Public Health
At a Glance
Online MPH Available Now
Jefferson College of Population Health Welcomes
Online MPH Students
Email enroll@jefferson.edu to find out how you can apply to this fully online delivery option of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program.
Public Health is an interdisciplinary field of study and practice with three primary goals:
- Address pressing and emerging threats to health and well-being;
- Prevent illness, disease and injury;
- Promote and protect human health.
In achieving these goals, public health emphasizes social justice, supports human rights and respects the dignity of individuals and the integrity of communities.
The Jefferson College of Population Health (JCPH) offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, which is nationally accredited through the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Students develop competencies in several key public health areas: health behavior and social sciences, biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, policy and advocacy, program planning, implementation and evaluation and others. The interdisciplinary curriculum stresses leadership skills, systems thinking, health communication, global health and cultural humility and competency.
Public health professionals track disease outbreaks, conduct community health assessments, plan health education programs and direct campaigns to reduce risk factors that foster chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. They develop and advocate for policies, both public and private, that reduce harmful environmental exposures and that provide increased access to preventive health services for underserved populations. Many engage in public health research and support multi-cultural global health initiatives here and abroad.
Public health professionals take the lead in local, state and federal health agencies, community health centers and hospitals, non-governmental health organizations (NGOs), schools and universities, professional health agencies, health insurance companies and other related businesses.
Pathways to Completion
Our Public Health programs are flexible, tailored and high-touch – including options in advanced standing, accelerated formats, bridge programs, full- and part-time options, and multiple dual degrees.
Online MPH
Our Public Health programs offers a fully online delivery option. Email enroll@jefferson.edu to find out how you can apply to this fully online delivery option of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program.
Program Audiences
The MPH program is designed for students who are seeking a career that combines science, policy, and social justice to improve health outcomes and promote health equity. The program engages learners who are recent graduates as well as working professionals seeking to enhance their research, advocacy, or evaluation skills. Students can study full-time, part-time, or on an accelerated pathway, and can choose to earn the degree fully online or by taking a combination of online and in-person classes.
Public health students come from a variety of backgrounds including:
- Recent college graduates with majors in natural or social sciences, including pre-med or other pre-professional students seeking an educational experience during their gap or glide year.
- College graduates with more relevant work experience wishing to enhance their health-related career or make a career change.
- Students currently enrolled in a professional program (medicine, law, pharmacy, social work) who wish to earn an additional degree in public health as part of a dual degree program.
- Physicians, nurses, mental health professionals, and other clinicians with terminal degrees in their respective fields wishing to expand their skill sets and reach. Note, students with a terminal degree can apply for advanced standing status.
- Professionals working in government, community health organizations, non-profits, healthcare settings, health insurance companies, the pharmaceutical industry, and academic institutions.
- Researchers, including research assistants, research coordinators, and program evaluators seeking additional training in study design, analysis, grantsmanship, implementation science, and publication.
Public Health Programs Now STEM Eligible
New STEM designation enables up to three years of work authorization in the U.S. for eligible international students.
