ODU MPH Program Associate Director: Dr. Steven M. Becker
The School of Community and Environmental Health, in partnership with EVMS, offers the MPH graduate program, leading to careers in the nation's public health and environmental systems. MPH specialty tracks at ODU are available in health education/promotion and environmental health.
The courses leading to the MPH degree are available in a blend of traditional and non-traditional teaching methods. Online options are ideal for those professionals currently engaged in public health practice, such as environmental health specialists, industrial hygienists and occupational safety specialists, individuals who wish to earn an advanced degree for increased career mobility or to update professional skills and competencies.
The course of study covers a minimum of two years including the summer term. Options for part-time students, which may take longer, are also available. The program includes core courses, specialty track courses and completion of a practicum and capstone.
- Register for MPH course enrollment in Spring or Summer 2010
- Apply to the MPH Program, for enrollment starting Fall 2010
The MPH Degree Program
The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is a professional degree offered by Eastern Virginia Medical School in collaboration with Old Dominion University. The program provides graduates with an understanding of the public health sciences and with knowledge and skills that can be utilized in healthcare management, population-based research and the community practice of public health.
The Program focuses upon four specialized tracks of Health Management, Epidemiology, Environmental Health; and Health Promotion. Students complete both didactic and experience-based courses. A community practicum exposes students to community organizations that support public health. The MPH degree will be granted jointly by the two sponsoring institutions. Classes are taught in three semesters each year. Full-time status is 9 credits for the fall and spring terms and 6 credits for the summer term. With this schedule, the required 46 credit hours can be completed in two years. Accommodation is made for part-time students who have up to 6 years to complete the course of study. All of the MPH core courses in the ODU Environmental Health and Health Promotion tracks are offered as distance learning courses, either web-based, televised, or video-streamed.
The Program will benefit health professionals who are or will be working in private, government or community organizations with the following responsibilities: assessing health status or needs in populations, designing and implementing programs, managing administrative functions, conducting program evaluation and outcomes research, developing coalitions to meet community needs, marketing health services, analyzing the epidemiology of specific diseases and measuring or assuring the quality of healthcare and public health services and products.
Accreditation
The State Council on Higher Education for Virginia approved the MPH program in 1999. The program has been fully accredited since 2000 by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). This accreditation was renewed in 2012 for seven years. The Environmental Health track has been accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC).
Sponsoring Institutions
Old Dominion University is a publicly funded university, established as an independent college in 1962 and as a university in 1969. Eastern Virginia Medical School is an academic institution dedicated to medical and health education, biomedical research and the enhancement of healthcare in eastern Virginia. EVMS and ODU have a long history of collaboration that includes several joint degree programs. Classes are held on weekday afternoons or evenings and/or on Saturdays on the EVMS and ODU campuses in Norfolk, Virginia. Courses are taught by faculty from both institutions.
MPH core courses are held at both the EVMS and ODU campuses, and may be offered as distance courses with a classroom option for local students. The Environmental Health and Health Promotion track courses are provided at the ODU campus as distance learning courses. Health Management and Epidemiology track courses are held at EVMS.
MPH faculty advise students in the Environmental Health or Health Promotion tracks. MPH faculty at EVMS advise students in the Health Management and Epidemiology tracks.
Curriculum
The educational program includes 42 total credit hours. Core courses consist of 18 credit hours in Principles of Epidemiology, Health Education & Behavioral Science, Ethics in Public Health Practice, Introduction to Biostatistics, Health Administration and Organization and Environmental Health.
In addition to the core courses, students concentrate on courses in Epidemiology, Health Management, Environmental Health, or Health Promotion for an additional 12 credit hours. The remaining nine credit hours are earned through Selectives, a 4 credit hour Community Practicum, and a 3 credit hour Capstone Seminar.