Public Health Major, MPH

Concentrations (Required) and Option Available

• Community Health Education — Coursework Only with Comprehensive Exam
• Epidemiology — Coursework Only with Comprehensive Exam
• Health Policy and Management — Coursework Only with Comprehensive Exam
• Public Health Nutrition – Coursework Only with Comprehensive Exam
• Veterinary Public Health — Coursework Only with Comprehensive Exam

Campus Code

• Knoxville Campus
• Distance Education

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 grade point average or higher in all graduate coursework

Community Health Education Concentration — Coursework 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.

Epidemiology concentration — Coursework 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.

Health Policy and Management Concentration — Coursework 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.

Public Health Nutrition Concentration – Coursework Only With Comprehensive Exam

Veterinary Public Health Concentration — Coursework 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.

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.

Five-Year BS or BA/MPH Program, Public Health Minor – Five-Year BS or BA/MPH Program

Overview

Students pursuing the Public Health Minor who plan to apply to UTK’s Master of Public Health Program (MPH), may apply to the Accelerated program for advanced placement in the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program. The Accelerated program saves students money by allowing seniors to complete approved graduate public health courses while paying undergraduate tuition.

Key component

Qualified undergraduate students can take up to 9 hours of approved graduate courses during their senior year. These courses count toward both their undergraduate and MPH degrees.

Eligible Students

• Bachelor’s Degree: Any student pursuing a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) at UTK.
• Additional Requirements: Must meet certain criteria described below.

Approved Graduate Courses for Seniors:

1. Term 7:
   • PUBH 530 Biostatistics (3 Credit Hours)
2. Term 8:
   • PUBH 510 Environmental Health (3 Credit Hours)
   • PUBH 520 Health Systems, Policy, and Leadership (3 Credit Hours)

Note: Only on-campus course sections are available to seniors; Distance Ed sections are not an option.

Admission Process

Students will apply to two different programs: 1) Accelerated Program and 2) MPH Program

When to Apply

Apply to the Accelerated Program during spring of junior year. Apply to the MPH program during spring of senior year for a summer (recommended) or fall admission.  

How to Apply

1. Accelerated Program

Students submit an electronic application form via the Public Health website by March 1st of their junior year. Students will be notified of acceptance by April 1^st.

2. MPH Program

During senior year, Accelerated students will apply to the MPH program through the Graduate School using the standard application procedures. Acceptance into the Accelerated program does not guarantee acceptance into Graduate School or MPH program itself. Minimum GPA for graduate admissions is 3.0. Accelerated students won’t be eligible to apply for a graduate assistantship until bachelor’s degree is completed. Accelerated students may apply for summer admission (recommended) or fall admission. Before selecting summer or fall admission, students should review course offerings schedules on the public health website for their desired program (campus or DE) and MPH concentration to verify a curricular pathway fits the desired timeline and is financially feasible. Refer to OneStop for Graduate Tuition and Fee schedule.

More information about MPH program concentrations is available in the Graduate Catalog.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the Accelerated program, students must:

1. Have a minimum overall UT GPA of 3.3.
2. Be declared as a Public Health Minor.
3. Complete PUBH 201*, PUBH 202, and PUBH 320* with at least a B grade.
4. By fall of senior year, complete at least 90 out of required 120 credit hours for Bachelor’s degree.
5. Conditional admission is possible if listed courses are in process.
6. Graduate with Bachelor’s degree in May or August.

* Meets Volunteer Core Requirements

Public Health Major – Five-Year BSPH/MPH Program

Overview

Students pursuing the Public Health Major who plan to apply to UTK’s Master of Public Health Program (MPH), may apply to the Accelerated program for advanced placement in the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program. The Accelerated program saves students money by allowing seniors to complete approved graduate public health courses while paying undergraduate tuition.

Key component

Qualified undergraduate students can take up to 9 hours of approved graduate courses during their senior year. These courses count toward both their undergraduate and MPH degrees.

Eligible Students

• Bachelor’s Degree: Any student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH).
• Additional Requirements: Must meet certain eligibility criteria described below.

Application Timing

Students can begin the MPH program in the summer after their senior year. More information about MPH program concentrations is available in the Graduate Catalog.

Graduate Courses

Approved Courses for Seniors:

1. Term 7:
   • PUBH 530 - Biostatistics (3 Credit Hours)
2. Term 8:
   • PUBH 510 - Environmental Health (3 Credit Hours)
   • PUBH 520 - Health Systems, Policy, and Leadership (3 Credit Hours)

Note: Only on-campus sections are available to seniors; Distance Ed sections are not an option.

Admission Process

Students will apply to two different programs: 1) Accelerated Program and 2) MPH Program

When to Apply

Apply to the Accelerated Program during spring of junior year. Apply to the MPH program during spring of senior year for a summer (recommended) or fall admission. 

How to Apply

Accelerated Program

Students submit an electronic application form via the Public Health website by March 1st of their junior year. Students will be notified of acceptance by April 1^st.

MPH Program

During senior year, Accelerated students will apply to the MPH program through the Graduate School using the standard application procedures. Acceptance into the Accelerated program does not guarantee acceptance into Graduate School or MPH program itself. Minimum GPA for graduate admissions is 3.0. Accelerated students won’t be eligible to apply for a graduate assistantship until bachelor’s degree is completed. Accelerated students may apply for summer admission (recommended) or fall admission. Before selecting summer or fall admission, students should review course offerings schedules on the public health website for their desired program (campus or DE) and MPH concentration to verify a curricular pathway fits the desired timeline and is financially feasible. Refer to OneStop for Graduate Tuition and Fee schedule.

More information about MPH program concentrations is available in the Graduate Catalog.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for this program, students must:

1. Have a minimum overall UT GPA of 3.3.
2. Be declared as a Public Health Major.
3. Complete PUBH 201*, PUBH 202, and PUBH 320* with at least a B grade.
4. By fall of senior year, complete at least 90 out of required total credit hours for Bachelor’s degree.
5. Conditional admission is possible if listed courses are still being completed successfully.

* Meets Volunteer Core Requirement.