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Graduate Program

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program prepares students to serve as public health professionals in business, industry, higher education, volunteer agencies, government, and in public and private sector health care settings. The foundation of the MPH program is consistent with the competencies and objectives endorsed by the nation’s leading public health entities and also reflect the experience of program faculty in producing highly trained graduates. The program is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

The MPH program at IUB is focused on the social and behavioral sciences that are essential for understanding health behaviors and developing health promotion interventions designed to successful career in public health. Students complete core public health coursework in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health behavior theory and health administration and further specialize their training by selecting one of two available concentrations:

• Public Health Leadership and Practice. Students choosing this concentration will gain the skills necessary for leadership roles in public health, with particular emphasis on leadership skills associated with the process of health promotion program development, implementation, and evaluation. Students in this concentration will complete coursework in the racial, ethnic, and cultural determinants of health, the science of intervention design, and will take electives specific to their particular areas of interest. Students choosing this concentration will complete their studies with the development of a professional portfolio that highlights their preparedness to assume a leadership role in public health practice.
• Public Health Research. Students choosing this concentration will gain the skills necessary to design, conduct, and disseminate high quality public health research. Students will complete coursework in research design and the review and synthesis of public health literature, and will participate in supervised research with members of the public health faculty. In consultation with the faculty advisor, students in this concentration will also select elective coursework in topical, statistical, or methodological areas that will enhance their research skills. Students choosing this concentration complete a formal research-based master’s thesis.

The MPH program degree requires the completion of 43 credits which are accumulated over a minimum of two years of study. In addition to core and concentration-specific coursework, the program is situated so that students become actively engaged in the research and practice initiatives of the faculty and those of community-based and other public health entities. Students further personalize their degree program through electives related to sexual health, cancer, health disparities, gender-specific health, substance abuse, international health, nutrition, human development and family studies, and industrial safety and hygiene.

Students in the MPH program have their own student-governed organization, the Master of Public Health Association (MPHA). The MPHA gives students a voice in curriculum development and program evaluation, as well as representation at MPH faculty meetings. Members are actively involved in social events and professional opportunities that enhance the MPH experience.

There are several important documents that can provide you with a better understanding of the nature and requirements of the MPH program at Indiana University Bloomington:

• Tab Sheet. The tab sheet serves as the official list of academic requirements for completing the MPH degree.
• Program Sequence. The sequence of the MPH program will vary depending on whether students choose the leadership and practice concentration or the research concentration. For an overview of MPH sequencing by concentration, choose one of the following:

        Leadership and Practice Concentration

        Public Health Research Concentration

For more information about the MPH program, contact Dr. Brian Dodge via E-mail. He will be able to provide you with more details about the MPH program and to help you connect with a faculty member conducting work in your particular area of interest.

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