Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice Program

  • Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice Program & Graduate Certificate in Public Health

    Our mission is to promote equity, health, and well-being through excellence in the education of public health practice leaders, scientific investigation of public health issues, and community engagement in an organized effort to identify, assess, prevent, and mitigate community health challenges.

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Learn about the admission requirements and application process on our program pages in the UAA Catalog.

The Public health program at UAA is enriching Alaska's health by training future practitioners and other professionals to understand and address the relationships between determinants of health and health outcomes of populations and communities. Our Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice program prepares public health practitioners to assess the needs of populations; plan, implement, and evaluate programs to address those needs; and otherwise assure conditions that protect and promote the health of populations. The MPH in Public Health Practice Program is designed to meet the challenges of the diverse and complex field of public health, with a particular focus on the needs of Alaska and the Circumpolar North. Students with backgrounds in the natural sciences, social sciences, business, health professions, human services, education, and law have successfully entered the field of public health at the graduate level.

The MPH degree is a full 42 hour program that requires core courses in health education, environmental and occupational health, health management and policy, biostatistics, and epidemiology. It also includes coursework in research methods, program evaluation, circumpolar health issues, and management of public health emergencies and disasters, as well as the opportunity to create an individualized emphasis as the foundation for the required Applied Practice Experience (APE) and Integrated Learning Experience (ILE).

Individuals with baccalaureate degree seeking to develop basic foundational public health competencies for professional development and/or to enhance their career or academic background may choose to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Public Health. This program builds skills in program planning and evaluation, health services administration and management, grant writing, and leadership within public health-related agencies that serve rural and other underserved communities. This certificate program is entirely online and requires students complete 18 credit hours. Students who have earned the certificate can decide later to pursue the master’s degree, and all courses for the certificate will count toward the master’s.

Students who have graduated from the MPH program go on to work in various feilds.

  • Alaska Infant Learning Program
  • Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
  • Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education
  • Alaska Department of Education
  • Alaska Department of Education
  • CDC Arctic Investigations Program
  • American Lung Association
  • Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
  • Southcentral Foundation

The Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.  The most recent accreditation report and final self-study are available upon request by sending an email to the College of Health Dean’s Office at uaa_collegeofhealth@alaska.edu.   


Why choose Public Health Practice at UAA?

100%

The one-year job placement rate for Master of Public Health alumni is 100%.

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With a Master of Public Health, you can work in a variety of fields such as health education and planning, program evaluation, research, policy analysis, environmental health, and occupational safety and health.

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Work with faculty on community-engaged projects and graduate research. Experience public health practice in action while making a direct impact on the field.

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Pursue your graduate degree full time or part time while working and balancing other responsibilities. Course requirements are offered as online classes, so you can gain real-world experiences while staying in your community.

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Program Information

The UAA Catalog is the official source of all degree and certificate programs at the university. Catalog entries for each program include details such as learning outcomes, application timeline and requirements, course sequencing, and program requirements. 

 

Catalog: Master of Public Health

 

Catalog: Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health Dual Degree

 

ceph accredited master's

 


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Photo of Gabriel Garcia

Message from the Program Chair

UAA’s Master of Public Health Program was established in 2003. We are the first and only Master’s of Public Health Program in Alaska, and we are one of the first fully distance delivered MPH programs in the nation accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Moreover, we are also considered one of the most affordable MPH programs in the nation. Given that most, if not all, of our courses are online and delivered asynchronously, you can participate in our classes whenever or wherever you may be. Since most of our students are part-time, they typically complete our program in three to four years; however, it is possible for full-time students to complete our program in approximately two years. Whether you are a mid-career professional or you just completed your baccalaureate degree, we invite you to apply to our program. If you are not sure whether public health is right for you, I encourage you to take a few of our courses or talk to one of our faculty. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

— Gabriel Garcia, Ph.D.

 

Contact Us:
Phone: 907-786-6545
Email: dphs@alaska.edu

 
Location:
UAA Professional Studies Building
2533 Providence Dr., Suite 206
Anchorage, AK 99508

 

Mailing Address:
UAA Div. of Population Health Sciences
UAA Professional Studies Building
3211 Providence Dr., PSB 206
Anchorage, AK 99508


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