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Make an Impact with an Online Healthcare Degree

MAKE AN IMPACT
WITH AN ONLINE HEALTHCARE DEGREE

Explore Valparaiso University’s 100% online healthcare programs in public health, occupational therapy, and healthcare administration.

Advance Your Healthcare Knowledge with Valparaiso

Learn why students choose our 100% online healthcare degree programs.

Start Date: 11/09/2023
Application Deadline: 11/09/2023

Support the
Community with Your MPH Degree

Earning a master’s degree in public health opens doors to a rewarding and impactful career dedicated to enhancing community well-being. As a public health professional, you play a vital role in preventing diseases, advocating for equal health outcomes, educating communities, responding to health emergencies, collaborating across disciplines, conducting research, shaping health policies, and empowering communities. Your expertise and efforts contribute to healthier communities, making a substantial difference in the lives of individuals and populations.

At Valparaiso University, our master of public health program empowers you with the essential skills to tackle some of the most pressing health challenges worldwide. Whether you’re delving into scientific investigations, engaging with communities, or advocating for legislative changes, your efforts will undeniably have a positive impact on the well-being of individuals.

Our faculty, composed of a diverse group of professionals with extensive experience spanning various industries and academic fields, offers direct guidance in a comprehensive MPH curriculum. This program aims to bolster your proficiency in public health, enabling you to advance health promotion and disease prevention within either the epidemiology or global health sectors.

What Makes Valpo’s Master’s Degree in Public Health Unique?

Here are some of the reasons why our MPH stands out from other public health programs for graduate students.

STEM Program

The Epidemiology concentration option for the master’s degree in public health is designated as a STEM program. This allows international students to extend their optional practical training from one to three years in the United States.

BSPH TO MPH, 4 +1 Senior Year Option

Valpo offers an accelerated course of study option for students who continue immediately after completing their bachelor’s degree in public health. This allows current Valpo students to save time and cost. Students who are admitted into the BSPH to MPH 4+1 program during their senior year will be admitted directly into the MPH upon graduation from the BSPH program assuming they continue to meet the progression requirements.

Small, Personalized Learning Journey

Valpo’s master’s degree in public health degree program offers a 15:1 student-to-faculty teacher ratio. This creates a learning environment where students can get individualized assistance. A small and personalized learning journey promotes better retention and gives students more hands-on learning opportunities.

100% Job Placement

Graduates of our MPH program have a 100% job placement rate. This means that upon completing your degree, you’ll have the confidence of knowing you are well-positioned to secure a fulfilling career in the field of public health based on the past success of our students.

Experiential Service Learning

Our program emphasizes practical, real-world experience through internships, research projects, and community engagement. You’ll graduate with the skills and confidence to excel in your chosen public health career path.

Interdisciplinary Approach

Our MPH program fosters collaboration across various disciplines, preparing you to address complex health challenges by working alongside professionals from diverse backgrounds.

Expert Faculty

Learn from our accomplished and diverse faculty, who bring extensive experience and a wealth of knowledge from their respective fields, ensuring a well-rounded education.

Tailored Specializations

Choose between specialized tracks in epidemiology or global health, allowing you to focus your studies on areas of particular interest and relevance to your career goals.

1. Epidemiology

The epidemiology track focuses on disease patterns, causes, and distribution in populations. Students learn to conduct epidemiological studies, analyze data, and inform public health policies.

2. Global Health

The global health track explores health challenges on a global scale, addressing factors like socio-economic disparities, infectious diseases, and healthcare systems. Graduates are prepared for careers in international organizations and NGOs, working to improve global health equity.

Commitment to Community

Valpo’s strong emphasis on community involvement and outreach means you’ll have opportunities to make a meaningful impact while still a student, providing both invaluable real-world experience and setting the stage for a lifetime of community service.

What Will You Learn in Our Master of Public Health Program?

At Valparaiso University, our curriculum offers a comprehensive exploration of public health theory, education, research, and practical skills, providing you with the perspective of a seasoned public health practitioner.

Your coursework will encompass a range of vital subjects, including:

  • Biostatistics
  • Environmental Health for a Sustainable Future
  • Epidemiology
  • Global Health Systems
  • Policy, Leadership, and Planning

Additionally, you’ll engage in a hands-on public health internship and undertake a capstone project, both guided by our experienced faculty, ensuring a well-rounded education that prepares you to thrive and effect meaningful change in your future public health endeavors.

PROGRAM CURRICULUM

IPE 603 – Principles of Epidemiology (Credits: 3)

This course focuses on the application of the principles of epidemiology to the planning, implementing, and evaluating of population-based health services across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on the use of epidemiological and biostatistical methods of reasoning to draw inferences about strategies at all levels of prevention.

PHS 503 – Biostatistics (Credits: 3)

Application of descriptive statistics, basic probability concepts, one- and two-sample statistical inference tests, analysis of variance, and simple linear regression to public health research. Perform selection, basic calculations, and interpretation of statistical methods for detection of significant associations and differences. Introduction to statistical data analysis software.

PHS 513 – Social, Behavioral, & Cultural Factors in Health (Credits: 3)

Examines the complex relationships among the social context, behavior, and health at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community levels. Identifies key social and behavioral determinants of health in the United States and throughout the world. Presents theories to facilitate health education and programs aimed at promoting health and preventing disease.

PHS 520 – Biological Basis of Disease (Credits: 3)

Provides an overview of current knowledge about the biologic mechanisms of disease that are the major causes of death and disability in developed, developing, and underdeveloped countries. Understand and interpret the reciprocal relationships among genetics, social, behavioral, and environmental determinants of health within an ecological context. Analyze biologic principles of disease related to public health.

PHS 521 – Environmental Health for a Sustainable Future (Credits: 3)

Examines the connection between public health and environmental exposures to biological, chemical, and physical agents. Through the use of problem-solving frameworks, students become familiar with data and information sources, methodologies, and policy approaches to address environmental impacts on public health. This course will integrate concepts of environmental health with principles of sustainability to examine how policy and practice on the local, state, national, and global levels affect population health.

PHS 560 – Public Health Policy, Leadership, & Administration (Credits: 3)

This course focuses on the application of knowledge, attitudes, and skills about health policy, leadership, and administration in public health services in the United States and around the world. Emphasis is placed on leadership in organizing, planning, implementing, and evaluating health advocacy, policy, and administration for social change on local, state, national, and global levels.

PHS 662 – Public Health Program Planning, Management, & Evaluation (Credits: 3)

This course focuses on developing expertise to effectively plan, design, implement, and evaluate public health programs for target populations. Students will assess individual, community, organizational, and societal needs of populations and prioritize concerns and resources for public health programs. Students will apply ethical principles in public health programs.

PHS 613 – Applied Epidemiology (Credits: 3)

This course focuses on the application of foundational principles and methods of epidemiology. Quantitative issues that arise in the planning, analysis, and interpretation of epidemiologic studies are discussed. Emphasis is placed on causality, theoretical consideration, and interpretation of findings.

PHS 618 – Global Health Epidemiology (Credits: 3)

This course integrates analysis of social, political, economic, and environmental determinants of health in developing countries and traces development of societal responses to health promotion and disease prevention. In the course, students will examine origins of primary healthcare, population health, disease burden, maternal mortality, child survival, air, water, sanitation, international agencies, and impact of public health policies.

PHS 619 – Applied Health Data Analysis (Credits: 3)

This course focuses on empirical applications of statistical approaches commonly used in public health. Emphasis is placed on organizing data into analyzable forms, choosing appropriate statistical methods, and interpreting the results of statistical tests for precise scientific communications. SPSS or SAS is used to manipulate data, fit statistical models, and perform model diagnostics.

PHS 673 – Epidemiologic Research Methods (Credits: 3)

This course focuses on the fundamentals of research study design and methodology as well as data collection. Emphasis is placed on finding and analyzing existing research to develop a research proposal in public health.

PHS 612 – Global Health Systems (Credits: 3)

This course integrates the analysis of health systems around the world related to their performance on key health indicators. Global health systems will be analyzed by healthcare organization, health workforce development, healthcare financing, and health policy development. Students will apply primary healthcare theory to environmental factors in global health and integrate comparative health system and healthcare reform analyses to draw inferences on health system improvement.

PHS 618 – Global Health Epidemiology (Credits: 3)

This course integrates analysis of social, political, economic, and environmental determinants of health in developing countries and traces development of societal responses to health promotion and disease prevention. In the course, students will examine origins of primary healthcare, population health, disease burden, maternal mortality, child survival, air, water, sanitation, international agencies, and impact of public health policies.

PHS 624 – Reducing Global Health Disparities (Credits: 3)

This course focuses on knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes of the contribution of social, political, and economic factors to disparities in health and healthcare. Students will use evidence-based approaches to reduce health disparities in global health. This course will review theoretical frameworks and methodological tools for students to conduct research and develop interventions to reduce global health disparities.

PHS 670 – Community-Based Participatory Research (Credits: 3)

This course integrates community-based participatory action research (CBPR) for the purposes of education and implementing systematic action to resolve specific global health problems. Apply theoretical underpinnings of CBPR and ethical reasoning to concepts of community competence, citizen participation, and community development. Prepares students to develop research proposals, conduct international field research, and present scholarly work.

PHS 680 – Public Health Internship (Credits: 3)

Provides the opportunity for students to apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills acquired through their public health program of study. Integrates a planned, customized, supervised, and evaluated practice experience relevant to the student’s public health program competencies in a variety of public health agencies and organizations.

PHS 681 – Public Health Culminating Experience (Credits: 3)

Synthesize and apply theory and principles of public health acquired in coursework and other learning experiences to situations that approximate aspects of professional public health practice. Students are evaluated on the mastery of public health program competencies through customized culminating experiences.

Electives (3 Credits)

Total: 42 Credits

GRD 500 Graduate Academic Success (Credit: 1) is required for all new international graduate students in their first semester of enrollment.

This course is designed to help students from diverse cultural backgrounds learn and adjust to the expectations and requirements deemed necessary for academic success across all Valparaiso University graduate programs. This course will build upon information presented at the international graduate student orientation. Sequenced opportunities for collaboration and communication (verbal and written) will be integrated throughout the curriculum sequence.

your healthcare education journey starts today.

See the impact you can make with a online degree from Valparaiso University.

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