Public Health Graduate Major (MPH, PhD)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis (MPH, PhD)
- Ecampus (MPH)
Options available:
- Biostatistics
- Environmental and Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
- Global Health
- Health Promotion and Health Behavior
- Health Systems and Policy
- Physical Activity - suspended
- Public Health Practice
The public health graduate degree programs include the Master of Public Health (MPH) and the PhD in Public Health. The MPH degree includes several transcript-visible options. The PhD in Public Health is a research-oriented degree requiring in-depth study in a specialty area within the field of public health.
For further information about graduate programs in public health, visit the website.
The College of Public Health and Human Sciences is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPD).
Major Code: 7580
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
MPH
- Conduct research or produce some other form of creative work.
- Demonstrate mastery of subject material.
- Conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner.
- Apply epidemiological methods to settings and situations in public health practice.
- Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
- Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming, and software, as appropriate.
- Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice.
- Compare the organization, structure, and function of health care, public health, and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
- 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.
- Assess population needs, assets, and capacities that affect communities’ health.
- Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design, implementation, or critique of public health policies or programs
- Design a population-based policy, program, project, or intervention.
- Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
- Select methods to evaluate public health programs.
- Discuss the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
- Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
- Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
- Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.
- Apply leadership and/or management principles to address a relevant issue.
- Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.
- Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
- Communicate audience-appropriate (i.e., non-academic, non-peer audience) public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
- Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.
- Integrate perspectives from other sectors and/or professions to promote and advance population health.
- Apply a systems thinking tool to visually represent a public health issue in a format other than standard narrative.
PhD
- Produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge.
- Demonstrate mastery of subject material.
- Conduct scholarly activities in an ethical manner.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
The College of Public Health and Human Sciences offers the following options within the MPH degree:
- Biostatistics
- Environmental and Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
- Global Health
- Health Management and Policy
- Health Promotion and Health Behavior
- Physical Activity
- Public Health Practice
Courses introduce students to the core knowledge and methods used in public health, including evidence-based approaches to public health, public health and health care systems, planning and management to promote health, and policy in public health.
MPH students must complete final assessments or oral examinations based upon the academic option in which they are enrolled.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| HHS 523 | PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT | 4 |
| HHS 524 | PUBLIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS | 3 |
| HHS 533 | COMPUTING FOR POPULATION HEALTH DATA | 2 |
| HHS 534 | QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH EQUITY | 3 |
| H 510 | INTERNSHIP | 6 |
| Required Option | 40-46 | |
| Total Credits | 58-64 | |
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health
The PhD in Public Health is for individuals who wish to prepare themselves for careers in university teaching, research, consulting, policy development, or other high-level public health positions. There are currently five areas of concentration offered for the PhD degree:
- Environmental and occupational health
- Epidemiology
- Global health
- Health policy
- Health promotion and health behavior
A master’s degree in a relevant field is required before admission into the PhD program.
The PhD program consists of a minimum of 109 credits, including at least 36 graduate credits devoted to preparation of the thesis. Doctoral students take courses in public health knowledge, research methods and statistics, their concentration area, and other relevant areas. Each student and their doctoral committee jointly determine the student’s specific program of doctoral study. This process allows students to design a course of study uniquely suited to their particular needs and career goals. Further information about these requirements is available on the PhD in Public Health website.
Major Code: 7580