Public Health (Master of Public Health)

Program Faculty: Vicki Johnson-Lawrence, Ph.D., Gergana Kodjebacheva, Ph.D., Lisa Lapeyrouse, Ph.D., Maximiliano Mendieta, 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.umflint.edu/assessment

The program was recently accepted as an applicant for accreditation through the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Program Format

The MPH requires a minimum of 42 credit hours and may be completed with a part-time or full-time schedule. Program courses can be taken completely through the Flint campus, providing a combination of online and on-campus courses, or can be taken in combination with the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health (CFPH) program, which features all online courses. Students who complete all of the UM-AA CFPH courses may be eligible to earn a certificate. See full details at www.sph.umich.edu.

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 include recent college graduates who have completed a bachelor’s degree and have an interest in public health, as well as 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 persevere until a problem is successfully resolved. Individuals entering public health 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 society.

Admissions Policy and Process

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:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with sufficient preparation in algebra to succeed in Biostatistics
Minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Completion of both prerequisite courses prior to enrolling in graduate courses. They may be taken at any accredited university.
- BIO 104 or an equivalent course in anatomy and physiology
- COM/THE 210 Introduction to Public Speaking, an equivalent course, or relevant experience

Admission decisions are made by the program admission committee in consultation with the program faculty. For more information on admission to the UM-Flint MPH program, please visit the Office of Graduate Programs website: http://www.umflint.edu/graduateprograms/public-health-mph#tab-applying.

Note: Applicants who have been admitted to UM-Ann Arbor’s Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health (CFPH) program qualify for automatic admission to the UM-Flint MPH program upon application and will have prerequisite course requirements waived. Please note that the CFPH program requires:

Bachelor’s degree with sufficient preparation in algebra to succeed in the introductory Biostatistics course
Overall GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate study
Proficiency in basic computer skills

Application deadlines and processes for the UM-Ann Arbor Certificate in the Foundations of Public Health (CFPH) can be found here: http://www.sph.umich.edu/distance/

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

Coursework must be completed within six (6) years of the date of first admission to the program. Students may request or petition for an extension of this time limit. Approval of granting a time extension will be at the discretion of the program director, program faculty and the Dean of Graduate Programs (All CFPH program courses must be completed in four (4) years in order to earn the certificate).

Transfer Policy

Up to six (6) graduate credits from an accredited university may be transferred and applied to the MPH program, subject to the approval of the program faculty. (students may choose to transfer the 16 credits from the CFPH program).