Two physicians speaking in a lab

Graduate Program
Public Health Practice


Degree Details

  • Masters (M)
    Total Credits
    56
    Start Term
    Fall, Summer
    Delivery Method
    On campus
    Online
    Flexible
  • Graduate Certificate (GC)
    Total Credits
    20
    Start Term
    Fall
    Delivery Method
    Online

Learn more about our academic program delivery methods



Public Health Practice Master's Degree and Graduate Certificate Overview

Our online Public Health Practice degrees and Graduate Certificate in Public Health offer professional expertise in a convenient, flexible format.

In the Public Health Practice MPH and Graduate Certificate in Public Health programs, you will gain applied knowledge that enhances your ability to engage stakeholders, identify community needs, gather data, design and implement programs and policies, lead organizations, and collaborate across disciplines.

The Public Health Practice MPH and Graduate Certificate in Public Health programs are ideal for:

  • Professionals with full-time careers, including doctors, nurses, social workers, educators, nonprofit personnel, government officials, hospital administrators, and others whose work involves advancing the public’s health.
  • Full-time students living in or near metropolitan Portland or those who live outside the Portland metropolitan area, especially those in rural areas of the Pacific Northwest.
  • Graduate students in other fields (including medicine, law, and social work) who seek to add a public health lens to their work, through a graduate certificate in public health.

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health (SPH) offers a fully online MPH in Public Health Practice, a hybrid online/on-campus MPH that you can complete in one year, and an online Graduate Certificate in Public Health. All three programs enable you to:

  • Serve populations that bear a disproportionate share of society’s health risks.
  • Connect and collaborate with various kinds of public health professionals, including (but not limited to) researchers, policymakers, program evaluators, health care practitioners, hospital and clinic administrators, and community advocates.
  • Use a dynamic online course platform that promotes strong relationships and extensive interaction among students and faculty.
  • Get personal, one-on-one attention from your instructors.

In addition, both the online and hybrid version of the MPH degree confer practical skills such as grant writing, program design and evaluation, data analysis, and public health research.

MPH in Public Health Practice (online only)

The two-year MPH in Public Health Practice pairs online coursework with hands-on engagement in your own community, wherever you live. Designed to accommodate recent college graduates as well as working adults, our online MPH can fit easily into any schedule, whether you are taking courses full-time or balancing them with your job, family, and other responsibilities.

The online Public Health Practice MPH is taught by the same preeminent faculty who lead the OHSU-PSU SPH’s in-person programs. And, it equips you with relevant, applied expertise in public health practice that you can use to guide health reform, exercise leadership, develop and evaluate programs, and better serve your community.

MPH in Public Health Practice (hybrid online/on-campus)

The hybrid Public Health Practice MPH combines online and in-person courses. Designed for completion on an accelerated 12-month schedule, it equips you with specialized public health expertise to support specific professional goals.

You can complete this rigorous hybrid MPH in Public Health Practice program during a year off from an MD, JD, MSW, MPA, or other graduate degree, adding complementary training that expands your scope of expertise and increases your marketability.

Graduate Certificate in Public Health (fully online)

The OHSU-PSU SPH’s online Public Health Certificate program caters to professionals already working in public health and related fields, including medicine, social work, public administration, and social services. You will develop academic grounding in statistical methods, epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, and health care delivery. The Graduate Certificate in Public Health is designed to be completed in one year.

Public Health Practice Master's Degree or Graduate Certificate: Why PSU?

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health reflects the spirit of innovation that is at the core of our two universities and the city we call home. Renowned for its collaborative outlook and embrace of new ideas, Portland is a hive of civic engagement, entrepreneurial energy, and creative vitality -- and our two universities, located in the heart of downtown, are an important part of that mix. Both universities are known for pioneering research and the public-spirited pursuit of knowledge. We are proud that the collaborative OHSU-PSU School of Public Health is built on the strengths of both campuses and a product of that innovative energy.

We at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health are training the next generation of public health leaders, while working with communities to find enduring solutions to difficult public health problems. We are committed to social justice, health equity, and global sustainability. And, we are a proving ground for new ideas that offer transformative potential. We invite you to join us in this mission.

What can I do with a Master's degree or graduate certificate in Public Health Practice?

The online MPH in Public Health Practice equips you with relevant, applied expertise in public health practice that you can use to guide health reform, exercise leadership, develop and evaluate programs, and better serve your community.

The MPH in Public Health Practice (hybrid online/on-campus) is designed for completion on an accelerated 12-month schedule, which will equip you with specialized public health expertise to support specific professional goals.

The Graduate Certificate in Public Health (fully online) provides you with academic grounding in statistical methods, epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, and health care delivery.

Accreditation

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).