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

General Program Information

Graduate School Contact:

Stacie Hill; hillsr1@etsu.edu; 423-439-4302

Billy Brooks, DrPH, Clinical Instructor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Interim MPH Coordinator

College of Public Health
East Tennessee State University
Office: 51-M Lamb Hall
423-439-4115
Email: 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

The priority application deadline is February 1^st  (for early admissions decision, consideration for Graduate Assistantships, and Tuition Scholarships).

The final application deadline is June 1^st.

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

1. A minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.75;
2. Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)*

The following exemptions may be made for GRE scores:

1. Applicants who have earned a master’s degree, medical degree or doctoral degree in the health sciences, or other applicable field from a regionally accredited U.S. institution are not required to submit GRE scores; and
2. Official scores from the GMAT taken within the last 5 years may be submitted in lieu of the GRE. 

The exemption does not apply to graduates of foreign institutions. All applicants who are graduates of foreign institutions are required to submit GRE scores.

For additional information, please contact the MPH Program Coordinator, mphcoordinator@etsu.edu. You may also contact the respective graduate department housing your concentration of interest.

The College of Public Health begins accepting applications in early September and will continue to review applications through the month of May. However, the College of Public Health only admits for the following fall semester. Applicants to this program are required to use the online Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) which can be accessed at http://www.sophas.org.

The College of Public Health has a priority deadline of February 1.

 
*NOTE: When applying to SOPHAS, please use the ETSU College of Public Health GRE code: 7333. Students who are accepted to the ETSU MPH program will also need to send transcripts and test scores directly to the ETSU School of Graduate Studies.

Public Health Administration

Amal J. Khoury, Ph.D., MPH, Professor and Chair, Associate Dean for Quality and Planning

College of Public Health
42 Lamb Hall
Box 70264
(423) 439-4937
e-mail: khoury@etsu.edu

Jodi Southerland, DrPH, Interim MPH Coordinator

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

Faculty:

Kate Beatty; Wilsie Bishop; Colin Chesney; Jenny Hunt; Amal J Khoury; Hadii Mamudu; Michelle Reece; Randy Wykoff.

Purpose

The Master of Public Health in Public Health Administration is a professional degree preparing graduates for leadership positions in health services management and policy analysis. The MPH also prepares students for doctoral training in public health. The MPH is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.

Competencies

By the end of the degree program, students are expected to have achieved the following competencies:

• Discuss main issues of the organization, financing and delivery of health services in the United States.
• Apply legal and ethical principles to issues of health services management and policy analysis.
• Analyze health policy, including policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation.
• Apply principles of strategic planning and marketing in health services organizations.
• Apply quality and performance improvement concepts to address organizational performance.
• Demonstrate written and oral skills for communicating health policy and management issues with different audiences.
• Demonstrate leadership skills for building relations and alliances.
• Apply principles of human resources management in public health and health services organizations.
• Apply principles of accounting and financial management in public health and health services organizations.
• Analyze governance and management structures of health services organizations.

Degree Requirements

Public Health Administration Concentration

Required Courses

• HSMP 5505 - Managing Health Care Organizations (3 credits)
• HSMP 5525 - Health Services Organization and Delivery (3 credits)
• HSMP 5535 - Health Policy, Politics, and Analysis (3 credits)
• HSMP 5550 - Human Resource Management in Health Organizations (3 credits)
• HSMP 5850 - Public Health Program Field Experience - Health Services Management and Policy (1-6 credits)
• Electives (9 credits)

Total Hours Required for Public Health Administration 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.