Master of Public Health (MPH)

Pursue your master’s in public health degree at National University, and gain access to:

• Four-Week Courses That Start Monthly. Focus on one subject at a time and truly master the material before moving on to the next. Keep the momentum going throughout the program, start any month you choose, and finish faster.
• Three Career-Focused Specializations. Tailor your education to the area that best meets your career goals and helps you stand out in the health care job market. Specializations include Health Promotion, Health Administration, or Community Mental Health.
• Prepare for CHES and MCHES Certifications. At the end of your program, you should be ready to sit for the CHES and MCHES exams, which provide certification as a health education specialist.
• Data Analysis and Critical-Thinking Focus. Learn how to analyze and interpret health data, as well as evaluate the environmental factors that affect the health of a community. These are important skills in leadership positions.
• Extensive Program Support. You will be assigned a faculty advisor at the onset of the program and begin with an orientation course that sets you up for success. You will also have access to the Public Health Student Organization and Public Health Opportunities, where you can apply for leadership positions, receive career advice, and network with students and alumni.
• Diverse and Doctoral-Trained Faculty. Learn from diverse and doctoral-trained faculty. In addition to a dedicated faculty advisor, you will have easy access to all faculty members and the program director.
• Strong MPH Alumni Network. Make connections with alumni who lead public health organizations, community organizations, local government organizations, health care administration, running clinics, and more.
• Online or On-site Options. Choose whether you would prefer to attend classes completely online or on-site.

Specialization in Health Promotion

The specialization in Health Promotion is structured toward preparing MPH students for leadership positions in health promotion, health education, and health enhancement. The program emphasizes the planning, implementation, and evaluation of community-wide prevention programs. The pursuit of social justice and global health are overarching concepts throughout the MPH program.

Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Assess factors that influence, enhance, or impede health promotion.
• Explain factors that influence implementation of health promotion programs.
• Evaluate the implementation of health promotion programs.
• Integrate the results of health promotion evaluation into interventions and policies.
• Apply principles of financial management, information technology, human resource management, and community building to build or enhance health promotion programs.
• Provide advice and consultation on health promotion issues.
• Apply appropriate research principles and techniques to develop health promotion programs.

MPH Specialization in Health Administration

The Specialization in Healthcare Administration prepares MPH students for leadership positions in public and private health care. Health care management involves the organization, financing, and delivery of services to prevent and treat illness and disease.

Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Conduct financial analysis, explain financial and accounting information, and make long-term investment decisions for a health care organization
• Apply health care management methods to health care organizations
• Use administrative and health information technology to develop process and performance-improvement plans
• Incorporate the principles of quality management for improving outcomes in health care organizations
• Synthesize best practices in health care leadership

MPH Specialization in Community Mental Health

The Specialization in Community Mental Health prepares students for leadership positions in planning, implementing, and evaluating community-wide prevention programs to enhance mental health.

Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Assess the social, political, and environmental context of mental health in relation to public health practice.
• Create evidence-based programs to prevent or reduce mental health disorders in community settings.
• Design an evaluation plan to assess the effectiveness of a community mental health program.
• Identify factors that promote or influence the occurrence, persistence, or severity of mental and behavioral disorders.
• Apply appropriate research principles and techniques to mental health.
• Construct an advocacy plan to improve culturally sensitive mental health policies in communities.

The Master of Public Health program can be completed online or on-site through video lectures, audio recordings, readings, or interactive presentations. You will also complete assignments, quizzes, and exams online. You may also choose to attend classes on-site, depending on the format that works best for your schedule.

Through threaded discussion boards, you can reach out to professors and classmates whenever you have a question, thoughts, or opinions you would like to discuss. Faculty are also available for one-on-one virtual meetings to go over the coursework, answer any questions you may have, or to offer general mentorship or guidance. All grades are posted online as well through the course gradebook, so you can keep track of your progress and find out your grades on assignments and quizzes as soon as they are posted.

At the end of the program, a faculty advisor will help plan out an internship program and comprehensive capstone experience in which you work on a project with a company for three months, applying your learnings from the program. Both your internship and capstone are excellent resume builders that can give you the competitive edge to advance in your career.

A Masters of Public Health degree opens doors in a variety of industries, including health care, social assistance, educational services, professional, scientific, and technical services, public administration, finance and insurance, manufacturing, other services (except public administration) and retail trade. Employers in this field are looking for skills in communications, management, research, leadership, planning, coordinating, operations, writing and Microsoft Office proficiency.

*Source: Emsi Labor Analyst

Graduates with a master’s degree in public health may pursue the following careers:

• Biostatistician
• Health Researcher
• Epidemiologists
• Nurse Epidemiologists
• Infection Preventionists
• Behavioral Health Medical Directors
• Program Managers
• Health Educators
• Public Health Specialists
• Public Health Epidemiologists
• Directors of Health Economics and Outcomes Research
• Healthcare Data Analysts
• Registered Nurse Supervisors
• Research Associates
• Research Scientists
• Public Health Program Managers
• Healthcare Specialist
• Infectious Disease Physician
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Nutritionist
• Health Services Administrator
• Clinical Trial Administrator
• Medical Writer

Our students share a common desire to advance community and global health and are motivated by helping people and their community. In fact, many of our NU alumni have gone on to lead public health organizations, community organizations, local government organizations, health care administration, and clinics.

To receive an MPH degree, students must complete at least 72 quarter units of graduate work, including the core MPH requirements and one area of specialization. A total of 13.5 quarter units of graduate credit may be granted for equivalent graduate work completed at another institution, as it applies to this degree and provided the units were not used in earning another advanced degree.

Refer to the section on graduate admission requirements for specific information regarding application and evaluation.

Core Requirements
(8 courses; 33 quarter units)

Specialization in Health Promotion
(7 courses; 31.5 quarter units)

Health Experience
(1 course; 3 quarter units)

OR

Specialization in Healthcare Administration
Requirements for the Specialization (7 courses; 31.5 quarter units)

^**Please note: ANA prerequisite is NOT required for students in the Specialization in Healthcare Administration

Health Experience
(1 Course; 3 quarter units)

Or

Capstone Requirement
(1 course; 4.5 quarter units)

Specialization in Community Mental Health
Requirements for the Specialization (7 courses; 31.5 quarter units)

Health Experience
(1 Course; 3 quarter units)

Or

Capstone Requirement
(1 course; 4.5 quarter units)