General MPH Program

Program Highlights & Accreditation

La Salle University's Master of Public Health (MPH) program equips students with the knowledge and skills to address public health challenges, with a special focus on health disparities within urban communities.

The program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), ensuring a high-quality educational experience that prepares graduates for excellence in public health practice, research, and service.

Key features include an emphasis on health education, case findings, and disease prevention, alongside a practice immersion and a capstone project designed to meet community needs.

Delivery Modes

The MPH program offers courses primarily in a face-to-face format, indicating an on-campus delivery experience.

Students have the flexibility to complete the program on a full-time basis, typically in 2 years, or a part-time basis, typically in 3 years.

Curriculum Overview

The comprehensive curriculum requires the completion of 48 semester hours of degree requirements.

Core competency areas include:

• Environmental Health (PHLT 520)

• Public Health Ethics, Leadership and Management (PHLT 530)

• Research Methods for Public Health (PHLT 600)

• Health Policy (PHLT 635)

• Epidemiology (PHLT 637)

• Statistics & Biostatistics (PHLT 704)

• Frameworks in Public Health Practice (PHLT 705)

Cross-cutting competency courses cover:

• GIS Applications for Public Health (PHLT 513)

• Introduction to Public Health: Concepts of Health and Disease (PHLT 540)

• Grant Writing Seminar (PHLT 696)

Students select two elective courses (6 credits total) from options such as Urban Men's Health, Public Health, AIDS, and Society, Reproductive Health, Women, Gender, and Public Health, Adolescent Health, Violence Prevention and Control, and Special Topics.

A significant component is the Public Health Practice Experience (PHLT 750 & PHLT 751), requiring 200 practice hours in urban communities, often those identified as medically underserved or vulnerable.

The program culminates in a two-part Capstone experience (PHLT 752 & PHLT 753), where students develop a capstone thesis and complete a comprehensive written examination, demonstrating mastery of MPH program competencies.

Career & Practical Experience

Graduates of La Salle’s MPH program are prepared for a variety of roles aimed at reducing public health disparities and promoting health equity.

Alumni have advanced to careers with organizations such as:

• Health departments

• Johnson & Johnson

• U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs

• JEVS Human Services

• Maternity Care Coalition

• The Wistar Institute (University of Pennsylvania)

• Kimmel Cancer Center

Common positions held by graduates include:

• Clinical research associate

• Project management analyst

• Coordinating manager

• Research program manager

• Clinical research coordinator

• Program evaluation analyst

• Health policy analyst

The program emphasizes real-world application of skills through the 200-hour practice immersion and the capstone project, allowing students to apply knowledge gained in core and competency courses to meet community needs.