During the past few decades, infectious diseases have dominated disease incidence, prevalence and mortality in the United States and globally. Today, in addition to the burdens of infectious diseases, chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung diseases, cancer, diabetes and mental illness, also have national and global implications in terms of disability and mortality.
Public health is an interdisciplinary field whose practitioners seek to promote and maintain the health, safety and well-being of populations, and prevent and manage disease, disability and human suffering.
Graduate students in our Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program benefit from a comprehensive and rigorous curriculum along with specialty training. In addition to strong foundational training in public health, our students develop critical knowledge and skills in such areas as rural health, health informatics, global health and health policy and evaluation. Practicum and research experience provide students with the expertise essential for a public health practitioner.
The Department of Public Health at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, brings together some of our nation’s leading public health researchers, educators and practitioners with expertise in global and community health, and in research evaluation, policy analysis and rural health practice. As a graduate student in our Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program, you will be joining a group of students prepared to study and engage in research activities that address the challenges of diseases and disabilities in the Appalachian region and the nation.
Why study Public Health at Marshall?
Marshall University’s M.P.H. program was established to meet the public health graduate education needs of the region, and in particular, to train students to address health disparities through education, research and outreach activities.
The mission of the Marshall University M.P.H. program is to prepare a competent public health workforce, promote scholarly activities, and reduce the burden of health disparities particularly in West Virginia and the Appalachian region. Through education, research, community engagement and health promotion, our M.P.H. program envisions an Appalachia, particularly the West Virginia population, without health disparities and with a well-trained public health workforce. Our small class sizes in the M.P.H. program facilitate individual attention and mentoring to foster a rich learning environment.
As an M.P.H. student, Marshall will enable you to:
Academic Tracks
Marshall University is a top-ranked public research university offering comprehensive Public Health training at the graduate level through the following programs:
Our M.P.H. program prepares students in the broad areas of public health and also gives students like you the opportunity to choose from the following two concentrations:
Global and Community Health (GCH) Concentration
This concentration provides training particularly suited to our regions in West Virginia, where urbanization is limited, median income and educational status are low, and care delivery challenges pose substantial obstacles to improving health status. The M.P.H. program and GCH concentration build on the university’s notable achievements in primary and rural care, focusing on the training of critically needed community health professionals who are skilled in risk assessment, education, intervention and program management in communities facing high disease burdens and limited resources.
Research, Evaluation and Policy (REP) Concentration
This concentration is designed to provide public health practitioners with advanced training in research methods, biostatistics, quantitative and qualitative analysis, program evaluation and health policy development.
Both concentrations are built upon the foundational curricula of public health training including coursework in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health services, health policy, environmental health, and the social and behavioral aspects of public health. The combination of a rigorous core curriculum and two targeted specializations position Marshall graduates to achieve success in professional public health practice. The high disease burden in our region, coupled with a local population with low income and educational attainment, combine to provide unique challenges and opportunities for our Public Health students.[/efsli]
Career Outlook for Public Health Graduates
Employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 18 percent through 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.4 million new jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Healthcare occupations are projected to add more jobs than any other occupational groups. This projected growth is mainly due to an aging population, leading to greater demand for healthcare services.
Marshall graduates with an M.P.H. degree can consider a range of positions, including these job opportunities provided by the BLS and the job search website, indeed.com:
Overall employment of health educators and community health workers is projected to grow 16 percent through 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the BLS. Growth will be driven by efforts to improve health outcomes and to reduce healthcare costs by teaching people healthy behaviors and explaining how to use available healthcare services. The media pay in 2018 was $46,080 per year.
Other potential jobs for Marshall’s M.P.H. graduates include: