Nov 25, 2024

2014-2015 Graduate Catalog

2014-2015 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Public Health

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Master of Public Health Program
3150 Human Health Building (map)
(248) 364-8681 • Fax (248) 364-8657
http://www.oakland.edu/shs/mph

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Program Director:
Patricia A. Wren
3098 Health Sciences Building
(248) 364-8664
wren@oakland.edu

Faculty Adviser:
Rebecca Cheezum
3150 Human Health Building
(248) 364-8681 • Fax (248) 364-8657

Program description

The Master of Public Health (MPH) program seeks to improve the health of individuals and communities by strengthening the foundational skills, core capacities, diversity, preparation and responsiveness of public health professionals. These public health professionals may be employed in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, international health organizations (e.g., World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders), federal government agencies (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health), state and local health departments (e.g., Michigan Department of Community Health and Oakland County Health Division), voluntary and philanthropic organizations (e.g., American Red Cross, Kaiser Permanente), corporations and worksite wellness sites, local hospitals and non-profit organizations (e.g., Migrant Health Promotion, Alternatives For Girls).

Admission terms and application deadlines

Applicants are admitted fall semester only. Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

February 1 for fall semester
International applicants

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

Graduate Application Requirements
Additional department application requirements

Undergraduate overall grade point average of at least 3.0
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score from within the last five (5) years.
Additional Recommendation for Graduate Admission form
In addition to the two recommendations listed above, a third recommendation is required by the program.
Requirements for recommendations
All three forms must be from faculty members, supervisors, or professional mentors and must include letters attached to the forms. The letters must be on letterhead, signed, and include a statement describing the referee’s relationship to the applicant, duration of the relationship, and an assessment of the applicant’s aptitude for graduate school and public health practice.
Personal statement of no more than 1000 words describing the applicant’s reasons for seeking an MPH degree, related public health experiences, and long-term professional goals.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to graduate study at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, personal statement, recommendation forms, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.

Degree requirements

The Master of Public Health degree program is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 44 credits in an approved program of study.

Course requirements (44 credits)

Required Core (20 credits)

PH 569 - Organization and Administration of Health and Medical Care Programs (4 credits)
PH 600 - Foundations of Health Behavior and Health Education (4 credits)
PH 640 - Statistical Methods in Public Health (4 credits)
PH 650 - Introduction to Epidemiology (4 credits)
PH 660 - Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences (4 credits)

Cross-cutting competency courses (8 credits)

PH 610 - Principles of Community-Based Participatory Research (4 credits)
PH 620 - Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Public Health Interventions (4 credits)

Required electives (8 credits)

Elective courses can be taken within Public Health or related disciplines. Students are encouraged to discuss these selections with their faculty advisers. Elective choices include:

PH 615 - Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods (4 credits)
PH 625 - Mechanisms of Chronic and Infectious Disease (4 credits)
PH 655 - Social Determinants of Health (4 credits)
PH 685 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Public Health (2 credits)

Exit (8 credits)

PH 630 - Public Health Practicum (4 credits)
PH 690 - Public Health Capstone (4 credits)

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship
Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
Going on a leave of absence
Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all program academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Program requirements: In order to remain in good standing at the graduate level, students must maintain a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 or better. Credit toward the degree will not be given for courses with grades under 2.5.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information

Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)

Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.

Academic advising

Each student will be assigned to a faculty adviser upon admission to the Master of Public Health program.