total / 24

Electives

The elective courses in the epidemiology concentration may be selected from any three-credit hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student’s faculty advisor and the program director.

Health Management Concentration

Coursework

Health Management Concentration Coursework
Semester / Course # / Course Title / Credit Hours
Fall II / PHMS-603 / Legal and Bioethical Aspects of Public Health / 3
PHMS-615 / Introduction to Health Systems / 3
Concentration elective course / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
Semester Total / 12
Spring II / PHMS-605 / Governance and Management of Healthcare Organizations / 3
PHMS-607 / Managing Healthy Communities / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
PHPH-697 / Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health / 3
Semester Total / 12
Concentration Total / 24

Electives

The elective course in the health management concentration may be selected from any three-credit hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student’s faculty advisor and the program director.

Health Promotion and Behavior Concentration

Coursework

Health Promotion and Behavior Concentration Coursework
Semester / Course # / Course Title / Credit Hours
Fall II / PHPB-604 / Health Decision and Risk Analysis / 3
PHPB-615
or
PHPB-650-04 / Public Health Program Evaluation
or
Advanced Topics in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences: Health Promotion Interventions / 3
3
Concentration elective course / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
Semester Total / 12
Spring II / PHMS-607 / Managing Healthy Communities / 3
PHPB-612 / Health Communication Campaigns / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
PHPH-697 / Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health / 3
Semester Total / 12
Concentration Total / 24

Electives

The elective course in the health promotion and behavior concentration may be selected from any three-credit hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student’s faculty advisor and the program director.

Individual Track Option

Coursework

Individual Track Option Coursework
Semester / Course # / Course Title / Credit Hours
Fall II / Individual track course / 3
Individual track course / 3
Individual track course / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
Semester Total / 12
Spring II / Individual track course / 3
Individual track course / 3
PHPH-679 / Public Health Practicum Experience / 3
PHPH-697 / Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health / 3
Semester Total / 12
Concentration Total / 24

The five individual track courses are determined as part of admission to the individual track option and may be selected from any three-credit hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student’s faculty advisor and the program director.