The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is considered the heart and soul of any school of public health.

Now, the University of Georgia has launched a fully online MPH program in a format that provides more flexibility to individuals who want to advance their careers in public health.

“The MPH curriculum is the backbone of public health training,” said Erin Lipp, associate dean for academic affairs at UGA’s College of Public Health. “We are so excited to be able to offer an online graduate program that provides more accessibility to people who want to enter this field.”

The demand for public health professionals is growing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of healthcare occupations is expected to grow by 14% by 2028. At the same time, the need for a trained public health workforce is more prominent than ever.

Online MPH students will learn foundational theories and skills in each public health competency, including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health science, health promotion, and health policy and management.

Through coursework and learning experiences in the field, online MPH students will receive training to provide service and leadership in public health in their home communities and around the globe, said Kerstin Emerson, CPH’s director of online learning.

“One of our goals is for CPH to become a leader in hands-on, interactive teaching. There are many ways to do this, but one thing we’d like to focus on is offering more online graduate programming,” said Emerson.

This program expands the College’s current online offerings, with more online programs on the way.

“Additionally, we want to focus on offering high-quality community engagement and education. The pandemic showed us the power of leveraging online to reach the community, but it also taught us that this needs to be done well to be truly effective,” said Emerson.

Applications are now open, and the first online cohort will begin in January 2024.

– Lauren Baggett

Posted on January 18, 2023.