Master of Public Health
About This Program
The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is a 42-credit hour, professional master degree program designed to prepare graduates to work in public health career fields. Public health training in the core public health disciplines offer foundational public health knowledge necessary to assess, implement interventions, and evaluate the health of a population with an organization or community. Additional core courses build on the foundation to cultivate practice-based skill sets readily applied to the public health setting. The MPH degree may complement students’ current job skills, or provide students with new public health knowledge and career opportunities. Coursework will emphasize prevention, interdisciplinary approaches, applied skills, and social justice.
The MPH curriculum has been designed to meet current needs in the field of public health, Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accreditation criteria, and the College’s mission, goals, and objectives. The degree aims to educate future public health professionals so they may improve the health of urban and underserved communities locally, nationally, and globally by addressing health determinants and applying core public health functions. UTA aspires to be leader in training public health practitioners and advocates to serve communities and organizations, promote collaboration between public health and health care practitioners, and protect and advance community health through applying the core public health functions of assessment, policy development, and assurance.
The MPH degree offer concentrations in Urban Health or Epidemiology.
Competencies
- Upon completion, students will be able to apply epidemiological methods to settings and situations in public health practice.
- Upon completion, students will be able to select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
- Upon completion, students will be able to analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate.
- Upon completion, students will be able to interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practices.
- Upon completion, students will be able to compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health, and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
- Upon completion, students will be able discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community, and systemic levels.
- Upon completion, students will be able to assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health.
- Upon completion, students will be able to apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design, implementation, or critique of public health policies or programs.
- Upon completion, students will be able to design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention.
- Upon completion, students will be able to select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
Admissions Criteria
Admission to the Master of Public Health degree is based on completion of general admission requirements of the Graduate School as specified under the Graduate School Admissions Requirements and Procedures in the Graduate Catalog.
Admission criteria include:
- Official transcripts showing an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited school, with a 3.0 or higher grade point average for the last 60 undergraduate or the last 18 graduate/post-baccalaureate credit hours completed.
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Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores taken within the last five years are required of all applicants. Preference will be given to applicants with verbal, quantitative and analytic writing scores above the 50th percentile. Applicants may request a waiver of the GRE requirement if they meet any of the following criteria: hold a graduate or terminal degree from an accredited US university; have ompleted a UTA Graduate Certificate in Public Health Practice and/or a UTA Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and no less than a grade of “B” in any required public health course; have at least 5 years of full-time professional experience in a public health field. An approved GRE waiver does not guarantee admission into the degree program.To apply for a GRE waiver, applicants should submit the following items via email to the Public Health Graduate Advisor: completed GRE Waiver Application, scanned copies of all college or university transcripts (official or unofficial transcripts), current resume or CVA one-page personal statement written in English describing the applicant’s interest in earning an MPH degree and potential for contributing to public health, as well as the applicant’s career objectives, self-assessment of abilities and preparation for succeeding in a public health graduate program.
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The quality of written expression in the applicant’s personal statement will be considered.
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An applicant whose native language is other than English must demonstrate a sufficient level of skill with the English language to assure success in graduate studies as defined under Admissions Requirements and Procedures in the Catalog.
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Three letters of recommendation from academic or professional references.
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The applicant’s resume or CV, highlighting professional experience such as accomplishments, linguistic abilities, computer expertise, and analytics expertise.
Probationary Admission
For an applicant who does not meet all admission criteria but shows promise for completing a graduate program based on some admission criteria, in rare cases probationary admission may be granted. Students on probationary admission conditions specified by the Public Health Graduate Advisor.
Provisional, Deferred and Denied Admission
Provisional, deferred and denied admission decisions meet the criteria as defined under Admission Requirements and Procedures in the Graduate Catalog.
Curriculum
| MPH Foundations | ||
| KINE 5376 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOSTATISTICS | 3 |
| or KINE 5305 | APPLIED STATISTICAL PRINCIPLES IN KINESIOLOGY | |
| KINE 5372 | INTRODUCTION TO EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
| KINE 5377 | INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH SYSTEMS AND POLICY | 3 |
| KINE 5375 | COMMUNITY HEALTH | 3 |
| KINE 5385 | COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH | 3 |
| or COMM 5350 | HEALTH COMMUNICATION | |
| KINE 5378 | FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH | 3 |
| KINE 5383 | COMMUNITY-BASED INTERNSHIP | 3 |
| KINE 5384 | PUBLIC HEALTH CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE | 3 |
| For electives, select two of the following: | 6 | |
| GLOBAL HEALTH | ||
| BIG DATA FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| CHRONIC DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN HEALTH EQUITY | ||
| SOCIAL POLICY AND MENTAL HEALTH | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH IN NURSING | ||
| EVALUATION RESEARCH | ||
| FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT SERVICES | ||
| LOCAL POLITICS IN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL SETTING | ||
| PUBLIC POLICY FORMATION AND ANALYSIS | ||
| URBAN PUBLIC FINANCE | ||
| STRATEGIC PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS | ||
| CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN THE PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT | ||
| NEGOTIATIONS & CONFLICT MANAGEMENT | ||
| HEALTH CARE INFORMATION SYSTEMS | ||
| ECONOMICS OF HEALTH | ||
| Select a concentration from the following | 12 | |
| Urban Health Concentration | ||
| Select 4 of the Following | ||
| MENTAL HEALTH IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| URBAN COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT | ||
| RACE, ETHNICITY AND HEALTH | ||
| PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM PLANNING AND EVALUATION | ||
| HEALTH POLICY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE | ||
| Epidemiology Concentration | ||
| Select 4 of the Following | ||
| RESEARCH METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| CHRONIC DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| BIG DATA FOR EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| INTERMEDIATE BIOSTATISTICS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| Total Hours | 42 | |