Public Health, M.P.H. (Biostatistics Concentration)

General Program Information

Graduate School Contact:

Mary Duncan; duncanm@etsu.edu; 423-439-4302

Jodi Southerland, DrPH, Interim M.P.H. Coordinator

College of Public Health
306 Lamb Hall
Box 70674
(423) 439-4915
e-mail: mphcoordinator@etsu.edu

Master of Public Health Degree

The Master of Public Health program offers a competency-based approach to professional preparation for public health practice in any of five areas - Biostatistics, Community Health, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, and Public Health Administration. Each concentration provides students with the requisite skills to work in the respective area.

Many courses are available online through distance education technology. Fully online concentrations of study exist for Community Health, Epidemiology and Public Health Administration. Others are being planned. Please contact the graduate coordinator for more information.

Biostatistics is a quantitative field in which students learn how to collect, manage, and analyze public health data. This curriculum provides instruction in basic analytical methods and the use of statistical software. See Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology.

Community Health affords the student the opportunity to learn how to interact with communities for the purpose of health education and promotion; how to develop and conduct health assessments and program evaluations; and the importance of establishing collaborative organizational and community partnerships. See Department of Community Health .

Environmental Health* prepares specialists who understand the interrelationships between chemical, biological, and physical factors in the environment, and social and organizational factors in the human community. Students will become proficient in the assessment of community environmental health needs by collecting, analyzing, and reporting appropriate data, and will develop expertise in investigating, monitoring, and managing environmental problems that may have an impact on the public’s health. *Offered through the Department of Environmental Health .

Epidemiology is the “basic science of public health,” and as such epidemiologists are health professionals who study disease, illness, and injuries and attempt to determine: who becomes ill; why certain people are more likely to become ill; and how to prevent the spread of illness. See Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology .

Public Health Administration is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on the accessibility, financing, and organization of health care services and the development and implementation of public health policy. See Department of Health Services Administration .

Program Admission Requirements

(Application deadline: February 1)

Admission to the graduate program in public health is based upon scholarship, letters of recommendation, and evidence of potential mastery including:

1. A minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.75;

2. Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

For additional information, please contact the office of the graduate coordinator or the respective graduate program housing your concentration of interest.

Applications are accepted once a year only, for entry into the fall semester and must be received by February 1 for consideration. Applicants to this program are required to use the online Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) which can be accessed at www.SOPHAS.org.

Biostatistics Concentration

Robert Pack, M.P.H., Ph.D., Interim Chair, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

College of Public Health
The Academic Health Sciences Center at East Tennessee State University
Box 70623
(423) 439-4243
e-mail:packr@etsu.edu
College website: www.etsu.edu/cph

Faculty:

Arsham Alamian, Xuefeng Liu, Kesheng Wang, Liang Wang, Shimin Zheng.

Purpose

The Master of Public Health (MPH) is a professional degree that offers competency-based preparation for public health practice in five different concentration areas - Biostatistics, Community Health, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, and Health Services Administration. Each concentration provides students with the required knowledge and skills to work in the respective area.

The Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology offers the MPH concentrations for biostatistics and epidemiology. For the other concentrations, please see the appropriate department.

Many courses are available in an online format through distance education technology. The MPH concentration in Epidemiology can be obtained in a fully online format.

Biostatistics is a quantitative field in which students learn how to collect, manage, and analyze public health data. Students taking this concentration will learn basic analytical methods and the use of statistical software. Those with knowledge and skills in biostatistics are important in helping to analyze data so that public health prevention and control methods can be used to prevent disease and promote health. Students taking this concentration should have a strong aptitude and skills in mathematics.

Total Hours Required Biostatistics Concentration: 43 Credit Hours

Note:

* See MPH Student Handbook for details on progression in the program including requirement for graduation.