University General Course Catalog 2024-2025
Public Health (Public Health Practice), M.P.H.
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 Return to: Programs in the School of Public Health
The MPH in Public Health Practice (PHP) is designed to prepare graduates to work in most public health careers including administrative and managerial roles. The foundational coursework for this degree includes a core curriculum of 21 credits based on epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral sciences for public health, health policy, and organizational behavior along with research methods and environmental sciences for public health. In addition to the core courses, the PHP concentration includes courses in program planning and evaluation, epidemiological surveillance, data management and analysis (informatics), public health law, and public health finance. Students gain skills in program development, planning, and evaluation of public health programs, public health emergency preparedness, use of GIS data to investigate public health resources and access to health care, and the ability to monitor population-level health using surveillance data and systems.
Program graduates perform coordinating roles, serve as technical experts on policy committees in state legislatures, manage health information systems and health data, and progress to leadership roles in health departments and public health agencies.
The program is 100% asynchronous online along with a 3-credit practicum and a 3-credit capstone completed in students’ own locations. The program has three 14-week terms in a year. Students can complete the degree in as few as 6 terms depending on their work schedule. No Nevada residency is required.
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Contact Information
Bonnie Coker, Administrative Assistant
Public Health Practice Department
School of Public Health
(775) 784-4041
bcoker@unr.edu
Dr. Praveen Durgampudi, Director of Online Programs
School of Public Health
(775) 666-6675 or (775) 666-6609
mphonline@unr.edu
Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes
MPH FOUNDATIONAL
- Apply epidemiological methods to settings and situations in public health practice
- Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
- Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate
- Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice
- Compare the organization, structure, and function of health care, public health, and regulatory systems across national and international settings
- Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities, and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and systemic levels
- Assess population needs, assets, and capacities that affect communities’ health
- Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design, implementation, or critique of public health policies or programs
- Design a population-based policy, program, project, or intervention
- Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management
- Select methods to evaluate public health programs
- Discuss the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence
- Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes
- Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations
- Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity
- Apply leadership and/or management principles to address a relevant issue
- Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges
- Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors
- Communicate audience-appropriate (i.e., non-academic, non-peer audience) public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation
- Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content
- Integrate perspectives from other sectors and/or professions to promote and advance population health
- Apply a systems thinking tool to visually represent a public health issue in a format other than standard narrative
MPH PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE-SPECIFIC
- Create or advance an evaluation plan for a culturally sensitive public health program that uses systems-thinking perspective.
- Propose plan for a sustainable public health program using strategic management processes.
- Utilize GIS tools to evaluate and interpret public health data to assess public health programs.
- Distinguish methods of ensuring community health safety through (analysis) of public health preparedness.
- Monitor population health using data management tools.
Admission Requirements
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.
- GPA: 3.0 or higher on a 4-point scale
- Two letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose (approximately 500 words),
- Resume or CV: Current resume or curriculum vitae (CV) that demonstrates evidence of professional and/or educational health-related experience.
- Duolingo, TOEFL, or IELTS test scores (required for students educated in a non-English speaking country only).
- Pre-requisite: Students who do not have an undergraduate degree from an accredited public health program must take the Basics of Public Health course (offered online by the School of Public Health, 0 credits) before starting the MPH program.
The applications for the MPH program are considered on a rolling basis, all year round. Additional details, application procedures, and requirements can be found at: https://www.unr.edu/grad/graduate-programs/online/mph
I. Program Requirements
The MPH degree in Public Health Practice is a 45-unit program at minimum that includes an MPH core curriculum of 21 units in research methods, biostatistics, social/behavioral health, epidemiology, environmental health, and health policy and administration. In addition, all MPH students must complete a 3-unit capstone course and a 3-unit field studies course. Students must also complete 18 units of Public Health Practice courses and electives.
A. MPH Core Courses (21 Units)
B. Integrative Learning Experience (3 Units)
Students must complete an integrative learning experience (ILE) that demonstrates a synthesis of foundational and public health practice-specific competencies.
C. Practicum Requirement (3 Units)
The practicum is an important element of the MPH curriculum through which the student obtains experience in a practice setting appropriate to the development of professional practice skills.
D. Public Health Practice Emphasis (18 Units)
II. Total Units (45 Units)
Undergraduate Prerequisites
All applicants are required to take undergraduate courses in statistics.
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Return to: Programs in the School of Public Health
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