Public Health Education (MPH)

Health educators, using health promotion principles, assist individuals and communities in the adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyles. This MPH program prepares health educators to collect and analyze data to identify diverse community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating health promotion programs; communicate health and health promotion needs; and plan, implement and evaluate health promotion programs using ethical standards and theoretical frameworks and models. The curriculum helps students acquire relevant theoretical and practical knowledge in diverse fields of endeavor, such as the social and behavioral sciences, communication dynamics, educational theory and design, and community organization. Students who complete a degree in public health education are eligible to sit for the national Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination.

In addition to the overall

1. Assess individual and community needs for health education.
   1. Obtain health related data about social and cultural environments, growth and development factors, needs and interests.
   2. Distinguish between behaviors that foster and those that hinder well-being.
   3. Infer needs for health education on the basis of obtained data.
2. Plan effective health education programs.
   1. Recruit community organizations, resource people, and potential participants for support and assistance in program planning.
   2. Develop a logical scope and sequence plan for a health education program.
   3. Formulate appropriate and measurable objectives.
   4. Design educational programs consistent with specified program objectives.
3. Implement health education programs.
   1. Exhibit competence in carrying out planned educational programs. 
   2. Infer enabling objectives as needed to implement instructional programs in specified settings.
   3. Select methods and media best suited to implement program plans for specific learners.
4. Evaluate effectiveness of health education programs.
   1. Develop plans to assess achievement of program objectives.
   2. Interpret results of program evaluation.
   3. Infer implications from findings for future program planning.
5. Act as a resource person.
   1. Utilize computerized health information retrieval systems effectively.
   2. Select effective educational resource materials for dissemination.
6. Communicate health and health educational needs, concerns, and resources.
   1. Interpret concepts, purposes, and theories of health education.
   2. Predict the impact of societal value systems of health education programs.
   3. Select a variety of communication methods and techniques in providing health information
7. Apply appropriate research principles and methods in health education.
   1. Conduct a thorough review of literature.
   2. Use appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods.
   3. Apply research to health education practice.
8. Advance the profession of public health education and health promotion.
   1. Provide a critical analysis of current and future needs.
   2. Apply ethical principles as they relate to the practice of health education
      

The above are based on the national competencies and responsibilities identified by the health education profession.

Prerequisites

1. Prerequisite undergraduate courses
   1. HSC 4554 Survey of Human Disease
   2. HSA 4011  Introduction to Public Health
2. Suggested/preferred undergraduate majors: Undergraduate majors may be admitted from a wide range of backgrounds, although majors from nursing, the natural sciences, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and education are desirable.
3. Work experience: Work experience in the field of public health and health education is appropriate, but not necessary.
4. Minimum undergrad GPA - 3.0 OR
   1. Verbal GRE score: minimum 500
   2. Quantitative GRE score: minimum 550
5. Two letters of recommendation from academic and/or related professional sources.
6. Career goal statement

Curriculum or Plan of Study

College Core Courses (15 credits) PHC 6000             Epidemiology (3) PHC 6050             Biostatistics I (3) PHC 6102             Principles of Health Policy and Management (3) PHC 6357             Environmental and Occupational Health (3) PHC 6410             Social and Behavioral Sciences Applied to Health (3)   Required Concentration Courses (17) PHC 5X00             Professional Foundations of Health Education (1) PHC 6500             Theoretical and Behavioral Basis for Health Education (4) PHC 6715             Research Foundations in Public Health (3) PHC 6707             Evaluative Methods in Community Health (3) PHC 6505             Program Planning Methods in Community Health (3) PHC 6508             Case Studies in Public Health Education (3)   Suggested Support / Elective Courses (6) PHC 6506             Community Health Education (3) PHC 6533             Health Program Development and Change Process (3) PHC 6411             Introduction to Social Marketing for Public Health (3) HSC 6641             Prevention and Control of Unintentional Injuries (3) PHC 6414             Adolescent Health (3) PHC 6705             Formative Research Methods in Social Marketing (3) PHC 6934             Health Message Design in Public Health (3) PHC 6706             Focus Group Research Strategies (3) PHC 6193             Qualitative Methods in Community Health Research (3) Culminating Experiences PHC 6945 Supervised Field Experience (6-12 credit hours) PHC 6977 Special Project (3) Comprehensive Exam: 2 credits hours of enrollment is required TOTAL CREDITS: 47-53 total GPA hours (including Field Experience)

College Admission Requirements

Special Admission Requirements

None

Dual Degree(s)

• Anthropology (MA or PhD)
• Medicine (MD)
• Social Work (MSW)
• Physical Therapy (DPT)

Additional Links:

• Department Specific Guidelines for Special Project, Field Experience, Comprehensive Exam
• Academic and Student Affairs
• Tuition and Financial Aid

Health Education Accelerated Entrry:

Eligible undergraduate students may be admitted to the College of Public Health to pursue studies in the Public Health Education concentration.  Applicants must have attained a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale, or received a minimum score of Verbal 500 and Quantitative 550 on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). This special MPH program permits students to earn an MPH without first completing the baccalaureate.  Applicants must have completed 90 undergraduate semester hours in a program related to the field of Public Health, such as social sciences, natural sciences, behavioral sciences, pre-medicine, pre-dental, nursing, or education.  Interested students are encouraged to consult the Department of Community and Family Health faculty advisor upon completing 60 undergraduate semester hours.

Interested students are encouraged to inquire:
Dr. Robert McDermott    813-974-6700     email: rmcdermo@health.usf.edu
Pre-Admission Advising  813-974-6505     email: advisor@health.usf.edu