Montana · Verified September 2026
MPH Programs in Montana
Where Can You Earn an MPH in Montana?
2 schools in Montana offer 2 MPH programs we verified, including Montana Technological University and The University of Montana. 1 can be taken online.
Who Hires Public Health Graduates in Montana
Montana’s public health system is spread thin across a big map. The state agency is the Public Health and Safety Division of the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), and its job is largely support: it provides technical help and services to Montana’s 60 local and tribal public health jurisdictions. That means most frontline public health work happens at the county level or on a reservation, not in Helena.
The county departments range from full city-county agencies to small offices. Missoula runs a city-county health department, and Yellowstone County’s public health work runs through RiverStone Health, a city-county partnership in Billings. Tribal health departments are a distinct employer set: DPHHS lists departments for the Blackfeet Nation in Browning, the Crow Tribe, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and Rocky Boy’s.
If you want to work in a rural or tribal community, that structure matters more than a school’s ranking. An MPH that fits around a job lets you keep the local position that got you interested in public health in the first place.
Montana MPH Schools Compared
2 schools in Montana offer an MPH or a related public health master's degree. 1 is on the CEPH accredited list.
| School | MPH programs | Formats | CEPH | Lowest per credit | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of MontanaMissoula · Public | 2 | Online, Hybrid | Accredited | 42 | |
| Montana Technological UniversityButte · Public | 0 + 2 |
"+" counts related public health master's degrees (MS, MSPH, MHS). Per-credit rates as each school publishes them, reviewed September 2026.
4 programs in Montana
- MPH
Master of Public Health (Generalist, Online) at the University of Montana
The University of Montana · MissoulaOnline- Credits
- 42
- Length
- 2 yr
CEPH - MPH
MPH With Community Health and Prevention Sciences Concentration at the University of Montana
The University of Montana · MissoulaHybrid- Credits
- 42
CEPH Industrial Hygiene, M.S. (Thesis, on Campus) at Montana Technological University
Montana Technological University · ButteOn campus- Credits
- 37
Not CEPHIndustrial Hygiene Professional Track, M.S. (Online) at Montana Technological University
Montana Technological University · ButteOnline- Credits
- 37
Not CEPH
No programs match these filters.
Program facts come from each school's own program pages, reviewed September 2026. Tuition is the school's published figure with its basis; per-credit sorting uses programs that publish a per-credit rate. CEPH status comes from the CEPH accredited list.
Largest Public Health Programs in Montana
By public health master's degrees awarded in 2022-23 (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS), The University of Montana has Montana's largest program, followed by Montana Technological University. Size tells you how many classmates, electives and alumni to expect, not how good a program is.
| School | Public health master's awarded, 2022-23 |
|---|---|
| The University of Montana | 70 |
| Montana Technological University | 66 |
Public Health Pay in Montana
Among the public health jobs an MPH leads to, medical and health services managers earn the highest median pay in Montana, $105,840. Epidemiologists earn a median $79,500 (9% below u.s.), 24th of 43 states with a published figure, across 100 jobs.
| Job | Median | vs U.S. median | State rank | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epidemiologists | $79,500 | 9% below U.S. | 24th of 43 | 100 |
| Health education specialists | $51,200 | 20% below U.S. | 49th of 53 | 240 |
| Community health workers | $49,780 | 4% below U.S. | 28th of 52 | 330 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists | $81,330 | 10% below U.S. | 46th of 53 | 720 |
| Health information technologists and medical registrars | $79,140 | 16% above U.S. | 11th of 51 | 190 |
| Medical and health services managers | $105,840 | 15% below U.S. | 39th of 54 | 1,870 |
Annual wages in Montana, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. A high median on few jobs describes a small market, so read pay beside the job count.
Online MPH Options for Montana Residents
You aren't limited to schools in Montana: 257 online MPH programs at schools in other states accept students nationwide. Before you apply, confirm on the school's site that it can enroll Montana residents online. These CEPH-accredited online programs have the lowest estimated tuition of any online MPH that publishes a per-credit rate and its credits:
| Program | Per credit | Estimated tuition |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston: Master of Public HealthTexas | $287 | $12,915 |
| University of West Florida: Master of Public Health (online)Florida | $386 | $16,206 |
| University of Nevada-Las Vegas: Master of Public HealthNevada | $383 | $18,013 |
| Georgia State University: Master of Public HealthGeorgia | $464 | $19,488 |
| SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University: Master of Public HealthNew York | $471 | $19,782 |
Compare every option on the online MPH programs page, or let the program matcher rank them for you.
Choosing Between Missoula and Butte
Montana has two public health master’s paths, and they lead to different jobs.
The University of Montana online MPH is the state’s only MPH and sits in a CEPH-accredited unit. The university is explicit that it’s online only: no face-to-face or on-campus courses at all. You take 42 credits, split into 27 core credits, a 6-credit capstone and 9 elective credits. Full time at 21 credits a year takes two years; part time at about 6 credits a semester takes at least three and a half. Its stated mission is preparing practitioners to improve health in Montana and other rural areas, so expect rural health to run through the coursework. A second track, the MPH in Community Health and Prevention Sciences, suits you if you know you want prevention program work.
Montana Tech’s MS in Industrial Hygiene is a 37-credit thesis degree in Butte about workplace hazards: chemical, physical and biological exposures on the job. It’s ABET accredited, supported by a NIOSH training grant, and built to prepare you for the certification exam from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing. Graduates go to utilities, government, hospitals, consulting, manufacturing and mining. A 37-credit online professional track serves working safety staff. Choose Butte if you want exposure science and a safety career; choose Missoula if you want the broad MPH that health departments recognize.
The two schools awarded a similar number of public health master’s degrees in 2022-23 (70 at the University of Montana and 66 at Montana Tech, IPEDS), so neither is a tiny side program.
What Montana Residents Pay
Because the MPH is online only, the online-only tuition schedule is the one that applies. For 2026-2027, the University of Montana charges $2,269 a semester in tuition and mandatory fees for six graduate credits if you’re a Montana resident, against $6,475 for a non-resident. At nine credits it’s $3,367 for residents and $9,676 for non-residents. On top of that, the MPH adds a public health course fee of $200 per credit hour for every student.
That gap is the main reason a Montana resident should look hard at Missoula before paying out-of-state or private rates elsewhere. If you live in another western state, compare the non-resident figure with the online MPH programs list and the affordable MPH programs before you decide, and check the MPH scholarships guide for funding that cuts the bill further.
If your goal is environmental or occupational work rather than a general MPH, the environmental health programs page and the environmental health specialist career guide show where that path leads nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the University of Montana MPH Online Only?
Yes. The university says its MPH is an online-only program with no face-to-face or on-campus courses. It takes 42 credits: 27 core, 6 capstone and 9 elective. Full-time students taking 21 credits a year can finish in two years.
Do Out-of-State Students Pay More for the Montana Online MPH?
Yes. For 2026-2027, six online-only graduate credits cost $2,269 per semester in tuition and mandatory fees for Montana residents and $6,475 for non-residents. The MPH also carries a $200 per credit public health course fee.
Is Industrial Hygiene at Montana Tech a Public Health Degree?
It's an occupational health degree. Montana Tech's 37-credit MS trains you to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control chemical, physical and biological hazards at work, and it's ABET accredited with NIOSH training grant support. It isn't an MPH and isn't on the CEPH list.
How Many MPH Programs Are in Montana?
We verified 2 MPH programs and 2 related public health master's degrees at 2 schools in Montana; 1 of those schools are CEPH accredited.
Which Montana Schools Have CEPH-Accredited Public Health Programs?
The University of Montana.
Can Montana Residents Earn an MPH Online?
Yes. Beyond Montana's own programs, 257 online MPH programs at schools in other states are open to students nationwide; check each program's state authorization for Montana residents. Online MPH programs.
How Much Do Epidemiologists and Public Health Workers Earn in Montana?
Epidemiologists: median $79,500; Health education specialists: median $51,200; Community health workers: median $49,780 (BLS, May 2025).
Nearby States
Sources
- Official program pages of the 2 Montana schools listed, reviewed September 2026
- Council on Education for Public Health, accredited schools and programs
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025