Applications to the programs are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis for both fall and spring enrollment.
Please note: Students who require an F1 visa may apply to the advanced certificate but must maintain full-time enrollment for the duration of the program, requiring registration for two extra courses outside of the curriculum but transferable to the Master of Public Health.
Public Health, MPH
Associate Professor Hackett, Graduate Program Director, 516-463-6517
Public health is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to prevent injuries, illness, and premature death, promote health and wellness and prolong life at the group, community, and population levels.
Hofstra's MPH program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). It emphasizes both the theoretical foundations of public health as well as its practical application. Students are trained to understand, conduct, interpret, and apply public health research, assess public health problems in communities, apply health education and social science theory to developing interventions to improve community health, and understand the role of public health within society.
Admission Requirements
- A completed online application form;
- Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, including submission of all transcripts from undergraduate institutions (a course in statistics is preferred);
- Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0;
- Three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's potential for success in graduate school and the public health field;
- Written personal statement identifying areas of interest and reasons for seeking advanced training in public health;
- Resume;
- International applicants for whom English is not their first language must submit TOEFL scores;
- Interview with the program director if the applicant does not have any prior experience in public health or health care.
The program understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a student's potential for success. Applicants who want to be considered even though they do not meet all the admissions criteria are encouraged to offer a rationale for an exception to the requirements in their written personal statement.
Program Requirements - Semester Hours: 42
The curriculum consists of 42 semester hours, with 36 semester hours of classroom instruction, 3 semester hours of internship and 3 semester hours of a culminating experience.
The curriculum is designed to meet the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accreditation standards and include Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) core competencies. Courses are designed around the five core public health disciplines: biostatistics; epidemiology; social and behavioral sciences; environmental health; and health policy and management. Seven critical cross-cutting competencies are integrated into course work: communication and informatics; diversity and culture; leadership; professionalism; program planning; systems thinking and public health biology.
Core Requirements - Semester Hours: 30
The required core curriculum is comprised of ten courses and 30 semester hours. At the program director's discretion, students may transfer up to 12 s.h. earned within the last five years in a comparable graduate program. The program director will need to see course bulletin descriptions and/or syllabi to evaluate such requests.
- MPH 200 - Introduction to Public Health
- MPH 202 - Epidemiology I
- MPH 203 - Biostatistics I
- MPH 204 - Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health
- MPH 205 - Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation
- MPH 206 - Biostatistics Lab
- MPH 210 - Public Health Policies and Systems
- MPH 220 - Environmental and Occupational Health
- MPH 221 - Research Methods for Quantitative Studies
- MPH 222 - Research Methods for Qualitative Studies
- MPH 223 - Introduction to Global Health
- MPH 229 - Public Health Professional Development Seminar
Core Electives - Semester Hours: 6
Students may choose 6 s.h. of electives from the following list. Students also have the opportunity to explore additional areas linked to specific faculty expertise, such as bioethics, chronic illness, and aging; suburban health disparities; clinical research management; medical anthropology; reproductive health; disaster preparedness; outbreak investigations; dental public health; advanced epidemiology; advanced biostatistics; and advanced environmental health.
- MPH 207 - Critical Decisions in Public Health Emergencies
- MPH 208 - Epidemiology 2
- MPH 209 - Public Health Nutrition
- MPH 211 - Health Equity
- MPH 224 - Public Health Survey Research
- MPH 228 - Population Aging
- MPH 251 - Readings in Public Health
- MPH 280 to 289 A-Z - Special Topics in Public Health
- HADM 201 - Health Policy and Analysis
- HADM 202 - Health Law and Ethics
- HADM 204 - Health Care Economics
- RES 387 - Skills in Funding and Proposal Development: Government, Foundation and Corporate
RES 387 - Skills in Funding and Proposal Development: Government, Foundation and Corporate
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Required Field Experience - Semester Hours: 6
The internship provides experiential learning with the goal of applying skills learned in the classroom in the professional practice environment. The culminating experience demonstrates the student's ability to integrate multiple competencies from both their course work and their internship experience in one of three ways. Each of the following options provide students with the opportunity to develop expertise in a specific topic area, demonstrate research method skills, and make a contribution to the field of public health: 1) a manuscript that can be submitted for publication; 2) a manuscript that can be submitted for a panel or symposium presentation at a professional conference; 3) a grant proposal that uses new data analyses that can be submitted for funding.
Graduation Requirements
Successful completion of all course requirements for the degree, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Courses in which the student earns below a B- will not count toward degree requirements.
Foundations of Public Health, Adv. Cert.
Associate Professor Hackett, Graduate Program Director, 516-463-6517
Public health is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to prevent injuries, illness, and premature death, promote health and wellness and prolong life at the group, community, and population levels.
The Advanced Certificate in Foundations of Public Health is intended for professionals working in a public health agency or organization, or professionals in a related health or human services field who wish to gain the skills and evidence-based approaches used in the profession of public health.
To earn the advanced certificate, students will be required to complete 12 semester hours (4 courses) in addition to attending a mandatory prerequisite Foundations of Public Health Seminar. The 12 semester hours may be applied as transfer credit to the Hofstra MPH program.
Hofstra's MPH program is 42 semester hours and is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). It emphasizes both the theoretical foundations of public health as well as its practical application. Students are trained to understand, conduct, interpret, and apply public health research, assess public health problems in communities, apply health education and social science theory to developing interventions to improve community health, and understand the role of public health within society.
On average, advanced certificate students complete this program in one academic year.
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor's degree.
- A minimum grade point average of 3.0.
- A personal interview with a faculty member.
- A detailed resume including related professional experience.
- Two letters of recommendation, one from an academic source and one from a professional source.
Program Requirements - Total Semester Hours: 12
Graduation Requirements
- Completion of all program requirements.
- A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work.