Master of Public Health (MPH)

Program Overview

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Simmons University's online Master of Public Health (MPH) program equips students with practical skills to address health inequities and promote social justice. The program emphasizes community partnerships, scientific rigor, and critical systems thinking, preparing graduates for careers in public health, community health, and advocacy. Through immersion courses and a Health Equity Change Project, students gain hands-on experience in addressing real-world health issues.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

The Simmons University online Master of Public Health (MPH) program is designed to equip students with the practical skills needed to make a positive impact on public health and address health inequity at local, national, and global levels. The program emphasizes the interconnectedness of public health and social justice, preparing students to work towards achieving health equity.

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Key Objectives:

• Health Equity Focus: The program aims to prepare students to become effective public health practitioners who can address the underlying causes of health disparities and inequities.
• Social Justice Integration: The program incorporates social justice as a core concept of health equity, emphasizing the value of all individuals and communities and challenging power structures that hinder health equity.
• Community Partnership: The program emphasizes working collaboratively with communities to enhance their health through knowledge production, participatory agenda setting, and collaborative action for social change.
• Scientific Rigor and Integrity: The program emphasizes scientifically rigorous research, evidence-based public health practice, and personal and professional integrity and ethics.
• Critical Systems Thinking: The program encourages students to critically analyze broad systems and structures that contribute to health disparities and injustices.

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Outline:

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Curriculum:

• Total Credits: 42
• Core Courses: 9
• Elective Courses: 1
• Practicum Experience: 1
• Immersion Courses: 2 (3 credits total)
• Health Equity Change Project: 1 (6 credits total)

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Program Options:

• Traditional MPH: 24-month program, allows for part-time work, 6 terms.
• Accelerated MPH: 15-month program, full-time commitment, 4 terms.

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Course Sequence (Traditional MPH):

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Term 1:

• MHEO410: Health Equity & Social Justice (3 credits)
• MHEO415: Epidemiology (3 credits)

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Term 2:

• MHEO420: Socio-Structural Determinants of Health (3 credits)
• MHEO425: Biostatistics (3 credits)

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Term 3:

• MHEO435: Community-Based Research for Health Equity (3 credits)
• MHEO440: Health Policy Analysis & Change (3 credits)
• MHEO473: Public Health Project Planning I (1 credit)

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Term 4:

• MHEO465: Health Advocacy, Community Organizing, & Innovation (3 credits)
• Elective Course (3 credits)
• MHEO474: Public Health Project Planning II (2 credits)

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Term 5:

• MHEO450: Environmental Health & Justice (3 credits)
• MHEO475: Health Equity Change Project I (3 credits)

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Term 6:

• MHEO470: Global Health & Political Econ (3 credits)
• MHEO476: Health Equity Change Project II (3 credits)

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Course Sequence (Accelerated MPH):

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Term 1:

• MHEO410: Health Equity & Social Justice (3 credits)
• MHEO415: Epidemiology (3 credits)
• MHEO435: Community-Based Research for Health Equity (3 credits)

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Term 2:

• MHEO420: Socio-Structural Determinants of Health (3 credits)
• MHEO425: Biostatistics (3 credits)
• MHEO465: Health Advocacy, Community Organizing, & Innovation (3 credits)
• MHEO490: Public Health Project Planning I & II (3 credits)

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Term 3:

• MHEO440: Health Policy Analysis & Change (3 credits)
• MHEO470: Global Health & Political Econ (3 credits)
• MHEO475: Health Equity Change Project I (3 credits)

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Term 4:

• MHEO450: Environmental Health & Justice (3 credits)
• MHEO476: Health Equity Change Project II (3 credits)
• Elective Course (3 credits)

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Immersion Courses:

• Boston Immersion: 3-day immersion on the Simmons campus in Boston, exploring the city's history of race and racism and its impact on health.
• Arizona Immersion: Experiential course in the Sonoran Desert, examining community-driven models of development and social justice.

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Health Equity Change Project:

• Students choose a local health inequity to focus on.
• They analyze the inequity, identify intervention points, and partner with an organization addressing the issue.
• They design, implement, and evaluate a project in collaboration with their host organization and community partners.
• They develop a final portfolio showcasing their applied public health skills and program competencies.

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Teaching:

• Teaching Methods: The program utilizes a blend of live online courses, self-paced coursework, and in-person immersion experiences.
• Faculty: The program features a diverse faculty with expertise in public health, social justice, and community engagement.
• Unique Approaches: The program emphasizes community-embedded experiences, immersion courses, and the Health Equity Change Project to provide students with practical, hands-on learning opportunities.

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Careers:

• Potential Career Paths: The program prepares students for careers in public health, community health, health policy, research, advocacy, and program management.
• Opportunities: Graduates are equipped to work in various settings, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, healthcare institutions, and research institutions.
• Community Embedded Opportunities: The program offers students opportunities to work with real communities to examine and address public health issues through service-learning experiences and research projects.