Master of Public Health (MPH)

Online MPH

Three concentration options lead to lucrative public health careers.

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Choose from three concentrations: Generalist MPH, Global Health or Health Promotion, Education and Behavior
Accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health
Fulfill the workforce and public health needs of the region, state, national and global communities

Public Health, M.P.H. Overview

The University of West Florida’s Master of Public Health is an affordable online program accredited by the CEPH. This competency-based, military-friendly curriculum caters to world-class students from diverse backgrounds and career goals in population health. Graduates can enjoy lucrative careers in high demand. Working professionals can even balance their educational goals with work and family life through our asynchronous online coursework. You can also expect to work one-on-one with expert faculty by participating in their research and presenting findings at national conferences.

The MPH is grounded in foundational core courses in environmental health, epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences, biostatistics and public health policy. These core courses provide you with concepts related to the history, structure, principles, theories and practice of public health. Graduates with an MPH degree are prepared to develop, implement and evaluate effective public health programs for disease prevention and wellness promotion within the communities they serve, with an understanding of their cultural, social, economic, ethical and legal impacts.

Students enrolled in the MPH program are required to complete a two-semester, 6 credit hour practicum in the field of public health under the guidance of a qualified mentor and MPH Faculty Internship Advisor. This practicum gives you the real-world experience you need to advance in your public health career. The MPH program accepts new admissions for Fall, Spring and Summer semesters.

The Department of Public Health offers three MPH concentrations: Generalist MPH; Health Promotion, Education and Behavior or Global Health.

Generalist MPH

The Generalist MPH concentration is intended for students and working professionals who desire a broad and general training in public health and population health science practice, including translational research. Our students include experienced clinicians from a broad range of health fields, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, social work and other related fields. We train students to assume leadership roles as members of multidisciplinary public health teams. Graduates of the Generalist MPH concentration have gone on to pursue careers at local, state and federal health agencies, including the CDC, NIH, military medical corps and international agencies. Graduates have also gone on to become public health consultants, outreach specialists and disease prevention and health promotion specialists.

Health Promotion, Education and Behavior

The Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior concentration is geared towards students interested in health promotion and behavior change. The curriculum prepares students for the Certified Health Education Specialist credential. Students are exposed to current and emerging theories in social determinants of health and behavior, working with diverse populations in a variety of chronic disease issues at nonprofit organizations as well as government agencies. Graduates of the Health Promotion, Education and Behavior concentration can take on positions such as public health consultants, disease education educators and outreach specialists.

Global Health

The Global Health concentration is intended for students and professionals seeking a career in the vibrant field of global health practice. They work to monitor and evaluate global health, and build capacities for sustainable health and development, including translational research. Graduates are trained to be effective adaptive practitioners with leadership on multidisciplinary public health teams. Graduates of the MPH in Global Health concentration go on to pursue careers at local, state, government and non-governmental agencies as public health consultants, program monitoring and evaluation specialists, epidemiologists and disease prevention and health promotion specialists.

Candidates for This Program Include:

  • Students of all backgrounds who desire a career path in broad public health fields at the governmental, state, local and international levels
  • Working public health professionals pursuing career advancement

You Will Be Able To:

  • Advance your career in public health
  • Understand and influence public health policy
  • Identify issues and problems in the public health of various communities
  • Gain hands-on experience in a public health internship or practicum