Online Master's in Public Health (MPH): Reviewing Top Programs

Explore Online MPH Degrees

Online MPH programs offer a flexible path to an advanced degree in public health. Students often need to balance work, home life, and school, so online MPH programs can help streamline your higher education path. Not all MPH programs are entirely online – hybrid formats add in-person components to ensure a robust framework for student learning. When choosing a program, consider the program focus since many have a distinct focus while others allow students to pick from or design their own concentrations. Also look at a program’s flexibility and requirements for in-person study, as well as its focus on developing other essential elements, like hard and soft skills. Let’s explore a few online MPH programs and the variety of options available.

Online Public Health Master’s FAQs

Are online public health master’s degrees completely online?

Though coursework can be completely online, in-person practicums are common for many online MPH programs. These in-person experiences reinforce the concepts taught in the classroom. Students typically complete practicums at a facility nearby. For some, this may be their current workplace. Some practicums occur on campus. These intensives last anywhere from a few days to a week and allow students to meet with their cohort, consult with faculty, and engage in in-person learning that broadens their understanding of classroom material.

Do I need to take the GRE to be accepted into an online MPH program?

Somes students can enter online MPH programs without taking the GRE, a standardized test many schools still use to help select applicants. However, some schools look at other factors that make up a student’s history, such as grade point average or work experience, instead of a GRE score. Some schools allow work experience, such as five years in the public health field, to replace the GRE requirement.

How long do online MPH degrees take to complete?

The MPH program can take four years of part-time study with many schools capping the window of completion at five years. Full-time students take about two years. There are also a few accelerated programs that take about a year, but they require intense focus that make it more difficult to continue working while going to school. The one-year online MPH is best for those who have the time to devote solely to their education.

Why is accreditation important for online MPH programs?

Regional accreditation is the gold standard for ensuring a school meets all the criteria of a high-quality education. Programmatic accreditation helps ensure students who graduate from a particular program are well-versed in their field and ready to begin their careers. The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA), accredits MPH programs. When looking for a top-notch program that provides the recognition your eventual degree deserves, make CEPH accreditation a priority.

How much does an online MPH cost?

Earning an MPH online means a great deal of time and effort as well as a financial commitment to your future. Before taking that leap, it’s important to understand the bottom line for your program. Expect to pay up to $60,000 for an online MPH program, though there are slight variations in tuition amounts as well as in fees and associated costs. Where you live and how much of your program is online versus in person also figures into its price tag.

Online MPH Concentrations

While online MPH programs essentially offer the same core curriculum, most also have either a unique focus for their program or offer one or more concentration options. This allows you to earn a specialized degree and become an expert in a specific area of public health. Below are examples of available MPH concentrations.

Environmental Health

An environmental health concentration for an MPH program focuses on environmental factors influencing human health. Concentration courses include those on environmental health science and sometimes in specialty areas such as toxicology, air and water quality, occupational health, and environmental risk assessment. Career opportunities for this specialty include occupational health and safety officer, environmental health specialist, epidemiologist, policy advisor, and research scientist. The MPH – Environmental Health program at the University of Illinois Springfield is one example of this concentration.

Epidemiology

An MPH concentration in epidemiology studies the distribution, patterns, and causes of disease and health-related issues. Professionals work with data and conduct research to identify trends and risk factors and develop and implement strategies to prevent and control diseases. Specialized epidemiological fields include infectious disease, environmental health, and bioterrorism. The Epidemiology Online Program at the University of South Carolina is an example of this concentration, which leads to careers like as a public health specialist and an international health planner, among others.

Global Health

A global health MPH curriculum prepares professionals for leadership and management positions that focus on improving worldwide health outcomes. It focuses on global health issues and draws from various disciplines, including public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and social sciences. Programs often incorporate community engagement approaches. MPH global health careers include global health program managers, public health policy analysts, and global health educators. The Master of Public Health Program at Johns Hopkins focuses on global health issues.

Health Administration

An MPH in health administration focuses on the business and management aspect of healthcare. Graduates work in healthcare policy, administration, and consulting. This concentration includes coursework on healthcare systems and management, finance and economics of healthcare, and healthcare law and ethics. Hospital CEOs often have an MPH with a health administration concentration. Ohio University’s Online Master of Health Administration is one example of this type of MPH focus.

Health Policy and Management

A health policy and management MPH focuses on health economics, public health law, healthcare management, policy analysis, and more. Students develop leadership skills for roles in the public and private sectors where they study public health policy, planning, and advocacy. They work in roles like health policy analyst, public health program manager, and healthcare researcher. The Health Services Policy and Management Online Program at the University of South Carolina is an example of an MPH with this concentration.

Online Public Health Master’s Curriculum

Though each school might have a different curriculum structure and different elective courses, the core courses of an MPH program teach the most important aspects of theory, research, policy, and other important points in healthcare. Here’s what students can expect for core courses for any MPH curriculum.

Public Health Policy

A cornerstone course of the MPH program, this focuses on helping students learn to address public health problems and crises from the point of view of policy and using various methods of assessment to see how well the policies are working. Specific topics include health policy analysis and legal and ethical frameworks.

Applied Epidemiology

This course is an in-depth look at the field of epidemiology. Students study the impact certain diseases can have on families, communities, countries, and the world at large. While most MPH programs include at least one epidemiology course, you can also earn a master’s focused on epidemiology online.

Health and the Environment

This course explores the role of the environment in human health and how chemical and biological factors affect health and behavior. It looks at how the environment can have an impact on physical aspects and disease in individuals and broader communities. Ultimately, this course is about the interconnectedness of environmental factors in many areas of public health.

Health Policy and Management

This course provides an in-depth look at the healthcare system at large, including health management concepts, policy issues, research methodology, and the applications of existing and new policy to population-based healthcare. Specific topics include healthcare systems and structures, public health law and ethics, and health economics. It also develops leadership skills.

Public Health Research

Research is a vitally important part of public health policy. This course looks at a wide variety of points concerning research, such as variable and objectives, theory and research relationships, ethics, designing research questions, and taking valid measurements, among other related factors. It also focuses on interpreting findings to inform public health interventions and policies.

Careers for MPH Holders

Top Online MPH Programs

With so many MPH options available, choosing the best program to suit your needs can be overwhelming. It can be helpful to narrow down your options based on key factors that matter most to you. Our list of the best online MPH programs enables you to do just that, presenting you with top programs that meet essential criteria including affordability, accreditation, and student benefits. Discover which schools made our list below.