Marshall University’s M.P.H. program was established to meet the public health graduate education needs of the region, and in particular, to train students to address health disparities through education, research and outreach activities.
The mission of the Marshall University M.P.H. program is to prepare a competent public health workforce, promote scholarly activities, and reduce the burden of health disparities particularly in West Virginia and the Appalachian region. Through education, research, community engagement and health promotion, our M.P.H. program envisions an Appalachia, particularly the West Virginia population, without health disparities and with a well-trained public health workforce. Our small class sizes in the M.P.H. program facilitate individual attention and mentoring to foster a rich learning environment.
As an M.P.H. student, Marshall will enable you to:
- Become prepared for the public health workforce and to address the burden of diseases and health disparities in West Virginia and the Appalachian region.
- Engage communities in advancing public health through workforce development, service, health promotion and partnerships particularly in West Virginia and Appalachia.
- Find out which of our academic programs is right for you.
- Meet some of our current students and hear about their favorite Marshall moments.
- Receive invitations to special events for future students.
- Get help with the application and enrollment process.
Marshall University is a top-ranked public research university offering comprehensive Public Health training at the graduate level through the following programs:
- Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
- Accelerated M.P.H.
- Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) dual degree program (for students admitted into Marshall’s Pharm.D. program)
Our M.P.H. program prepares students in the broad areas of public health and also gives students like you the opportunity to choose from concentrations in Global and Community Health, and Research, Evaluation and Policy.
This concentration provides training particularly suited to our regions in West Virginia, where urbanization is limited, median income and educational status are low, and care delivery challenges pose substantial obstacles to improving health status. The M.P.H. program and GCH concentration build on the university’s notable achievements in primary and rural care, focusing on the training of critically needed community health professionals who are skilled in risk assessment, education, intervention and program management in communities facing high disease burdens and limited resources.
This concentration is designed to provide public health practitioners with advanced training in research methods, biostatistics, quantitative and qualitative analysis, program evaluation and health policy development.
Accelerated Graduate Degree (AGD) in Public Health
An Accelerated Graduate Degree with the B.S. in Health Sciences will allow Health Sciences students to take a full semester load of M.P.H. courses in their final year. Twelve credit hours of undergraduate electives taken in the senior year of the B.S. in Health Sciences will be replaced with 12 credits from the first year of the M.P.H. program. Specifically, the M.P.H. courses for the senior year of the B.S. will include:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester of Senior Year of BS in Health Sciences | ||
| PH 601 | Intro Public Health | 1 |
| PH 602 | Public Health Biology | 2 |
| PH 611 | Epidemiology | 3 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PH 686 | Health Information Technology | 3 |
| PH 693 | Law and Ethics | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Further information may be found in the section on Accelerated Graduate Degree programs in “Academic Regulations and Requirements.”
- Infection Preventionist
- Behavioral Public Health Inspector
- Disease Ecologist
- Hazardous Waste Inspector
- Public Health Administrator
- Tropical Disease Specialist
- Assistant Professor
- Research Analyst
Admission Requirements
Students may be admitted to study for either fall or spring semester; however, spring matriculation for study in Research, Evaluation and Policy is made only in exceptional circumstances. Limited credit (6 hours maximum) may be granted to students transferring from CEPH-accredited programs.
Applicants must follow the admissions process at the Graduate Admissions website at www.marshall.edu/graduate/admissions/how-to-apply-for-admission. Specific additional program requirements include:
- Admitted students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accepted, accredited college or university with a minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Waivers to the requirement may be made in exceptional circumstances, such as when prior satisfactory graduate school performance has been demonstrated.
- Submission of three (3) letters of recommendation. At least two must from previous faculty if the applicant has engaged in full-time post-secondary study in the previous five years.
- Resume of work history or curriculum vitae, to describe both post-secondary work and study.
- Personal statement not to exceed two pages in length.
Applications are evaluated on a competitive basis, and individual interviews may be utilized in the admissions process.