MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH (MPH)
About the program
Ohio Board of Regents approved the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at Ohio University on July 15, 2004. The Board approved Ohio University to join the Consortium of Eastern Ohio MPH (CEOMPH) program. The program is designed to meet the needs of working professionals who wish to expand their role in improving community health, enhance current job skills, and seek career advancement. Most course offerings will be nontraditional, offered on weekends and evenings through distance-learning technology. Students are required to complete 62 credit hours (quarters) or 42 semester hours of instruction. The program has started to offer classes on the Ohio University campus in Athens.
The consortium
The MPH program is a multidisciplinary, interdepartmental, and interinstitutional program offered by Ohio University, as a member of the Consortium of Eastern Ohio MPH (CEOMPH) program. Members of the MPH consortium include the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine & Pharmacy (NEOUCOM), and Youngstown State University.
The Ohio Board of Regents approved the former NEOUMPH program on July 16, 1999. Each institution in the consortium provides faculty, facilities and expertise.
The MPH degree is a generalist degree; however, plans for concentration tracks and joint degrees are being considered. The consortium MPH was accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health on Oct. 3, 2003.
About CEOMPH
MISSION STATEMENT
"The mission of the Consortium of Eastern Ohio Master of Public Health program is to provide accredited public health education designed for the working professional. It does this through a collaborative learning community, drawing on the collective resources of its six member institutions and partnering community agencies. The program strives to produce respected and competent professionals able to improve public health practice, especially in eastern Ohio." -Approved 4/15/08
VALUES
* Improving, preserving and enhancing the health and well-being of the entire community.
* Engaging in collaborative behavior that models as well as educates.
* Achieving student excellence, including leadership, accountability and ethical behavior.
* Protecting the environment, recognizing and reducing environmental health risks, and using resources prudently in our personal and professional lives
* Promoting diversity in the public health workforce.
* Demonstrating cultural competence.
* Commitment to lifelong learning.
-Approved 4/15/08
GOALS
1. Provide graduates with a foundation of public health skills and knowledge, including community assessment methods, analytic skills, research strategies, program implementation, evaluation, and policy development within an ethical and culturally sensitive perspective.
2. Provide an MPH program that produces competent practitioners through collaboration among academicians, researchers, public health practitioners, and students from each member institution and the eastern Ohio community.
3. Provide students with the knowledge and opportunities to apply public health concepts and skills to assess and improve the health status of residents of Ohio through research and service.
4. Foster ongoing professional development of faculty and students and public health practitioners for the advancement of practice in the community.
5. Assure at least an annual evaluation of overall program activity so that it continues to meet the needs of both students and the eastern Ohio community, and is based on the most current concepts and skills in public health research and practice.
-Approved 11/4/08
Position Statement on Diversity
The Consortium of Eastern Ohio Master of Public Health program supports the commitment made by each of its partner institutions to create and maintain a collaborative environment that is free from discrimination while fostering the diverse talents and perspectives of students, faculty and staff.
-Approved 9/13/02
Admission
Admissions criteria have been established by the consortium; requirements include a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, previous GPA of at least 2.75 and GPA of 3.0 for graduate coursework, submission of official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a personal statement; and completion of a college-level math or statistics course and a college-level natural and social science course. In addition, acceptable Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores will be required. GRE scores will be waived if the applicant possesses a postgraduate (master's or doctoral) degree in a relevant area. Applicants with at least two years of work experience in a relevant field will be given priority.
Application deadline is Jan. 15 of each year.
Application forms and Submission
Please visit the MPH consortium website at www.neoucom.edu/mph to download an application form. Applications for the MPH program are to be submitted to the address provided on the website.
Financial aid
The School of Public Health Sciences and Professions awards graduate assistantships and tuition scholarships to qualified students. An application for these types of aid is included in the graduate admissions application. In addition, student loans, work-study programs, and other forms of assistance are available through the OU Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Program contact
Dr. Matthew Adeyanju
740.593.4675
mph@ohio.edu
Curriculum
There are six required core courses. including the five areas of instruction recommended by Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The six courses combine for a total of 24 quarter-based credit hours. The areas of instruction are: 1) biostatistics, 2) epidemiology, 3) environment health sciences, 4) health services administration, and 5) social and behavioral sciences. The sixth required course is a public health concepts course. A new required course (Public Health Issues and Practices) of 4 quarter credits has been added to the curriculum since fall 2008
These core courses (where most of the basic public health subject areas will be covered) were developed cooperatively by the member institutions. Each core course will be taught using distance-learning technology. At a minimum, this will involve interactive videoconferencing that will facilitate instructor and student interaction. All of the campuses have the capability to allow classrooms to interconnect.
The remaining credit hours will consist of electives and a grant writing course (24-28 quarter-based credit hours). Students will be able to choose electives from a list of approved courses from any of the campuses. Students will also be able to petition to have other courses approved for elective credit. Students will also complete six to ten credit hours of capstone experience.
Length of program
Students will move through the program as a cohort when they take their core courses that may be completed in two years. Approved elective courses will be offered on the respective campuses, mostly in the evenings, but may be available in other instructional formats. Completion of the degree will take two or more years, depending on when the student chooses to take electives.
Portfolio of competencies
During the course of the program, each student will produce a portfolio of defined competencies, an ongoing assignment throughout the program. The portfolio will include the student’s accomplishments, such as the grant and capstone project product. The portfolio, presentation and formal class evaluations the students complete will serve as an overall evaluation of the objectives for the program.