Public Health, M.P.H.

Admission Requirements

Students may be admitted to study for either fall or spring semester; however, spring matriculation for study in Research, Evaluation and Policy is made only in exceptional circumstances. Limited credit (6 hours maximum) may be granted to students transferring from CEPH-accredited programs.

Applicants must follow the admissions process at the Graduate Admissions website at www.marshall.edu/graduate/admissions/how-to-apply-for-admission. Specific additional program requirements include:

  • Admitted students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accepted, accredited college or university with a minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Waivers to the requirement may be made in exceptional circumstances, such as when prior satisfactory graduate school performance has been demonstrated.
  • Submission of three (3) letters of recommendation. At least two must from previous faculty if the applicant has engaged in full-time post-secondary study in the previous five years.
  • Resume of work history or curriculum vitae, to describe both post-secondary work and study.
  • Personal statement not to exceed two pages in length.

Applications are evaluated on a competitive basis, and individual interviews may be utilized in the admissions process.

Program Requirements

The Master of Public Health requires 44 hours of coursework. First-year students gain a strong foundation of a broad core curriculum and are prepared for rotations and employment experiences in just two semesters.

Practicum training is complemented by a second year capstone composed of a comprehensive exam coupled with either a manuscript or a research thesis. The program may be completed in 4 semesters. In addition, three- and four-year study plans permit coordinated dual degree study.

Students choose from concentrations in either Global and Community Health (GCH) or Research, evaluation and Policy (REP).

Students must maintain a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or better throughout the program.

Accelerated Master’s Degree in Public Health

An Accelerated Master’s Degree with the B.S. in Health Sciences will allow Health Sciences students to take a full semester load of M.P.H. courses in their final year. Twelve credit hours of undergraduate electives taken in the senior year of the B.S. in Health Sciences will be replaced with 12 credits from the first year of the M.P.H. program. Specifically, the M.P.H. courses for the senior year of the B.S. will include:

Fall Semester of Senior Year of BS in Health Sciences
PH 601Intro Public Health1
PH 602Public Health Biology2
PH 611Epidemiology3
Spring Semester
PH 686Health Information Technology3
PH 693Law and Ethics3
Total Credit Hours12

Further information may be found in the section on Accelerated Graduate Degree programs in “Academic Regulations and Requirements.”

Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
First SemesterCredit Hours
PH 601 Intro Public Health (elective) 1
PH 602 Public Health Biology (elective) 2
PH 611 Epidemiology 3
PH 621 Statistical Methods I 3
PH 671 Community Health (GCH) 3
PH 615 Health Sys Research (REP) 3
 Credit Hours15
Second Semester
PH 641 Social Behavioral Aspects PH 2
PH 631 Environmental Health 2
PH 686 Health Information Technology (elective) 3
PH 693 Law and Ethics (elective) 3
PH 616 Clinical Trials (Health Communications) (GCH) 3
PH 622 Statistical Methods II (REP) 2
 Credit Hours15
Second Year
Third Semester
PH 655 Intro Health Policy 2
PH 661 Chronic Disease (GCH) 3
PH 672 Global Health (GCH) 3
PH 616 Clinical Trials (REP) 3
PH 617 Meth Comp Study 3
PH 694
or PH 695
 Practicum
or Research
 3
 Credit Hours17
Fourth Semester
PH 692 Seminar (elective) 1
PH 651 Public Health Services 2
PH 656 Topics in Health Policy (REP) 3
PH 662 Control of Inf Disease (GCH) 3
PH 694 Practicum 3
PH 696 Capstone 3
 Credit Hours15
 Total Credit Hours62