For inquiries about the admissions process or to have information on any of
these programs sent to you, please contact the Enrollment Center at (630) 829-6300,
submit an information request or visit www.ben.edu/admissions/graduate
(will open in a new window).
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
Introduction
Benedictine University's Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program is the second largest in the State of Illinois. It combines the foundation disciplines of public health with a high degree of responsiveness to local needs and changing circumstances. Throughout its offerings, the M.P.H. program seeks to produce graduates who will contribute to meeting the public health and health care needs of tomorrow. To that end, we support the professional qualifications of our students academically, professionally and personally.
Overview
The M.P.H. program is built on a base of core courses that teach the foundations of the Public Health concepts and processes. Students are taught by acknowledged experts in the field. Each course has a conceptual, factual, and skill base. Students learn the disciplines by acquiring the knowledge and skills to perform professional functions.
Each student then concentrates on a specific area of public health. These Concentrations are adaptable to changing circumstances. They include Health Education, Dietetics, Disaster Management, Health Services Administration, and Health Policy.
What is available to you?
Traditional M.P.H M.P.H. homepage
Online M.P.H Online M.P.H. homepage
Curriculum
The M.P.H. program requires a total of 66 quarter-hour credits and has three major components:
1. A Public Health core coursework of 40 hours.
2. Concentration coursework of 20 hours for most concentrations and
3. An internship of 6 to 10 hours (MPH 690).
Public Health Core
The required core courses in the M.P.H. program are designed to provide students with a broad range of competencies. The M.P.H. degree is designed to enable students to:
Apply statistical reasoning and methods in
addressing, analyzing and solving problems in
public health; health care; and biomedical,
clinical and population-based research.
Specify approaches for assessing, preventing
and controlling environmental hazards that
pose risks to human health and safety.
Apply the study of patterns of disease and
injury in human populations to the control of
health problems.
Apply the principles of program planning,
development, budgeting, management and
evaluation in organizational and community
initiatives.
Apply principles of strategic planning and
marketing to public health.
Apply quality and performance improvement
concepts to address organizational performance
issues.
Apply evidence-based approaches in the
development and evaluation of social and
behavioral science interventions.
Use informatics and communication methods
to advocate for community public health
programs and policies.
Develop public health programs and strategies
responsive to the diverse cultural values and
traditions of the communities being served.
Create and communicate a shared vision for a
changing future; champion solutions to
organizational and community challenges and
energize commitment to goals.
Plan for the design, development,
implementation and evaluation of strategies to
improve individual and community health.
Incorporate the biological and molecular
context of public health into practice.
Recognize system level properties that result
from dynamic interactions among human and
social systems and how they affect relationships
among individuals, groups, organizations,
communities and environments.
Apply the core functions of assessment, policy
development and assurance in the analysis of
public health problems and their solutions.
Building on the core courses, students select a concentration (of 20 credits) to meet their career objectives. The concentrations include the following:
Health Education and Promotion
Health Management and Policy
Disaster Manangement
Community Nutrition (Dietetic Internship Program)
Courses in the Public Health Core (40 credits)
MPH 511 Introduction to Statistical Analysis (4)
MPH 601 Health Behavior (4)
MPH 602 Health Systems (4)
MPH 604 Epidemiology (4)
MPH 605 Environmental Health (4)
MPH 606 Methods of Research in Public Health (4)
MPH 607 Community Health Analysis (4)
MPH 610 Health Policy (4)
MPH 611 Biology of Public Health (4)
MPH 662 Management for Health Professionals (4)
NOTE: MPH 511, MPH 604, MPH 606, and MPH 607 must be taken in sequence. Exceptions may be granted by the Program Chair.
Faculty
Alan Gorr, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor and Dean, College of Education and Health Sciences
B.A., 1964, University of Iowa; M.A., 1967, University of Toronto; M.P.H., 1976, University of Illinois; Ph.D., 1971, University of Iowa
Georgeen Polyak, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor and MPH Program Director
B.S., Lewis University, 1970, M.S., Northern Illinois University, 1973, M.S., University of St. Francis, 1989, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1995
Theodore Hogan, Ph.D., C.I.H.
Instructor
B.A., 1978 Loyola University, M.S. 1980, Ph.D., 1982 University of Illinois at Chicago
Starting the Program
The academic calendar is organized around four 10-week academic quarters. Students may be admitted for any of these quarters. It is possible to follow either a part-time or full-time program.
Concentrations
Concentration in Health Management and Policy (20 credits)
The Health Management and Policy concentration is designed for persons who currently work or intend to work in organizations engaged in health and medical care. These include hospitals, clinics, medical practices, health maintenance organizations and voluntary or not-for-profit agencies engaged in health promotion, as well as organizations that support these care providers. The concentration includes courses in the many areas of administration, finance, personnel, marketing and management.
MGMT 500 Accounting for Managers (4) or MBA 500 Financial Accounting (4)
MPH 664 Marketing of Health Care Services (4)
MPH 671 Finance in Public Health and Health care Delivery Systems (4)
MPH 686 Government Regulations in Health Care Industry (2)
MPH 692 Health Policy and Law (2)
Concentration in Health Education and Promotion (20 credits)
The Health Education and Promotion concentration is designed for persons who participate in or lead health promotion activities in a variety of settings. Health educators are employed in health departments, health maintenance organizations, hospitals, employee assistance programs, voluntary organizations and social service agencies. Health educators engage in activities designed to change peoples behavior to healthier ways of life. Health educators plan and manage strategies in prevention and to promote health in the community through educational intervention.
MPH 603 Ethical and Political Issues (4)
MPH 609 Cultural Context of Health Care in the U.S. (4)
MPH 632 Public Health Education Methods (4)
MPH 688 Health and Risk Communication (4)
MPH 664 Marketing of Health Services Organizations (4)
Concentration in Disaster Management (20 credits)
This program enables health care professionals, emergency workers, government and law enforcement officials, among others, to work together to plan effectively for prevention and response to natural and man-made disasters.
Our students work closely with local health departments on class projects that have practical applications. For example, students recently prepared disaster guidelines for individuals with specific chronic disease conditions such as diabetes.
Completion of the coursework in the Disaster Management certificate program can be applied toward the M.P.H. degree with a concentration in Disaster Management.
MPH 650 Principles of Emergency and Disaster Management (4)
MPH 654 Psychology and Sociology of Disasters (4)
MPH 656 Disaster Assessment and Mitigation (4)
MPH 657 Disaster Management in Public Health (4)
MPH 658 Health Care Safety Management (4)
Concentration in Community Nutrition with MPH Internship (24 or 30 credits)
The community nutrition concentration is designed for persons whose career aspirations may include nutrition and health education, assessment, planning, program delivery, counseling, outcome evaluation and program administration. Persons with this M.P.H. concentration may be employed in community and care settings, among others.
Note: See Nutrition and Wellness program for updates in course requirements.
Option 1: Community Nutrition (24 credits)
MPH 632 Public Health Educations Methods (4)
NTR 614 Advanced Life Cycle Nutrition (4)
NTR 621 Obesity: Theory and Practice Applications (4)
Select 12 credits from:
MPH 609 Cultural Context of U.S. Health (4)
NTR 512 Nutrition and Public Health (4)
NTR 625 Complementary and Alternative Nutrition (4)
NTR 630 Science of Sports Nutrition (4)
NTR 684 Program Development and Administration (4)
Any MPH or NTR course approved by advisor
The following Option 2 of the community nutrition concentration is the Dietetic Internship. The Benedictine University Dietetic Internship is granted accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of The American Dietetic Association (ADA), 120 South Riverside Place, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. This option is designed for persons who wish to become registered dietitians. Students must already have earned a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) Verification Statement from a program accredited by CADE and be admitted to the Benedictine University Dietetic Internship in order to pursue the concentration. The internship in this concentration, NTR 689, must be taken for 10 credits [in place of the MPH internship]. Following completion of the dietetic internship, the dietitian Registration Examination may be taken.
Option 2: Community Nutrition Dietetic Internship (34 credits)
MPH 632 Public Health Education Methods (4)
NTR 595 Advanced Concepts in Nutrition Counseling (2)
NTR 614 Advanced Life Cycle Nutrition (4)
NTR 615 MNT Advanced Concepts and outcome Measurement (4)
NTR 621 Obesity: Theory and Practice Applications (4)
NTR 622 Case Studies in Dietetics (1)
NTR 624 Portfolio and Professional Issues (3)
NTR 629 Nutrition and Health Research Planning (4)
NTR 645 Nutrition Thesis I (1)
NTR 646 Applied Nutrition Research (3)
NTR 691 Nutrition and Health Thesis Analysis (2)
NTR 692 Nutrition Thesis II (2)
Students in this concentration are waived of the MPH 606 (4) course.
Public Health Internship and Capstone(6 to 10 credits) MPH 690
The Public Health Internship, required in all concentrations, helps make good professionals even better. The interaction between preceptors and clients provides excellent practical application of the concepts studied in classes. Internship experiences may lead to meeting important contact persons with whom the graduate will interact throughout a professional career.
Students must contact the MPH Internship Director, Dr. Georgeen Polyak, to begin the placement process one quarter before the internship.
Sometimes an internship leads to a permanent job or referral to jobs elsewhere. The internship offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience of internship sites and projects is as varied as the students in the program. Experiences and settings will be selected to fit each students educational and career goals, work and personal schedules.
Benedictine University's public health students are welcomed by businesses, governmental bodies, professional organizations, health care providers and social service agencies. Although most internships are served in the metropolitan Chicago area, internship sites may be arranged elsewhere. The internship, final report, and presentation are the culminating experiences for the MPH Program.
Certificate Programs
In addition to the M.P.H. and dual degree options, the program offers certificates in Health Management and Policy, Health Education and Promotion, Disaster Management. These certificates provide the opportunity for career development for professionals who have completed undergraduate degrees but may not wish to commit to a graduate degree. The certificates can be completed without application or admission to a degree program. Students may apply their certificate credits to the M.P.H. degree at Benedictine University.
Certificate in Health Management and Policy (16 credits)
MGMT 500 Accounting for Managers (4) or MBA 500 Financial Accounting (4)
MPH 664 Marketing of Health Care Services (4)
MPH 671 Finance in Public Health and Health care Delivery Systems (4)
MPH 686 Government Regulations in Health Care Industry (2)
MPH 692 Health Policy and Law (2)
Certificate in Health Education and Promotion (16 credits)
MPH 609 Cultural Context of Health Care in the U.S. (4)
MPH 632 Public Health Education Methods (4)
MPH 688 Health and Risk Communication (4)
MPH 664 Marketing of Health Services Organizations (4)
Certificate in Disaster Management (16 credits)
MPH 650 Principles of Emergency and Disaster Management (4)
MPH 654 Psychology and Sociology of Disasters (4)
MPH 656 Disaster Assessment and Mitigation (4)
MPH 657 Disaster Management in Public Health (4)
Dual Degree Programs
*See second degree program listed below for course requirements:
Master of Public Health/Master of Business Administration
Master of Public Health/Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior
Master of Public Health/Master of Science in Nutrition and Wellness
Launch Print Version »
|
