The Public Health program offers an accelerated (3 + 2) bachelor’s + master’s degree program to eligible undergraduates.
Students in any Bachelor’s degree program at Shenandoah may pursue the fast-track to a Master of Public Health (MPH) once they have completed the prerequisites.
Students in the 3 +2 program are required to complete coursework toward a graduate degree during their last year of undergraduate studies and complete the remaining requirements during their + 1 year. The program is rigorous and demanding, and is designed to offer high-achieving undergraduate students a quick path to a graduate degree. The MPH program seeks students who demonstrate the potential to be successful in graduate school and who are committed to the public health profession.
The accelerated bachelor’s/master’s program allows students to complete their selected undergraduate major and the MPH degree in a total of five years, saving up to a full year of time and tuition. Students in the accelerated bachelor’s/master’s program fully participate in the graduate school experience and prepare themselves for their future career in public health on an accelerated timeline. With a growing need for competent and well-trained public health professionals, this accelerated program offers academically qualified students an opportunity to obtain both degrees in less time and save money.
Career and Salary Possibilities
A career in public health allows people to contribute to preventing injury and illness across populations at many different levels, with the potential to reach thousands of people at one time. The variety of jobs available make public health a good fit for those who seek to serve others and make an impact.
The current employment outlook for public health professionals is strong and growing annually. The demand for public health professionals continues to rise in response to increasing domestic and international health concerns such as: growing problems with chronic diseases, potential pandemics, air and water quality issues, workplace safety and more. As these growing health concerns continue to impact the health of our populations, the need for a trained public health force to respond to these issues persists.
Public health offers a wide range of career opportunities, and annual wages for public health jobs range from $35,000-$130,000.
Graduates of the SU MPH program can go on to work in:
- Hospitals
- Health Departments
- Community organizations
- Government
- Nongovernmental organizations
- Foundations
- Start-ups
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Consulting firms
- Private businesses
- Corporations
- Academic institutions
Application Information
Admission into the Master of Public Health program is determined by Public Health’s Admissions Committee in the School of Health Professions. The committee reviews all completed applications to ensure all prerequisites and admission criteria have been met. Under the 3+2 model, a student may apply as an undergraduate when they have completed the prerequisite courses before having earned an undergraduate degree. For the 3+2 track, courses will only be accepted as prerequisites with a grade of “C” or better (and select courses need a “B” or higher-see below).
Entrance Requirements for 3+2
The applicant must have a minimum total of 97 college credits completed with a grade of “C” or higher for the 47 required prerequisite credits (and a “B” or higher in the classes marked with a “*” below).
Admissions Criteria and Process for 3 +2
While at Shenandoah a student must:
- Have a 3.4 cumulative Shenandoah GPA at the time of application.
- Successfully complete all undergraduate coursework required at Shenandoah (120 credits minimum).
- Submit an application to the Master of Public Health program during the second semester of the junior year of prerequisite study.
- Follow all application requirements on the Shenandoah Graduate Admissions website for the MPH program.
- In addition to MPH program application requirements posted, also submit a writing sample at time of application.
- Receive a positive recommendation from Public Health faculty following an in-person interview.
Prerequisite Courses
The list of courses below are required of any major of study applying to this fast-track MPH program. See the entrance requirements above for more details about required grades and application criteria.
|
Courses required (32 credits total) |
Credits |
|
ENG 101-Composition (Domain 1A) |
3 |
|
MCOM-Principles of Public Speaking (Domain 1B) |
3 |
|
MATH 207-Introduction to Statistics* (Domain 3) |
3 |
|
BIO 231-Human Anatomy and Physiology I (Domain 4) |
4 |
|
BIO 121-General Biology I (Domain 4) |
4 |
|
PHIL 130-Introduction to Medical Ethics (Domain 5) |
3 |
|
PSY 101-Introduction to Psychology (Domain 6) |
3 |
|
SOC 101-Introductory Sociology (Domain 6) |
3 |
|
PH 101-Introduction to Public Health* |
3 |
|
WR 302-Writing for the Health Professions* |
3 |
|
A minimum of 12 credits (4 classes from the following) |
|
|
SOC 332-Medical Sociology |
3 |
|
BIO 365/HIST 365-Diseases in History |
3 |
|
PH 395-Topics in Public Health |
3 |
|
PH350/GWST 350-Women’s Health |
3 |
|
PH 202-Global Health |
3 |
|
PSY 360-Biopsychology |
3 |
|
EXSC 352-Sports Nutrition and Human Performance |
3 |
|
KIN 252-Personal and Community Health |
3 |
|
PSY 220-Child Development |
3 |
|
BA 337-Introduction to Health Care Management |
3 |
|
BA 470-Current Issues in Healthcare Management |
3 |
|
KNS 370-Measurement and Evaluation in PE and Sport |
3 |
|
A minimum of 3 credits (1 class from the following) |
|
|
PSY 207-Quantitative Analysis in Psychology |
3 |
|
PSY 208-Research Methods in Psychology I |
3 |
|
PSY 209-Research Methods in Psychology II |
3 |
|
SOC 350-Research Methods in Social Sciences |
3 |
|
PH 301-Epidemiology |
3 |