Public Health (Master of Public Health)

Program Faculty: Vicki Johnson-Lawrence, Ph.D., Gergana Kodjebacheva, Ph.D., Lisa Lapeyrouse, Ph.D., Shan Parker, Ph.D., Suzanne Selig, Ph.D. Rie Suzuki, Ph.D. , Terry Thompson, D.H.A.

The University of Michigan-Flint School of Health Professions and Studies offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) program designed to address the needs of individuals who aim to promote and protect the health and well-being of human populations as public health professionals. Master’s degrees in public health are intended to prepare public health professionals for a broad range of positions within public health practice. There is currently increased demand throughout the world as the need and expectation for high quality public health services continues to grow. The UM-Flint MPH program is designed to enable students to excel in their chosen careers in the medical profession as both participants and leaders in the field. The program provides graduates the knowledge and skills necessary to develop broad-based and collaborative strategies to contribute to successfully resolving the public health challenges of not only today, but tomorrow as well.

Mission and Assessment
The mission of the MPH program is to provide students the knowledge and skills required to be effective public health leaders and practitioners in health education or health administration, while emphasizing the social determinants of health. The program participates in the University-wide assessment effort to assess its academic programs. Information on assessment plans including goals, methods and outcomes is available at www.assessment.umflint.edu.

Program Format
The minimum three-year part-time program design requires the fulfillment of both certificate courses through UM-Ann Arbor (UM-AA) and a UM-Flint component.

According to the UM-AA School of Public Health (SPH) website (www.sph.umich.edu), “students who successfully complete the five required courses with a B average (a 5.0 GPA on a 9.0 point scale) within four years of entry into the program will receive a credential from UM-AA SPH, awarding the Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health. The certificate will be noted on the student’s transcript.”

The UM-AA program is a distance learning delivery format designed to enable students to continue working while they complete degree requirements. This model of distance learning has facilitated access for students in the United States as well as international students. Courses through the UM-AA campus are accessed via the Internet, using C-Tools, the course management system of UM-AA. Through this system:

Courses will be accessed via the Internet, using C-Tools – the course management system of the University of Michigan.

Videos and narrated presentations of class lectures and discussions will be available online.
Each class session has web pages that contain the media (videos and narrated presentations), readings, assignments, and discussion question links for that class, along with a checklist to help students stay on track.
Assignments, quizzes and exams which need hand written elements will be scanned into multipage PDFs for submission.
Office hours with instructors will be available through both teleconference and the Internet meeting software, Centra.
Courses offered through the UM-Flint campus will be available in both an on-campus format and online, accessed via the Internet using Blackboard and/or Elluminate.

Overview
The program consists of a minimum of 40 semester graduate credits. It provides students with an innovative level of flexibility and individualized program iteration. Students take 16 credit hours of core classes through UM-AA in areas of biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, survey of the US health care system, and health behavior and health education. Students are required to complete a 6 to 9-credit core at UM-Flint and will choose a 15-credit track in either Health Education or Health Administration including 3-6 credits in personalized elective areas. Students with no comparable work experience will complete 3 credits of practicum, and all students will complete 3 credits in the Capstone/Research process through which they will develop and carry out a capstone project demonstrating the acquisition and application of knowledge gained through the interdisciplinary coursework the student has completed.

Student characteristics
Characteristics of students interested in the MPH program may include, recent college graduates with at least a bachelor degree, students currently enrolled in a professional program (e.g. medical, nursing or law degree program) who wish to earn an additional degree in public health, and practicing health professionals working in healthcare settings, health insurance agencies, government agencies, community health organizations, academic institutions, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Important qualities for successful MPH candidates include passion, a commitment to diversity, motivation, creativity, and a genuine willingness to be committed and keep working until a problem is successfully resolved. Individuals entering public health should want to improve the health of communities around the world; it is important that they have a passion for working on particular issues and the contemporary challenges that face this society.

Admissions Policy and Process
Applicants must be admitted to the UM-AA Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health (CFPH) program. After gaining acceptance to the Certificate program in Ann Arbor, applicants will apply to UM-Flint for the MPH program, selecting a track of either Health Education or Health Administration.

UM-Ann Arbor: Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health Application Guidelines Successful candidates to the CFPH program have:

A bachelor’s degree with sufficient preparation in algebra to succeed in the introductory Biostatistics course
Attained an overall G.P.A. of 3.0 (B average) in undergraduate study; and
Proficiency in basic computer skills.

GRE scores are not required for certificate students (unlike the UM-AA MPH program); however GRE scores can be submitted electronically to UM-AA.

Official transcripts from all previously attended higher education institutions, two letters of recommendation (from either professional or academic sources), along with a Statement of Purpose (including reasons for pursuing the certificate and career goals) are required. To receive the certificate, students must complete all of the five courses within four years of the time of enrollment. (Source: The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, School of Public Health, www.sph.umich.edu).

UM-Flint: MPH Program Application Guidelines
Applicants for admission are accepted throughout the year for the following semester (application deadlines are posted on the Office of Graduate Programs website.) Applicants must satisfy the following requirements to be considered for admission:

Enrollment into and subsequent completion of UM-AA’s CFPH program.
A minimum overall graduate grade point average of 5.0 on a 9-point scale.
Official copies of transcripts from each college and university attended.

Admission decisions are made by the program admission committee in consultation with the program faculty.

Use of Technology
The UM-Flint MPH program will be available in both online and on-campus formats. The UM-Flint Office of Extended Learning (OEL) provides administrative support of Blackboard (the UM-Flint course management system) and Elluminate. Both on-campus and online Blackboard training through OEL is available to students when they begin the program; there is also a list of Student Help Guides available on the OEL website. In addition, students and faculty have access to a Help Desk, operated by Information Technology Services and staffed by individuals knowledgeable in the hardware, software, and delivery systems associated with the online programs. The Help Desk is open extended hours including evenings and some weekend hours. Help Desk assistance is available by phone or e-mail. The University’s Writing Center is also available via e-mail for assistance with writing aspects of online courses.

Time Limits for Degree Completion
All certificate program courses must be completed in four (4) years. In addition, once students begin the UM-Flint component of the program, coursework must be completed within six (6) years of the date of first admission to the program. Students may, however, request or petition for an extension of this time limit. Approval of granting a time limit extension will be at the discretion of the program director, program faculty and the Dean of Graduate Programs.

Transfer Policy
Up to six (6) graduate credits from an accredited university may be transferred and applied to the program beyond the 16 credits from the CFPH program, subject to the approval of the program faculty.