About

Do you want to make a difference in your community and beyond? Are you dedicated to improving public health?

ECU's master of public health program is rigorous and engaging. Public health consists of organized efforts to improve the health of communities. The operative components of this definition are that public health efforts are organized and directed to communities rather than to individuals. Public health practice relies on interdisciplinary training that bridges multiple areas of expertise to resolve population health questions. The definition of public health reflects its central goal—the reduction of disease and the improvement of health in the community.

The master of public health (MPH) program at East Carolina University expects each MPH graduate to possess a set of fundamental skills and knowledge for public health practice and research, as set forth by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPH). These skills and knowledge are referred to as competencies. Students must demonstrate competencies at three levels:

- Discipline-specific in five public health domains (core course work);
- Culminating experience: related to the professional paper and field practicum; and
- Concentration competencies

ECU Advantage

The mission of the Department of Public Health includes expanding a workforce that addresses contemporary public health challenges; teaching prevention and population health to medical students and resident physicians; engaging in community-based research with linkages throughout North Carolina; and developing leaders in long-term care planning and administration for the growing elderly population in North Carolina.

Students have an opportunity to collaborate with faculty and community leaders on a range of initiatives, including projects to improve the health status of minority and underserved populations through lowering risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. In addition, there are many opportunities for internships leading to promising public health careers.

As an ECU student, you can research your future career in Steppingblocks. Explore real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with data-powered career exploration tools designed for doers like you.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinators by Concentration:

The Public Health, MPH is offered through the Department of Public Health, Brody School of Medicine. Admissions is through the ECU Graduate School.

The curriculum is divided into the following components: 24 s.h. in core requirements; 6 s.h. in applications (field placement and professional paper); and 15 s.h. in required courses and electives in one of three concentrations (epidemiology; health policy, administration, and leadership; community health and health behavior).

In addition to attaining basic public health competencies, MPH graduates must also attain concentration specific competencies. The field placement experience consists of 240 hours of service. The professional paper serves as a capstone, an integrative learning experience. It will typically describe a public health action, intervention, or an increase in knowledge useful to public health practice that has resulted from the student's internship experience, professional employment, or research.

The degree requires a minimum of 45 s.h. as follows:

1. Core - 24 s.h.
  • BIOS 7021 - Biostatistics for Health Professionals I
  • MPH 6000 - Public Health Practice
  • MPH 6002 - Ethics and Law in Public Health

  • EHST 6010 - Fundamentals of Environmental Health OR
  • MPH 6010 - Fundamentals of Environmental Health

  • MPH 6011 - Introduction to Epidemiology
  • MPH 6013 - Principles of Health Behavior

  • MPH 6020 - Research Methods *OR
  • MPH 6027 - Mixed-Methods Research **OR
  • MPH 6702 - Epidemiology Methods ***

  • MPH 6035 - Interdisciplinary Rural Health OR
  • NURS 6035 - Interdisciplinary Rural Health

    • Note:

    Each concentration has a core research methods course.

    *Students in the health policy, administration, and leadership concentration must take MPH 6020. **Students in the community health and health behavior concentration must take MPH 6027. ***Students in the epidemiology concentration must take MPH 6702.

    2. Applications - 6 s.h.
    • MPH 6903 - Comprehensive Field Placement
    • MPH 6991 - MPH Professional Paper
    • MPH 6992 - MPH Professional Paper
      • OR
    • MPH 6904 - Introduction to Field Placement
    • MPH 6905 - Applied Field Placement
    • MPH 6991
    • MPH 6992
    3. Concentrations and electives - 15 s.h.

    (Select in consultation with advisor for concentrations or joint degree programs)

      a. Community health and health behavior - 15 s.h.
      • MPH 6500 - Quality Improvement in Public Health
      • MPH 6501 - Grant Writing in Public Health
      • MPH 6502 - Public Health Project Management
      • MPH 6600 - Planning Public Health Programs
      • MPH 6605 - Evaluating Public Health Programs
        • Select 6 s.h. from the following:
        • MPH 6052 - Independent Study
        • MPH 7031 - Topics in Public Health (If MPH 7031 is taken, you will need to combine with 2 other 1 s.h. courses.)
        • MPH 7201 - Introduction to Survey Methodology
        • Any graduate level courses selected in consultation with faculty concentration advisor
      b. Epidemiology - 15 s.h.
      • BIOS 7022 - Biostatistics for Health Professionals II
      • MPH 6021 - Epidemiology of Chronic Disease
      • MPH 6022 - Epidemiology of Infectious Disease
      • MPH 7202 - Introduction to Public Health Data Analysis
        • Select 3 s.h. from the following:
        • MPH 6007 - Global Public Health: A Global Perspective
        • MPH 7200 - Principles of Public Health Surveillance
        • Any graduate level course...
        • Any graduate leve course(s) selected in consultation with the faculty concentration advisor
      c. Health policy, administration, and leadership - 15 s.h.
      • MPH 6800 - Health Policy and Politics
      • MPH 6810 - Strategic and Financial Management of Healthcare Organizations
      • MPH 7010 - Human Resource Management and Leadership for Health Administration
        • Select 6 s.h. from the following:
        • MPH 6040 - Long Term Care Administration
        • MPH 6250 - Aging Health Policy and Equity Analysis
        • MPH 6700 - Health Economics
        • Any graduate level course(s) selected in consultation with the faculty concentration advisor
        • Any graduate level course(s) selected in consultation with the faculty concentration advisor
    For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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