How to Choose an MPH Program

There are many Master of Public Health (MPH) programs, and their names and marketing look similar. The differences that matter are in accreditation, concentration, practice experience, format, cost and what graduates do afterward. This guide sets out a way to compare programs and what to ask each school. It does not rank schools; for rankings and curated lists see the best MPH programs page and read its notes before relying on it.

Step 1. Decide what you want the degree for

Write one sentence about the work you hope to do: for example, "analyze outbreak data for a health department," "run community programs at a nonprofit," or "work on environmental health regulation." Your sentence determines the concentration you need, how much quantitative training you want, and what kind of practice placement matters. ASPPH lists nine common areas of study, from epidemiology and biostatistics to global health, health promotion and maternal and child health; see what can you study in public health.

If your goal is nearer to running a care organization, compare with a healthcare administration degree first; see public health vs healthcare administration.

Step 2. Check accreditation

CEPH, the Council on Education for Public Health, accredits schools of public health and public health programs outside such schools. The accredited list, which CEPH says is updated within 30 days of an accreditation decision, gives accreditation and expiration dates for each entry and flags those on probationary accreditation. Programs listed as applicants are in the process, but CEPH states that an applicant listing in no way guarantees accreditation.

Confirm the program name and level on CEPH's site, not only on the program's own webpage. Note whether the accredited unit is a school or a program, and look at the dates. Then ask the program what happens if accreditation lapses while you are enrolled. For the full distinctions, read understanding public health accreditation.

Step 3. Compare what the degree contains

CEPH's 2024 criteria give a base for comparing MPH programs that are accredited:

• Length. At least 42 semester credits, 56 quarter credits or the equivalent. Many schools require more. Ask for the exact number.
• Foundational content. Every MPH student is assessed on a published set of foundational competencies, so core courses are broadly comparable. Ask how the core is delivered and whether it can be waived.
• Concentration depth. A named concentration, or generalist degree, has at least five defined competencies. The criteria say a concentration typically means at least 20 percent of the degree's credits in courses that build concentration knowledge or expand on the foundations (for example, 9 of 42 semester credits). So check how many of your credits are actually in your area, and not only the concentration's name.
• Applied practice experience. Students show competencies through applied practice, such as a practicum or internship, course-based projects, service learning or a mix, and the program reviews at least two practical work products created for the site's use. The criteria do not set a minimum number of hours for the MPH applied practice experience in the section reviewed for this guide, so hours differ between schools. Ask the program how many it requires.
• Integrative learning experience. A culminating experience near the end of the degree that produces a high-quality written product, which might come from a capstone, practice-based project or comprehensive exam.

Step 4. Weigh format and logistics

Programs may be on campus, online, or hybrid. CEPH's distance education criterion says online degree programs must support regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors, must be subject to the same quality-control processes as other degree programs at the university, and must verify student identity. A practicum and a campus visit are different things; see online MPH practicums and campus requirements. Browse online MPH programs and ask each program about the following:

• number and timing of any required campus visits;
• synchronous class times versus self-paced work;
• who arranges the practicum placement, and what help is offered if you live far from campus;
• part-time pace and maximum time to finish.

Step 5. Look at the application and admission requirements

Requirements vary by school: prerequisite courses, minimum GPA, essays, references, work experience, and whether test scores such as the GRE are required. Do not assume a policy from a directory page. Check the program's admissions page. If you want to avoid the GRE, read MPH programs without GRE requirements for the distinctions among not required, optional, waivable and not published, and see the no-GRE page. Many programs accept applications through SOPHAS, a centralized application service; see applying through SOPHAS.

Step 6. Compare cost and funding

Compare total tuition, fees and living costs for the full program, not per-credit price alone. Ask whether funding is competitive or guaranteed, and for how long. Treat scholarships, assistantships and employer benefits as separate lines. ASPPH's financing page recommends starting scholarship searches early, since many deadlines fall in October through December, and it advises asking each school's financial aid or admissions office about institutional funds. See public health tuition and funding and the affordable MPH programs page.

Step 7. Ask about outcomes, and treat the answers as claims

Ask each program where recent graduates work, how many complete the degree, and how many find practice-related jobs. CEPH's 2024 criteria include sections on graduation rates and post-graduation outcomes, and ask schools to show public disclosure of graduation rates, so look for these on the program's website. The figures you see in marketing may not use the same definitions. Treat any number a school gives you as that school's own reporting, and ask what year and group it covers.

Step 8. Build a comparison table

Create a table with one row per program and columns for: accreditation status and dates, concentration and credits in it, total credits, practicum hours and who arranges it, culminating project, format, campus visits, admission tests, deadlines, cost, funding, and outcomes. After three programs the differences usually stand out. The site's compare tool can help with part of this, and ASPPH's Academic Program Finder lets you compare accredited programs by location, specialization, degree type or keyword.

Using this directory

You can browse by state or by subject, such as epidemiology, and see the MPH degree page. The directory is not a complete list of programs, and listings can lag behind changes at schools, so verify everything on the school's and CEPH's sites. Our methodology page explains what we include.

Common mistakes

• Treating "accredited" as a ranking. It indicates a program has been reviewed against published criteria; it does not say which program is best for you.
• Choosing by concentration name without reading the courses.
• Assuming an online program has no practice requirement, or a hybrid program has no campus time.
• Comparing sticker tuition without checking fees, credit counts and funding terms.