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Master of Public Health

Program Overview

The Master of Public Health (MPH) program is designed for working adults interested in making a difference in the health and wellness of others through the promotion of community and public health. The curriculum integrates theory, scientific research, professional practice, and innovation and offers the knowledge and skills drawn from a variety of disciplines. The program is aligned with national public health education competency standards to provide an excellent education for careers in the field of public health. Graduates are prepared to deliver outstanding professional services, excel as leaders and managers, be sensitive to and understand, embrace and service diverse and underserved populations, and appreciate the importance of education, research, and policy-making in the dynamic field of public health.

The MPH is a 42-credit program, consisting of a core of 27 credits, 6 credits of field work and capstone, and 9 credits of an emphasis area. To ensure graduates are well prepared for present and future public health roles and demands, the MPH program follows the highest curriculum standards of the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) for Social and Behavioral Sciences with three distinct concentration options for students interested in Global Health, Psycho-Behavioral Dimensions of Public Health, and Public Health Leadership. Student can choose to focus in one of those three areas or they can decide to take electives from all of those areas.

Admission Requirements

Application to the MPH Program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements.

 Factors that are considered in admission to the MPH Program are:

• Generally, an undergraduate GPA of a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. Students must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned.
• Application fee: $50
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Two-page personal statement/essay answering the following questions:

1.  How will your personal and professional accomplishments, academic background, and experience contribute to your success in the MPH Program?

2.  How will the successful completion of the MPH Program  support your professional career goals

TOEFL or IELTS, International Credentials, and International Students

TOEFL or IELTS: If English is not your primary language, you must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores with your application (TOEFL School Code: 7161). International students who received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited United States institution are exempt from this requirement. The minimum scores are: TOEFL - 550 paper based, 79 internet based; IELTS - 6.5.

ELS Educational Services, Inc.: The Chicago School is a cooperative member of ELS Educational Services, Inc. which provides intensive English language programs. Students who have successfully completed ELS course 112 may be considered for admission in lieu of the TOEFL or IELTS.

International credentials: Applicants with international credentials must obtain and submit an official “course-by-course” evaluation through an evaluation agency such as World Education Services (www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators Inc. (www.ece.org). In addition to the agency evaluation, all official graduate and undergraduate transcripts must be submitted.

International students: International students must submit a completed application by the general consideration deadline. In addition, once accepted, international students must submit the International Student Information form, a copy of their passport, and financial documentation showing sufficient funding for at least one year of study and all living expenses. This documentation must be submitted at least two months prior to the start of the semester in order to allow sufficient time for the school to issue an I-20 for the student to obtain an F-1 visa, if needed. An I-20 visa will not be issued without this documentation.

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and applicants will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission, in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures :  Transfer of Credit, Waiver of Courses, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Grading Scale, Grade Change Requests, Degree Completion, Degree Conferral, Minimum and Maximum Timeframe requirements, and Credit Hours per semester for Financial Aid.  Information on the Academic Success Program is located under Student Life .

Academic Development Plans

An Academic Development Plan (ADP) is initiated and created by the Department in which the student is enrolled when a student demonstrates deficiencies in competencies that interfere with academic performance, training competence, and/or professional behavior.  Academic Development Plans (ADPs) do not constitute disciplinary action, but failure to complete the plan may lead to disciplinary action.

Student Learning Assessment

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TSCPP) is committed to offering the highest quality graduate and undergraduate completion programs in applied professional disciplines. In order to meet the TCSPP standard for academic quality, all programs will develop overall program learning outcomes, assessment instruments, course descriptions, and course learning outcomes. Each of these curriculum components must align in order for students to understand how their program will prepare them for the profession and how they will learn what TCSPP intends. 

All academic programs at TCSPP are required to develop, conduct, and report annual assessments of student learning and program effectiveness in compliance with the processes and procedures established by TCSPP.  These assessments provide reliable and valid information to monitor, maintain, and advance the quality of academic programs. 

The Program

Philosophy

The Master of Public Health (MPH) program is designed for working adults interested in making a difference in the health and wellness of others through the promotion of community and public health. The curriculum integrates theory, scientific research, professional practice, and innovation and offers the knowledge and skills drawn from a variety of disciplines. 

Program Outcomes

By the end of this program students will be able to:

Efficacious and Original Research: Design and conduct efficacious and original research to ethically and positively impact and advance the body of knowledge in the MPH program.

1.  Promote community capacity, health, and well-being using results from analyses of health problems, issues, strengths and the needs of diverse populations.

2.  Impact the health outcomes of communities through the use of data gained from the appraisal of their essential services, systems, and public policies.

Cultural Sensitivity and Competence: Demonstrate reasoned decision-making skills, recognizing the local and far reaching implications of complex decisions within equally complex multicultural regional, national, environmental, social, political, behavioral, legal and global factors within the realm of Public Health.  

1.  Create solutions for public health concerns found in diverse communities by assessing their major environmental, social, behavioral, cultural, political, legal, and regulatory factors.

2.  Design public health access and quality strategies/policies for diverse populations.

Ethical and Professional Behavior: Evaluate individual values, strengths and weaknesses in order to further develop professional leadership styles and improve leadership effectiveness within the dynamic and complex field of Public Health.

1.  Convey prevention and intervention strategies across diverse communities and populations with the goal of improving health outcomes using culturally appropriate communication and technology

2.  Demonstrate professional and ethical leadership inclusive of strategic planning and decision making skills.

Assessment and Evaluation: Effectively evaluate collaborative health promotion and disease prevention based on biostatistics, epidemiological principals and evidence-based research and persuasively articulate findings, challenges for appropriate planning and implementation strategies in the realm of Public Health.

1.  Evaluate collaborative health promotion and disease prevention programs/interventions using biostatistics, epidemiological principles and other evidence-based research as a source for appropriate planning and implementation strategies.

2.  Conduct evidence-based research to improve the health and well-being of the public and to advance the public health profession.

Grade Requirement

MPH students must earn a grade of B- or higher in every course in the program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to graduate.