MPH Program
MPH in Epidemiology/BS in Exercise Science Multi-Award Degree Program
Overview
With the rapid rise of chronic, behavior-driven diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and obesity and the rapid evolution of career opportunities that are multidisciplinary in nature, the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree may no longer be sufficient to meet the health care needs of the 21st century. The Surgeon General of the United States has identified physical inactivity as a health risk for developing these chronic diseases. The increasing public awareness of adopting physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle and to help prevent disease and injury has created many job opportunities. To better prepare students for their future career development, the School of Public Health and Health Professions provides a collaborative BS in Exercise Science (ES) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in epidemiology degree program.
There is strong justification for this combined BS/MPH program. Most current professionals in the health and fitness industry have a strong foundation in the exercise sciences. In combining the BS in Exercise Science program with the MPH in Epidemiology program, the student will be considering exercise and prevention from a population and community based perspective. The student will be thinking about preventive solutions to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity from a global view, rather than a traditional one-on-one perspective. The BS/MPH degree will train students with a rigorous foundation in both areas by taking advantage of an existing BS in Exercise Science program and an MPH in Epidemiology program.
Creation of a joint BS/MPH program will permit development of new career options in conducting research in the exercise sciences or planning, administering and evaluating physical activity education programs. The program should interest exercise science students who are interested in integrating epidemiology into their work, and on the other hand, this program will attract epidemiology students interested in promoting an active lifestyle.
Graduates from this combined BS/MPH program will have new career options beyond those already open to those with only the BS degree. Students will be able to integrate a solid scientific foundation in movement science with a background in public health program planning, administration, and evaluation using physical activity as an intervention, prevention, or health promotion modality. Past MPH graduates have gone on to work in academia, health departments, medical centers, and private corporations.
The combined degree, with careful planning, can be completed in five years. The best time for planning would be as a freshman, but the program can be completed even if the students start the appropriate course work in the junior year after acceptance into the Exercise and Nutrition Sciences (ENS) program. The undergraduate course work that would be appropriate for the BS portion of the combined program is the same as the stand alone Exercise Science Program.
The MPH degree with a concentration in epidemiology is offered through the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and the BS in Exercise Science degree is offered through the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences.
[ Top of Page ]
Program Competencies
The BS/MPH program will prepare graduates for a variety of positions related to the exercise sciences or administering and evaluating exercise education programs. Students will learn how to administer and evaluate evidence-based interventions that are directed toward identified public health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Upon completion of the program, BS/MPH students will be able to:
- Identify key sources of exercise data for epidemiologic purposes.
- Identify the principles and limitations public health screening or intervention programs.
- Describe an exercise public health problem in terms of magnitude, person, time and place.
- Explain the importance of epidemiology for informing scientific, ethical, economic and political discussion of exercise and nutrition health issues.
- Comprehend basic ethical and legal principles pertaining to the collection maintenance, use and dissemination of exercise and nutrition epidemiology data.
- Apply the basic terminology and definitions of epidemiology to exercise programs
- Calculate basic epidemiology measures as they apply to exercise programs.
- Communicate exercise epidemiology information to lay and professional audiences.
- Draw appropriate inferences from epidemiologic exercise data.
- Evaluate the strengths and limitations of exercise epidemiology reports.
Other relevant competencies interwoven into the curriculum from the Association of Schools of Public Health Education Committee's Master's Degree in Public Health Core Competency Development Project (Version 2.1):
- Describe the role of social and community factors in both the onset and solution of public health problems.
- Identify the causes of social and behavioral factors that affect health of individuals and populations.
- Identify basic theories, concepts and models from a range of social and behavioral disciplines that are used in public health research and practice.
- Apply ethical principles to public health program planning, implementation and evaluation.
- Specify multiple targets and levels of intervention for social and behavioral science programs and/or policies.
- Identify individual, organizational and community concerns, assets, resources and deficits for social and behavioral science interventions.
- Apply evidence-based approaches in the development and evaluation of social and behavioral science interventions.
- Describe the merits of social and behavioral science interventions and policies.
- Describe steps and procedures for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, policies and interventions.
- Identify critical stakeholders for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, policies and interventions.
[ Top of Page ]
Admission
Undergraduate students apply to the BS/MPH program when they apply to the Exercise Science program in the spring of their second (sophomore) year of college or anytime afterwards. They will indicate on their application that they also are applying for admission into the proposed BS /MPH program. These students must declare their intent to enter the BS/MPH degree program in their second (sophomore) year to ensure that all the prerequisite courses for the graduate component will have been met before the fall semester of the senior year.
Because the GRE examination is required for students admitted to the MPH degree programs, students in the BS/MPH degree program will be required to take the GRE examination before admission during the sophomore year and achieve a 50th percentile or better on each section of the examination. This requirement is necessary since the student would begin the graduate phase of the program in the fall semester of his/her fourth year.
For students applying in the spring semester of the sophomore year or later, these students will have met all admission requirements of the Exercise Science program. In addition, these students must complete exercise science prerequisite courses with a "C" or better grade, except for PGY 300 Human Physiology, MTH 121 Calculus, and STA 119 Statistics, in which the student will be required to receive a "B" or better grade.
If these standards are not maintained, the student will not be retained in the combined BS/MPH degree program, but the student can continue on in the BS degree program.
Exceptional students in good standing in the University Honors Program have the option of applying to the BS/MPH program at the beginning of the first (freshman) year of college. They will indicate on their application that they also are applying for admission into the proposed BS /MPH program.
For exceptional students applying at the beginning of the freshman year, standards for admission are higher than those for admission into the BS in Exercise Science Program because the minimum grade point average required for admission to graduate school is an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0. Admission to the University Honors Program is based on exceptional high school performance and standardized test scores. To be competitive for consideration, applicants should present an unweighted high school average of 93 and a combined SAT critical reading and math score of 1300 or ACT score of 29.
For exceptional students applying during the freshman year, these students will have met all admission requirements of the Exercise Science program and the University Honors Program. In addition, these students must complete the exercise science prerequisite courses with a "C" or better grade when they get to the undergraduate portion of their studies. This requires preparation in nutrition, chemistry, physics, mathematics, anatomy and physiology. In addition, the student will be required to receive a "B" or better grade in the following undergraduate exercise science prerequisite classes: PGY 300 Human Physiology, MTH 121 Calculus, and STA 119 Statistic.
If the student does not maintain these standards, the student will not be retained in the combined BS/MPH degree program, but the student can continue on in the BS degree program.
The personal statement will be reviewed for an exceptional level of motivation and interest in pursuing the combined BS/MPH degree program. These students are not required to take the GRE examination. If the student is not accepted into the combined program, the student can re-apply to the program as a sophomore student.
Applicants interested in the BS/MPH program will be reviewed by a joint admissions committee consisting of two members of the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and two members of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine.
[ Top of Page ]
Retention
For students applying in the spring semester of the sophomore year or later, standards for retention are higher than those for retention the BS in Exercise Science Program because the minimum grade point average required for admission to graduate school is an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0. The student will be required to have a minimum 3.0 overall undergraduate grade point average at admission and be required to maintain an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 while in the undergraduate portion of the joint program. This requirement is necessary since the student would begin the graduate portion of the program in the fall semester of their fourth year.
For exceptional students applying at beginning of the freshman year, standards for retention are higher than those for retention in the BS in Exercise Science Program because the minimum grade point average required for admission to graduate school is an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0. This requirement is necessary since the student would begin the graduate portion of the program in the fall semester of their fourth year. To remain in good standing in the University Honors Program, Honors Scholars are required to maintain a 3.2 Grade Point Average (GPA) during your first year and at least a 3.5 GPA in each successive year to graduate with an overall GPA of 3.5. The exceptional student will be required to maintain the higher University Honors Program standards, including an overall GPA of 3.5. If the student does not maintain these standards, the student will not be retained in the combined BS/MPH degree program, but the student can continue on in the BS degree program.
All students in the BS/MPH program will be required to receive a "B" or better grade in the following required graduate epidemiology classes: SPM 501 Epidemiology Principles and SPM 502 Advanced Methodology. Subject to normal University requirements, students may be able to use courses on this campus or other academic institutions to meet these requirements, upon approval of the Admissions Committee. If the student does not maintain these standards, the student will not be retained in the combined BS/MPH degree program, but the student can continue on in the BS degree program.
Graduation Requirements
Students will complete all coursework as outlined in the attached schedule. Students in the proposed BS/MPH program generally will choose the MPH project option for the MPH degree.
[ Top of Page ]
Course Sequence
The combined BS/MPH degree reduces the requirements for the undergraduate program from a total of 123 credits to 110 credits. The normal minimum hours required for the MPH Epidemiology degree is between 33 and 49 credit hours. The requirements for the graduate component of the Epidemiology degree will be 46 credits (SPM 535 Biological Basis of Public Health is waived). Because the last undergraduate class is taken during the Spring semester of the Fourth Year, the student will switch to graduate status during the Spring semester of the Fourth Year.
First Year: Fall
CHE 101 General Chemistry (5 credits)
MTH 121 Calculus (4)
PSY 101 Introductory Psychology (3)
ENG 101 English (3)
First Year: Spring
CHE 102 General Chemistry (5)
NTR 108 Introductory Nutrition (3)
CEP 207, PSY 207, or STA 119 Statistics (4)
ENG 201 English (3)
Second Year: Fall
PHY 101/151 General Physics (5)
ANA 113 Anatomy (4)
Literature / Arts (3)
UGC 111 Undergraduate College (3)
Second Year: Spring
ES 200 Science of Human Movement (3)
PHY 102/152 General Physics (5)
PGY 300 Human Physiology (4)
UGC 211 Undergraduate College (3)
UGC 112 Undergraduate College (3)
Third Year: Summer
ANA 407 Gross Anatomy (6 credits)
Third Year: Fall
ES 300 Athletic Injury (3)
ES 310 Exercise Assessment and Prescription (3)
ES 342 Neuroscience I (3)
ES 380 Exercise Physiology (4)
ES 341 Critical Analysis of Scientific Literature (2)
Third Year: Spring
ES 343 Neuroscience II (3)
ES 370 Biomechanics (4)
ES 442 Applications (1)
ES 330 Lifespan Physiology OR NTR 402 Lifecycle Nutrition (3)
Elective (3)
Fourth Year: Fall
ES 340 Special Cases (3)
ES 410 Exercise Assessment and Prescription II (3)
ES 402 Exercise Nutrition (2)
SPM 501 Epidemiology Principles (4)
STA 527 Introduction to Medical Statistics (4)
Fourth Year: Spring
ES 497 Practicum (4)
SPM 502 Advanced Methodology (3)
STA 506 Introduction to Statistical Computing (3)
SPM 533 Principles of Public Health (3)
Fourth Year: Summer
SPM 544 MPH Field Training (6)
Fifth Year: Fall
SPM 507 Introduction to Health Care Organization (3)
SPM 527 Study of Health Behaviors (3)
One epidemiology elective (3)
SPM 630 Integrative Project (2)
SPM 590 Graduate Seminar (0)
Fifth Year: Spring
SPM 549 Environmental Health (3)
SPM 506 Application of Statistics to Epidemiology (3)
Two epidemiology electives (6)
(enough to bring semester credits to at least 12)
SPM 590 Graduate Seminar (0)
[ Top of Page ]
Field Training / Practicum (12 credits)
Because the skills and knowledge to complete SPM 544 MPH Field training at the graduate level are acquired after completing the first year of introductory graduate courses, it is recommended that an integrated ES 497 Practicum/SPM 544 MPH Field Training be completed during the summer of the Fourth Year in graduate school. Six credits of the ES 497 Practicum can be completed followed by six credits for the SPM 544 MPH Field Training being completed during the Summer.
ES 497 Practicum is designed to enhance the skill development and acquisition component of the Exercise Science curriculum by providing students with the opportunity to gain hands on experience in a professional setting. The course objectives are:
- To apply and expand the knowledge and skills learned in the academic program with actual clients/consumers.
- To develop self-evaluation and problem solving skills.
- To become acquainted with different career/internship opportunities that exists within the field of Exercise Science.
Combining the ES 497 Practicum with the SPM 544 MPH Field Training will add the skills and competencies of the student with competency in epidemiology and some competency in health services administration. In the SPM 544 Field Training component, the student can conduct an epidemiologic project examining the impact of the exercise or nutrition education program, complete a needs assessment, implement a fitness program evaluation or conduct an evaluation of the efficacy of the exercise or nutrition intervention. The student can develop the competency to administer and evaluate a new program. This can be conducted after the student has gained experience being on site during the ES 497 Practicum.
[ Top of Page ]
