(MPH) Degree Program in Health Education & Promotion (Main Campus & Online)
Program Description
The Department of Health Science offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program in Health Education & Promotion. The program is offered both on campus and through a distance education format (online). The 42 credit hour MPH program provides a high-quality, student-oriented, and health equity focused curriculum developed to deliver core public health competencies that emphasize the application of health education & promotion. The curriculum offers education in the foundational areas of public health (health behavior, environmental health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and health services administration) and is tailored to train health promotion professionals to plan, implement, and evaluate programs to promote individual and population-based health. For more information, contact the MPH Program Coordinator: Dr. Leah Tompkins, letompkins@ua.edu, (205) 348-8366.
Program Formats
Students may apply to complete the MPH in Health Education & Promotion program through one of two formats.
- Campus (traditional face-to-face format)
- Online (distance education format)
Application Deadlines
- Fall semester deadline: July 15th
- Spring semester deadline: November 15th
- Summer semester deadline: April 15th
Required Courses (36 Credit hours)
- HES 509: Research Methods
- HHE 512: Advanced Foundations of Public Health
- HHE 515: Advanced Foundations of Health Promotion
- HHE 520: Theories of Health Behavior
- HHE 521: Basic Epidemiology
- HHE 526: Biostatistics
- HHE 530: Health Promotion Techniques
- HHE 565: Planning Health Promotion Programs
- HHE 566: Program Evaluation in Health Promotion
- HHE 580: Applied Practice Experience I
- HHE 581: Applied Practice Experience II
- HHE 586: Environmental Health Promotion
- HHE 587: Health Disparities
Elective Courses* (6 Credit Hours)
- HHE 570: Critical Issues in Global Health
- HHE 588: Sex Ed: Theory & Practice
- HHE 589: Women and Health
- HHE 590: Certified Health Education Specialist Study
- HHE 596: Independent Study
- *Other courses with approval
Certifications
Upon program completion, students are eligible to take two national exams for professional certification: Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam and the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam.
Graduation Requirements
MPH students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, complete and pass the Applied Practice Experience requirements, and pass all courses (36 credit hours of required courses and 6 credit hours of elective courses).
Admission Criteria
An applicant to the program should have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, or a GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework, or a GPA of 3.0 in a graduate program. Applicants will also need to submit three letters of recommendation, a resume, a statement of purpose, and a video. Additional graduate school requirements may apply. Please review the criteria specified by the Graduate School (https://graduate.ua.edu/) and reach out to the Graduate Program Coordinator at letompkins@ua.edu for more details on applying.
Program Accreditation
The MPH program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). CEPH accreditation is an indication that our MPH program has been evaluated for both the quality and the content of our curriculum, instruction, and services. The program received accreditation on July 1st, 2023, for a five-year cycle with reaccreditation due on July 1st, 2028. This recognition sets the program apart from non-accredited programs by assuring that it delivers the skills and knowledge required for success in the public health field. To access a copy of the Department’s Self-Study document, please reach out to Matthew McVey (mmcvey@ua.edu). More details about CEPH accreditation are available at https://ceph.org/