Public Health, Community Health Concentration, M.P.H.

Admission Requirements

Admission decisions will be made after reviewing all materials and determining the applicant’s capacity, suitability, and preparation for graduate study. Admission decisions are based upon consideration of a number of criteria which are believed to indicate a high potential in the graduate program.

Admission to the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program requires

1. an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college. The candidate must have earned undergraduate prerequisites of at least 18 semester hours in public health or health and human performance professional courses or have a baccalaureate degree in an area determined by the admissions committee to be related to the competencies required in the field of public health;
2. an acceptable grade point average (GPA) in all college work taken;
3. completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with acceptable scores. GMAT or MCAT scores can be considered in lieu of the GRE. Successful applicants to the Master of Public Health program typically have scores on the GRE Verbal and Quantitative measures which exceed 146 and 140 respectively with a total combined score that exceeds 286. The Analytical Writing Assessment score is also considered.

Retention Policy

Degree-seeking students are expected to take appropriate courses and make satisfactory progress toward their degree objectives as determined by the graduate program. A graduate student at the master’s or specialist’s level must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 for all graduate work completed at MTSU as well as in the major.

A graduate student failing to meet the applicable minimum cumulative graduate GPA retention standard will be placed on academic probation for the subsequent term. Probation in itself has no serious consequences other than to alert the student of potential academic problems and the requirement to (re)establish satisfactory academic status. Once on probation, a student has three consecutive semesters in which to restore the cumulative GPA to the minimum required. If the student fails to attain the required GPA at the close of the third semester of probation, the student will be suspended automatically.

A graduate student who is on academic probation, then returns to good standing will no longer be on probation. Should the student once again fall below the minimum cumulative graduate GPA for retention (GPA<3.00 for master’s or <3.25 for doctoral) during their course of study, rather than being placed on probation again, they will be suspended.

In order to reenroll student must formally appeal the suspension to the graduate program by following established requirements within the program. In the event that a student is suspended and subsequently upon appeal is granted permission to reenroll, should the student fail to maintain the minimum cumulative GPA, there will be no second probationary period. The student will be terminated at the close of the semester and no longer eligible for matriculation in any program at MTSU.

Students whose appeals have been denied by their graduate programs will have the right to appeal this decision by notifying the associate dean of the College of Graduate Studies in writing by the first week of the term following their suspension. An ad hoc committee made up of members of the MTSU Graduate Council from other disciplines will be created. The student and program will have the opportunity to represent both the appeal and decision to the committee at this meeting. The decision of the committee is final.

Graduation Policy

To graduate from the M.P.H. program, candidate must

1. complete either the non-thesis or thesis curriculum to meet Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) requirements. ILE is completed at or near the end of program study (final year or semester).
   1. If choosing the non-thesis option, successfully complete six (6) credit hours of internship and a related comprehensive report that meets the Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) requirement.
   2. If choosing the thesis option, select a thesis committee composed of a minimum of two members (one of whom must be from the Department of Health and Human Performance) and complete a minimum of six [6] thesis credit hours. Candidate must also successfully complete an oral examination relating to the thesis.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Application deadline: Applications for Summer/Fall admission must be complete by February 1, and applications for Spring admission must be complete by October 1. Late applicants who meet the admission criteria may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants must

1. submit application with appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php). Once this initial application has been accepted, the applicant will receive directions on how to enter the graduate portal to be able to submit other materials.
2. submit official scores on the GRE;
3. submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
4. provide three letters of recommendation from persons who can address their academic qualifications and potential for success in graduate study;
5. provide a 400-word statement of purpose giving their reasons for applying to the program, their academic interests, and their professional goals.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Public Health with a concentration in Community Health requires completion of a minimum of 42 semester hours.

Candidate must complete either the thesis or non-thesis to meet Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) requirements. ILE is completed at or near the end of program study (final year or semester).

If choosing the thesis option, candidate must

1. select a thesis committee composed of a minimum of two members (one of whom must be from the Department of Health and Human Performance);
2. Complete a minimum of six (6) thesis credit hours;
3. successfully complete an oral examination relating to the thesis.

If choosing the non-thesis option, candidate must successfully complete six (6) credit hours of internship and a related comprehensive report that meet the Integrated Learning Experience (ILE) requirement.

Curriculum: Public Health, Community Health

The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements.