General MPH Program

Program Highlights & Accreditation

The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Master of Public Health (MPH) Program, housed in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

The program offers several specialization areas: behavioral sciences and health education, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology and biostatistics, and health policy and management. An online option in public health practice is also available.

Key research specializations include maternal and child health, cancer prevention, global health, health communication, environmental justice and health disparities, infectious disease and chronic disease epidemiology, data science, and disparities in policies impacting access to health care in underserved communities.

The curriculum integrates didactic coursework, independent research, and a mandatory practicum experience for all students.

Delivery Modes

The MPH program is offered in multiple formats. Traditional specializations are delivered on-campus (referred to as on-site).

An online MPH program in Public Health Practice is also available, specifically tailored for working professionals.

Curriculum Overview

The MPH degree requires a total of 50 credit hours and typically involves five semesters of study.

The curriculum includes 25 credit hours of core courses:

• PHC 6100 Intro To Public Health

• PHC 6000 Introduction To Epidemiology (3)

• PHC 6357 Public Health Perspectives Of Environmental And Occupational Health (3)

• PHC 6050 Biostatistics For Public Health Practice (3) and PHC 6050L Biostat For Pub Hlth Prac-lab

• PHC 6560 Principles Of Behavioral Science And Health Education (3)

• PHC 6102 Principles Of Health Policy And Management (3)

• PHC 6934 Topics In Public Health (3) (Seminar)

• PHC 6704 Applied Community-based Research Methods (3)

Students must complete 9 credit hours in one of the concentrations (track courses).

An additional 9 credit hours are dedicated to Public Health Practice courses: PHC 6945 Public Health Practice I (rotation), PHC 6910 Public Health Practice II (special project), PHC 7911 Public Health Practice III (Independent Study), and PHC 6187 Prof Develop In Public Hlth.

The program culminates in a comprehensive experience that includes PHC 7965 Comprehensive Exam, Public Health Practice III (Independent Study resulting in a research project), and PHC 7946 Internship (6 credit hours).

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree.

Eligibility requirements include a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of study on the submitted baccalaureate degree transcript, OR a minimum GRE score of 300. GRE scores are required.

Application materials include three letters of recommendation (with three evaluation forms) and a personal statement.

The Online MPH Program has the same requirements, with an additional prerequisite of a minimum of one year of work experience in a related area.

Career & Practical Experience

Graduates are successful in attaining employment in both the public and private sector, consulting, and matriculation in advanced degree graduate programs and other professional degrees (e.g., medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine).

Target career areas include:

• Governmental Public Health (federal, state, and local)

• Private Sector (e.g., pharmaceutical companies)

• Consulting (e.g., Environmental Health, Health Care, Data Science)

Examples of roles for MPH graduates include health educators, disease intervention specialists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, health policy analysts, environmental health scientists, data analysts, and health outcome evaluators.

Practical experience is a core component. The Public Health Practice I (Rotation) course is a 12-week (three four-week rotations) experience, typically at the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), requiring ten hours per week.

The Public Health Internship (PHC 7946) requires a minimum of 240 contact hours (20 hours/week over an entire semester) in the student's area of specialization. Traditional (on-site) students complete a total of 360 hours of field placement experience.