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

General Program Information

Graduate School Contact:
Alondra Robbins; robbinsad@etsu.edu; (423) 439-4302

Claudia A. Kozinetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor and Chair, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
College of Public Health
The Academic Health Sciences Center at ETSU
Box 70259
(423) 439-4477
email: kozinetz@etsu.edu
College Website: http://www.etsu.edu/cph

Billy Brooks, DrPH, Lecturer, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology 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).

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

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, http://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.

Articulation Agreement

Students who have completed the Epidemiology Graduate Certificate and subsequently are admitted into the MPH with concentration in Epidemiology may have up to fifteen (15) of the certificate credits applied toward the degree program of study as long as the courses fall within the matriculation limits.

Epidemiology Concentration

Claudia A. Kozinetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor and Chair, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
College of Public Health
The Academic Health Sciences Center at East Tennessee State University
Box 70259
(423) 439-4477
e-mail:kozinetz@etsu.edu
College website: www.etsu.edu/cph

Faculty:

Arsham Alamian, Claudia Kozinetz, Mildred Maisonet, Megan Quinn, 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.

Epidemiology is sometimes referred to as the “basic science of public health”. Epidemiologists are health professionals who study health, illness, and injuries in human populations for the purpose of identifying risk factors and causes. Epidemiologists use the knowledge gained to guide disease prevention and control activities. Students taking the epidemiology concentration should have strong skills in mathematics and be analytic and organized in their approach to problem solving.

**Electives : 9 credit hours

Field Experience: 6 credit hours required

• EPID 5850 - Public Health Program Field Experience - Epidemiology (1-6 credits)

Total Hours Required Epidemiology Concentration: 43 Credit Hours

Note:

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

** 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.