The entire program can be completed online. All core courses and program specific classes are exclusively online; however, some elective classes require attendance on campus. These classes will be unavailable to you if you wish to be an online-only student, in which case you will have to choose alternative electives.
In addition to the class requirements, students will be required to complete a practicum training experience and a culminating experience (capstone project). The practicum and culminating experience can also be achieved remotely. It is encouraged for students to perform the practicum close to the university, but long-distance arrangements can be made with your advisor prior to the start of this portion of the program. The curriculum consists of 6 core courses (18 credit hours), 6 program specific courses for Health Policy and Law (16 credit hours), 10 credits of electives, a practicum training experience and a culminating experience (capstone project).
The 6 core courses are:
- Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
- Biostatistics for the Biomedical Sciences (3 credits)
- Introduction to Epidemiology (3 credits)
- Environmental Health (3 credits)
- Health Policy and Health Systems (3 credits)
- Human Behavior in Social Environment (3 credits)
The 6 core program specific courses are:
- Public Health Ethics (3 credits)
- Public Health Policy: Concepts and Practice (3 credits)
- Health Care Business and Finance (2 credits)
- Public Health and Law (2 credits)
- Practicum (3 credits)
- Capstone Seminar (3 credits)
Students must complete 10 credits of electives apart from the required core and program specific courses. Students may elect to enroll in courses among, or within, a variety of topical areas, including law, policy, social determinants of health, and research. See course descriptions for a list of electives.
The practicum provides the student with practical experience in a public health setting requiring the student to apply and integrate the skills and knowledge learned during their graduate study. This may include a 6 week internship at a center which develops and evaluates health policy or involvement with a community outreach program. The field experience/practicum will be supervised by full-time faculty.
The culminating experience, or capstone project requires students to synthesize and integrate knowledge in the curriculum and apply it to a situation resembling a professional practice. Completion of the MPH capstone project requires both written and oral components and completion of the project will be done under the direction of the student’s mentor. Special arrangements including video-conferencing can be made for online-only students. See practicum and culminating experience.
For additional information, please email us at mph@lumc.edu
