The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program is a School-based program designed to graduate students each with core competencies in public health and specialized competencies in one of the following concentrations: biostatistics, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, health promotion and behavior, and health management.

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.

The MPH program has adopted the competencies published by the Association of Schools of Public Health. (ASPH Education Committee. \u201cMaster\u2019s Degree in Public Health Core Competency Development Project, Version 2.3.\u201d www.asph.org/userfiles/version2.3.pdf.)

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

The ideal candidate for admission to the MPH program has received the equivalent of a bachelor\u2019s 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\u2019s degree from an accredited institution or its equivalent.
• Recommended minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• If applicable, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam with a minimum score of 250 on the computer-based version or a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based version.

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

• Application to the Graduate School 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 all degrees from non-US 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
555 South Floyd Street, Suite 4026
Louisville , KY 40202

sphismph@louisville.edu
Phone: 502-852-3299
Fax: 502-852-3294

The curriculum consists of courses in four areas: core (6 courses), concentration (5), practicum experience (2), and integrating experience (3). Core courses and two integrating experience courses are completed prior to taking courses in other areas. Toward the end of taking these courses, each student identifies his or her area of concentration and seeks admission to the department offering the concentration. Once admitted into the concentration, the student takes concentration course, completes the practicum experience, and takes the remaining integrating experience course, which includes a comprehensive written examination focused on the School'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.

On matriculation, each student is assigned a faculty advisor and is required to meet at least twice each semester with his or her advisor. The pool of faculty advisors includes the concentration coordinators and the core course instructors. 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 for the MPH degree.

After admission into a concentration, each student is assigned a faculty advisor from the concentration department who serves as academic practicum advisor and counselor on career and employment opportunities, professional development, and opportunities beyond graduate school.

The program of study is predetermined for courses in core, practicum experience, and integrating experience areas and the majority of the concentration area. Concentrations have one or two elective courses.

Requirements for the MPH degree are:

• Successful completion of core, concentration, practicum experience, and integrating experience coursework
• Completion of all deliverables for the practicum experience
• Comprehensive written examination on the core MPH competencies

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 coursework

• PHEP-601 Introduction to Epidemiology
  (core) 3
• PHST-600 Introduction to Biostatistics I
  (core) 3
• PHMS-601 Introduction to Public Health Practice and Administration (core) 3
• PHPB-696 Issues in Public Health 2
• Semester Total 11

• PHEH-600Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences (core) 3
• PHPB-601 Introduction to Health Behavior (core) 3
• PHST-610 Statistical Computing and Data Management for Public Health (core) 3
• PHPB-614 Critical Thinking and Program Evaluation 3
• Semester Total 12

• Concentration course 3

Concentration course 3

Concentration course 3

PHxx-679 Practicum Experience 3

Semester Total 12

Concentration course 3

Concentration course 3

PHxx-679 Practicum Experience 3

PHMS-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health 3

Semester Total 12

Degree Total 47

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.

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.

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

The Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health course is the capstone of the integrating experience and is designed to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in course work and other learning experiences and to apply theory and principles in a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice. Through the presentation and analysis of actual cases presented by public health practitioners, student evaluation of existing cases, and the development of a new case from current and emerging areas of public health, students working in multi-disciplinary groups demonstrate their ability to apply the general and specific public health knowledge they have learned through their courses of study and effectively apply that knowledge across disciplines to the effective resolution of a public health problem.

Biostatistics Concentration Coursework

• PHCI-624 Clinical Trials I 2
• PHST-726 Clinical Trials Statistics Laboratory 1
• PHST-620 Introduction to Statistical
  Computing 3
• Concentration elective course 3
• PHST-679 Practicum Experience:
  Biostatistics 3

Semester Total 12

• PHST-640 Statistical Methods for Research Design in Health Studies 3
• PHST-681 Biostatistical Methods II 3
• PHST-679 Practicum Experience:
  Biostatistics 3
• PHMS-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health 3

Semester Total 12

Concentration Total 24

The elective course in the biostatistics concentration may be selected from any 3 credit-hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student's faculty advisor and the concentration coordinator.

Environmental and Occupational Health Concentration Coursework

• PHEH-610 Occupational Health and Safety 3
• PHEH-650 Advanced Topics in Environmental Health 3
• Concentration elective course 3
• PHEH-679 Practicum Experience: Environmental and Occupational Health 3

Semester Total 12

• PHEH-620 Global Issues on Environmental and Occupational Health 3
• Concentration elective course 3
• PHEH-679 Practicum Experience: Environmental and Occupational Health 3
• PHMS-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health 3

Semester Total 12

Concentration Total 24

The elective courses in the environmental and occupational health concentration may be selected from any 3 credit-hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student's faculty advisor and the concentration coordinator.

Epidemiology Concentration Coursework

• PHEP-602 Epidemiologic Methods 3
• PHEP-616 Disease Surveillance 3
• Concentration elective course 3
• PHEP-679 Practicum Experience:
  Epidemiology 3

Semester Total 12

• PHEP-617 Field Epidemiology 3
• PHEP-650 Advanced Topics in Epidemiology 3
• PHEP-679 Practicum Experience: Epidemiology 3
• PHMS-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health 3

Semester Total 12

Concentration Total 24

The elective courses in the epidemiology concentration may be selected from any 3 credit-hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student's faculty advisor and the concentration coordinator.

Health Promotion and Behavior Concentration Coursework

• PHPB-604 Health Decision and Risk
  Analysis 3
• PHPB-615 Public Health Program Evaluation 3
• Concentration elective course 3
• PHPB-679 Practicum Experience: Health Promotion and Behavior 3

Semester Total 12

• PHMS-607 Managing Healthy Communities 3
• PHPB-612 Health Communication Campaigns 3
• PHPB-679 Practicum Experience: Health Promotion and Behavior 3
• PHMS-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health 3

Semester Total 12

Concentration Total 24

The elective course in the health promotion and behavior concentration may be selected from any 3 credit-hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student's faculty advisor and the concentration coordinator.

Health Management Concentration Coursework

• PHMS-603 Legal and Bioethical Aspects of Public Health 3
• PHMS-615 Introduction to Health Systems 3
• Concentration elective course 3
• PHMS-679 Practicum Experience: Health Management 3

Semester Total 12

• PHMS-605 Governance and Management of Healthcare Organizations 3
• PHMS-607 Managing Healthy Communities 3
• PHMS-679 Practicum Experience: Health Management 3
• PHMS-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health 3

Semester Total 12

Concentration Total 24

The elective course in the health management concentration may be selected from any 3 credit-hour, graduate-level course in the University with approval of the student's faculty advisor and the concentration coordinator.