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

General Program Information

Graduate School Contact:

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

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

College of Public Health
306 Lamb Hall
Box 70264
(423) 439-4915
e-mail: southerlanjl@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.

Students who have completed the Rural Health Graduate Certificate and subsequently are admitted into the MPH in Community Health may have up to fifteen (15) of the certificate credits applied toward the degree program of study.

Community Health Concentration

Deborah L. Slawson, Ph.D., R.D., L.S.N., Associate Professor, Department of Community and Behavioral Health

College of Public Health
318 Lamb Hall
Box 70674
(423) 439-4332
e-mail: slawson@etsu.edu

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

Faculty:

Katie Baker; Joel Hillhouse; Mary Ann Littleton; Rob Pack; Deborah Slawson; Jodi Southerland; Michael Stoots.

M.P.H. Purpose

The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) in Community Health is a professional degree that offers competency-based preparation for public health practice in population-focused health education and health promotion. It prepares practitioners who can develop, implement, and evaluate community-based interventions and work to establish effective collaborative organizational and community partnerships.

The Department of Community and Behavioral Health offers the MPH concentration in Community Health. For information on MPH concentrations in other areas see the departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Environmental Health, or Health Services Management and Policy.

Total Concentration Hour Requirements: 12 Credit Hours

Electives: 9 Credit Hours

 (selected in consultation with academic advisor)

Culminating Field Experience

• COBH 5850 - Public Health Program Field Experience - Community and Behavioral Health (1-6 credits)

Total Culminating Experience Hour Requirement: 6 Credit Hours

Total Hours Required Community Health Concentration: 43 Credit Hours

Note:

 *** Unless otherwise stated, electives must be selected in consultation with the student’s academic advisor and may be taken in any area appropriate to the student’s professional goals.