Online Master's in Public Health Program Overview
Solve health challenges and transform lives with an online master's in public health.
With the Master of Public Health program online, you'll learn how to act swiftly to help 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. 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.
"We look at the issues that are going on in our communities through a social justice lens," said SNHU adjunct instructor Dede Teteh, a certified health education specialist and public health researcher. "The main difference between [public health] and medicine is we don't look at people one by one. We work with communities and examine trends in behaviors and health outcomes."
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 nongovernment organizations to national research institutes.
Learn how to:
- Solve population-based health problems through analysis of patterns and trends within public health
- Combine assessment, monitoring and prevention strategies to improve wellness of people and communities
- Propose evidence-based programs that improve access, quality and delivery of healthcare
- Apply research to evaluate the development and implementation of programs
- Analyze policy and create outreach strategies to promote the health and social justice of individuals, communities and populations
- Develop initiatives that protect and promote healthy lifestyles
Southern New Hampshire University is an applicant for accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health. The accreditation review will address the Master of Public Health and the Master of Public Health with a concentration in Global Health programs. Other degrees and areas of study offered by this institution will not be included in the unit of accreditation review. Additional information can be found on the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) website.
Our Program Vision:
To champion public health and health equity globally through education empowerment, inclusivity, and capacity-building.
Our Program Mission:
To empower professionals across the globe to advance their communities’ health, through the delivery of high quality, affordable and innovative learning experiences and community engagement
Career Outlook
As the health, social and economic impacts of public health continue to grow, community leaders are turning to qualified professionals who can help guide their path toward wellness.
"We attempt to decipher what's going on within communities and determine how we can best support their efforts," said Dede Teteh, an SNHU adjunct instructor. She notes that these relationships are "partnerships" where all parties work together to identify solutions to public health problems.
"I believe that more and more communities are seeing benefits from wellness-related initiatives and receiving positive marks about them," adds SNHU adjunct instructor Michelle Gifford. "Hence community leaders are seeing this as not just a business-driven necessity, but also something that impacts the well being and quality of life of their citizens."
Part of the reason community leaders take notice is the projected economic gains in doing so. Take, for example, the annual costs for treating diabetes or smoking-related illness. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these treatments cost hundreds of billions of dollars per year. However, research has shown that states with strong control and prevention programs can cut back significantly on those expenditures.1
For these reasons and more, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment for health educators and community health workers will grow by 11% through 2028, more than twice the average for all occupations.2 Those with a public health degree can find opportunities in a wide variety of settings, including schools and colleges, hospitals and healthcare facilities, nonprofit organizations, private businesses and government organizations.
Some public health jobs you may want explore include:
- Biostatistician. Design studies and use statistical formulas and protocols to examine health data and draw conclusions about disease and health.
- Community health worker. Identify health-related issues, collect data, present findings and help connect community members with health resources.
- Disease surveillance specialist. Provide reporting and surveillance services, including case management, data collection and diagnostic visits for public health clients.
- Director of prevention and control. Lead teams, set goals and provide guidance that meets compliance and regulatory standards to develop and implement preventative health strategies.
- Environmental health scientist. Examine how water, land, air and environmental factors, like climate change, affect human health.
- Epidemiologist. Collect and study data to determine which groups in your community are at risk for certain diseases or health conditions.
- Health policy expert. Write policies and promote health initiatives that impact the healthcare industry, other health industries and the public at large.
- Health educator. Administer public health campaigns on topics like emergency preparedness, immunizations, nutrition and stress management, and work with other professionals to provide safety information during health emergencies.
- Health research analyst. Use data to determine which areas of health in a community or facility are at risk or could be improved, then relay findings to leaders and policymakers.
- Infection prevention professional. Apply practical methods of preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases, typically within a specific population.
- Public health investigator. Observe and prevent the occurrence and spread of food-born, communicable and other infectious illnesses among the public, using knowledge of sanitation standards and health laws.
Courses & Curriculum
As is the case with many of our programs, practical experiences are a valuable part of the public health curriculum.
“Each course is set up with a project, based on what a real-world person does. We’re training them to have the skills to do this out there,” said Dr. Gail Tudor, associate dean of health professions at SNHU. “It used to be, the degree focused on five core areas of public health and everyone wrapped their programs around them: statistics, health policy, environmental science, epidemiology and health behavior/health education. But in 2016, the Council on Education for Public Health came up with 22 competencies students should have as graduates.
“They’re very different; they’re grouped into eight categories that, instead of focusing solely on course content, focus on specific skills and best practices,” Tudor said. “For example, learning evidence-based approaches and how public health organizations run. The pillars of public health and what people in that field actually do. It’s a different time in academia nowadays; we’re teaching people broader skills for a changing world.”
Each course is taught by instructors with real-world expertise, such as Dr. Kelley Sams, an adjunct instructor for anthropology and public health programs.
"For me, the most impactful moments occur when my students realize that the information we are covering is not just about someone else, but it’s about them," she said. "Public health and the cultural aspects of health and illness are about the human experience, which means they are about us all."
Applied Practice Experience
As part of the MPH program, you must also complete a practical experience over 2 terms, where you'll gain real-world, onsite field-work skills. Similar to an internship, this experience offered in both PHE 680 and PHE 685 allows you to apply your knowledge in a public health setting and learn from working professionals in the field while networking and adding valuable experience to your resume. You will locate, select and confirm a site along with guidance and support from program staff, faculty and administration prior to enrolling in PHE 680.
You'll focus on preventative measures that can help you make a real impact – even before you graduate.
Take, for example, Heather Carbone '19G, an alum of our MS in Public Health program. Through her internship with Greater Nashua Food Council, she was able to make a direct impact in her community, and learn just how complex systemic change can be.
At first, the challenge she faced seemed simple enough: Low-income residents of the city who don’t own a car found it difficult to go grocery shopping because the city bus service allows just two bags per passenger.
“You would think saying, ‘Can people have more than two bags?’ would be a relatively simple process," Carbone said. "It’s not.”
What she quickly realized is that city officials were resistant to changing the rule, which meant the solution would have to be more creative. “That was a big thing that this internship taught me," Carbone said. "How many systematic barriers there are in place, and policy barriers."
Eventually, the council partnered with a local hospital and United Way chapter to purchase 2,500 reusable bags that each hold about $80 in groceries. The bags were then distributed to stores along the bus routes, and vouchers were made available for residents to receive two bags.
Beyond that project, Carbone had the chance to contribute research and assist in writing a portion of a $20,000 grant the food council received from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. She also had several opportunities to network with professionals in public health when she attended hearings at the Statehouse in Concord and Nashua Public Health Advisory Committee meetings.
In addition to required fieldwork, this public health degree program culminates with a capstone project that synthesizes coursework with real-world experiences.
Note: All practical experience must be completed in the U.S. If you'd like to learn more, please ask your admission counselor or advisor for more information.
Tuition & Fees
Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer a 25% 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
|
Annual Cost for 15 credits |
|
Degree/Certificates
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$1,881 |
$627 |
$9,405 |
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty)
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$1,410 |
$470 |
$7,050 |
Tuition rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.
Additional Costs:
$150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)
Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) as well as several other accrediting bodies.
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