Master of Public Health

The Master of Public Health program at Central Washington University is offered through the Department of Health Sciences. The public health profession focuses on preventing disease, addressing inequities and developing policies and programs that help communities achieve optimal health and wellbeing. The program aims to educate and empower the emerging generation of public health leaders. As the most frequently awarded graduate degree in the public health profession, the MPH prepares students for applied public health practice and leadership in diverse environments such as local, state, and federal agencies, hospitals and clinics, community-based and non-profit organizations, research institutions and other agencies in both domestic and global settings. All students are required to complete a capstone portfolio, including a project-based or research thesis, an applied learning experience, and interprofessional education competencies. The MPH program at Central Washington University is a 56-credit hour program that is designed to be completed in two years of full-time enrollment. Part-time, hybrid and distance-learning options are also available. Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to: Recognize and articulate the dynamic, systemic linkages between biological, environmental, behavioral and social determinants of both individual and population health Design, implement and evaluate strategies that improve health at the individual, community, and population level Apply principles of cultural competence, diversity, and equity to identify and develop solutions to address health disparities in a variety of unique and diverse settings Collect, manage, and organize data to inform different audiences in a variety of communication formats Identify basic structures, organization, financing and delivery of public health and health services in the United States and describe how they impact the health of its population Apply critical data collection, analysis, and interpretation techniques commonly used to summarize population health problems, evaluate health outcomes, and make evidence informed decisions in public health Demonstrate ethical decisions, leadership skills, and professional values implicit in the public health profession and be able to articulate the effect of such decisions on equity, social justice, and human rights Demonstrate skills in effective management of public health programs and collaborative partnership development for health improvements at the population level