Master of Public Health
The Master of Public Health (MPH) prepares students for a wide range of careers in public health, ensuring that they develop a broad base of knowledge and skills that can be applied to a variety of settings. The curriculum requires 42 credits and includes intermediate- and advanced-level coursework in epidemiology, biostatistics, program planning and evaluation, health policy, and a 6-credit field experience. The program emphasizes social justice, with the goal of training leaders who will work to achieve health equity and offers a unique interdisciplinary experience. Students will take courses with students in other Egan-level graduate programs and will learn from faculty with diverse professional backgrounds.
The following are the MPH program goals:
- Provide education, mentorship, and practice opportunities to promote students’ attainment of core competencies of public health practice.
- Contribute to public health knowledge through interdisciplinary research and practice.
- Impact public health practice through responsive and sustainable community engagement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PUBH 5101 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| PUBH 5303 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| PUBH 6951 | Public Health Fieldwork Experience Seminar | 6 |
| PUBH 6961 | Public Health Capstone I | 3 |
| PUBH 6962 | Public Health Capstone II | 3 |
| HCAD 6100 | Introduction to the United States Healthcare System | 3 |
| PUBH 6601 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics I | 3 |
| PUBH 6602 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics II | 3 |
| PUBH 6608 | Research Methods for Public Health and Practice | 3 |
| NURS 7605 | Advanced Health Policy | 3 |
| NURS 7611 | Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health | 3 |
| Master's Elective (Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering) | 3 | |
| Master's Elective (Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering) | 3 | |
Please note that the below plans of study are a sample of the Online Fall semester cohort start. There are also plan of study grids available from the Program Director for the online program with a spring or summer semester start as well.
(Fall Start - Full Time)
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| HCAD 6100 | Introduction to the United States Healthcare System | 3 |
| PUBH 6601 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics I | 3 |
| NURS 7611 | Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health | 3 |
| PUBH 5101 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| PUBH 6608 | Research Methods for Public Health and Practice | 3 |
| PUBH 5303 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| PUBH 6602 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics II | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| NURS 7605 | Advanced Health Policy | 3 |
| PUBH 6951 | Public Health Fieldwork Experience Seminar | 6 |
| PUBH 6961 | Public Health Capstone I | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PUBH 6962 | Public Health Capstone II | 3 |
| Master's Elective (Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering) | 3 | |
| Master's Elective (Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering) | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
Fall Start (Part Time)
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| NURS 7611 | Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health | 3 |
| PUBH 5101 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| HCAD 6100 | Introduction to the United States Healthcare System | 3 |
| PUBH 5303 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Summer | ||
| NURS 7605 | Advanced Health Policy | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PUBH 6601 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics I | 3 |
| PUBH 6608 | Research Methods for Public Health and Practice | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| PUBH 6602 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics II | 3 |
| Master's Elective (Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering) | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Summer | ||
| PUBH 6951 | Public Health Fieldwork Experience Seminar | 6 |
| PUBH 6961 | Public Health Capstone I | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PUBH 6962 | Public Health Capstone II | 3 |
| Master's Elective (Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering) | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
PUBH 5101 Foundations of Public Health 3 Credits
This course is designed to introduce graduate students without a baccalaureate degree in Public Health to the profession and sciences of Public Health. This course will provide an overview of the history and philosophy of Public Health, its core functions and essential services, and its role in understanding and promoting human health.
PUBH 5201 Environmental Health 3 Credits
This course introduces students to both fundamental and technical concepts in the field of environmental health. Environmental health supports clean water, sewage, food, and waste disposal. The course will help students understand the impact of environmental factors on health outcomes, the measures taken to minimize negative effects, and where to access additional information to make a difference at the individual and community levels. The course will also delve into interdisciplinary public health issues such as physical and chemical exposures; environmental justice; environmental policy, regulations, and ethics; risk assessment and management, and climate change.
PUBH 5303 Program Planning and Evaluation 3 Credits
This course prepares students to develop, implement, and evaluate Public Health programs and interventions. Students will learn to conduct a community health needs assessment; prioritize health needs; select appropriate intervention strategies; and develop program goals, objectives, and evaluation plans.
HCAD 6100 Introduction to the United States Healthcare System 3 Credits
This course provides an overview of the evolving structure of the US healthcare delivery system. Since the US healthcare system has been periodically changed in diverse aspects over the decades, its dynamic mechanism should be understood. Particularly the healthcare system encompasses organizations, management, finance, policy, and technology. This course introduces students to the complexity of healthcare, challenges of leadership, the key stakeholders, and the current state of healthcare in the US. As the introductory course for the MHA program, this hybrid course will allow student to acclimate to the program through multiple learning modalities and activities. Collaboration and team building, critical success factors in healthcare, will be a focus of the on-site portion of the course. The cohort will be introduced to many key aspects of healthcare administration as well as acclimating to the rich learning environment of Fairfield University.
PUBH 6601 Epidemiology and Biostatistics I 3 Credits
This course presents epidemiologic principles and biostatistical methods essential to health research and practice. Data from a variety of public health research studies will be used to draw inferences about the health status of populations (e.g. identify patterns, determinants, and disparities in health outcomes). Biostatistical techniques are used to examine relationships among contributing factors for population health in order to plan and evaluate health services and programs. Epidemiological methods for conducting studies will be discussed in detail, with an emphasis on group and population methods used to inform evidence-based health decision-making, program planning, and policy development. Ethical issues related to the application of biostatistics and data privacy, such as IRB requirements, genomics, population genetics, clinical trials, and public health epidemiological studies are addressed.
PUBH 6602 Epidemiology and Biostatistics II 3 Credits
Prerequisite(s): PUBH 6601.
This course provides an introduction to statistical reasoning and procedures used in Public Health research. Probability theory, descriptive and inferential statistics, and regression and correlation methods will be covered, with applications using statistical software. Student must be enrolled in Master's or Doctorate of Public Health Program.
PUBH 6608 Research Methods for Public Health and Practice 3 Credits
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with the skills needed to develop a public health research study proposal. This course prepares the student to identify population health issues and critically evaluate existing research for relevance and application to public health practice. An overview of theory is presented as a vehicle for understanding public health or healthcare research. Basic concepts of research methods will be examined in order to plan and evaluate public health programs, policies, and system-level changes. Using an evidence-based and/or research approach, students identify a public health problem within a specific community or population, considering ethical principles such as equity, community participation, and protection of human subjects. Students use reflection in the evaluation of public health research.
PUBH 6951 Public Health Fieldwork Experience Seminar 6 Credits
The fieldwork experience provides each student the opportunity to demonstrate attainment of key program competencies by completing training and practice with a partner agency in their local area. Students will participate in health leadership and seminar while completing their fieldwork experience. This course will fulfill the applied practice experience requirement of the MPH program.
PUBH 6961 Public Health Capstone I 3 Credits
The capstone provides an opportunity for students to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills they’ve gained throughout the program by developing an independent scholarly or applied project. With guidance from a faculty member, students will create and evaluate a public health intervention or design and carry out an original research project. In Public Health Capstone I, students develop a detailed plan and written proposal for their project. This course will fulfill the integrative learning experience requirement of the MPH program.
PUBH 6962 Public Health Capstone II 3 Credits
Prerequisite(s): PUBH 6961.
This course is a continuation of Public Health Capstone I. In this course, students complete their capstone projects, by implementing and evaluating the program they created or by collecting and analyzing data to answer an original research question. Students will produce a final paper and presentation for their project. This course will fulfill the integrative learning experience requirement of the MPH program.
NURS 7605 Advanced Health Policy 3 Credits
The focus of this course is on contemporary health policy, its development and implementation, and ways that public health and healthcare system leaders, can influence it. Students will evaluate the impact of health policy on health professionals, consumers, communities, and healthcare delivery systems. Resource allocation, along with the socioeconomic, political, legal, and ethical factors that influence health policy will be examined.
NURS 7611 Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health 3 Credits
This course presents the foundational skills required for public health and healthcare provider students to engage in a systematic approach to population health. Disease prevention and health promotion are addressed through examination of social and behavioral determinants. Evidence-based strategies inform how to identify and assess at-risk populations, implement both preventive and therapeutic interventions, and evaluate outcomes at the population level. Models of health behavior change synthesize psychological, biophysical, cultural, ecological, environmental, and social dimensions to analyze population-based outcomes. The roles of national initiatives, public policy and cultural values are explored in relation to health equity to support population health at institutional, local, state, and national levels.
PUBH 7990 Independent Study in Public Health 3 Credits
Through individually designed projects or activities, students work with a faculty member to study a specific area in depth. Enrollment by permission only.