Graduate study with a major in public health leads to the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. Preparation for professional practice in improving community health emphasizes a population perspective, service-learning and application opportunities through rigorous applied practice experience. The MPH degree is offered on-campus and by Distance Education online for the Community Health Education concentration and the Veterinary Public Health concentration.
Concentrations (Required) and Option Available
Community Health Education — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
Epidemiology — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
Health Policy and Management — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
Veterinary Public Health — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
Campus Code
Knoxville Campus
Distance Education (only for Community Health Education concentration and Veterinary Public Health concentration)
Admissions Standards/Procedures
- An online application must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions. A departmental application (MPH data form), a statement of the applicant’s educational and career goals, and three rating forms are required. Admission to the University of Tennessee Graduate School is also required for admission to the MPH program. Preferential consideration for admission to degree status shall be given to those with a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 and with at least one year of professional experience in a health-related occupation. As a restricted program, non-degree admission requires program director recommendation.
- Admission information and the application is available at the Office of Graduate Admissions webpage and at the Department of Public Health webpage.
- Application deadlines for completed applications are:
- February 1, for summer term
- April 1, for fall semester
- October 1, for spring semester –
- NOTE: spring admission is open to new part-time students only.
- New full-time students will not be considered for spring admission.
Academic Standards
- 3.00 average or higher in all graduate work
Community Health Education Concentration — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
Community health educators use multidisciplinary theories along with behavioral and organizational change principles to plan, implement, and evaluate interventions that enable individuals, groups, and communities to achieve personal, environmental, and social health.
Credit Hours Required
42 graduate credit hours
Required Courses
- Public Health Foundations (20 credit hours)
- Community Health Education Concentration Courses (16 credit hours)
- PUBH 536
- PUBH 555
- PUBH 556 (4 credit hours)
- Electives (6 credit hours), consult with academic advisor for selection and approval of elective.
- Applied practice experience (6 credit hours)
- PUBH 587 Written guidelines stipulating eligibility criteria and expectations are available.
Additional Course Requirements
- To meet program requirements, students must select courses in consultation with an assigned program advisor.
- Program totals are minimums and some students may be required to complete additional course work to overcome background deficiencies.
Non-Course Requirements
- The MPH is a non-thesis program requiring completion of 42 credit hours of graduate course work including six weeks of applied practice experience (may be completed on full- or part-time basis).
- The applied practice experience provides an experience with an affiliated health agency or organization offering one or more health programs.
- Of importance, field practice allows the student to apply academic theories, concepts, and skills in an actual work setting.
- Students are required to pass a MPH comprehensive exam.
Epidemiology concentration — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
Epidemiology is the core science of public health, and having an MPH with an epidemiology concentration will prepare students for a variety of public health careers. Students will be prepared to design and conduct population health studies and apply research findings to improve the health of the population. This concentration focuses on applying epidemiologic principles and methods; understanding the strengths and limitations of epidemiologic study designs; analyzing public health data using basic and intermediate level statistical methods; and communicating epidemiological research to both lay and scientific audiences.
Credit Hours Required
42 graduate credit hours
Required Courses
- Public Health Foundations (20 credit hours)
- Epidemiology Concentration Courses (16 credit hours)
- Electives (6 credit hours), consult with academic advisor for selection and approval of electives.
- Applied practice experience (6 credit hours)
- PUBH 587 . Written guidelines stipulating eligibility criteria and expectations are available.
Additional Course Requirements
- To meet program requirements, students must select courses in consultation with an assigned program advisor.
- Program totals are minimums and some students may be required to complete additional course work to overcome background deficiencies.
Non-Course Requirements
- The MPH is a course-only with comprehensive exam program requiring completion of 42 credit hours of graduate course work including six weeks of applied practice experience (may be completed on full- or part-time basis).
- The applied practice experience provides an experience with an affiliated health agency or organization offering one or more health programs.
- Of importance, field practice allows the student to apply academic theories, concepts, and skills in an actual work setting.
- Students are required to pass a MPH comprehensive exam.
Health Policy and Management Concentration — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
The MPH degree with a concentration of study in health policy and management offers an educational route to develop wide-ranging skills in team leadership, financial management, human resources management, communications, program planning and administration, and the facilitation of change. In addition, the curriculum focuses on health policy formulation and policy impact which must be understood by managers and policy planners seeking to address such important issues as access to care, quality improvement and assurance, cost containment, specialized needs of population groups, and partnerships with others to improve population health.
Credit Hours Required
42 graduate credit hours
Required Courses
- Public Health Foundations (20 credit hours)
- Health Policy and Management Concentration Courses (16 credit hours)
- PUBH 525
- PUBH 527 (4 credit hours)
- PUBH 612
- Electives (6 credit hours), consult with academic advisor for selection and approval of elective.
- Applied practice experience (6 credit hours)
- PUBH 587 . Written guidelines stipulating eligibility criteria and expectations are available.
Additional Course Requirements
- To meet program requirements, students must select courses in consultation with an assigned program advisor.
- Program totals are minimums and some students may be required to complete additional course work to overcome background deficiencies.
Non-Course Requirements
- The MPH is a course-only with comprehensive exam program requiring completion of 42 credit hours of graduate course work including six weeks of applied practice experience (may be completed on full- or part-time basis).
- The applied practice experience provides an experience with an affiliated health agency or organization offering one or more health programs.
- Of importance, field practice allows the student to apply academic theories, concepts, and skills in an actual work setting.
- Students are required to pass a MPH comprehensive exam.
Veterinary Public Health Concentration — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
Needs and opportunities for veterinarians are expanding in organizations ranging from public agencies dealing with animal and human health, to agencies and corporations charged with food safety and security from the farm to the consumer level. The demand is increasing for veterinarians with additional education in food safety, food and animal production, zoonotic diseases, biosecurity, research methods and public policy. The veterinary degree alone is not enough to prepare veterinarians to meet these challenges and opportunities. A Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is an excellent and necessary addition to the DVM degree for those individuals wanting to make a career in public health and service.
Credit Hours Required
42 graduate credit hours
Required Courses
- Public Health Foundations (20 credit hours)
- Veterinary Public Health Concentration Courses (10-13 credit hours)
- Applied practice experience (6 credit hours)
- PUBH 587 . Written guidelines stipulating eligibility criteria and expectations are available.
Additional Course Requirements
- To meet program requirements, students must select courses in consultation with an assigned program advisor.
- Program totals are minimums and some students may be required to complete additional course work to overcome background deficiencies.
Non-Course Requirements
- The MPH is a course-only with comprehensive exam program requiring completion of 42 credit hours of graduate course work including six weeks of applied practice experience (may be completed on full- or part-time basis).
- The applied practice experience provides an experience with an affiliated health agency or organization offering one or more health programs.
- Of importance, field practice allows the student to apply academic theories, concepts, and skills in an actual work setting.
- Students are required to pass a MPH comprehensive exam.
Dual MPH-DVM Program with Majors in Public Health and Veterinary Medicine
Students must be currently enrolled in the professional DVM degree program at the University of Tennessee (DVM students) to enter the dual DVM-MPH program; all requirements for both the DVM and MPH degrees must be met for admission. DVM students may enroll in the program at any time during years 1 - 3, but progress and time to completion will be affected by when a student starts the dual program and how many courses are satisfactorily completed each semester. Students will be expected to complete MPH-specific courses during the two summers following the first and second years of veterinary school. Students will pay graduate tuition fees during the summer semester and professional DVM tuition during the fall and spring semesters. Degrees do not need to be awarded simultaneously; if a student has not completed the requirements for the MPH, the student may still receive the DVM but must complete the MPH requirements within one year to take advantage of the shared credits. If a dual student completes the MPH requirements, but does not complete the DVM, the student may still be awarded the MPH. For details, see Dual MPH-DVM Program, Public Health - Veterinary Medicine catalog information.
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