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Master of Public Health Degree
A key feature of the Master of Public Health degree conferred by the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University is the emphasis on applied knowledge. Public health students engage in coursework and practical training to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform successfully as public health professionals. Studies may be taken on a full-time or part-time basis.
The Master of Public Health degree is a rigorous, terminal, professional degree accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.
Our students come from a variety of academic backgrounds:
- Biological Sciences
- Cognitive Sciences
- Nutrition/Dietetics
- Health Education/Health Sciences
- Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science
- Medicine (MD, DO)
- Nursing
- Physiology
- Social Work/Social Science/Sociology
- Veterinary Medicine/Animal Science/Zoology
Our Alumni work in a variety of careers:
- Health educators
- Data analysts
- Research coordinators
- Health communication specialists
- Physicians
- Nurses
- And more
All Required Courses and Advising are Online
- All courses are delivered in an online learning environment (Desire2Learn); there are no on-campus courses offered by the Master of Public Health program at Michigan State University.
- Courses are not self-paced; however, students have the flexibility to access the coursework at the time of day that suits their schedule
- Regular participation in courses is expected throughout each week of the semester.
For detailed information, please visit the Master of Public Health Program page.
Course Delivery Platform
Michigan State University utilizes the Desire2Learn (D2L) Brightspace learning management system as the platform for delivering online courses. Within each course space in D2L, students have access to course information, recorded lectures, discussion forums, course assignments, and other resources. Instructors and students interact through D2L discussion forums, chats, e-mail, and Zoom video conferencing.
D2L Resources
Interested in What Course Space Looks Like in D2L?
Schedule
The MPH program offers courses in accordance with the semester schedule noted on the MSU Academic Calendar. We offer our MPH core courses and MPH foundational courses each semester, and elective courses on a varying schedule. Course offering schedules along with the course descriptions can be found on the MSU Course Descriptions page.
| Semester | Length of Semester in Weeks |
|---|---|
| Fall Semester | 16 |
| Spring Semester | 16 |
| Summer Semester | 13 |
Time Commitment
The Master of Public Health program offers courses each semester of the academic year (fall, spring, and summer). Enrollment each semester is flexible, and students can work with their advisor to create a curriculum plan to best suit their scheduling needs.
Students have up to six years to complete the MPH degree requirements.
| Full-Time or Part-Time | Length of Program |
|---|---|
| Full-Time (min. 9 credits/semester) | 5 semesters or just under 2 years |
| Part-Time (less than 9 credits/semester) | Typically, 8 semesters or just over 2.5 years |
Coursework Time Commitment
MPH students are expected to participate in their courses regularly throughout each week while having the flexibility to access the coursework at the time of day that best suits their schedule. The rigor of our coursework is such that students cannot be successful if they do not attend to their coursework on a regular basis. MPH students can expect to spend an average of 12 hours per course per week on coursework, studying, and completing assignments, quizzes, and exams. Note: time commitments may vary by course and by student.