The Department of Public Health Sciences envisions “Healthy communities partnered with responsive population health systems.”  Its mission is to advance health equity and well-being in an urbanizing world.  The department is a premier academic unit providing collaborative and integrated approaches to improving health and healthcare.  An interdisciplinary, research-focused faculty provides educational experiences for researchers and practitioners that are relevant to contemporary public health and health care administration.  They prepare competent leaders in a variety of public health disciplines, healthcare administration and policy, and health services research at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels.  They engage in local, national, and international partnerships that enhance students’ knowledge of healthcare issues.  They also focus on improving health disparities among vulnerable populations.

The Department of Public Health Sciences is committed to academic excellence.  The department received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012, and the Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree program has been recognized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as a model program.  The Public Health baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).  The Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).  The department is a member of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, and is an affiliate member of AcademyHealth.

At the undergraduate level, the department offers the Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Bachelor of Science in Health Systems Management, and a Minor in Public Health.  Undergraduate interdisciplinary experiences provide students better flexibility in working across disciplines as well as within their own specialty as they grow their careers.  The department also provides opportunities for students to work closely with individual members of the faculty through either Independent Study or Undergraduate Research experiences.

At the graduate level, the department offers the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, the Master of Health Administration (MHA), and doctoral degrees (Ph.D.) in Public Health Sciences and Health Services Research.  Additionally, the department collaborates in a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Health Informatics and Analytics.  See the Graduate Catalog for details about the graduate programs, including early entry and dual degree options.

Programs

• Health Systems Management, B.S.
• Public Health, B.S.P.H.

• Public Health, Minor

• Health Systems Management, Honors Program

• Health Administration, MHA, Early Entry
• Public Health, MPH, Early Entry