MPH in Public Health
The Master of Public Health (MPH) is the standard professional degree recognized throughout the world for public health practice. The MPH program at the University of Missouri is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The MPH trains practitioners, teachers, researchers, and administrators to plan, implement, and evaluate programs aimed at enhancing health in human populations through organized effort on the local, state, and national level.
Degree Requirements
Students in the MPH must select an emphasis area from the two available options: Health Promotion and Policy and Veterinary Public Health. Requirements are determined by the emphasis area chosen. All public health students are educated in the core domains of public health and participate in a supervised internship in a public health agency. The combination of course work and practical experience produces individuals who are highly qualified to enter the public health workforce. The MPH curriculum is drawn from a variety of collaborating academic programs and units. Public health coursework reflects the University of Missouri’s strength in the health professions, social work, journalism, public affairs, nursing, medicine, veterinary medicine, and arts and sciences.
Dual Degree Options
DVM in Veterinary Medicine/MPH in Public Health
For students who are admitted to the Master of Public Health and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, they will need to take 44 credit hours of public health coursework (22 credit hours of this coursework is with the College of Veterinary Medicine). The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine curriculum, they will need to take 147.5 credit hours of College of Veterinary Medicine courses, for a total of 191.5 credit hours.
A dual degree candidate who subsequently decides to pursue only one of these degrees must complete degree requirements subject to the same rules as a student not pursuing the dual degree.
Dual degree candidates must enroll in the Master of Public Health Program prior to the start of their third semester in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. Likewise, Master of Public Health students who gain admission to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine curriculum while enrolled as Master of Public Health students must enroll in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program prior to the start of their third semester in the Master of Public Health Program for consideration as dual degree students.
There will be a separate advisor and graduate committee for the Master of Public Health degree program. Committee structure and governance will be based upon standards defined for the Master of Public Health Program. Governance and administration of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine component of the dual degree will remain unchanged.
There will be two separate diplomas awarded upon completion of all degree program requirements.
The Master of Public Health Program and the College of Veterinary Medicine reserve the right to limit participation in the program, including dismissal. Those interested in pursuing the dual degree program are encouraged to discuss the possibility with advisors in both units and to submit applications for admission at the earliest possible time.
MA in Journalism/MPH in Public Health
The School of Journalism and the program in Public Health have created a dual degree option that allows students to earn a journalism degree in reporting or strategic communication with an emphasis in public health. Students complete a block of courses in public health, as well as in journalism, and complete the dual degree with a public health internship and capstone, in which the focus is on journalism or strategic communication.
MPA in Public Affairs/MPH in Public Health
The Master in Public Affairs dual-degree with Master in Public Health is a 54 credit hour program comprised of 18 hours of public affairs coursework, 18 hours of public health coursework, and 18 hours of shared coursework between both programs.
| Public Health * | 18 | |
| P_HLTH 7150 | Principles of Public Health | 3 |
| or P_HLTH 7160 | Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Global Health | |
| P_HLTH 8150 | Human Health and the Environment | 3 |
| P_HLTH 8420 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
| P_HLTH 8920 | Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health | 3 |
| STAT 7020 | Statistical Methods in the Health Sciences | 3 |
| Public Affairs * | 18 | |
| PUB_AF 8110 | Introduction to Public and Nonprofit Management | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8180 | Research Methods and Inquiry in Public Affairs I | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8210 | Public Service and Democracy | 3 |
| Shared Courses | 18 | |
| P_HLTH 8300 | Health Care in the United States | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8181 | Research Methods and Inquiry in Public Affairs II | 3 |
| PUB_AF 8170 | Public Policy Processes and Strategies | 3 |
| P_HLTH 8980 | Public Health Internship | 1-99 |
| P_HLTH 8970 | Public Health Capstone | 3 |
- *
Students who select a track in Public Health, or are working on a specialization in Public Affairs, will have additional coursework they can take to complete the dual-degree. Please speak with an advisor.
MSW in Social Work/MPH in Public Health with emphasis in Health Promotion and Policy
The dual degree program in Social Work and Public Health is a combination of the MSW in Social Work and the MPH in Public Health.
Students can earn a Master of Social Work (MSW) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) with an emphasis in Health Promotion and Policy. Graduates of the dual degree will be well-positioned to find employment as a health policy advocate, health agency administrator or in an integrated behavioral health setting as a care managers, health coach, patient advocate, counselor, or team leader. Students pursuing dual degrees must be independently admitted to each program. Only Regular Standing (RS), full-time MSW students (both clinical or PP&A concentration) will be admitted to the program.
The dual degree reduces total student credit hours by 24-27 credits and reduces the length of study by one academic year. If completed separately, students would be required to complete 105 credit hours (60 credit hours for RS MSW; 45 credit hours for MPH) Students completing both degrees will be required to complete 78-81 credit hours, with 51-54 of those being discipline specific (18 MPH and 33 [PP&A]- 36 [Clinical] MSW) and 27 credits shared between the two programs. Students will complete the both degree programs in 7 semesters, including one summer session.
Credit requirements, shared hours, and curriculum focus conform to the requirements of the MU Graduate School, the national accrediting body for graduate education in public health (CEPH), and the national accrediting body for graduate education in social work (CSWE). The capstone and internship will satisfy the requirements of both programs and will focus on the intersection of subject matter between social work and public health.
| P_HLTH 8150 | Human Health and the Environment | 3 |
| P_HLTH 8420 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
| P_HLTH 8920 | Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health | 3 |
| P_HLTH 7150 | Principles of Public Health | 3 |
| P_HLTH 8971 | Veterinary Public Health Capstone | 1-99 |
| P_HLTH 8980 | Public Health Internship | 1-99 |
| STAT 7020 | Statistical Methods in the Health Sciences | 3 |
| P_HLTH 8120 | Applied Epidemiology in Community Assessment | 3 |
| HTH_PR 7300 | Health Care in the United States | 3 |
| SOC_WK 7740 | Large Group Theory | 2 |
| SOC_WK 7952 | Research Methods in Social Work | 3 |
| SOC_WK 8953 | Evaluative Research in Social Work | 3 |
| SOC_WK 7710 | Social Policy and Service Delivery in Social Work | 3 |
| SOC_WK 7720 | Foundations of Human Behavior | 3 |
| SOC_WK 7730 | Social Work Skills | 3 |
| SOC_WK 7760 | Social Justice Seminar | 2 |
| SOC_WK 7820 | DSM and Psychopathology: A Social Work Perspective | 3 |
| or SOC_WK 7920 | Advanced Foundations of Human Behavior for Administrators | |
| SOC_WK 7770 | Strategies of Clinical Social Work Intervention | 3 |
| or SOC_WK 7780 | Fundamentals of Social Work Administration | |
| SOC_WK 8350 | Management of a Social Agency | 3 |
| SOC_WK 8952 | Evaluative Research in Clinical Social Work Practice | 3 |
| SOC_WK 8971 | Graduate Field Practicum II | 1-13 |
| Approved Public Health elective | 3 | |
Admissions
Application Deadlines
- Fall semester: June 1
- Spring semester: October 1
- Summer semester: April 1
- International students*: May 1 (fall semester)
- * International applicants will only be accepted for Fall Semester admission, unless the applicant is currently a University of Missouri (MU) student enrolled in another full-time program.
Admission Criteria
- Minimum TOEFL scores:
| Internet-based test (iBT) | Paper-based test (PBT) |
|---|---|
| 80 | 550 |
- Minimum Academic IELTS overall score: 6.0
- Minimum GRE score: GRE is not required
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 in last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework
Required Application Materials
For more information about the degree and links for requesting information or accessing online application portal, go to: https://healthprofessions.missouri.edu/public-health/masters-degree/
Admissions for Dual Degrees
For each of the Dual Degree programs listed above, students will apply separately to each program and be admitted to both programs before they are accepted as a dual degree student. Students may apply at any point before beginning graduate school or during the first year of either program. Once accepted into both programs, the student must inform both programs of their intent to complete the dual degree and work with the MPH Academic Advisor to ensure their plan of study is appropriate.
MPH Application and Admission Information
Admission Contact Information
MPH Program (mumphprogram@missouri.edu)
802 Lewis Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
573-884-6844
https://healthprofessions.missouri.edu/public-health/masters-degree/