Public Health: Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, M.P.H.

Marisa Colston, Department Head, Health and Human Performance

(423) 425-4743 or email at Marisa-Colston@utc.edu

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will offer a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, starting Fall 2018.  The program is designed to train students as public health practitioners to work as experts the field of chronic disease prevention and control.  This professional program will assist public and private agencies with program development and evaluation as relates to chronic disease prevention and control through physical activity and healthy eating.

Mission Statement

The UTC MPH Program seeks to train public health practitioners and researchers in the methods of assessment, effective intervention implementation and evaluation, policy development, and community engagement to reduce the impact of chronic diseases and to address health disparities and improve the overall health in our local and regional communities.  Recognizing that many chronic disease-related challenges arise from economic, social, environmental, political, and health care inequalities, the MPH Program brings together inter-professional teams to solve complex health problems and to train the next generation of community health leaders.

Vision Statement

Academic and practice-based excellence to meet the community health challenges of chronic diseases and to secure local, regional, and national health equity for the future.

Program Objectives

The major guiding concepts covered in the MPH program include:

• How population health efforts can address the unique needs of communities, locally regionally, nationally, and internationally.
• The role of chronic disease prevention and control in the detection, control and maintenance of chronic diseases.
• Working as a part of interdisciplinary teams to create programs and provide services that benefit individual, families, and communities.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the MPH program, graduates will be able to:

1. Describe how the social determinants of health, including socioeconomic, cultural, behavioral, environmental, and biological factors impact health in communities.
2. Apply public health laws, regulations and policies related to prevention programs.
3. Utilize statistical software to analyze health-related data.
4. Compare and critique basic theories and models from a range of social and behavioral disciplines used in public health research and practice.
5. Explain the importance of disease reporting, standardized measurements of health status, sources of standardized data, and various types of epidemiological studies.
6. Apply the principles of program planning, development, budgeting, management, and evaluation in community initiatives.
7. Synthesize epidemiological methods to address scientific, ethical, economic, and political discussions related to public health issues.
8. Analyze and design evidence-based approaches in the development of social and behavioral science interventions for population health.

Admission requirements

Graduate School Admission Requirements

Requirements described are minimum requirements for consideration and do not guarantee acceptance into a specific graduate degree program or the Graduate School.  The Office of the Graduate School is responsible for the administration of the University graduate admission policy.  The decision to admit an applicant to pursue graduate study at UTC is based upon evaluations of both qualitative and quantitative information.  To ensure adequate consideration, the applicant should submit the completed application and supporting credentials to The Graduate School office by the application dates noted in this publication.  Those filing applications after the established submission for that term.  Financial aid may also be delayed. An applicant for admission must furnish the following materials to The Graduate School office:

• A completed online application form available on the web site at www.utc.edu/apply
• Payment of the $35.00 nonrefundable application fee for domestic applicants or $40.00 for international applicants.
• An official transcript from each college or university previously attended.  These transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to the UTC Graduate School office.
• Students whose native language is not English are required to provide scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required of all applicants. (Refer below for the description of circumstances that may allow applicants to apply for an exemption to the TOEFL/IELTS requirement.)

Supplemental application materials as required by the program, including official report of the applicant’s score on the prescribed test(s) for admission, such as the GRE or GMAT

To be eligible for Degree Regular Admission an applicant must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent and be in good academic standing at the last institution attended.  In addition to the previous two requirements, an applicant for regular admission must meet on of the following requirements from a regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent.  All GPAs are based on a 4.0-point scale; the last two years of undergraduate coursework are equivalent to approximately 60-70 semester hours or 90-100 quarter hours. (updated GPA requirements approved by Graduate Council spring 2011)

• 2.70 minimum GPA for all undergraduate work taken for the baccalaureate degree or
• 3.00 GPA for the last two years of undergraduate academic coursework or
• 3.00 GPA for 30 or more semester hours undergraduate credit after earning the first bachelor’s degree or
• 2.70 GPA for the last two years of undergraduate academic coursework and a 3.00 GPA on a fewer than 24 hours graduate coursework or
• 3.00 GPA for 24 or more graduate hours or
• An earned master’s degree or higher-level degree with at least a 3.00 GPA.

Students who do not meet this admission requirement should contact the staff of the Graduate School to discuss alternative requirements.  Applicants who are seeking admission to a degree program must submit scores on the appropriate standardized test as required by the proposed major department.

An applicant who graduated from an unaccredited institution may be considered for admission with a 3.0 cumulative average.  Scores must be submitted from the appropriate admissions test if the applicant is seeking admission to a degree program.

Public Health Program Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the Master of Public Health in Chronic Disease Prevention and Control must first meet the general requirements of the Graduate School at UTC.

1. A Statement of Purpose/Intent (part of the online application package).
2. Resume/curriculum vitae
3. Three letters of recommendation
4. GRE* score taken within the last five years

GRE exceptions

• GRE is waived for applicants to the MPH program who have 4 more years in public health related experience.  The Department of Health and Human Performance at UTC determines what constitutes such experience for their discipline.
• Students who have completed a PhD, MD, or MBBS and have completed Step 1 and 2 of the USMLE at the time of application may apply for a GRE waiver.

Academic records should indicate that the applicant:

1. Finished their undergraduate degree with a 3.0 GPA. Students with a GPA between 2.70 and 2.99 may be considered for conditional acceptance.
2. Graduated with a rank in the upper half of their undergraduate class
3. Completed an undergraduate program that provided them with appropriate preparation to undertake an MPH program of study in chronic disease prevention and control (such as exercise science, nutrition, psychology, public health or sociology) OR have public health related work experience.
4. Other requirements include:

• Demonstration of a broad educational background reflecting a strong interest in public health that is related to chronic disease prevention and control.
• Description of why the student is interested in the UTC MPH in Chronic Disease Prevention & Control and their specific career goals in the field of public health.
• GRE scores taken with the last five years. While there is no minimum GRE score, students are encouraged to achieve an “above average” GRE score on the verbal and quantitative sections defined as: a cumulative verbal and quantitative score of 300, an overall ranking in the 50th percentile or better, and an analytical writing score of 4.0 or better
• The committee reserves the right to interview applicants via an online platform (i.e., Zoom) or by phone on a case-by-case basis.

Admission process

• Applicants must submit the completed application, support credentials, and payment (as described above) to the UTC Graduate School by published application dates. Applicants must also submit the required documentation and materials required by the Public Health program (as described above). Completed applications received by an early review date (i.e., March 1st) will be reviewed by the MPH Admissions Committee. The MPH Admission Committee will consist of a minimum of three faculty members and the MPH Program Coordinator.
• Applicants will be ranked on their undergraduate/graduate GPA, public health and work experience, interest in the field of public health and chronic disease, future plans in public health, letters of recommendation, and GRE scores.
• Upon completion of the review, students will be notified that they have been admitted to the program, assigned to a wait list, or denied admissions to the MPH program.

Program completion requirements, to include degree requirements

Full time UTC graduate students enroll in 9-credit hours or more, while a part-time student takes 8 or fewer hours. A full-times student will be able to complete the MPH program in five semesters or less, while part-time students will complete the program based on a timeline that fits their personal circumstances, as long as it lies within the graduate school standards for degree completion.

To complete the MPH program, students must complete the following:

•  45 credit hours of study
•  33 required credit hours, which includes a culminating 3-credit capstone project
•  12 credit hours of elective courses
• Two public health rotations to be completed in the 2nd and 3rd semesters, each a minimum of 30 hours, with a public health-related agency. Rotations must be approved by the Program Director, Program Coordinator, or the student’s Faculty Advisor. Each Public Health Exposure (PHE) consists of a proposal and a final report.
• CITI training module for Social & Behavioral Research Investigators
• Instructional workshops (through the UTC library) on AMA writing and academic referencing
• A public oral and/or poster presentation
• Participating at the Minority Health Fair and/or a Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinic
• Program exit interview

 

Program of Study - Core Course Sequence Requirement

The MPH program consists of 45-credit hours that can be completed as a part of a full-time, cohort-based model over four semesters (Fall I, Spring I, Fall II, Spring II) or on a part-time basis. The program of study is designed for courses to be taken in a specific sequence from one semester to the next. This sequential ordering of courses allows for educational content, materials and activities to be integrated together and build upon previous learning from one semester to the next. Of the 45-credit hours, 33 are considered a part of the core course sequence and include: nine 3-credit hour courses, three 1-credit seminars, and a culminating capstone project (3-credit hours).

Elective Track Requirements

In addition to the required core courses, students will completed 12-credit hours of elective coursework. Working with assigned faculty advisors, students will identify a series of specific courses (i.e., an area of emphasis or a track) to enhance their professional development. Students may elect to complete a Generalist track that provides them with a broad array of graduate classes related to public health. Other students may elect to complete a specialized track of courses within a specific discipline (i.e., public administration, biostatistics) related to public health.

Transfer Credit

A majority of the coursework must be taken within the UTC MPH program. A maximum of 12-credit hours may be accepted as transfer credit. To be considered for transfer credit, a course taken at another university must meet the following minimum criteria:

• Carry graduate credit from a regionally accredited university
• Have a grade of B or higher
• Be related to public health or an acceptable area of emphasis within public health (i.e., economics, management, leadership, administration).
• Fit within the time frame of the student’s program of study, and
• Not have been used for a previous degree at the same degree level or for an undergraduate degree.

Initiation of procedures to have transfer credit accepted is the responsibility of the student, who must have one official transcript sent to the UTC Graduate School directly from the institutions(s) at which the course(s) were completed. The student should present the syllabus to the Program Director or Coordinator. If the coursework is comparable in requirements and standards for the MPH program, the course(s) may be listed on the student’s Application for Admission to Candidacy form. This form should then be submitted to the Dean of The Graduate School for final evaluation and approval. If approved, the credit will be incorporated into the student’s official academic record. In most cases, transfer credit will be applied to the elective credit hours and not towards the core requirements, which are designed around specific competencies.