Public Health - M.P.H. and Ph.D. Download to print

The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)  in Public Health consists of five concentrations: Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management and Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Biostatistics trains students in the quantitative science of health data collection, storage, retrieval, analysis and interpretation. Graduates are equipped to use statistical methods to design and analyze health-related surveys and experiments for the purpose of improving health. The college’s faculty research interests include applying biostatistical analysis to better understand critical health problems such as adolescent substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Graduates in biostatistics are in demand at hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, state and local health departments, federal health agencies and biotechnology companies to analyze the effectiveness of new drugs and interventions, identify risk factors for disease and develop effective prevention strategies.

Environmental Health Sciences is designed to (a) help students understand how environmental factors including biological, physical and chemical factors affect the health of a population; and (b) gain knowledge and skills to develop practical strategies for mitigating the effects of harmful environmental hazards. Graduates learn how to conduct laboratory analysis of environmental contaminants, develop plans to prepare communities to respond to manmade and natural disasters, incorporate health promoting principles into urban design, and develop safety plans for companies. Students benefit from the college’s faculty research expertise in bio-preparedness, microbiology and occupational health and safety. Career opportunities in environmental health sciences include positions in research and clinical laboratories, environmental protection agencies, manufacturing companies, emergency management agencies and state and local health departments.

Epidemiology trains students to analyze the distribution and determinants of disease, disabilities and death in populations. Graduates are able to apply quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate disease outbreaks, determine causal relationships between environmental and biological factors, and conduct studies to project health trends in populations. Students in this specialization benefit from public health faculty research agendas in bio-preparedness, public health surveillance systems, chronic disease, cancer and infectious disease epidemiology. Career opportunities for graduates include research positions in universities, medical schools and pharmaceutical companies; disease prevention specialists in hospitals; and surveillance managers in state and local health departments.

Health Policy and Management trains students to address public health risks and develop effective health services delivery models. It is an interdisciplinary program that incorporates health services research, health policy analysis and health care planning and management. Given the active research of the college’s faculty in identifying service gaps and in developing evidence-based practices and policy analysis, students emerge with strong skills in health services management, alternative models of service financing and strategies for improving services. Career opportunities for graduates include administrative and management positions in hospitals, clinics, state and local health departments, nursing homes and mental health facilities; policy analyst positions in health planning organizations and governmental agencies; and planning and management positions in health maintenance organizations and health insurance companies.This concentration is offered fully online in addition to onsite on the Kent Campus. A blended/hybrid option is also available focusing on leadership and organizational change.

Social and Behavioral Sciences provides students with an interdisciplinary understanding of the theoretical basis of health behavior in populations across the life course and how to apply theoretical principles to design effective health behavior management strategies.  Graduates are able to design and evaluate public health interventions intended to improve health for families, workplaces, communities, and law enforcement/criminal justice settings.  The active research of the college’s faculty, particularly in the areas of childhood obesity, violence and injury prevention, substance abuse prevention, and chronic disease prevention, provides students the opportunity to work on large-scale externally funded prevention research.  Students are prepared for careers in health education and promotion; program design and evaluation; and prevention program developments for state and local health departments, workplace health promotion programs, hospitals, international health agencies, mental health centers and non-profit organizations.

The Ph.D. in Public Health consists of  concentrations in Prevention Science, Epidemiology, and Health Policy and Management

The Ph.D. in Public Health, Epidemiology concentration, is designed to train students to examine the distribution and determinants of diseases in populations. Graduates of this program will be able to apply quantitative and qualitative methods to examine critical and/or emerging health issues, gain advanced ability to conduct large studies and analyze data sets in order to project health trends in populations of interest. Students in this specialization will benefit from active faculty research agendas in biopreparedness, public health surveillance systems, chronic disease, cancer and infectious disease epidemiology.

Doctoral students in the Health Policy and Management concentration will learn to design and implement studies and use advanced research methods to examine critical and emerging health issues. A focus on interdisciplinary skills to meet the rapidly changing health needs of communities is at the heart of this degree program. Students will benefit from active faculty research agendas in health systems research, occupational health and safety, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, access to health care, health literacy, substance abuse prevention and community-based programming.
 

Prevention Science is an interdisciplinary program aimed at promoting healthy behaviors in populations across the life course.  Graduate of this program are able to design and evaluate public health interventions and have expertise in a variety of theoretical and substantive perspectives for the purpose of conducting research within systems of the family, health and education, workplace, community, and law enforcement/criminal justice settings.  The active research of the faculty in the College of Public Health at Kent State University will provide students the opportunity to work on community-based prevention research.

M.P.H.: Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0, official transcript(s), goal statement, three letters of recommendation and acceptable GRE scores or other standardized graduate admission exam (GMAT, MCAT, LSAT or PCAT). GRE scores may be waived, as determined by department chairs using departmental criteria. Contact the department chair for more information.

Ph.D.: Master's degree from an accredited college/university in related discipline with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0, acceptable GRE score or other standardized graduate admission exam with a quantitative components (may be waived as determined by graduate coordinator), personal statement and resume, three letters of recommendation, TOEFL score (if applicable), required interview with faculty.

For more information about graduate admission, please visit the Graduate Studies website.

M.P.H.: Minimum 46 total credit hours.

Ph.D.: Minimum 90 total credit hours.

M.P.H. Public Health

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Conduct descriptive and inferential statistics according to the study design for answering particular research questions.
2. Develop written and oral presentations based on statistical analyses for both public health professionals and lay audiences.
3. Mitigate the direct and indirect human, ecological and safety effects of major environmental and occupational agents.
4. Apply federal and state regulatory guidelines to programs that control environmental health issues.
5. Identify the main issues related to the organization, management, financing and delivery of health services in the United States.
6. Recognize and critically discuss current and emerging public health issues on local, state, national and global levels.
7. Utilize and justify the social ecological approach to health promotion and disease prevention.
8. Design basic quantitative and qualitative research to address public health problems.
9. Describe how societal, organizational, and individual factors influence and are influenced by public health communications.
10. Implement public health programs and strategies responsive to the diverse cultural values and traditions of the communities served.
11. Use collaborative methods and ethical standards for achieving organizational and community health goals.
12. Apply epidemiologic methods to assess the risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases in the community.

Each Specialization has additional competencies.

Ph.D. in Public Health

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Analyze a particular health condition or issue including appropriate measures of prevalence, incidence, association and impact and be able to identify data sources and strengths and limitations of studies.
2. Search, synthesize, and critically evaluate published literature with regard to study design, precision, bias, confounding, ethical issues and gaps in existing knowledge.
3. Conceive and execute independent or team research on a public health policy, condition or issue while applying applicable ethical standards.
4. Translate theory and research into the design, implementation and evaluation of public health programs and policies.
5. Influence societal, organizational and individual factors through effective public health communication.
6. Lead collaborative efforts aimed at achieving organizational and community health goals.
7. Create evidence-based public health programs and strategies responsive to the diverse cultural values and traditions of the communities served.

Each Specialization has additional competencies.

M.P.H.: Students are required to complete three components: (1) 300 hours of Placement at an approved public health agency, under the guidance of a qualified preceptor; (2) a final portfolio/report and a seminar presentation integrating theory and practice; and (3) and a comprehensive written exam.