Program Overview

Master of Public Health Program

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is the most widely recognized and highly regarded credential for public-health professionals. The MPH program at UTEP is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health and prepares students for public-health careers in the public, non-profit, and private sectors. The program is directed toward individuals with previous health experience or who have a strong commitment to public health. The Hispanic and Border Health concentration prepares students for public-health practice in Hispanic and border communities.

Program Overview

Students in the 42-hour MPH program take core courses designed to develop knowledge, analytical, and technical skills in five fundamental public health competencies: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Health Services Administration and Policy, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, and Biostatistics. The required practicum provides MPH students an opportunity to apply the public-health theory and skills they have learned in a practice setting. Students also learn through the completion of a "culminating experience" which requires a student to synthesize, integrate, and apply knowledge and skills gained through coursework and other learning experiences. The culminating project for the MPH Program at UTEP consists of a thesis or graduate research project.

Academic Requirements

Graduate students must maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.0 to remain in good academic standing.

• Students must get a grade of B or higher in any course for which they are enrolled while they are graduate students in this program
• A student obtaining a C grade in a MPH core course is required to retake that course and earn a grade of B or higher prior to enrolling in the Practicum course (PUBH 5662).
• Students who receive a D, F or two C grades in their courses will be dismissed from the MPH program.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission into the MPH Program, prospective applicants must submit the following documents:

• Completed baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution or recognized foreign institution
• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on 4.0 scale for prior degree(s)
• GRE and/or MCAT scores are optional
• Applicants whose degrees are from non-English speaking institutions are required to demonstrate English proficiency.
• Three letters of recommendation from professional references who have graduate degrees. At least one of these should be from an academic reference (e.g., a former professor).
• A 500-word essay describing prior public health-related experience, and reasons for pursuing the MPH
• Current curriculum vitae or professional resume
• English language writing sample authored solely by the applicant (e.g., class paper or research report)
• Teleconference meeting with the Admissions Committee

Degree Requirements

The Master of Public Health (MPH) is an interdisciplinary program that requires students to complete 42 credit hours of coursework: 15 credit hours of core courses, nine (9) credit hours in the Hispanic and Border Health Concentration, six (6) hours of practicum, and the remaining credit hours from a combination of course electives and a culminating experience (thesis or graduate project). Students who participate in internships with agencies or school districts requiring background checks must successfully pass the background check to complete the practicum requirement. Elective courses are chosen in conjunction with the faculty mentor with Graduate Advisor approval.

Degree Plan

Master of Public Health with a concentration in Hispanic and Border Health

Required Credits: 42

• Course List:
  • PUBH 5302: Epidemiology for Pub Hlth Prof (3 hours)
  • PUBH 5304: Environmental Health (3 hours)
  • PUBH 5305: Biostatistics in Public Health (3 hours)
  • PUBH 5307: Health Services Admin & Policy (3 hours)
  • PUBH 5321: Resp to Chron, Infect Diseases (3 hours)
  • PUBH 5322: Eliminating Health Disparities (3 hours)
  • PUBH 5353: Social and Behavioral Approach (3 hours)
  • PUBH 5352: Public Health Eval & Research (3 hours)
  • PUBH 5662: Practicum in Public Health (6 hours)
• Elective Course Menu: select two courses from the list below (6 hours)
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
    • ANTH 4346: Global Health (3 hours)
    • COMM 5343: Seminar - Communication Theory (3 hours)
    • PSYC 5351: Behavioral Medicine (3 hours)
    • PUBH 5357: Selected Topics-Public Health (3 hours)
  • Bioinformatics and Biological Sciences
    • BINF 5351: Intro. Bioinformatics I (3 hours)
    • BIOL 5360: Aquatic Ecology (3 hours)
  • Research Methods and Statistics
    • SOCI 5320: Seminar in Research Methods (3 hours)
    • SOCI 5322: Seminar in Qualitative Methods (3 hours)
  • Health Services Administration and Policy
    • NURS 5338: Health Policy and Advocacy (3 hours)
    • NURS 5365: Managing Quality in Nurs Pract (3 hours)
    • PAD 5350: Public and Nonprofit Manage. (3 hours)
    • PAD 5365: Pol Anal & Decision Making (3 hours)

Research Thesis Option

• PUBH 5398 & PUBH 5399: Thesis I and Thesis II (6 hours)
• Total Hours: 6

Project Thesis Option

• Select one from the following: (3 hours)
  • PUBH 5395: Graduate Project I
  • PUBH 5396: Graduate Project II
• Total Hours: 3