StudyQA — Master: Public Health — Purdue University

Photos of university / #lifeatpurdue

Description Contents Requirements Funding

The Purdue Master of Public Health (MPH) degree requires a minimum of 42 credits including a professional practicum. Students complete required courses addressing five public health competencies:

Biostatistics
Epidemiology
Environmental Health
Health Policy and Management
Social and Behavioral Health Sciences

It is expected that full-time MPH graduate students can complete the degree in two years. Students enrolled part-time will likely take longer. Offering the core MPH courses in late afternoon and in the evenings allows participants to continue their career while pursuing the MPH degree without too much disruption to their workday. Some students may be advised to take prerequisite coursework to prepare for the required graduate courses. Arrangements may be made to allow completing the MPH degree in combination with other degree programs such as the MS or PhD.

Concentrations

Students complete a set of elective courses in order to fulfill one of three concentrations:

Family and Community Health Sciences - Students pursuing the Family and Community Health Sciences concentration will gain an understanding of the dynamics of these institutions and settings, approaches to assess them, methods to promote health and skills to evaluate programs.
Environmental Health Sciences - Students pursuing the Environmental Health Sciences concentration will receive strong training in environmental sciences as well as occupational, radiological and toxicological sciences.
Health Statistics - Students pursuing the Health Statistics concentration will be trained to design, analyze and interpret research, program, and policy efficacy and effectiveness.

Working with the Public Health Coordinator, MPH graduate students can tailor their coursework and practicum to match their unique interests in the field of public health.

Tracks

Combined Masters (4+1) - Students completing a bachelor’s degree in selected academic units (i.e., Biology; Communication; Consumer Science; Food Science; Health and Kinesiology; Health Sciences; Hospitality and Tourism Management; Human Development and Family Studies; Nursing; Nutrition Science; Psychological Sciences; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences; Statistics) may apply for admission to the MPH program in their Junior year. Undergraduate and graduate courses will be combined over the next two years permitting completion of both the BS and MPH degrees in 5 years for students engaged in full-time study. Students applying to this track must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5.
Stand-Alone Masters - Students who have completed a bachelor’s degree and meet stipulated eligibility criteria may be admitted directly to the College of Health and Human Sciences to pursue the MPH degree.
Dual Degree PhD/MS/MA + MPH - Students interested in pursuing a MPH in combination with another graduate degree must apply to the academic unit of their choosing for admission to that unit’s graduate program. Students may also apply to the MPH program at the time of initial application for graduate study or subsequently during graduate training. In consultation with the student’s advisor and academic unit head, the student may be admitted to the MPH program and concurrently pursue both degrees.

Total Credits: 42

18 Core Credits
15 Concentration Credits
3 Practicum Credits
3 Elective Credits
3 Culminating Project Credits

MPH CORE COURSES

STAT 503 – Statistical Methods for Biology
HSCI 547 – Fundamentals of Epidemiology
HSCI 575 – Introduction to Environmental Health
HK 57601 - Theoretical Foundations of Health Behavior
CSR 590 - Public Health Administration
HK 621 - Introduction to Public Health

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CONCENTRATION COURSES

Course #	Title	Competencies	Credits
HSCI 446	Applied Industrial Hygiene	1,3,4,6	3
HSCI 545	Advanced Topics In Exposure Assessment	1,2,3,4	1
HSCI 560	Toxicology	1,3,4	3
HSCI 562	Analytical and Pathological Toxicology	1,3	3
HSCI 580	Occupational Safety and Ergonomics	1,2,3,4,6	3
HSCI 671	Biochemical Toxicology	1	3
HSCI 696	Graduate Seminar in Health Sciences	1,3,6	1
ENTM 525	Medical and Veterinary Entomology	1,2,4,5,6	3
ASM 510	Agrosecurity-Emergency Management for Agricultural Production Operations	1,2,3,4,5,6	3
CE 512	The Comprehensive Urban Planning Process	1,2,4,5
CE 557	Air Quality Management	1,2,4,5	3
CE 597	Geographic Information Systems	1,4,6	3
CE 597	Indoor Air Quality	3,4	3
CE 597	Solid and Hazard Waste Management	1,2,4,6	3
BIOL 595	Epigenetics in Human Disease	1	3
BIOL 533	Medical Microbiology	1	3
FS 565	Microbial Foodborne Pathogens	1,2,4	3
CE 597	Solid and Hazardous Waste Management	1,2,4,6	3

HEALTH STATISTICS CONCENTRATION COURSES

Course #	Title	Competencies	Credits
STAT 506	Statistical Programming and Data Management	2	3
STAT 512	Applied Regression Analysis	2,3	3
STAT 514	Design of Experiments	1,2,3	3
STAT 522	Sampling and Survey Techniques	2,3,5	3
STAT 524	Applied Multivariate Analysis	1,2,3	3
STAT 582	Statistical Consulting and Collaboration	2,3	3
ASM 540	Geographic Information Systems Application	2,3,5	3
CE 597	Geospatial Modeling and Analysis	2,3,5	3
CE 597	Geographic Information Systems	2,3,5	3
CPB 619	Design, Conduct, and Analysis of Clinical Trials	1,3	2
CPB 625	Clinical Biostatistics	1,2	2
CPB 626	Design and Analysis of Epidemiologic Studies	1,2,3,5	3
HDFS 629	Family and Couple Interventions in Health Problems	1,4,5	3
SOC 681	Structural Equation Modeling	2,3,5	3

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CONCENTRATION COURSES

Course #	Title	Competencies	Credits
CSR 561	Culture and Health	1,2,3,4,5
CSR 590	Social Determinants of Health	1,4	3
CSR 590	International Health Seminar	1,2,3,4,5	3
CSR 590	Social Marketing for Health	2,3,4,5	3
CSR 590	Health Disparities in Vulnerable Populations Seminar	1,2,3,4,5	3
NUTR 430	Public Health Nutrition	1,2,3,4,5	2
NUTR 590	World Food Problems	1,2,3,4,5	3
NUTR 612	Obesity: Behavior, Physiology, and Policy	1,2,3,5	2
NUTR 634	Nutrition and Cancer Prevention	1	2
HDFS 590	Health in the Social Context	1,3,4,5	3
HDFS 629	Family and Couple Interventions in Health Problems	1,2,3,4	3
HDFS 685A	Current Research in Childhood Obesity	1,2,3,4,5	3
SOC 571	Health and Social Behavior	1,3,4	3
SOC 572	Comparative Healthcare Systems	1,2,3,4,5	3
SOC 573	The Human Side of Medicine	1,2,4	3
SOC 574	The Social Organization of Healthcare	1,4,5	3
SOC 611	Social Inequality: Class, Race, and Gender	1,4	3
COM 559	Current Trends in Mass Communication	1,3, 5	3
COM 576	Health Communication	1,5	3
COM 582	Cross-Cultural Communication	1,2,4,5	3
COM 676	Health Advocacy Campaigns	1,2,3,5	3
HK 574	Advanced Sport and Exercise Psychology	1,2,3	3
HK 590	Health Counseling	2,5	3
HK 672	Stress and Coping in Sport, Exercise, and Physical Activity	1,2	3
HK 674	Psychology of Physical Activity in Special Populations	1,2,3,4	3
HK 675	Design and Analysis of Public Health Interventions	1,2,3,4,5	3
HK 678	Motivational Processes In Sport and Exercise	1,2,3	3

Three letters of recommendation (at least two from academic sources)
Personal goal statement
GRE test scores (>290 combined, >3.5 analytical writing), MCAT (>504), or GMAT (>580)
Official grade transcripts from previous educational institution(s)
WES evaluations for all international transcripts is highly recommended
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 for students applying to the standalone and dual-degree tracks
TOEFL scores (international students only) (>100 combined, >22 on all subscales; writing, speaking, reading, and listening)
The application fee is $60 for domestic students and $75 for international students. Application fees can be paid via credit card online.