University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse

What you'll study

The curriculum covers the five core disciplines of public health—biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health sciences—plus community health education competencies. Coursework includes applied topics such as research methods and grant writing, and some courses require interaction with community partners or public health organizations.

• Public Health Issues (PH 701, 3 credits) — Introduction to key determinants of population health (biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, social, political, economic) and the effects of globalization on public health. (Prerequisite: admission to the MPH Community Health Education Program.)
• Public Health Advocacy and Policy (PH 760, 3 credits) — Examines community engagement, paradigms for fostering healthy communities, community assessment, constituency building, participatory planning leadership, agenda setting, legislative research, and advocacy. Students may be paired with agencies or coalitions to link policy theory to practice. (Prerequisites: PH 700, PH 701, PH 710, PH 711, PH 725, and PH 755.)
• Grant Development for Public Health (PH 775, 3 credits) — Focuses on the grantseeking process for community and public health projects, including locating funders, writing and reviewing proposals, analyzing RFPs, technology in grantseeking, project implementation and evaluation, budget planning, and grant administration. (Prerequisites: PH 700, PH 701, PH 710, PH 711, PH 725, and PH 755.)

Entry requirements

The program is open to applicants from any undergraduate major; an undergraduate degree in public health is not required. Applications open May 1, with priority review through mid-September and acceptance continuing until the cohort is full. Notification of acceptance is on a rolling basis. Specific course prerequisites are identified for certain classes (for example, PH 701 requires admission to the MPH-CHE program; other advanced courses list required prior PH courses).

Career prospects

Graduates are prepared for roles across public health, healthcare, environmental health, and community health. Potential positions include healthcare manager, health educator, epidemiologist, and environmental health professional who monitors environmental conditions and investigates pollution or contamination affecting public health. The program highlights growth prospects across many public health occupations and points users to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for current salary and outlook data.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Students in the program are eligible for federal financial aid and may apply for internal and external scholarships. The program notes availability of financial support to help make graduate education more accessible; interested applicants should review program financial aid and scholarship details.