Is Promoting Health, Preventing Disease and Transforming Lives Your Passion? Make the World a Healthier Place by Pursuing Graduate Studies in Public Health.
This online program will provide students with an opportunity to analyze current health problems from a variety of interdisciplinary and interprofessional viewpoints. The program provides coursework opportunities for students to obtain broad knowledge and basic skills in public health. This program focuses on rural and underserved populations, providing students with training in public health issues present in populations living and working in rural and underserved areas. Students will also be exposed to rural and underserved population health through advanced coursework, and will gain experience in applying basic skills and advanced knowledge to health problems in rural or urban settings during practicum training.
The MPH program prepares students to assume a wide-range of public health positions that address today’s most challenging population health issues. An MPH is a widely recognized and valued professional degree for those interested in entering the field of public health or pursuing continued work in the health professions. It is an exciting time to enter the field, and the employment opportunities for this degree are wide-ranging.
What Is Public Health?
Public health promotes and protects the health of communities and improves the quality of life for all people. The goal of public health is to promote disease and injury prevention through research, community interventions and education. A further defining goal of public health is its work towards addressing and eradicating health disparities and promoting healthcare equity, quality and accessibility.
Public health is a dynamic, diverse, and growing field where practitioners work from a myriad of disciplines and approaches to improve the health and lives of people. Practitioners work together to address the root causes of complex and multi-faceted health problems in order to develop practical, sustainable and cost-effective solutions.
Career and Salary Possibilities
A career in public health allows people to contribute to preventing injury and illness across populations at many different levels, with the potential to reach thousands of people at one time. The variety of jobs available make public health a good fit for those who seek to serve others and make an impact.
The current employment outlook for public health professionals is strong and growing annually. The demand for public health professionals continues to rise in response to increasing domestic and international health concerns such as: growing problems with chronic diseases, potential pandemics, air and water quality issues, workplace safety and more. As these growing health concerns continue to impact the health of our populations, the need for a trained public health force to respond to these issues persists.
Public health offers a wide range of career opportunities, and annual wages for public health jobs range from $35,000-$130,000.
Graduates of the SU MPH program can go on to work in:
- Hospitals
- Health Departments
- Community organizations
- Government
- Nongovernmental organizations
- Foundations
- Start-ups
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Consulting firms
- Private businesses
- Corporations
- Academic institutions
Classes
This program is all online and offers full-time and part-time study options. Complete your studies from anywhere around the globe, while you develop a close relationship with your instructors and classmates.
With SU’s MPH, you’ll study through an online program where you’ll gain expertise in:
- Promoting healthy behaviors
- Implementing health and disease prevention programs
- Understanding epidemiological linkages between specific determinants/exposures and disease
- Developing and advocating sound health policy practices
- Addressing rural and underserved population health concerns
- And so much more
The Master of Public Health (MPH) is a part of Shenandoah’s School of Health Professions. However, this program will be interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on expertise in the College of Arts and Sciences public health and behavioral health programs, as well as Business, Pharmacy, Nursing and the Conservatory.
Core required courses (33 credits total)
| Course | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PH 501 | History and Philosophy of Public Health | 3 |
| PH 505 | Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health | 3 |
| PH 510 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| PH 515 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
| PH 520 | Health Policy and Management | 3 |
| PH 525 | Program Planning and Implementation | 3 |
| PH 530 | Fundamentals of Program Evaluation | 3 |
| PH 535 | Health Communication | 3 |
| PH 540 | Rural Health System | 3 |
| PH 545 | Public Health Perspectives on Chronic Disease | 3 |
| PH 550 | Public Health Leadership and Professionalism | 3 |
Applied Practice and Integrated Learning Experience (6 credits total)
| Course | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PH 700 | Applied Practice Experience | 4 |
| PH 701 | Integrated Learning Experience | 2 |
2 Elective Courses from the Following (6 credits total)*
| Course | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PH 605 | Maternal and Child Health | 3 |
| PH 610 | Environmental and Occupational Health | 3 |
| PH 615 | Public Health Law and Ethics | 3 |
| PH 620 | Community Health Research & Assessment | 3 |
| PH 625 | Global Health | 3 |
45 credits total for the entire MPH degree
Faculty
Shenandoah University’s Public Health professors bring a breadth and depth of public health experience to the program from research, private companies, other health fields, international work and academia.
Application Information
View application deadlines, program prerequisites, and submit your application for Shenandoah’s graduate Public Health programs through the Office of Admissions.
How much will this degree cost? View Shenandoah University’s tuition and fees.
For more information about cost of attendance, see our financial aid page. Tuition scholarships are available for INOVA, Valley Health and SU Alumni. See the Graduate Scholarships and Tuition Discounts page.
International Learning Opportunities
Public Health students have participated in a variety of international opportunities such as attending the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland. Global Experiential Learning (GEL) classes are also offered each year for students to work on community health education. Recent Public Health GEL trip destinations include Haiti, Uganda and Nepal.
Public Health Students Share Why They Choose to Study at Shenandoah
Hear What Our Students have to Say about Public Health Careers and Perspectives
Study public health at the graduate level on a schedule that works for you through Shenandoah University’s online masters and certificate programs in the field. Meet some of our students, who are pairing public health with their careers and studies in a variety of health professions.
Students Explain the Advantages of Earning Dual Degrees
Shenandoah offers a Doctor of Pharmacy with a Master of Public Health Dual Degree as well as a Physician Assistant and Master of Public Health Dual Degree.
