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 (MPH) 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.

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 (GMAT or MCAT considered; check for waiver);
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.

To graduate from the MPH program, candidate must 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).

Non-thesis option:

• Successfully complete six (6) credit hours of internship and a related comprehensive report that meets the Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) requirement.  

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);
• Complete a minimum of six (6) thesis credit hours. Candidate must also successfully complete an oral examination relating to the thesis.

Curriculum: Public Health, Community Health

The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements.