Dec 17, 2024  
2019-2020 SGPP Catalog and Handbook 
    
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2019-2020 SGPP Catalog and Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Public Health, M.P.H.

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Program Description

The Master of Public Health curriculum provides students with core knowledge and skills in the foundational areas of public health. The program is geared towards social justice, addressing inequalities experienced by underserved communities. Special emphasis is placed on understanding social determinants of health and the intersection of theory and practice to make a difference. The program teaches core health knowledge and practical skills to prepare students for the public health arena.

Core curriculum topics include Principles of Public Health, Foundations of Biostatistics, Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health, Principles of Epidemiology, and Environmental Determinants of Health. The curriculum transitions to the application of public health principles to real-world situations. Students develop cultural competency, ethical, and communication skills, preparing them for leadership opportunities.

Towards the end of the program, students utilize acquired public health concepts, principles, and methods to complete fieldwork and a capstone project during which students analyze, evaluate, and synthesize public health constructs using real-life scenarios.

Mission

Saint Mary’s University prepares public health leaders who understand persistent and emerging public health issues and advocate for systemic solutions for improvement of public health and health equity in all communities.

Vision

Saint Mary’s University students, graduates, and faculty will have positive impacts on local, regional, and national health; disease prevention; and health equity.  Through ethical and socially responsive learning experiences and community engagement activities, the impacts of these actions will help all communities, especially those underserved, achieve effective long-lasting improvements.

Program Structure and Delivery

Courses are delivered fully online or in a blended format.  Courses delivered in the blended format integrate face-to-face classroom meetings and online activities or interactions in a planned, instructionally valuable manner.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the Master of Public Health, graduates are expected to be able to do the following:

Program Outcomes related to university mission and vision

  1. Define the presence of a community or potential community and its subgroups to ensure appropriate place-based public health initiatives.
  2. Promote health equity through culturally competent community-level communication and engagement plans.
  3. Integrate public health behavior change theories, interventions, and strategies into community engagement, organizing, and outreach.
  4. Evaluate, analyze, and report community-level behavior and health change as it pertains to policy, programming, and advocacy activities.
  5. Apply ethical leadership skills to promote inclusive and respectful collaboration with communities.

Foundational Outcomes

Evidence-based Approaches to Public Health

  1. Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice.
  2. Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
  3. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, and computer-based programming and software, as appropriate. 
  4. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice.

Public Health and Health Care Systems

  1. Compare the organization, structure and function of healthcare, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
  2. Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community, and societal levels.

Planning and Management to Promote Health

  1. Assess population needs, assets, and capacities that affect communities’ health.
  2. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies, or programs.
  3. Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention.
  4. Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
  5. Select methods to evaluate public health programs.

Policy in Public Health

  1. Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
  2. Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
  3. Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
  4. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.

Leadership

  1. Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration, and guiding decision making.
  2. Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.

Communication

  1. Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
  2. Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
  3. Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.

Interprofessional Practice

  1. Perform effectively on interprofessional teams.

Systems Thinking

  1. Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue.

Foundation Courses for MPH Program  

Students applying to the MPH program at Saint Mary’s University are required to submit documentation that they earned a “B” or higher in a human biology course and a statistics course or equivalent courses within the last 10 academic years in order to be enrolled in specific courses as part of the MPH program. Documentation of successful completion of required foundation courses must be submitted and approved by the Master of Public Health Program Director prior to enrollment in the following courses.

  • MPH605 Foundation of Biostatistics

    • Foundational Course: Statistics/Quantitative Methods

  • MPH610 Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health

    • Foundational Course: Human Biology

The MPH program director may request additional documentation, such as syllabi, to determine if a course completed at another university satisfies this requirement.

If a prospective or current student is not able to demonstrate that they earned a “B” or higher in a human biology course and a statistics course within the last 10 academic years, they will be required to take the required foundation course(s) in which prior knowledge is needed before enrolling in specific MPH courses.

Any exceptions granted must be made in writing from the program director before registration will be processed and approved by the registrar.

Students who are required to successfully complete these courses have the option of completing these courses at either Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota or at another institution in order to meet this requirement.

Courses offered through this institution in which a student can enroll and complete in order to satisfy this requirement include BPH300 Human Biology and BPH405 Measurement and Statistics for Health Professionals. In situations where a student wishes to enroll in courses at another university, the student is encouraged to discuss this with the program director prior to enrollment to ensure that the course satisfies the requirement.

Credits must have been earned at a regionally accredited institution, at CHEA and DOE recognized institutions, or evaluated according to the criteria for students with international transcripts.

Degree Requirements

Foundation Courses *

Core Courses

6 cr. 

15 cr.
Application Courses 21 cr.
Summative Courses 6 cr.
Total 42 cr.

*Foundation courses do not count toward degree credits.

Foundation Courses: 6 cr.

These courses do not count toward the degree credits.

Core Courses: 15 cr.

Application Courses: 21 cr.

Summative Courses: 6 cr.

Faculty

The faculty members for this program have earned doctorate or master’s degrees. Faculty are selected for their combination of educational and professional experience and expertise.

Admission Requirements

Applicants may apply for admission to master’s degree programs at any time during the year. Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and maintained an overall grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale. Applicants must demonstrate the language proficiency necessary for successful graduate coursework. Applicants may complete an interview with a program administrator as part of the admission process.

Application Process

Applicants must submit the following:

  1. Completed application form with the nonrefundable application fee (fee not required for alumni or students seeking readmission or veterans and active military personnel), and
  2. An official transcript(s) issued to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota from the institution posting the applicant’s completed bachelor degree and other relevant transcripts documenting program prerequisites and potential transfer credits. (An official transcript is one that is sent to the university by the credit-granting institution. Transcripts from countries other than the U.S. must be evaluated on a course by course basis by a university accepted evaluation service, such as World Education Services, Educational Credential Evaluators, Educational Perspectives, or One Earth International Credential Evaluators and be deemed equivalent to accredited U.S. university standards).  Evaluations from an approved member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES.org) will also be accepted.
  3. A reflective essay which includes the following:
    1. brief description of the applicant’s background, training, and experience; and
    2. statement indicating the career goals of the applicant and their reasons for seeking admission to the program; and
    3. description of the areas the applicant considers to be their strengths and areas in which the applicant wishes to develop greater strengths and abilities; and
    4. personal information the applicant wishes to share.
  4. Letter(s) of recommendation that verify professional and/or volunteer experience and academic ability; and
  5. A current résumé listing educational background and work experience.
  6. Applicants with international transcripts may require an English language proficiency exam (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or MELAB accepted.)

Please Note: Application materials should be sent to the attention of the Office of Admission on the Twin Cities Campus.
 

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Office of Admission
2500 Park Ave S
Minneapolis, MN  55404

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