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Online Master's Degrees MS in Public Health

Solve Health Challenges and Transform Lives with an Online Master's in Public Health

Act swiftly to control disease outbreaks, develop and enact wellness programs for communities, recommend and affect policy change with global implications, and track progress toward your goal of improving the health of populations. These are just a few of the exciting opportunities you'll explore with an online master's in public health. You’ll be ready to implement programs, shape policy, analyze evidence-based research and monitor epidemiological findings – all while earning the widely recognized credential essential for elevating the health of individuals and populations globally and locally.

Even better, we designed our purpose-built program to align with competencies defined by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and incorporated the World Health Organization (WHO) core functions – so you’ll graduate ready to make a difference in a range of industries, from NGOs to national research institutes.

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Concentrations
Public Health (MS) - Global Health

See Yourself Succeed in Public Health

SNHU's online master's in public health gives you a solid grounding in the scientific basis of public health, preparing you to effect change for entire populations. You'll study current health and wellness trends, probing strategies to help groups change health behaviors. You'll also be well versed in national and global health policy and explore how communities allocate health resources. What's more, you'll tackle key legal and ethical issues, including public health inventions and biosecurity.

Program outcomes include:

  • Solve population-based, health problems by applying statistical constructs and epidemiological principles to recognize patterns and trends within the scope of public health
  • Integrate assessment, monitoring, and prevention strategies to address environmental insults that improve the health, safety, and quality of life for people in their communities
  • Develop evidence-based, health program proposals targeted at improving healthcare access, quality, and delivery to ensure community health
  • Apply social and behavioral health science frameworks and research to evaluate the development and implementation of programs that change behaviors
  • Analyze public health policy and formulate communication outreach strategies to promote the health and social justice of individuals, communities, and populations
  • Evaluate the emerging public health issues and trends to develop initiatives that protect and promote the health of individuals, communities, and populations

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission - to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your master's in public health online at SNHU include:

  • Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
  • Convenience. Attend class when it's convenient for you - online education means 24/7 access
  • Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your graduate degree in as few as 15 months, with two courses per 10-week term
  • Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
  • Minimal requirements. No GMAT or GRE required for admission
  • Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for tips and career opportunities
  • Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study

Admission Requirements

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our five graduate terms. You can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials. To apply, simply contact an admission counselor, who can help you explore financial options. Your counselor can also walk you through the application process, which involves completing a graduate application ($40 fee) and providing undergraduate transcripts.

Career Outlook

The online master's in public health puts you in a powerful position for employment in a range of fields, including healthcare organizations, consulting firms, public health agencies and national research institutes. With SNHU's online degree, you'll be prepared to take on such jobs as disease surveillance specialist, epidemiology consultant, public health investigator, director of prevention and control, infection prevention professional, health research analyst.

There's a healthy demand for public health professionals. In fact, the Association of Schools of Public Health projects 250,000 additional public health workers will be needed by 2020 to meet global health needs.*

Curriculum

The online master’s in public health focuses on five core areas: public health and policy management, biostatics, epidemiology, behavioral sciences, and occupational and environmental health sciences. The program was developed by industry experts (including an impressive number who run statewide public health organizations) and taught by faculty members who are well-respected practitioners in the public health field. The degree culminates with a capstone project that synthesizes coursework with real-world experiences. Each of the core courses aligns with competencies defined by Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Degree Courses
PHE 500 Principles of Public Health

This course is a required, foundational course. It acquaints the student with the history of public health, the structure of the public health system, the ten essentials services, and the core knowledge areas in order to gain an understanding of the complex factors impacting health behaviors in the community. This course is designed to introduce the students to the range of public health professions and to motivate their interests in public health courses. The course also will introduce the development of a professional portfolio.
PHE 505 Research Methods in Public Health

The course introduces students to the basics of research design and methodology in public health. It provides coverage of quantitative and qualitative methods. Topics include: development of a hypothesis, sampling, data collection and structure, survey design and administration, and analytic interpretation. In public health, carefully designed research studies and their results are critical in the development of evidence-based policies, programs, and interventions. Students apply their knowledge acquired in the course by developing a research proposal. Research skills are in high demand by public health employers.
PHE 525 Social and Behavioral Sciences

The course provides a foundation in the application of social and behavioral sciences to public health. Social and behavior theories are examined in terms of understanding health-related behavior and applying these theories to health promotion. The course covers existing social inequalities in health status related to race, social class and gender and the critical intersection between social risk factors, behavioral risk factors and the development and implementation of public health interventions.

PHE 540 Principles of Environmental Health

This course offers students an overview of basic concepts in environmental sciences, an understanding of the health impact of various environmental exposures, and the public health approach to controlling and eliminating environmental health risks. The effects of agents on disease, water quality, air quality, food safety, and land resources are explored.
PHE 610 Health Policy and Management

Students in this course examine the health services system in the U. S., the role of healthcare policy and management, and the health delivery system. The recent healthcare reform legislation and its implications are explored. Topics include: the origins of the US healthcare system, health behaviors and disease, the management of health service personnel and organizations.
PHE 630 Program Planning and Evaluation in Public Health

This course explores the key approaches used to conduct and evaluate effective public health programs. Topics include: collection of primary data, analysis of data, presentation of findings for the target audience, and information systems and technology in the planning and evaluation processes.

PHE 690 Public Health Capstone

This is the synthesis course of the Master of Science in Public Health program, which allows students the opportunity to apply the theory, principles and science of public health in a capstone project. This culminating experience requires students to synthesize and integrate knowledge and skills acquired throughout coursework in an original comprehensive project, and to assess their level of mastery of the stated outcomes of their degree program in public health. In addition, the students reflect on the experience to their instructor and peers.
IHP 515 Population-Based Epidemiology

This course focuses on research designs and methods to describe measures of disease occurrence and risk factor associations utilizing quantitative information to ascertain whether relationships exist between risk or protective factors and diseases in population. When looking at potential causal associations, it explores the role of chance, bias, and confounding and effect modification and how this may influence the design and interpretation of epidemiologic studies.

IHP 525 Biostatistics

This course provides students with a basic foundation of biostatistics and its role in public health and health sciences. The course covers the statistical principles that govern the analysis of data in public health and health sciences. Included in this course are exploratory data analysis, probability theory, confidence interval testing, hypotheses testing, power and sample size determination, and multivariable methods.

Electives (9 credits): Three (3) courses from subjects HCM, IHP or PHE

Program Outcomes

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer a 25 percent tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Graduate Programs Per Course* Per Credit Hour*
Degree/Certificates $1,881 $627
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty) 		$1,410 $470

*Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed Annually.

Additional Costs:
$40 Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...

* Association of Schools of Public Health Policy Brief, on the Internet, at http://www.healthpolicyfellows.org/pdfs/ConfrontingthePublicHealthWorkforceCrisisbyASPH.pdf (viewed online December 14, 2017). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.