Master of Public Health (MPH)

Faculty

Dr. Nicole Betschman, Director of Public Health and Health Services Programs; Assistant Professor of Health Services
Dr. Christopher Howard, Assistant Professor of Public Health

Description

The Master of Public Health, with a focus on Community Health, prepares students to impact society by addressing health related issues such as healthy living and housing, behavioral choices, food access, healthcare availability, exercise venues, and environmental exposures. Work environments include local, state, and national government institutions and non-profit organizations.

The MPH program is a 42 credit program with 24 required core credits and 18 required credits in the Community Health concentration.  Once admitted to the program, students may enroll in MPH courses on a full-time (three classes per semester for five continuous semesters) or part-time basis.  The MPH program is comprised of courses offered in the evenings and weekends using 8-week term (during the summer semester) and alternate weekly and weekly sessions (during the fall and spring semesters). Students attend virtual classes eight times throughout the semester in the alternate weekly or weekly academic session.

The online experience incorporates best practices in hybrid learning to include directed reading, lectures, podcast, quizzes and assignments. The face-to-face sessions will include lecture, discussion, group activities, and experiential learning.

The Master’s in Public Health is designed to educate the future trailblazers and leaders on community health initiatives!

Master of Public Health graduates will:

  • Effectively communicate community needs, program actions, and strategic plans in times of health crises
  • Create processes for standardizing data to improve health
  • Develop and implement culturally sensitive strategies and programs to improve health in communities
  • Critically analyze needs to lead organizational change in alignment with health priorities
  • Apply evidence to address health disparities
  • Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to impact health care systems
  • Implement strategies or programs that impact behavioral change

Successful completion of all coursework is necessary to graduate with the Master of Public Health degree.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Public Health program requires completion of 42 credits that can be completed on a full–time or part-time basis. Students enter the program in the fall or spring semester and are expected to maintain continuous enrollment until graduation

To earn the Trinity MPH degree, students must:

General Requirements for the Masters of Public Health Degree (MPH)

  1. Meet these general requirements to receive a master’s degree:
    1. Successfully complete all program requirements outlined in the Curriculum Plan.
    2. Successfully complete the capstone project (see Capstone Projects and Practicum below).
    3. Be in good academic standing (see Academic Standing below).
    4. Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to graduate.
  2. Complete degree requirements within five years of matriculation as a degree candidate. Any request for an extension must be submitted in writing to the NHP Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee.
  3. Students who receive a grade of F in any course may repeat the course only once.  A grade below a C on the second attempt will result in the student being dismissed from the program. Students dismissed from the program may reapply after 12 months following the MPH program dismissal. Reapplication does not guarantee readmission to the program. 
  4. Meet ethical standards and professional behavioral expectations as determined by faculty review

Capstone Projects and Practicum

  1. After completing 24 credit hours, all Master of Public Health students must complete a capstone project and practicum, which provides them with the opportunity to apply, synthesize, and evaluate knowledge and skills acquired during their graduate study.
  2. Students should consult their faculty advisor and course faculty for a description of capstone and practicum options and guidelines.
  3. Students are expected to seek and secure their own practicum site.  All sites must be approved by the Director and/or the Practicum professor prior to beginning the required 100 contact hours to ensure that at least 5 of the MPH Competencies (3 Foundational and 2 in the Community Health Concentration) will be met by the practicum experience.
  4. Students should register for the capstone in the semester in which they plan to complete the project. Students who require more than one semester to complete the capstone project will be charged a continuation fee for each subsequent semester until the project is completed.
  5. Students must earn a minimum of a “B” in their final capstone, research project, or substitute, to graduate and receive a master’s degree.

Required Courses

MPH Curriculum

Core Curriculum (24 credits)

SNHP 510 Theor Found of PH and HE
SNHP 647 Epidemiology and Disease Preve
HADV 621 Health Advocacy: Access and Navigation
HADV 631 Health Advocacy and Behavior Change
SNHP 530 Quantitative Research and Biostatistics
SNHP 630 Qualitative and Outcomes Research and Biostatistics
SNHP 691 Public Health Practicum
SNHP 699 Public Health Capstone

Public Health Tracks

Community Health (18 Credits)
HADV 601 Health Disparity and Social Inequality
HADV 603 Cultural Competence in Health Advocacy
SNHP 535 Health Program Design, Planning, and Implementation
SNHP 641 Public and Community Health
Electives

Program Policies

Grades in Graduate Courses:

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to graduate. Students who receive a grade of F in any course may repeat the course only once.  A grade below a C on the second attempt will result in the student being dismissed from the program.  A student may reapply after 12 months following the MPH program dismissal. Reapplication does not guarantee readmission to the program. 

Capstone Semester:

The MPH program requires students to complete a comprehensive capstone project, paper, or presentation in a capstone course as required by the degree and the relevant specialization. The comprehensive capstone project will consist of a proposal developed by the student in collaboration with a community partner and approved by the instructor.  Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in the Capstone Seminar to complete the program. 

Cross-tallied Courses:
Unless noted otherwise, courses that are cross-tallied represent identical courses offered with a different program prefix. Students may not enroll in or receive credit for more than one iteration of a cross-tallied course even in different semesters.

Elective Courses:
All courses must be for graduate credit at the 500-level or higher to count toward the degree.

Pass/No Pass:
Graduate students may not take courses on a Pass/No Pass basis; courses taken Pass/No Pass do not fulfill degree requirements.

TELL Policy:
TELL credits are not applicable toward the degree.

Transfer Policy:
Students may transfer up to 6 graduate credits from other appropriately accredited institutions of higher learning toward the degree with approval from their faculty advisor. Associations recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEA) confer appropriate accreditation; these associations include but are not limited to regional accreditors.

Personal Health Insurance:  All MPH students are expected to have personal health insurance throughout the duration of coursework.

  • Insurance may be obtained through the Trinity Health and Wellness Center or through private insurance.
  • Students are responsible for any medical costs incurred while in the MPH program that are not covered by their personal health care insurance. Trinity does not assume liability for an incident or injury that may occur during a practicum experience.

Experiential Learning Policy (TELL):
Trinity Experiential Lifelong Learning (TELL) credits are not applicable toward the MPH degree.

Transfer Policy:
A maximum of six transfer credits may be granted for transfer to a degree program. Courses eligible for transfer must meet the following requirements:

  • The course(s) must have been completed at a College or university accredited by the appropriate regional higher education accrediting association.
  • The course(s) must have been completed with a final grade of “B” or better.
  • The course(s) must have been taken at the graduate-level.
  • Each course must have been completed no longer than five years prior to the date of matriculation to the School of Nursing and Health Professions.

 

Course Descriptions


HADV 601 Health Disparity and Social Inequality
HADV 603 Cultural Competence in Health Advocacy
HADV 621 Health Advocacy: Access and Navigation
HADV 631 Health Advocacy and Behavior Change
SNHP 510 Theor Found of PH and HE
SNHP 530 Quantitative Research and Biostatistics
SNHP 535 Health Program Design, Planning, and Implementation
SNHP 630 Qualitative and Outcomes Research and Biostatistics
SNHP 641 Public and Community Health
SNHP 645 Global Health and Health Policy
SNHP 647 Epidemiology and Disease Preve
SNHP 691 Public Health Practicum
SNHP 699 Public Health Capstone