Master of Public Health Program
Alex Orlando, MPH
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Notice: Beginning with Fall 2012 admissions, the MPH program plans to move from track-specific training (epidemiology, public health practice, social and behavioral science) to one general MPH training program, pending approval of the University Graduate Council. This change will enable VCU to continue providing rigorous, student-centric public health training, yet will allow students more flexibility in crafting a program to meet their educational objectives. Any application to current MPH tracks for Fall 2012 will be reviewed by the program as an application to the revised general MPH degree, pending approval of University Graduate Council. Our web pages will be updated to reflect changes once they are approved by the University Graduate Council.
Fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, the VCU MPH program is closely linked with local, state and national public health agencies, organizations and professionals to enhance the student's appreciation and understanding of the application of public health principles to practice. The MPH program provides students with the skills for employment in a broad range of positions in local, state and national public health agencies as well as private and academic research, depending on the area of study concentration. Students begin practical experience in professional public health settings beginning with the first semester, building on this experience to develop the degree’s capstone project in the final semesters.
Two tracks in the Master of Public Health Program are offered through the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health: Public Health Practice and Epidemiology. A track in Social and Behavioral Sciences is available through the Department of Social and Behavioral Health.
Program Objectives
- To develop public health practitioners experienced in the use of evidence-based public health approaches and methods for the purpose of improving population health
- To develop public health practitioners prepared to work as part of multidisciplinary teams in government agencies at the state, federal, and international level, and in the service arms of private sectors
- To develop skilled research associates experienced in the use of state of the art scientific methods who plan on working in public health research or pursuing doctoral training in public health sciences
- To develop public health research associates prepared to work as part of multidisciplinary research teams in academic settings, government agencies, or research arms of private sectors
Practical, applied experience is gained starting in the first year. Students in the Public Health Practice track work practical placements at professional public health settings such as the Virginia Department of Health. Students in the Epidemiology track support work on the research programs of their faculty mentors. All students complete a 180-hour internship in a non-university, professional public health setting. In addition, all students are required to complete 20 hours of community-based service-learning.
The capstone experience synthesizes knowledge gained through the classroom and practical processes and is completed during the last two semesters of study.
Public Health Practice track students complete a project serving a professional public health organization, usually the site where the internship was completed, and present the finished project to the organization’s stakeholders. Examples include a program evaluation, needs assessment, comprehensive disease surveillance report, or development of a comprehensive suite of health education materials.
Epidemiology and Social and Behavioral Science track students complete a scholarly, hypothesis-driven research project based on the faculty mentor’s research program and involving data analysis. The final written project is prepared in manuscript form and will be of a quality expected for submission for publication Students must prepare a research poster of their project results and present it at a departmentally approved research forum as part of their degree completion requirements.