Master of Public Health
Master's
What is a Master of Public Health?
Earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree offers great personal fulfillment as you move into a career helping to prevent disease, prolong life and promote healthy behaviors. You’ll use all you learn to improve the overall health and well-being of communities around the world and close to home.
If you want to make a real difference in the world, especially in underserved communities, this MPH program is the path to take. Our Master of Public Health program is ranked #5 in Michigan in the U.S. News & World Report list of the best graduate programs in America for 2025.
AT A GLANCE
Why choose our Master of Public Health program?
You'll be on the front line of today's most challenging health issues as you become a disease investigator, research analyst, epidemic preventer and problem solver. Learn by doing in this Master of Public Health program filled with in-depth, skills-based education and field experiences.
Become a public health advocate
- Organize community efforts to improve wellness.
- Apply systematic and analytic reasoning to evaluate the cause of diseases and illness within a society.
Specialize in rural health and underserved communities
Our MPH degree is one of the few programs in the country with an emphasis on rural health and underserved communities. You'll be prepared to lead public health organizations and design culturally responsive behavioral and social interventions to address health challenges affecting populations across the state, the country and the world.
Benefit from faculty mentorship
Our expert Master of Public Health faculty care about preparing you as the next generation of public health professionals. They take mentorship seriously, and you benefit from their years of public health experience.
Discover an affordable option
We help make this degree affordable for you. Each year the MPH program awards a limited number of graduate assistantships to qualified students on a competitive basis. Graduate assistants receive a tuition waiver and a stipend as compensation.
Check out the Master of Public Health admission requirements for full information on admission, retention and transfer credit requirements.
Highlights of our Master of Public Health degree
- Flexible learning options: Take classes on-campus or online. If you’re already working, we can help you fit our MPH program into your busy schedule.
- Leadership credentials: Earn the degree you need to hold leadership positions in hospitals, district health departments, research institutions and federal, multilateral and voluntary organizations.
- CEPH accredited: Graduate from a Council on Education for Public Health accredited program recognized as the flagship degree in public health.
- Comprehensive understanding: Better understand the major social, behavioral, cultural, political, environmental and regulatory factors that affect community health.
- Hands-on experience: Work alongside your instructors with hands-on opportunities to apply new and innovative techniques to address health challenges in rural and underserved communities.
Check out our Master of Public Health Student Handbook to learn more about our Accelerated MPH degree and dual Doctor of Medicine and MPH degree.
Concentrations
Public Health Practice
Prepare to lead the way in settings like local, state, national and international public health agencies. Or further your career in hospitals, health systems, nursing and ambulatory care facilities. Your coursework will cover several public health disciplines and specialties, including:
- Public health and aging.
- Public health communication and informatics.
- Substance abuse services.
- Maternal and child health.
- Foundational and required public health courses.
Careers with a Master of Public Health
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for health educators and community health workers is projected to grow at a rate of 21 percent through 2024. That's faster than the average for all occupations.
| Career | Projected Salary |
|---|---|
| Health Care Analyst | $74,643 |
| Health Education Specialist | $62,860 |
| Health Educator | $62,860 |
| Community Health Worker | $48,200 |
CMU dedicates resources to rural health equity
The Master of Public Health program at CMU has a special focus on meeting the challenges of rural health care. The CMU Rural Health Equity Institute works with underserved communities in Michigan to improve access to services and expand data solutions and tools to respond to local needs.
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