Public Health - Health Promotion, Master of Public Health

In addition to University Requirements:

Minimum Units for Completion	48
Additional Admission Requirements	Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Emphasis or Coursework Required	An emphasis or coursework is required for this degree.
Fieldwork Experience/Internship	Required
Additional Fees/Program Fees	Required
Progression Plan Link	View Program of Study

Purpose Statement

The Master of Public Health (MPH) prepares students for public health professions emphasizing the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health programs and policies. We aim to prepare public health professionals to address the health needs of diverse and underserved communities in northern Arizona and beyond. Students gain knowledge and skills in biostatistics, epidemiology, public health research, program planning and evaluation, health policy and management, and environmental health. We support student development by offering high-quality instruction, which includes opportunities for professional growth and community engagement in public health and nutrition. The Health Promotion concentration addresses chronic disease prevention and epidemiology, social and structural determinants of health, and innovative uses of technology in public health and health promotion. Students in the Health Promotion concentration can tailor their program plan electives to align with their career interests. The Health Promotion concentration is designed for students who are interested in public health careers or other allied health fields. With the training, research, and internship experiences offered, graduates are well-prepared to address the health needs within their communities. Students may also apply to the Indigenous Health Emphasis, which prepares students to support public health initiatives relevant to tribal communities.

Student Learning Outcomes
 
We are pursuing accreditation from the Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH). We are aligning our core MPH coursework with their required learning outcomes, which are as follows: 

• Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice.
• Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming, and software, as appropriate.
• Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice.
• Compare the organization, structure, and function of health care, public health, and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
• 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.
• Assess population needs, assets, and capacities that affect communities’ health.
• Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs.
• Design a population-based policy, program, project, or intervention.
• Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
• Select methods to evaluate public health programs.
• Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
• Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
• Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
• Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.
• Apply principles of leadership, governance, and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration, and guiding decision-making.
• Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.
• Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
• Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
• Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.
• Perform effectively on interprofessional teams.
• Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue.

MPH Health Promotion Indigenous Health Learning Outcomes

• Analyze and synthesize the unique challenges in implementing the Ten Essential Public Health Services in Tribal communities.
• Develop public health resolutions at the tribal and national level through the National Congress of American Indians.
• Organize, synthesize, and moderate stakeholder discussions on the systems and structures that create federal and state legislation, regulations, and their implications and effects on practice to American Indians residing on- and off-reservation.
• Interpret and synthesize peer-reviewed and gray literature addressing factors influencing Indigenous determinants of health and resilience.
• Propose and apply indicators of resilience and concepts of wellbeing to understand and address Indigenous health and develop an Indigenous framework of determinants of health.
• Explain and integrate social and community dynamics and cultural contexts that have contributed to health disparities in Indigenous populations.
• Identify, apply, and critique community-based research and evaluation conducted in Indigenous contexts.
• Collect primary data from researchers and Indigenous partners engaged in Community Based Participatory Research activities.
• Apply community-centered negotiation and mediation skills to identify asset-based evaluation or research solutions to address organizational or public health challenges in Indigenous communities (leadership).

Graduate Admission Information

• The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.
  
  Admission requirements include the following:

  • Transcripts.
  • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.

  
  Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.
  
  Ready to apply? Begin your application now.

  International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.

Additional Admission Requirements

• Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

• • Letter(s) of Recommendation

• • • Three professional references who will submit recommendation forms on the NAU Graduate College application portal on their behalf.
      • One letter from a faculty member.
      • One letter from a manager/supervisor.
      • One additional letter from a faculty member or manager/supervisor.

• • Personal Statement or Essay

• • • A letter of personal introduction and professional intent (1 - 2 pages) which includes the following:
      • The concentration to which you are applying.
      • Your academic focus or interest areas in public health.
      • Your professional goals and how the MPH Health Promotion at NAU aligns with these goals.
      • Identification as someone from a diverse or historically underrepresented group (if applicable).
      • Experience working with others from a diverse or historically underrepresented group (if applicable).

     

• • Prerequisite(s) that must be completed prior to enrolling in the program:

• • • Prerequisite courses must be completed with a Grade of "C" or better, or in progress at the time of application to the program
    • If the student is enrolled in a prerequisite course the same semester that they apply, include documentation verifying the students enrollment in the course in the application materials.
    • For the Health Promotion Emphasis:
      • One semester of a college-level introductory, or basic statistics course (minimum 3 units).

• • Resume or Curriculum Vitae

Master's Requirements

• This Master’s degree requires 48 units distributed as follows:

  • Health Sciences Common Coursework: 36 units
  • Emphasis or Coursework Requirement - Select one: 12 units
    • Indigenous Health Emphasis Option: 12 units
    • Public Health Coursework Option: 12 units
  
  Take the following 48 units:

• Health Sciences Common Coursework 36 units:

  • HS 501, HS 503, HS 505, HS 509, HS 511, HS 572, HS 584, HS 612, HS 618, HS 622, HS 676 (30 units)
  • Select from the following: (6 units)
    • Flagstaff Mountain Campus: HS 608, HS 698
    • Online: HS 609

• Indigenous Health Emphasis or Public Health Coursework Requirement - Select one:

• • Indigenous Health Emphasis Option - Only offered at NAU-Flagstaff (12 units)

    • HS 561, HS 624, HS 671 (9 units)
    • Select an additional course in consultations with your advisor (3 units)

• • Public Health Coursework Option (12 units)
    • Select from the following (12 units):
      • AIS 503, AIS 504
      • AIS 590 or POS 590
      • ANT 521, ANT 580
      • ANT 599 - Global Health
      • ANT 599 - Health Scholars
      • COM 540, COM 542, COM 545
      • CST 575
      • CTE 550, CTE 670
      • EPS 590
      • ES 600
      • GSP 545
      • INF 599 - Infectious Disease Ecology and Epidemiology
      • NTS 507, NTS 515, NTS 520, NTS 525, NTS 545, NTS 550, NTS 630, NTS 650
      • NTS 607 and NTS 607L
      • NUR 560
      • PSY 623, PSY 636
      • SOC 515
      • SUS 601, SUS 602, SUS 603
      • Additional graduate-level coursework approved in consultation with your advisor.

• Students enrolled in this plan may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:

• • Public Health, Graduate Certificate

Additional Information

• Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

• Program Fee Information

• Program fees are established by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). A program fee has been approved for this program. See program fee details. Program fees are subject to change and updated July 1 for the next academic year.

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