Accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the 42 credit-hour Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program is designed to prepare students with the foundational public health knowledge and competencies needed to address the most pressing and emerging health concerns nationally and globally. Graduates are prepared to work in a variety of employment sectors including local, state, and federal health and social service agencies, non-governmental and voluntary health organizations, health care, and private industry. Students may choose from these highly specialized concentrations:
- Community Health Promotion
- Epidemiology
- Food Security and Nutrition
- Global Health
- Health Equity and Social Justice
- Health Policy
- Public Health Communication (admission temporarily suspended)1
- Public Health Practice (offered 100% online only)
In accordance with the CEPH accreditation standards, students are required to complete coursework in both the public health core and one concentration, as well as fieldwork for the applied practice experience. As a CEPH-accredited program, all graduates are eligible to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) examination.
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Edited on November 22, 2024.
Admissions
Admission decisions are based on a review of:
- undergraduate academic performance and recent post-baccalaureate coursework (transcripts)
- professional and volunteer experience
- statement of goals and objectives
- letters of recommendation
Some background in statistics, biology, and the social sciences is preferred. Applicants must meet the admission standards and application requirements specified in Admissions. Applications must be submitted using the online Schools of Public Health Application System (SOPHAS). For more information about application requirements and deadlines, please visit the College of Public Health Admissions website.
Food Security and Nutrition Concentration
To be admitted to the Food Security and Nutrition Concentration, students must have taken NUTR 295 Introduction to Nutrition (Mason Core) or a substitute approved by the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies.
Policies
Students must complete 42 credits of graduate coursework with at least a 3.00 GPA in order to graduate. Each course listed below can be used to fulfill only one requirement toward the MPH degree. A graduate course in which a grade of C or below is earned may be repeated only once. Graduate students may repeat no more than two courses.
Transfer of Credit
Transfer of credit is governed by the policies outlined in AP 6.5 Credit by Exam or Transfer and AP 6.9 Requirements for Master's Degrees. Transfer credit must be approved by the program director and the dean. Students who enroll initially through non-degree studies should seek academic advising through the department before taking a course and should plan to submit their application to the MPH program in their first semester of study.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 42
Public Health Core
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GCH 500 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| GCH 604 | Fundamentals of Epidemiology and Biostatistics 1 | 3 |
| or GCH 712 | Introduction to Epidemiology | |
| GCH 609 | Community Assessment and Partnerships | 3 |
| GCH 611 | Health Program Planning and Evaluation (Mason Core) | 3 |
| GCH 645 | U.S. and Global Public Health Systems | 3 |
| HAP 635 | Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health | 3 |
| HAP 680 | Applied Public Health Leadership and Management | 3 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
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Students in the MPH-Epidemiology concentration must take GCH 712. GCH 604 will not count toward the Public Health Core requirements for MPH-Epidemiology students. Students in other concentrations may not take GCH 712 as part of their Public Health Core coursework. It may be taken as a concentration elective, as approved by the MPH program advisor.
Practicum Requirements
This required 200-hour practicum gives students the opportunity to practice and improve professional skills in a supervised setting. Students must have completed at least 21 credits toward the degree program in order to be eligible for their practicum.
The requirements to complete the practicum are in two courses over two semesters, as follows1:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GCH 780 | Practicum Seminar | 0 |
| GCH 790 | Practicum in Public Health | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
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Students enrolled in catalog years prior to 2022-2023 must complete GCH 792 Integrative Learning Experience.
Concentration
Students must complete one concentration.
Concentration in Community Health Promotion (CMHP)
Students examine the social and behavioral determinants associated with the most pressing health problems in order to improve population health through the design, implementation, and evaluation of health promotion programs. Graduates of this concentration are eligible to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) exam.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GCH 607 | Evidence-Based Public Health Practice | 3 |
| GCH 610 | Health Behavior Theory | 3 |
| GCH 620 | Public Health Promotion Strategies | 3 |
| GCH 651 | Behavioral Research Methods | 3 |
| GCH 655 | Public Health Equity and Justice | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Human Genetics Concepts for Health Care | ||
| Risk Communication | ||
| Science Communication | ||
| Climate Change and Sustainability Communication Campaigns | ||
| E-Health Communication | ||
| Science of the Environment I | ||
| Environmental Science and Public Policy | ||
| Environmental Toxicology | ||
| Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Health | ||
| Public Health Preparedness and Response | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| HIV/AIDS: Concepts, Principles, and Interventions | ||
| Study Abroad in Public Health | ||
| Migrant Health | ||
| Global Infectious Diseases | ||
| Global Non-Communicable Diseases | ||
| Project Management in Public Health | ||
| Interventions in Public Health | ||
| Environmental Epidemiology | ||
| Health Geography | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Nutrition Education | ||
| Global Nutrition | ||
| Administration in Public and Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Introduction to Management of Nonprofits | ||
| Emergency Planning and Preparedness | ||
| The NGO: Policy and Management | ||
| Environment and Society | ||
Advisor-approved elective course | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Concentration in Epidemiology (EPID)
Students develop strong quantitative skills to investigate and analyze factors that influence the occurrence, distribution, prevention and control of disease. Emphasis is placed on the development of such skills as study design, data collection and management, data analysis and interpretation, and communication of research findings.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GCH 726 | Advanced Methods in Epidemiology I | 3 |
| GCH 804 | Biostatistics for Public Health I | 3 |
| GCH 805 | Biostatistics for Public Health II | 3 |
| GCH 824 | Advanced Data Analysis for Epidemiologic Research | 3 |
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Infectious Disease Epidemiology | ||
| Advanced Methods in Epidemiology II | ||
| Chronic Disease Epidemiology | ||
| Environmental Epidemiology | ||
| Social Epidemiology | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Health | ||
| Global Health | ||
| HIV/AIDS: Concepts, Principles, and Interventions | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| Evidence-Based Public Health Practice | ||
| Migrant Health | ||
| SAS for Health Research | ||
| Behavioral Research Methods | ||
| Infectious Disease Epidemiology | ||
| Advanced Methods in Epidemiology II | ||
| Chronic Disease Epidemiology | ||
| Environmental Epidemiology | ||
| Social Epidemiology | ||
| Health Geography | ||
| Geospatial Science Fundamentals | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Global Nutrition | ||
Advisor-approved elective course | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Concentration in Food Security and Nutrition (FSN)
Students in this interdisciplinary concentration create population health approaches to implement food security and nutrition programs and policies at the local, regional and global levels. Students explore definitions, measurement, and policy implications of food security and nutrition through a multidisciplinary approach.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| NUTR 608 | Perspectives on Food Security | 3 |
| NUTR 610 | Food Safety and Defense | 3 |
| NUTR 626 | Food Systems | 3 |
| NUTR 630 | Global Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR 651 | Nutrition Assessment | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Study Abroad in Public Health | ||
| Migrant Health | ||
| Nutritional Epidemiology | ||
or NUTR 653 | Nutritional Epidemiology | |
| Chronic Disease Epidemiology | ||
| Fundamentals of Cooking | ||
| Nutrition Across the Lifespan | ||
| Introduction to Wine and Beer | ||
| Urban Agriculture | ||
| Food Science for Nutritionists | ||
| Food and Culture | ||
| Nutrition Education | ||
| Macronutrients | ||
| Micronutrients | ||
| Nutrition Research Methods | ||
| Nutrition Program Development, Interventions and Assessments | ||
Advisor-approved elective course | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Concentration in Global Health (GLOH)
Students develop competencies and apply skills to promote health in a global context, emphasizing comparative global health metrics; the socioeconomic, environmental, and other risk factors associated with transnational health concerns; and ethical and effective strategies for preventing and controlling infectious and non-communicable diseases in diverse populations.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GCH 543 | Global Health | 3 |
| GCH 626 | Migrant Health | 3 |
| GCH 640 | Global Infectious Diseases | 3 |
| GCH 650 | Global Non-Communicable Diseases | 3 |
| GLOA 600 | Global Competencies | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Emerging Infectious Diseases | ||
| Health Communication | ||
| Risk Communication | ||
| Science Communication | ||
| Climate Change and Sustainability Communication Campaigns | ||
| E-Health Communication | ||
| Science of the Environment I | ||
| Environmental Science and Public Policy | ||
| Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Health | ||
| Public Health Preparedness and Response | ||
| HIV/AIDS: Concepts, Principles, and Interventions | ||
| Study Abroad in Public Health | ||
| Evidence-Based Public Health Practice | ||
| Health Behavior Theory | ||
| SAS for Health Research | ||
| Behavioral Research Methods | ||
| Project Management in Public Health | ||
| Interventions in Public Health | ||
| Environmental Epidemiology | ||
| Social Epidemiology | ||
| Health Geography | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Food and Culture | ||
| Global Nutrition | ||
| Nutrition Assessment | ||
| Administration in Public and Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Introduction to Management of Nonprofits | ||
| Emergency Planning and Preparedness | ||
| The NGO: Policy and Management | ||
| Environment and Society | ||
Advisor-approved elective course | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Concentration in Health Equity and Social Justice (HESJ)
Students critically evaluate the social determinants of health, analyze the root causes of structural inequities, and develop a range of interventions and strategies to advance health equity and social justice in public health practice and policy.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GCH 655 | Public Health Equity and Justice | 3 |
| SOCW 656 | Poverty, Oppression, and Inequity | 3 |
| SOCW 659 | Organizing and Advocating for Change | 3 |
| SOCW 710 | Behavioral Health Interventions Across Systems | 3 |
| SOCW 810 | Technology Innovations to Power Social Change | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Global Health | ||
| HIV/AIDS: Concepts, Principles, and Interventions | ||
| Study Abroad in Public Health | ||
| Evidence-Based Public Health Practice | ||
| Health Behavior Theory | ||
| Project Management in Public Health | ||
| Health Policy Development and Analysis | ||
| Nutrition Education | ||
| Immigration Policy | ||
| Social Policy for Children and Youth | ||
| Aging Programs and Policies | ||
| Global Human Rights Policy | ||
| Creative Arts in Social Work Practice | ||
| Substance Use Interventions | ||
Advisor-approved elective course | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Concentration in Health Policy (HTHP)
Students address the nature and importance of policy and policy-making in today’s public health system in order to engage with public health and advocacy organizations on policy issues and to analyze and support policy approaches in an era of scarce public resources and ever-changing priorities. Students are introduced to the context and process for policy-making in public health, including the current political, economic, and legal environment for health policy and the basic elements of the public policy-making process.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| HAP 602 | Statistics in Health Services Management | 3 |
| or HAP 719 | Advanced Statistics in Health Services Research I | |
| HAP 715 | Health Economics | 3 |
| HAP 742 | Health Policy Development and Analysis | 3 |
| HAP 764 | Health Policy and Government Payment Systems for Health Care Services | 3 |
| HAP 793 | Final Project in Applied Health Policy | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care | ||
| Topics in Public Policy | ||
| Health Care Security Policy | ||
| Health Policy Leadership | ||
Advisor-approved elective course | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Concentration in Public Health Communication (PHCM)
Students design, evaluate, and implement effective communication strategies and messages to inform and influence individual and community decisions that affect health. This interdisciplinary concentration links the fields of communication and public health.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| COMM 620 | Health Communication | 3 |
| COMM 637 | Risk Communication | 3 |
| COMM 670 | Social Marketing | 3 |
| COMM 721 | E-Health Communication | 3 |
| COMM 820 | Health Communication Campaigns | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Emerging Infectious Diseases | ||
| Science Communication | ||
| Climate Change and Sustainability Communication Campaigns | ||
| Science of the Environment I | ||
| Environmental Science and Public Policy | ||
| Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Health | ||
| HIV/AIDS: Concepts, Principles, and Interventions | ||
| Migrant Health | ||
| Global Infectious Diseases | ||
| Global Non-Communicable Diseases | ||
| Project Management in Public Health | ||
| Interventions in Public Health | ||
| Environmental Epidemiology | ||
| Social Epidemiology | ||
| Biostatistics for Public Health I | ||
| Health Geography | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Food and Culture | ||
| Nutrition Assessment | ||
| Global Nutrition | ||
| Administration in Public and Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Introduction to Management of Nonprofits | ||
| Emergency Planning and Preparedness | ||
| The NGO: Policy and Management | ||
| Environment and Society | ||
Advisor-approved elective course | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Concentration in Public Health Practice (PHP)
Students examine the social and environmental factors associated with improving population and community health with a focus on the application of evidence-based public health concepts. The Public Health Practice concentration (offered 100% online) is designed to advance the competencies of public health practitioners and other health professionals to fulfill their roles and responsibilities in local, state, and federal public health agencies and non-governmental health-related organizations.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GCH 535 | Public Health Preparedness and Response | 3 |
| GCH 551 | Rural Public Health | 3 |
| or GCH 560 | Environmental Health | |
| GCH 607 | Evidence-Based Public Health Practice | 3 |
| GCH 655 | Public Health Equity and Justice | 3 |
| GCH 691 | Project Management in Public Health | 3 |
| GCH 720 | Public Health Problems in a Changing Society | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Bachelor's Degree (any)/Public Health, Accelerated MPH
Overview
Highly-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's (BAM) program and obtain any bachelor’s degree and an MPH in Public Health in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 150 credits.
See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree for policies related to this program.
Students in an accelerated degree program must fulfill all university requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.
BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies. For information specific to this accelerated master's program, see the Department of Global and Community Health's Accelerated Bachelor's/MPH website.
Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of at least 60 credits with a minimum overall 3.25 GPA, and:
- A completed application form (available at the admissions website);
- A career goal statement, between 500 and 750 words in length, that addresses the following:
- Why are you applying to Mason’s MPH program, and the concentration you chose?
- How will earning an MPH help you achieve your professional goals?
- What have you learned from successes and/or challenges in your past educational, professional, and/or personal experiences? Please use specific examples, as applicable.
- Two academic letters of recommendation, one of which must come from a George Mason University faculty member. The second letter may come from an employer if a student has had significant public health related experience.
Students may submit their application to the BAM Pathway after completion of the following classes:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GCH 300 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| ENGH 302 | Advanced Composition (Mason Core) | 3 |
| STAT 250 | Introductory Statistics I (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
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Students may take any Mason Core Quantitative Reasoning course
Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits and course-specific pre-requisites.
Accelerated Master’s Admission Requirements
Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MPH program if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition Form:
- 3.00 overall GPA
- 3.00 GPA in graduate-level coursework
- Successfully meeting Mason’s requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.
Accelerated Pathway Requirements
Students may take up to four graduate level courses (12 credits) that count as advanced standing. These courses also substitute for BS in Community Health major-specific degree requirements. To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GCH 500 | Foundations of Public Health 1 | 3 |
| GCH 604 | Fundamentals of Epidemiology and Biostatistics 2 | 3 |
| or GCH 712 | Introduction to Epidemiology | |
| GCH 609 | Community Assessment and Partnerships 3 | 3 |
| GCH 611 | Health Program Planning and Evaluation (Mason Core) 4 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
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Substitutes for a BS in Community Health elective.
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Substitutes for GCH 335 for all concentrations except Epidemiology. Epidemiology concentration students are required to take GCH 712 which will substitute for GCH 412. Epidemiology concentration students may not count GCH 604 toward degree completion.
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Substitutes for GCH 376.
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GCH 609 is a required prerequisite. Substitutes for GCH 411.
Reserve Graduate Credit
While still undergraduates, students in the accelerated master’s program may take up to 6 additional graduate credits. These “reserve credits” do not apply to the student’s undergraduate degree but may later be applied to their master’s degree, using the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition Form.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GCH 645 | U.S. and Global Public Health Systems | 3 |
| HAP 635 | Role of Government in Health Care and Public Health | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
The ability to take courses, including those not listed above, for reserve graduate credit is available to all high-achieving undergraduates with the permission of the department. See AP.1.4.4 Graduate Course Enrollment by Undergraduates.