Master of Public Health (MPH)
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Class of 2018
Lead the Way to Improving the Health of Your Community
National University’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program prepares you for leadership positions in health promotion and disease prevention, community mental health, or public health care administration.
This program is offered online and can be completed in as few as 18 months. You will choose from three specializations depending on your area of focus, which include: Health Promotion, Community Mental Health, and Healthcare Administration. In the online MPH degree program, you will learn essential, effective ways to share your knowledge of preventive medicine and establish public health initiatives that make a measurable impact on community and global health. You will learn from diverse and doctoral-trained faculty and have access to internship and networking opportunities designed to prepare you for career success.
The National University Master of Public Health program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. In June 2021, the CEPH Council found the NU MPH program compliant in all 35 of 35 criteria and granted a seven-year term of accreditation until July 1, 2028.
Millions in Scholarships
Explore National University’s scholarship opportunities.
Eligibility requirements apply.
Program Learning Outcomes
As a graduate of National University’s Master of Public Health program, you will learn the following skill sets:
- Analyze and interpret health data
- Describe the distribution and determinants of disease, disabilities, and death in human populations
- Evaluate the environmental factors that affect the health of a community
- Analyze the planning, organization, administration, and policies of healthcare organizations
- Apply the concepts and methods of social justice and social and behavioral sciences relevant to the identification and solution of public health problems
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.
MPH – 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 Master 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.
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.
*SOURCE: Emsi Labor Analyst- Report. Emsi research company homepage at https://www.economicmodeling.com/company/ (Report viewed: May, 2022). DISCLAIMER: The data provided is for informational purposes only. Emsi data and analysis utilizes government sources to provide insights on industries, demographics, employers, in-demand skills, and more to align academic programs with labor market opportunities. Cited projections may not reflect local or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Current and prospective students should use this data with other available economic data to inform their educational decisions.
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)
| Course | Description | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
| COH 100 | Personal Health | N/A |
| COH 599 | Public Health Foundation | N/A |
| HCA 600 | U.S. Healthcare System | N/A |
| COH 601 | Global Public Health | HCA 600 |
| COH 602 | Biostatistics | N/A |
| COH 604 | Theories of Health Behavior | N/A |
| COH 606 | Epidemiology | COH 602 or ANA 630 |
| COH 611 | Public Health Research Methods | N/A |
| COH 612 | Health Policy and Advocacy | N/A |
Specialization in Health Promotion
(7 courses; 31.5 quarter units)
| Course | Description | Prerequisite | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| COH 603 | Public Health Biology | N/A | N/A |
| COH 608 | Public Health & the Enviro | N/A | N/A |
| COH 605 | Public Health Promotion | COH 604 | N/A |
| COH 607 | Public Health Program Develop | N/A | COH 604 |
| COH 609 | PH Program Evaluation | N/A | N/A |
| COH 618 | Health Promotion Strategies | COH 605 and COH 609 | N/A |
| COH 613 | Public Health Informatics | COH 606 | N/A |
Health Experience
(1 course; 3 quarter units)
| Course | Description |
|---|---|
| COH 550 | Global Health Experience |
OR
| Course | Description | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| COH 693A | Health Promotion Experience | Prior completion of all core and specialization courses prior to enrolling in COH 693A |
Specialization in Healthcare Administration
Requirements for the Specialization (7 courses; 31.5 quarter units)
| Course | Description | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
| COH 500 | Global Health Experience | * This capstone course is only available to students who reside in California. |
| HCA 620 | Health Organization Management | COH 602 |
| HCA 626 | Healthcare Information Systems** | ANA 630 |
| HCA 622 | Quality Appraisal & Evaluation | HCA 600 and HCA 620 |
| HCA 628 | HA Human Resources Management | N/A |
| HCA 663 | Healthcare Accounting/Finance | HCA 628 |
| HCA 624 | Healthcare Planning &Marketing | COH 611 |
| HCA 670 | Healthcare Leadership | HCA 624 |
**Please note: ANA prerequisite is NOT required for students in the Specialization in Healthcare Administration
Health Experience
(1 Course; 3 quarter units)
| Course | Description |
|---|---|
| COH 550 | Global Health Experience |
Or
| Course | Description | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| COH 693B | Healthcare Admin Experience | Prior completion of all core and specialization courses prior to enrolling in COH 693B |
Capstone Requirement
(1 course; 4.5 quarter units)
| Course | Description | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| COH 694B | Healthcare Admin Capstone | Prior completion of all core and specialization courses prior to enrolling in COH 694B |
Specialization in Community Mental Health
Requirements for the Specialization (7 courses; 31.5 quarter units)
| Course | Description | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
| COH 623 | Mental Health Services | N/A |
| COH 627 | Mental Health Populations | N/A |
| COH 621 | PH Aspects of Drug Addiction | COH 602 |
| COH 616 | Mental Health Promotion | N/A |
| COH 614 | Psychosocial Epidemiology | COH 606 |
| COH 617 | PH Aspects of Violence | COH 604 |
| COH 619 | PH Aspects of Human Sexuality | COH 604 |
Health Experience
(1 Course; 3 quarter units)
| Course | Description |
|---|---|
| COH 550 | Global Health Experience |
Or
| Course | Description | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| COH 693C | Mental Health Experience | Prior completion of all core and specialization courses prior to enrolling in COH 693C |
Capstone Requirement
(1 course; 4.5 quarter units)
| Course | Description | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| COH 694C | Mental Health Capstone | Prior completion of all core and specialization courses prior to enrolling in COH 694C |
Introducing the Opportunity Scholarship
In honor of our students, and in celebration of our 50th anniversary, National University is investing $30 million in new student scholarships. To learn more about the Opportunity Scholarship, how you can apply, and how much you can save, inquire today.
Dr. Tyler Smith
Program Director, Public Health
“A student that comes to our program wants to make a difference in health and healthcare.”
Marisol Delgado, MPH 2022
“The National University MPH program has given me the opportunity to grow professionally and academically by providing a flexible learning experience.”
Ryan Zieno, MPH 2020
“The MPH program at National University provided me exactly what I was looking for – an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills I needed as I developed a lens to look through as I navigated my career. The lens of public health and the good of others remains a focal point in every business or social problem. Whether it’s my full-time job, part-time work, or volunteerism – National University has helped me build the kind of person I need to be to tackle the issues around us.”
Contact Us
Take the first step by starting your application online today.
To speak to an enrollment advisor about this program, please email [email protected].
FAQs
This accelerated program at National University allows students to take one class per month, whereas typically full-time students may take approximately two and a half years to complete the 43-credit-hour, 17-course MPH degree program.
You must complete a college-level introductory statistics course, such as BST322 or MTH210, and earn a baccalaureate degree with a 2.85 cumulative GPA from a regionally accredited institution.
Yes. An MPH can open the door to job opportunities and have excellent earning potential. Most importantly, making a difference in the field and in the entire community is worthwhile endeavor and rewarding experience.
Online courses are ideal if you want to pursue an advanced degree without sacrificing your current job. National University is a leader in online education and you will be receiving a rigorous education through innovative online learning tools.
Yes, it’s a diverse field that offers a broad range of career opportunities in public or private hospitals, government, NGOs, and other healthcare units. NU’s MPH program is designed to help you stan out with prospective employers throughout the healthcare industry.
You have the potential to make an impact in the lives of many by promoting health, preventing disease, and empowering individuals to take their illness or disability into their own hands. Most leadership positions require a master’s degree for consideration.
Why Choose National University?
We’re a veteran-founded, San Diego-based nonprofit. Since 1971, our mission has been to provide accessible, achievable higher education to adult learners. Today, we educate students from across the U.S. and around the globe, with over 185,000 alumni worldwide.
Program Disclosure
Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.
Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.
NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements in a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.
All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.
*Positions may require additional experience, training, and other factors beyond successfully completing this degree program. Depending on where you reside, many positions may also require state licensure, and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all licensure requirements are met. We encourage you to also review program-specific requirements. Any data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and does not guarantee that completion of any degree program will achieve the underlying occupation or commensurate salary.