Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2023 Graduate Catalog 
    
2021-2023 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Public Health


Department of Public and Environmental Wellness
433 Meadow Brook Rd (map)
(248) 370-3562 • Fax (248) 364-8657
https://www.oakland.edu/shs/public-and-environmental-wellness/master-of-public-health/



Director:
Dr. Caress Dean, Associate Professor
caressdean@oakland.edu

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Graduate Catalog Addendum  

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 the Oakland University Graduate School by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

  • Deadline is February 1st
  • After February 1st, we will accept applications until our cohort is filled or until June 1st, whichever comes first.
  • 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:

  1.    
     
  2. Additional department application requirements
      
  • Undergraduate overall grade point average of at least 3.0
  • Additional Recommendation for Graduate Admission form 
  • In addition to the two recommendations listed above, a third recommendation is required by the program.
  • 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 school at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Oakland University Graduate School, 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.

Related links

Academic advising

Students who are considering applying to the Master of Public Health program may contact the academic adviser for the School of Health Sciences to review prerequisite courses and application requirements. Upon acceptance to the program, students are assigned a faculty adviser.

 

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 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:

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 SAP 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.  Department requirements: An overall GPA of 3.0 (B) or higher for all coursework taken in the professional program is required for graduation, and no grade below 2.7 (B-) may be applied toward this degree. For courses graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U), no coursework graded Unsatisfactory (U) may be applied to this degree.

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  adviser and submitted by the student to Oakland University Graduate School.

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.

Time limits

All graduate certificate students are expected to complete their degree within the time limit established by the University.