Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)
MSPH Curriculum
To view the MSPH Curriculum Table, click here.
MSPH Curriculum
The Master of Science in Public Health (M.S.P.H) degree program is committed to training students who seek optimal health for people, and their communities. The MSPH program supports the World Health Organization’s definition of health: “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This program is a 45 credit hour course of instruction, including a field externship.
Coursework
The MSPH coursework consist of 45 credit hours. The core courses consist of 15 credit hours that are required and the remainder are electives. This is the recommended sequence of courses. Students can choose to concentrate on a special interest by taking the recommended courses and electives. Students have a variety of courses from which to choose to fulfill the remainder of the degree requirements for the MSPH degree.
Externship
Students are required to complete a 400 hour externship in a public health agency. The externship manual Externship is an on-the-job experience for each student for a minimum period of 10 weeks with 40 hour work week totaling 400 hours. It is generally held during the summer months between the first year and second year of academic study. MSPH students have participated in externship's at the local, state, federal and international public health settings. Additionally externships have taken place at organizations such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Tennessee Hospital Association, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Veterans Affairs, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Harvard University, and the Minority International Research training (MIRT) Program in Ethiopia Africa.
Culminating Experience
To complete the MSPH degree, the student has an option to complete the thesis or comprehensive exam. The thesis and comprehensive exam will cover all the core courses of public health and will test the knowledge that the students have attained in the core areas of public health. The thesis and comprehensive exam equally test the ability of the student to integrate the knowledge that they have attained during matriculation in the MSPH program. The MSPH thesis manual has been developed to assist students with preparation and writing of the thesis.
