Master of Public Health Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin

Public health refers to the science and practice of safeguarding and improving the health of communities and populations. It encompasses a broad range of efforts aimed at preventing diseases, promoting healthy behaviors, prolonging life, and enhancing the quality of life for everyone. At its core, public health focuses on disease prevention and health promotion on a large scale, considering factors that impact health across entire populations. This field integrates various disciplines such as epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, social and behavioral sciences, and health policy to address health challenges effectively.

Key components of public health include disease prevention, health promotion, health equity, community engagement, policy development and emergency preparedness.

Public health is a multifaceted field dedicated to enhancing and protecting the health of populations. It operates on a broad scale, addressing various determinants of health to create conditions where everyone can lead healthier lives.

Explore the following websites for more information about the field of public health and how you can contribute to the field as a public health professional:

Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health

What is Public Health?

American Public Health Association

Public health and clinical healthcare are distinct yet complementary aspects of the broader healthcare system, each focusing on different scopes and approaches to promote health and well-being.

Public health centers on populations, aiming to prevent diseases through strategies like education and policy development. It involves initiatives such as vaccination programs and addressing social determinants of health like poverty. In contrast, clinical healthcare focuses on individual patient care, providing diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing support for specific health issues through medical interventions. Public health proactively targets community wellness, while clinical healthcare reacts to immediate health concerns. Despite their differences, both collaborate within the healthcare system to enhance well-being at individual and population levels.

The Graduate School coordinates admissions and registration, and they use an online inquiry and application system. For further information about admission requirements, including application deadlines, please see the Prospective Students Application Information webpage.

Our program has a single concentration in public health practice. The curriculum focuses on community health assessment and improvement, community health program planning, community health program evaluation, leadership, policy, communication, health equity, and other areas related to public health practice.

Public health thrives on the diverse knowledge and skills of individuals from various disciplines. Consequently, there is no one-size-fits-all undergraduate major that is deemed ideal for pursuing graduate studies in public health. We enthusiastically welcome prospective students from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds.

Our program allows students the flexibility to tailor their academic journey to suit their schedules and meet their educational goals within 2-5 years. The duration can vary based on individual pacing and course load.

Yes, both the MCW Graduate School and the MPH Program are accredited.

The Graduate School is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The MPH Program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

With a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree, you open doors to a wide array of rewarding careers across various sectors dedicated to improving community health and well-being. Graduates may find positions in places such as health departments, non-profit organizations, hospitals, academic institutions, corporate health and wellness, and insurance companies. There are also opportunities at the federal level with organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, and at the international level as well.

Graduate-level coursework in public health will help you build competencies and improve valuable skills in areas such as evidence-based approaches to public health, planning and management to promote health, leadership, communication, evaluation, interprofessional practice, policy development and advocacy, systems thinking, and working with diverse populations. Some students enroll in the program to get started in the field of public health; whereas others have worked in the field for years and are interested in being more effective in their positions or advancing their careers. An MPH degree can expand the skills of many professionals such as nurses, physicians, pharmacists, social workers, etc. In some fields, having an MPH might be a prerequisite for certain roles or career advancement opportunities. Many employers value candidates with advanced degrees or specialized certifications due to the depth of knowledge and dedication demonstrated by such qualifications. The Graduate Certificate programs provide some foundational knowledge and competencies, but the MPH provides additional opportunities to learn and apply public health competencies.

The MPH program is geared toward working professionals, with most of our students managing full-time jobs and other commitments. Our program offers flexibility to support student success, but students must commit sufficient time to coursework to ensure timely completion of the program. Typically, courses demand around 6 to 10 hours per week, and completing one or two courses per semester is necessary to meet the program's five-year completion timeframe. This number can fluctuate depending on individual learning styles, variation in assigned readings, and specific weekly assignments. Most students who enroll in the program have the time and motivation to complete coursework, leading to successful graduation outcomes.

The MPH program will accept up to 14 credits of approved courses from other schools or programs. The Program Director decides whether a course will be approved after reviewing the course’s syllabus and transcripts. No transfer credits will be accepted for the Certificate program.

All MPH courses are conducted asynchronously, meaning students can access and complete course materials and recorded lectures at their convenience within the instructor’s specified timeframe. Some instructors will coordinate optional virtual discussions to enrich the class experience, but this will vary by class and typically is not mandatory.

Course materials, lectures, assignments, and discussions are accessible through a virtual platform called Brightspace. Interaction with instructors and fellow students often occurs through discussion forums, emails, and other digital communication tools. The structure may vary, but the online MPH courses aim to provide comprehensive learning experiences equivalent to in-person classes, fostering competency development and knowledge acquisition through online methods, active learning experiences, and collaboration.

You may transfer from a Certificate program to the MPH program; however, you may not transfer from the MPH program to a Certificate program. If you are enrolled in a Certificate program and then decide you would like to enroll in the MPH program, you must apply to the MPH program. If accepted, the courses you’ve completed toward your Certificate would be applied toward the MPH if you earned a B or higher in them.

No, our courses and programs are offered completely online. There is no mandatory on-campus orientation or summer intensives. We do, however, strongly encourage students to attend graduation in-person.

Yes, MCW faculty and staff must pay the same tuition as other students in the MPH and Certificate programs. There is a tuition reimbursement program offered by MCW. Interested individuals can contact the Human Resources Benefits office at benefits@mcw.edu to learn more about the reimbursement.

Yes, please consult with the Office of Financial aid at finaid@mcw.edu or (414) 955-8208 to learn more about your financial aid eligibility.