MPH Program
The field of Public Health encompasses a number of specific disciplines whose mission is to improve quality of life and health outcomes for all members of a community. Public Health strategies typically are implemented at a broad societal and population level - for example, environmental regulations, water quality control, immunization programs, and health education initiatives.
The MPH is a CEPH-accredited degree, available on campus or exclusively online.
The Master of Public Health program seeks students with a strong, genuine commitment to a career in Public Health. An MPH degree is appropriate for physicians, nurses, nutritionists, and other health care professionals with a strong interest in preventive medicine and community health. We welcome applications from both mid-career professionals and students who have recently completed the bachelor's degree. Physicians may also apply to the Occupational Medicine Residency Program, designating the MPH as part of their residency.
Program Description:
The future of Public Health will be shaped by our nation's public health agencies via health assessment, policy development, and public health services. The WVU School of Medicine addresses these core functions through a generalist MPH degree in Community Health/Preventive Medicine offered by the Department of Community Medicine. This degree gives students a thorough understanding of public health theory and application in the core areas of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Science, Health Services Administration, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The MPH Program prepares students to fill decision-making roles in managed care and other integrated delivery systems, the medical products industry, health departments, and other governmental agencies, consumer groups, and community-based organizations.
Mission and Goals:
The mission of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program is to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to improve population health through education, research, and service. The MPH Program is certified by the Council on Education for Public Health. It educates students to identify the health needs of human populations, to develop, implement, and evaluate initiatives to maximize health through treatment and prevention, and to engage in the promotion of improved methods for addressing and monitoring population health. This mission serves also to prepare public health practitioners to enhance population health by exercising professional values and ethical practice. There are tracks for specialty interests, such as epidemiology and biostatistics, environmental health, health policy and administration, and social/behavioral aspects of public health, as well as a generalist degree. Many of our students also develop research skills, which result in national scientific publications and presentations. Still others combine their public health training with other professional degrees such as the MD/MPH (many combinations are possible). Our graduates obtain valuable field experience as part of their studies to help them find jobs in the diverse world of public health and in related fields.
MPH Program Goals:
Fitting with our parent institution, the mission of the Master of Public Health Program is to prepare individuals to help improve the health and quality of life in the population through education, research, and service. This mission is to be reviewed biennially by the Evaluation and Planning Committee.
- Education - Maintain an educational environment that provides students with the opportunity to acquire public health knowledge, skills and practice grounded in theory and evidence, provided by qualified faculty in an environment that respects diversity.
- Research - Support a research agenda that is grounded in current theory and evidence to provide leadership in public health knowledge and practice.
- Service - Support a service agenda that complements program goals through faculty and student participation in public health policy and practice.
MPH Program Values:
MPH Program values were developed by CMED faculty and staff and reflect the values of West Virginia University and the needs of the State. West Virginia is the second most rural state in the union, and generally ranks among the three poorest states. Moreover, West Virginia is the only state wholly located in Appalachia.
MPH Program values are operationalized through course syllabi and curriculum, student, staff and faculty recruitment, selection and retention, student governance and government, research, service opportunities, and collaborative relationships. Incorporated into program administration and all other aspects of program operation, these values, as listed below, pertain to social justice, diversity, partnership, and community service.
- Social Justice - The MPH Program is founded upon the ethic of social justice. CMED is committed to West Virginia University's mission to focus attention on issues of diversity, power, and perspective, so that students, faculty, and staff may study and work in a climate of academic freedom and social responsibility, and develop the skills, knowledge, and self-esteem necessary for participation as world citizens. The University also has a strategic plan for achieving social justice which can be accessed at http://www.wvu.edu/~socjust/Us/strategic.htm or the on-site resource file for WVU Graduate Handbook, Commitment to Social Justice Policy.
- Diversity - The MPH Program maintains an environment that respects diversity and recognizes the need to recruit minority students and faculty in order to enhance the learning experience.
- Partnership - The MPH program seeks to maintain collaborative relationships with public and private agencies, communities, and other higher education institutions at local, regional, state and international levels to enhance the educational, research, service and practice environment.
- Community Service - Service to West Virginian Appalachian communities provides students with opportunities to apply practice and theory, develop a stronger professional identity, and identify and resolve public health problems.