MPH with Public Health Practice Emphasis/Concentration

Program Highlights & Accreditation

The Master of Public Health (MPH) in Public Health Practice at Portland State University, offered through the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health (SPH), equips students with applied knowledge to engage stakeholders, identify community needs, design and implement programs and policies, lead organizations, and collaborate across disciplines. The program emphasizes serving populations that bear a disproportionate share of society’s health risks and fosters connections with diverse public health professionals. Students benefit from a dynamic online course platform promoting strong interaction with faculty and peers, along with personal attention from instructors.

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Delivery Modes

The MPH in Public Health Practice is offered in two primary formats:

• Fully Online MPH: A two-year program pairing online coursework with hands-on engagement in the student's own community. It is designed for recent college graduates and working adults, offering flexibility for full-time or part-time study.

• Hybrid Online/On-Campus MPH: An accelerated 12-month program combining online and in-person courses. This option is suitable for those seeking to complete the degree quickly, such as students taking a year off from other graduate programs (MD, JD, MSW, MPA).

The program accepts students starting in Fall and Summer terms.

Curriculum Overview

The MPH in Public Health Practice requires 56 total credits. The curriculum provides academic grounding in core public health areas such as statistical methods, epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, and health care delivery. Both the online and hybrid MPH versions confer practical skills including grant writing, program design and evaluation, data analysis, and public health research. The online MPH includes hands-on engagement in the student's own community, serving as a practical experience component.

Admissions Requirements

The Public Health Practice MPH program is ideal for a diverse range of individuals, including:

• Professionals with full-time careers in fields such as medicine, nursing, social work, education, non-profit management, government, and hospital administration.

• Full-time students, including recent college graduates.

• Graduate students in other fields (e.g., medicine, law, social work) seeking to add a public health perspective to their expertise.

Specific details on application components, GPA, and prerequisite requirements should be obtained from the official program application information page.

Career & Practical Experience

Graduates of the MPH in Public Health Practice are equipped with relevant, applied expertise to guide health reform, exercise leadership, develop and evaluate programs, and better serve their communities. The program prepares individuals for various roles in public health practice. The hybrid MPH, with its accelerated schedule, provides specialized expertise to support specific professional goals. Practical experience is integrated, particularly in the online MPH, through hands-on engagement in the student's community.