2009 - 2010 Site Archive

 

 

Graduate Bulletin

Public Health, M.P.H.

Concentration: Social and Behavioral Science

COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND SOCIAL WORK

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: February 15

Spring: October 15

Applications can be considered after the deadline, but those that arrive too close to the semester start to be evaluated will be rolled over to the following semester.  Note: Applicants submitting international transcripts or other materials are encouraged to apply at least one month earlier than required deadlines in order to have their materials reviewed in a timely manner.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:

Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members familiar with academic competence. If the applicant has been out of school for a long time, please make sure letters are from professional colleagues and that they address academic abilities, such as writing and research. Dual degree students should have two letters that speak to their interest in and aptitude for public health.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration:

Applicants' files are reviewed for undergraduate coursework in Mathematics and/or Statistics, Social Science, and Writing.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

A baccalaureate degree is required.

Statement of Goals:

The Statement of Goals should be approximately 500-1,000 words and describe your interests in public health and Temple's program; research goals and  future career goals speaking to your interest in social and behavioral health; and academic and research achievements. All relevant public health experience is important to highlight. You also may include a statement regarding exceptional circumstances related to previous academic performance.

Standardized Test Scores:

The GRE is required. While the program takes a portfolio approach to admissions, scoring 500 or higher on both the verbal and quantitative sections of the test or a minimum total score of 1,000 is desired.

Minimum TOEFL score needed to be accepted: 550 paper-based, 213 computer-based, or 79 internet-based.

Resume:

A resume is required.

Transfer Credit:

Graduate credits from an M.P.H. program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) may be transferred into the M.P.H. The credits must be equivalent to coursework offered at Temple, and the grade must be a "B" or better in order to transfer. The M.P.H. advisor will approve transferring credits based on a review of course materials provided by the student. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is between 6 and 9 semester hours.

Test Waivers:

Graduates with terminal degrees from U.S. medical schools, foreign trained physicians who have obtained licensure to practice in the United States, and those with Ph.D.s may not need to submit GRE scores.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:

Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 45

Required Courses:

To ensure that all M.P.H. students acquire a common breadth of knowledge of basic public health content, the Department of Public Health requires 18 s.h. of core public health courses (3 s.h. each) as specified below:

Biostatistics — PH 5002:  Biostatistics

Environmental Health — PH 5103:  Environmental Health

Epidemiology — PH 5101:  Epidemiology

Health Services and Administration — HCM 5101:  Health Systems Organization and Development

Public Health Practice — PH 5001:  Historical and Bioethical Issues in Public Health

Social and Behavioral Sciences — PH 5102:  Theoretical Foundations of Health Behavior

Social and Behavioral Science Concentration:

PH 5104:  Models for Teaching Health and Patient Education

OR

PH 8105:  Health Communication

PH 8111:  Public Health Program Planning

PH 8112:  Program Evaluation

Select at least one of the following concentration electives:

PH 5004:  Stress and Change

PH 8009:  Health Psychology

PH 8011:  Social Determinants of Health

SOC 8391:  Medical Sociology

M.P.H. Fieldwork Practice Experience (6 s.h.):

PH 9289:  MPH Fieldwork I

PH 9389:  MPH Fieldwork II

Students may choose from elective courses to fulfill the remaining coursework requirement for an M.P.H. in Social and Behavioral Science.

Internship: No internship is required, but students may opt for an internship as part of their M.P.H. fieldwork.

Language Examination: No language examination is required.

Culminating Events:

Fieldwork Practicum:

M.P.H. fieldwork requires a student to synthesize and integrate the knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences and to apply theory and principles in a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice through an internship (practicum) experience with a public health agency or under the supervision of a faculty preceptor.  The M.P.H. fieldwork practice experience serves as the culminating experience that is a requirement of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the accrediting body of all U.S. schools of public health, for completion of the Master of Public Health degree. In addition, this culminating experience provides the student with the opportunity to develop expertise in a topic area and to contribute original and independent observations to a body of knowledge.

A final paper is the required deliverable for the M.P.H. fieldwork requirement. Students must also demonstrate their proficiency (and the application of theory and principles) for the paper and demonstrate mastery of the required competencies during the oral defense. The evaluation of the M.P.H. fieldwork practicum experience, therefore, is integrated into the culminating experience requirement.

There are four options for M.P.H. fieldwork:

  1. Systematic Review of the Literature
  2. Primary Collection of Data or Secondary Analysis of Data (under the direct supervision of a Temple University faculty preceptor)
  3. Analysis of a Policy or Professional Practice Issue
  4. Practice-Based Culminating Experience Report

For the culminating experience, to fulfill the requirements of PH 9289 and PH 9389, M.P.H. students concentrating in Social and Behavioral Science are expected to complete a fieldwork experience, which enables them to:

    • Explain the contributions of behavioral and social sciences to public health.
    • Describe health problems, including their social, cultural, environmental, and behavioral causes.
    • Ensure that behavioral and social science theories and concepts are used in planning and evaluating public health programs.
    • Use behavioral science and health promotion methods in planning/evaluating public health programs.
    • Apply ethical principles to public health program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
    • Identify multiple targets and levels of intervention for social and behavioral science programs and/or policies (Individual, family, network, organizational, community, policy, physical environment, and culture).

Contacts

Program Contact Information:

www.temple.edu/publichealth

Department Information:

Dept. of Public Health
Ritter Hall Annex, 9th Floor (004-09)
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue

Philadelphia, PA  19122

mph@temple.edu
215-204-8726

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Joyce Hankins
joyce.hankins@temple.edu
215-204-7213

MPH Program Director:

Dr. Natasha Hinton
natasha.hinton@temple.edu
215-204-6780

Chairperson:

Dr. Ian Greaves
igreaves@temple.edu

215-204-9120

About the Program

The vision of the Department of Public Health is to excel as a regional and national leader by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, community practitioners, and private sector leaders. We strive to address community health needs in a global community to eliminate health disparities, and to increase the quality and years of healthy life.

The mission of the Department of Public Health is to promote and protect public health through quality education, research, and service. We emphasize disease prevention and treatment, empowerment, and collective as well as individual responsibility for health and health care. Collaborative partnerships contribute to meeting local, state, national, and global public health needs through conducting research, training a diverse workforce, and promoting excellence in practice.

Behavioral and social sciences in public health address the behavioral, social, and cultural factors related to individual and population health and health disparities over the life course. Research and practice in this area contribute to the development, administration, and evaluation of programs in public health, which promote and sustain healthy lives for individuals and communities. This cognate area has a strong focus on addressing the behavioral, social, and cultural factors related to individual and population health and the social and behavioral aspects of community health, health communication, program implementation and evaluation, and health education. The concentration in Social and Behavioral Science prepares students to design, implement, and evaluate interventions that are directed toward identified public health problems in communities. This cognate specialization will continue to aim to prepare public health practitioners to identify and assess the needs of populations; plan, implement, and evaluate programs to address those needs; and otherwise ensure that the needs of diverse populations are met to improve their overall health status.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 4 years

Campus Location:

Main

Required and elective courses in the M.P.H. program are offered on satellite campuses and through online courses. The full M.P.H. program currently is available only at Main Campus.

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students are able to complete the degree program through classes offered after 4:30 p.m. and online courses. Full-time students usually complete the program within two academic years. Part-time students usually take three to four years to complete their degree.

Department Information:

Dept. of Public Health
Ritter Hall Annex, 9th Floor (004-09)
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue

Philadelphia, PA  19122

mph@temple.edu
215-204-8726

Interdisciplinary Study:

Interdisciplinary coursework, research, and interactions are encouraged to give students as broad a perspective as possible to excel in the complex, diverse, and dynamic state of public health. Through associations with the Center for Women's Health, Center for Obesity Studies, C-PREP, ANTCAR, and others, students have access to over 100 faculty at Temple University and additional regional scholars who are actively involved in programs, research, and teaching in public health.

The department of public health offers four dual degree programs: M.D./M.P.H. with the Temple University School of Medicine, D.O./M.P.H. with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, D.P.M./M.P.H. with the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, and the M.S.W./M.P.H. with the Temple University School of Social Administration.

Affiliation(s):

The M.P.H. program has research affiliations with national and international associations such as the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine (ATPM), ECRI, and UNESCO. Locally, the program has long-standing research affiliations with the Fox Chase Cancer Center, the School District of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, PHMC, The Ford Trust, The Health Federation, and numerous other community health agencies.

Study Abroad:

Courses studying health care delivery in Senegal and in Costa Rica have been offered as part of the M.P.H. program of study. These courses are offered during the Summer terms. The planned study abroad offering for the 2008-2009 academic year is in Senegal and is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Ranking:

While M.P.H. programs are not ranked by the accrediting body, U.S. News & World Report ranked Temple's M.P.H. program in the top 20 graduate programs in community health, based on average reputation scores.

Accreditation:

The M.P.H. is fully accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health. Achieving accreditation in 1985, Temple's M.P.H. program is one of the longest established accredited M.P.H. programs in community health in the country.

Areas of Specialization:

The Department of Public Health has four transcripted concentrations in the M.P.H. degree program:  Environmental Health (EH), Epidemiology and Biostatistics (EBS), Global Health (GH), and Social and Behavioral Science (SBS).

Job Placement:

Program graduates have positions in a wide range of health-related settings, including state and local public health departments, community-based organizations, voluntary health agencies, health maintenance organizations, hospitals, clinics, schools, and work sites. Graduates are employed as HIV/AIDS coordinators, infection control coordinators, project directors, evaluation specialists, marketing specialists, research directors, prevention specialists, environmental health specialists, senior health educators, and adjunct faculty and consultants. Virtually all students are placed within 3-6 months of graduation.

Licensure:

Students who complete an M.P.H. at Temple University are eligible to sit for the CPH (certification in public health) exam and the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.

Non-Degree Student Policy:

Non-matriculated students are required to speak with an advisor before registering for classes and to obtain the permission of the professor. If accepted to the program, a maximum of three courses may be applied toward the degree program. Exceptions to this policy relate to formal certificate programs.

Financing Opportunities

The Graduate School awards fellowships on a competitive basis. Applicants who wish to be considered for fellowships must apply by January 26 or earlier for consideration for the Fall semester. Fellowships are awarded only to students with outstanding academic records who are admitted to Temple University for the Fall semester. The Department Admissions Committee nominates outstanding students for these awards, but the Graduate Board Fellowship Committee makes all award decisions.

Teaching and Research Assistantships are available in Public Health. The Graduate School website details levels of support, benefits, and the terms and conditions of these types of graduate student support. Assistantships are awarded on a semester or annual basis. Students whose Fall applications are complete prior to or at the application deadline are reviewed for eligibility for Teaching Assistant (TA) positions.  TAs are required to work 20 hours per week in any combination of teaching assignments made by the department. TAs are required to meet the English Language Proficiency standards set by the University and the College. Students who hold Teaching or Research Assistantships are not permitted to hold other employment without the written prior approval of their advisor, the Director of Graduate Programs, and the Dean of the Graduate School. To be considered for a Teaching or Research Assistantship, complete an application form that is available by request at publichealth@temple.edu. The completed application must be returned to the Chair of the Department in which you wish to be considered.

Updated 12.21.09