Application deadline
Credits and costs
CEPH Accredited
What You Can Expect to Learn
As a graduate of the Penn State MPH with a global health track, you should be able to:
- propose evidence-based solutions to global health problems
- employ critical thinking to create and appraise literature used to explain the global influences on determinants of health
- apply social justice and human rights principles in public health policies and programs
- describe the roles and relationships of the entities influencing global health
- identify the relationships among patterns of morbidity, mortality, and disability with demographic and other factors in shaping the circumstances of a population
Why a Public Health Degree from Penn State?
Be a Part of a Nationally Recognized Program of Study
The MPH program with a global health track is conveniently offered online through Penn State World Campus in partnership with Penn State’s College of Medicine and is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Real-World, Practical Global Health Experience
Through your course work, internship, and capstone project, you’ll have the opportunity to gain in-depth experience as a public health professional that you can apply to real-world public health settings and real-time public health issues. Your studies will focus on:
- global health promotion
- global disease and prevention
- major contemporary global health issues and initiatives
- political, social, economic, cultural, and environmental determinants of health
- the role of global health players and how they interact to improve health
SOPHAS Application Requirement
Please note that you must complete a Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) application before applying to Penn State. If you are offered admission to the program, you will receive further instructions on how to apply for the online Master of Public Health program. If you have questions about the SOPHAS application, contact us at 717-531-1502 or [email protected].
View SOPHAS application information.
Opportunity to Earn a Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree
This master’s degree is also part of an Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate program (IUG) that provides undergraduate biobehavioral health, health policy and administration, kinesiology, and nutritional sciences students the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in approximately five years. Academically strong students pursuing their B.S. in Biobehavioral Health (BBH), Health Policy and Administration (HPA), Kinesiology (KINES), and Nutritional Sciences (NUTR), and Schreyer Scholars would typically apply to the online graduate program during their third year, after completing 60 credits. Current undergraduate students interested in the IUG pathway can review the MPH IUG website and email the program office for more details.
Information for Military and Veterans
Are you a member of the military, a veteran, or a military spouse? Please visit our military website for additional information regarding financial aid, transfer credits, and application instructions.
Courses
As a student in the Master of Public Health (MPH) global health track, you will build the skills necessary to identify, interpret, understand, and apply global health concepts from both a local and international perspective.
In the MPH global health track, your 42 credits of course work will include:
- 18 credits of public health sciences core courses
- 3-credit internship course
- 9 credits of global health track courses
- 3-credit culminating capstone course
- 9 credits of electives
Required Courses (18 credits)
Required Internship Experience (3 credits)
Global Health Track (9 credits)
Culminating Experiences (3 credits)
Electives (select 9 credits)
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.
Costs and Financial Aid
Graduate Tuition
Graduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register. Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.
How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | Cost |
---|---|
11 or fewer | $1,007 per credit |
12 or more | $12,082 per semester |
Financial Aid and Military Benefits
Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.
How to Apply
Deadlines and Important Dates
Your SOPHAS application must be submitted by the following deadlines:
Admissions Help
If you have questions about the admissions process, contact our admissions counselors.
For Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate (IUG) Program Candidates: Academically strong undergraduate BBH, HPA, KINES, and NUTR students and Schreyer Scholars who want to be considered for the IUG program will need to apply and be accepted to both the Graduate School and IUG program. Please view the Penn State Graduate Bulletin listing to better understand the special admissions requirements associated with the program.
SOPHAS Application Requirement
Please note that you must complete a Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) application before applying to Penn State. If you are offered admission to the program, you will receive further instructions on how to apply for the online Master of Public Health program. If you have questions about the SOPHAS application, contact us at 717-531-1502 or [email protected].
View SOPHAS application information.
Prerequisites
For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates.
Technical Requirements
Review the technical requirements for this degree program.
Get the resources you need to make informed decisions about your education. Request information on this program and other programs of interest by completing this form.
Contact Us
To learn more about the Master of Public Health, offered in partnership with the Penn State College of Medicine, please contact:
World Campus Admissions Counselors
Phone: 814-863-5386
[email protected]
MPH Program
Phone: 717-531-1502
[email protected]
Faculty
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Djibril M. Ba
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DegreeB.S., Public Health, Temple University
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DegreeMPH, Public Health, Penn State
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DegreePh.D., Epidemiology, Penn State
Dr. Djibril M. Ba is an assistant professor of public health sciences. His research interests include investigating the potential health benefits of mushrooms and major chronic diseases such as cancer. He has been involved in global health research projects to improve the nutritional status of women of childbearing age and children in low- and middle-income countries including Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Wenke Hwang
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DegreePh.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore
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DegreeM.A., National Chung-Hsing University, Taipei Taiwan
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DegreeB.A., National Chung-Hsing University, Taipei Taiwan
Dr. Wenke Hwang is an associate professor and the director of the Master of Public Health program. He has taught graduate or medical school courses in health systems, quality of care, and social influence on health. Trained in health economics and health service research, his research focuses on health policies and systems factors that affect quality of care, patient outcomes, and health care costs. He co-leads the Informatics Core in the Penn State Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.
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Michelle LaClair
DegreeMPH, Penn StateMichelle LaClair is an instructor of public health sciences. She has conducted research in health policy
and health systems and has a strong interest in health education. She teaches PHS 809: Principles of
Public Health and PHS 894: Capstone Experience for the Penn State MPH program. -
Carol LaRegina
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DegreeB.S., Environmental Biology, Millersville University
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DegreeM.S., Environmental Health, West Chester University
Carol LaRegina is the associate director of the MPH program and a senior instructor in public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine. As associate director, Carol oversees the operations of the MPH program and provides support for the program's accrediting process. In her academic role, Carol facilitates instruction for the MPH practicum, Principles of Public Health, and independent study courses. She also advises students and serves on the MPH Recruitment Committee. She was an environmental consultant for 20 years, conducting and overseeing hazardous waste site investigations.
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Julie Lentes
DegreeMPA, Penn StateJulie Lentes is global health program manager in public health sciences at the Penn State College of Medicine. She has directed Penn State’s immersive Global Health Exchange Program (GHEP) and mentors the student interprofessional Global Health Case Competition team. Her research interests include global health, adult education, and health equity. Julie co-teaches the MPH practicum course, which provides students with hands-on, real-world experience in the practice of public and global health.
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Omrana Pasha-Razzak
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DegreeMPH, Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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DegreeMBBS, Medicine, Aga Khan University Medical College
Dr. Omrana Pasha-Razzak, professor of medicine and public health sciences, conducts research on women's health with a focus on pregnancy and reproductive health. She is a practicing hospitalist, one of the master educators of the Internal Medicine Residency training program, and co-director of the Junior Faculty Development Program at the Penn State College of Medicine. She is a member of the Society of Hospital Medicine, the American College of Physicians, and the American Public Health Association.
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Casey Pinto
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DegreePh.D., Nursing, Penn State
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DegreeMPH, Public Health, Penn State
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DegreeM.S., Nursing, Penn State
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DegreeB.S., Nursing, Penn State
Dr. Casey Pinto is an assistant professor at Penn State and a nurse practitioner in infectious disease. Her research focuses on rural/urban disparities in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) among adolescents. She is specifically interested in the behavioral and/or social environmental factors that are associated with STI prevalence and how these vary between rural/urban populations. Dr. Pinto uses her experience from her research and clinical practice to teach courses related to infectious diseases and public health practice.
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Heather L. Stuckey
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DegreeM.Ed., Adult Education/Systems Dynamics, Temple University
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DegreeD.Ed., Adult Education/Behavioral Science, Penn State
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DegreePostdoctoral Fellow, Public Health and Endocrinology, Penn State
Dr. Heather Stuckey, associate professor of medicine, humanities, and public health sciences, focuses her work on qualitative research in diabetes and psychosocial aspects of chronic disease. She is co-director of the Penn State College of Medicine's Qualitative and Mixed Methods Core and teaches in qualitative research. Her research interests also include evaluation of arts and the medical humanities and transformative learning in adults.
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Kristin K. Sznajder
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DegreePh.D., Epidemiology, University of Michigan
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DegreeMPH, Global Health, Emory University
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DegreeB.S., Psychology and Neuroscience, Penn State
Dr. Kristin K. Sznajder is an assistant professor of public health sciences. She has worked as a field epidemiologist for the United States Army and has worked in global health research in many countries across Africa and Asia. Her research interests include maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, gender disparities, and social determinants of health.
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Abebayehu N. Yilma
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DegreePh.D., Microbiology, Alabama State University
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DegreeMPH, Global Health, New York University
Dr. Abebayehu N. Yilma is an adjunct assistant professor in public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine. His research interest focuses on infectious diseases and behavioral epidemiology dynamics. Currently, he teaches courses related to global infectious disease and public health practice. He is also involved with the Penn State Global Health Exchange Program. Previously, he has taught foundational public health courses, including principles of global health and epidemiology, and mentored MPH students. He has also worked on an infectious disease research project in Africa.
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Junjia (Jay) Zhu
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DegreePh.D., Statistics, Penn State
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DegreeM.S., Statistics, University of Idaho
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DegreeB.S., Industrial Foreign Trade, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
Dr. Junjia (Jay) Zhu is an associate professor of biostatistics in the Department of Public Health Sciences in the Penn State College of Medicine. He is a faculty member of the biostatistics core at the Penn State Cancer Institute. His main research interests include the applications of statistics and biostatistics in the areas of cancer-related clinical trials, smoking studies, and maternal health studies. He is a member of the American Statistical Association.
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