Offering Campuses
Argosy University, Atlanta; Argosy University, Chicago; Argosy University, Dallas*; Argosy University, Denver*; Argosy University, Hawaii; Argosy University, Inland Empire*; Argosy University, Los Angeles; Argosy University, Nashville*; Argosy University, Northern Virginia; Argosy University, Orange County; Argosy University, Phoenix; Argosy University, Salt Lake City*; Argosy University, San Diego*; Argosy University, San Francisco Bay Area*; Argosy University, Sarasota*; Argosy University, Tampa; Argosy University, Twin Cities
Note:
Campuses with an asterisk ( * ) are currently not accepting new students effective July 2, 2018. If you are interested in an Argosy University program of study at another location or online, please call (855) 758-5664.
Program Overview
The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program is designed to prepare students to seek employment in the field of public health. The Master of Public Health degree program is intended to create professionals who will be able to close the gap between the concepts and principles of public health and the realities of actual practice to improve health and well being. The MPH degree program is designed to provide health care and other professionals with an understanding of the public health sciences, population-based research, and the community practice of public health. In addition, students will have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills that can be used in health care policy development and management. The program is designed to prepare its graduates for leadership roles in a variety of private, public, and regulatory agencies, in for-profit and not-for-profit health organizations, and in health services research. The MPH degree program seeks qualified applicants with clearly identified career goals that are consistent with the anticipated academic preparation.
The MPH degree program requires students to complete 45 credit hours of course work including 39 credit hours of core courses, 3 credit hours of field experience, and 3 credit hours of capstone project. The curriculum includes five core areas of public health: epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral sciences, environmental health, and health policy and management. In addition, students are required to pursue independent capstone projects and field studies on topics tailored to their particular interests.
Program Outcomes
The MPH degree program is intended to produce graduates as leaders in public health and the following program outcomes reflect this goal.
Program Outcome One: Health Policy Management
Competency 1.a: Examine public health problems and develop proposed policies that illustrate pertinent legislative issues, advocacy opportunities, communication, media management and system issues to successfully pass, communicate, and implement the policy.
Competency 1.b: Align policies that contribute and promote health and well being with local cultures and realities to guide effective practices that improve health status.
Program Outcome Two: Healthcare and Organizational Management
Competency 2.a: Assess organizational norms and values, and build coalitions and consensus around organizational vision, priorities, state and national health and wellness agendas with clear performance impacts.
Competency 2.b: Manage and determine costs and implications for public health programs with unmet needs, and develop plans to meet customer needs and improve health outcomes.
Program Outcome Three: Communication and Informatics
Competency 3.a: Develop investment proposals for public health organizations and implement integrated information systems that collect, track, and share information across critical networks of providers and IT systems, in order to improve processes, quality of care, and service outcomes.
Competency 3.b: Examine customer/community needs and apply a systems approach in successfully addressing those needs by aligning the organization and customer needs with leading information technology and communicating the improvements to key stakeholders.
Program Outcome Four: Systems Thinking
Competency 4.a: Analyze the make-up of organizational systems and characteristics, evaluating the impact of changes in the input, processes, and output on the health outcomes.
Competency 4.b: Analyze the interrelations among public health systems and key stakeholders to influence the political, social, economic, and educational factors that impact public health systems.
Program Outcome Five: Performance Improvement
Competency 5.a: Propose a performance improvement system that includes assessment of the organizational capacity, culture, readiness, and planning to establish performance baseline, goals and performance management processes for monitoring progress and continuous improvements.
Competency 5.b: Integrate public health informatics, information systems and technology, and communication strategies in the design, implementation, evaluation, and replication of best practices for monitoring and improving overall practice, performance, and outcomes of the program/organization.
Program Outcome Six: Interpersonal Effectiveness
Competency 6.a: Examine the importance of interpersonal relationships with key stakeholders to establish, build, and sustain effective alliances to successfully address priority health problems in the community.
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, a nationally accredited institution approved and documented by the faculty and dean of the College of Health Sciences, or an appropriately certified foreign institution
- A grade point average (GPA) on a scale of 4.0 as described below. Additional requirements may apply.
- 2.7 GPA for the bachelor’s degree, or
- 3.0 GPA for the last 60 hours of coursework (including graduate work), or
- Between 2.0 and 2.7 for the bachelor’s degree. Students seeking admission with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.7 will be required to submit a personal/professional goal statement with a self-appraisal of qualifications for the profession and current résumé (or career summary). Students admitted with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.7 must enroll in W5096 - Academic Writing within the first 15 week semester and pass within the first 38 weeks. Admission between 2.0 and 2.7 must be approved by the department chair and must be justified, documented, signed, placed, and retained in the student’s academic file.
- Between 2.0 and 2.4, applicants will be required to submit three academic and/or professional letters of recommendation. Admission between 2.0 and 2.4 must be approved by the department chair and must be justified, documented, signed, placed, and retained in the student’s academic file. Student admitted with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.4 must enroll in W5096 - Academic Writing within the first 15 week semester and pass within the first 38 weeks.
- A minimum score on an Argosy University pre-approved English language proficiency test is required for all applicants whose native language is not English or who have not graduated from an institution at which English is the language of instruction as specified in Section Five, Admission Policies, “English Language Proficiency Policy .”
An admissions representative is available to help interested applicants complete the following required documentation:
- Completed Application for Admission Form.
- If the basis of admission is an earned bachelor’s degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher (on a scale of 4.0), an official transcript from the degree granting institution.
- If the basis of admission is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) for the last 60 hours of coursework, official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended during the 60 hours of study.
- Prior to matriculation applicants will be required to submit a personal/ professional goal statement (the statement is used for advisement purposes, and does not become part of the academic file).
Applications to Multiple Campuses
Applicants who are undecided with respect to the location they wish to attend should submit an application and full set of application materials to their location of first choice. Applicants who are accepted into their location of first choice and who, prior to beginning the program, determine they want to complete the same program at a different location, should notify the initial location of record of that intent. Provided that the same program is available, all previous approvals and credit hours accepted will remain in force. If an individual requests to change programs, he or she will need to meet all admission requirements of the new program.
Prerequisite Experience
It is recommended that students have prior health experience (e.g., in health care, research, community development, health promotion/education) and/or commitment to public health, and have or expect to have managerial or supervisory experience.
Graduation Requirements
Students enrolled in the MPH degree program are eligible for graduation when the following requirements are met:
- Successful completion of all academic requirements set forth by the College of Health Sciences, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale); any course in which a student earns a grade below “B-” must be retaken.
- Successful completion of 45 credit hours that includes:
- 39 credit hours, core course requirements
- 3 credit hours, field experience requirements
- 3 credit hours, capstone requirements
- Completion of all requirements within five years of matriculation into the program
- Petition to Graduate Form submitted to campus administration.
Program Requirements
Students enrolled in the MPH degree program are required to satisfactorily complete 45 credit hours distributed as follows: core course requirements, 39 credit hours; field experience requirements, 3 credit hours; capstone requirements, 3 credit hours.
