Master of Public Health


Protect and educate public health practices


Be part of the change through achieving your Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at St Ambrose University.

Program Distinctions

  • General MPH curriculum means you can tailor coursework around your passions
  • Begin the program when it makes sense to you: fall, spring, or summer.
  • Emphasis on health equity
  • Online, asynchronous courses filled with peer and faculty interaction
  • 200 practicum hours. Many students get hired at their practicum location.

St. Ambrose University is pleased to offer this accredited, online degree due to its established success in delivering a range of accredited undergraduate and graduate health and human services programs as well as its emphasis on inter-professional education, social justice, and person-centered service.


Join us for a Fall, Spring, or Summer Start!

Contact our Recruiter | Learn more about the O'Rourke Scholarship 


Ambrose Advantages

  • 100% Online, Asynchronous Program to Learn Anytime, Anywhere
  • Established Leader in Healthcare Programs
  • Mentoring from Expert Faculty Committed to Your Success
  • Career Readiness and Advising
  • 3 start times and 12-month, 1.5 and 3 year full and part-time options

Student in Library

Campus in Fall

Cat Roth, America Needs Public Health

The SAU public health program emphasizes health equity which reinforces St. Ambrose University's mission of social justice and service. More specifically, SAU students will build their skills in epidemiology, research, and applying evidenced-based interventions to solve global/national/regional/state/community public health issues.

Read our MPH fact sheet (pdf)


About the Master of Public Health Program

Make a Difference
Get Started with Public Health

Watch interviews with our current professors and students about why the SAU MPH program is an empowering and positive force in our community and beyond.


More Information on the Master of Public Health Program

Faculty and Staff

Melissa Sharer, PhD, MPH, MSW, Program Director and Assoc. Professor

Colleen Doak, PhD, Professor
Duk Kim, PhD, Professor
Jessa Roisen, PhD, Professor
Erin Sodawasser-Hermiston, Clinical Instructor
Erica Thomas, DHEd, CHES, Asst. Professor 

Adjunct Professors
Rebecca Arnold, MPH, Adjunct Professor
Ruby A. Batimana, DPH (ABD), Adjunct Professor
John Bowser, PhD, Adjunct Professor
Malia Duffy, MSN-FNP, MSPH, Adjunct Professor

Guest Lecturers

Raed Ba Helah, MPH, PhD, MD
Dr. Raed Ba Helah is an epidemiologist teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in public health with a focus on current public health issues of relevance to the nation's health and globally.

He teaches Epidemiology, Introduction to Public Health, Biological Basis of Population's Health, Advanced Research Methods, and SAS Data Analysis.

As a Fulbright Scholar (2009-2011), Dr. Ba Helah has extensive expertise in global health. He enjoys working with students on analyzing national datasets such the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

His research mainly deals with substance abuse prevention, specifically novel tobacco products in youth with emphasis on nicotine dependence on waterpipes (also known as hookah and shisha). This research is supported by NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse ("NIDA" research grant R01DA035160) and NIH Fogarty International Center ("FIC" research grant R01TW010654).

He has expertise in longitudinal data analysis and meta-analysis research methods. He is also interested in developing novel interventions to prevent opioid abuse, promote women's health, and advance health policies targeting alcohol and other substance use in developing countries.


bruceBruce Chernof, MD, FACP, The SCAN Foundation
Education and Training: UCLA Medical School (MD); Fellowship in Medical Education, UCLA; Harvard University
Bruce Allen Chernof, MD, FACP, is President & Chief Executive Officer of The SCAN Foundation as well as a Senior Fellow at the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California.

Previously, Dr. Chernof served as the Director and Chief Medical Officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Dr. Chernof has also served as a Regional Medical Director for Medicaid and SCHIP programs at Health Net, a network model HMO. 

In 2013, Dr. Chernof was Chair of the federal Commission on Long-Term Care which produced a bipartisan report to Congress recommending reforms for long-term care financing, delivery system, and workforce needs.


Walarigaton Coulibaly, MPP, FHI 360
Education and Training: University of Abidjan; Peace Corps; American University, school of Public Affairs, PMP affiliation

Walarigaton Coulibaly (Walas) is a passionate international development project management professional with over 15 years of experience designing, planning, and managing projects. His development areas of expertise include democracy and governance, civil society and institutional capacity strengthening, HIV, education and public-private partnership.

Walas is currently based in Kenya and works with FHI 360, where he supports the organization's East Africa portfolio, providing project, program and portfolio metrics, and analytics to support business and executive decision making. He also supports program quality assurance, risk management, monitoring and evaluation, financial and human resources management, and new business development. Previous to FHI 360, he served as Chief of Party on a USAID and NBA-funded youth empowerment project in Senegal.

Walas' past guest lecturer experiences include stints at the University of Abidjan (Abidjan), Conflict resolution and humanitarian studies; University Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar), Human Resources management; University of Pretoria (Pretoria), Public Health; Maryville College (Tennessee), African Studies; and MIT (Boston), Political sciences.


Nikki Davis, MPH, John Snow Inc.

Education and Training: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (MPH) with concentration in epidemiology

Davis is a global health research, monitoring, and evaluation advisor currently working with JSI's Center for Health Information Monitoring & Evaluation (CHIME). She has experience designing and implementing both quantitative and qualitative studies and has worked in multiple technical areas including implementation research, health system strengthening, human centered design (HCD), HIV, Tuberculosis, and maternal and child health.



ian hodgsonIan Hodgson, PhD

Dr. Hodgson has been involved in the international health sector for more than 20 years. Areas of interest include: HIV and TB stigma, sexual and reproductive health rights, cultural determinants of HIV prevention, advocacy for HIV treatment access, and adolescents living with HIV. He has worked on a range of projects in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and much of his work involves project monitoring and evaluation using a systematic qualitative approach. In 2018, he worked on the mid-term review of a large HIV advocacy program focusing on key populations in nine countries.

Dr. Hodgson is a member of the European AIDS Treatment Group and coordinator of the European HIV Nursing Network. He is also an Associate Editor of Ethnicity and Health, PhD supervisor for international health-based studies, and visiting lecturer at universities in the UK, Ireland, and Belgium.


Andrew FullemAndrew Fullem, MA, John Snow, Inc.
As the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Andrew brings 30 years of global and U.S, new business development and program implementation experience to John Snow Inc. He was previously the founding director of the JSI/World Education Center for HIV and Infectious Diseases, leading an expansion of JSI's international HIV and infectious disease portfolio, including USAID-funded bilateral and centrally funded activities, CDC projects, and other initiatives. He has served on ad-hoc committees of the President's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, addressing stigma and discrimination.

Prior to joining JSI, Andrew was director of HIV Surveillance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Commonwealth's HIV reporting system.

Andrew has a Bachelor of Science in international relations from The American University and a Master of Arts in public health policy and management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.



katie meyerKatherine Meyer, MPH, 
Save the Children
Education and Training: Elon University; Peace Corps (West Africa); George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, MPH

Meyer's work from the last 10 years has focused on reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health across development and humanitarian projects in African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian countries. Meyer has worked for international non-governmental organizations, as well as the U.S. Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance.

In the last few years, Meyer has worked in adolescent sexual and reproductive health in humanitarian settings through the Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crises (IAWG). She leads workshops to train first responders in emergency contexts on the importance of providing life-saving sexual and reproductive health services to adolescents from the onset of a disaster. Meyer also provides technical support to IAWG members implementing adolescent sexual and reproductive health programs in emergencies.


jesse rattanJesse Rattan, RN, MPH, CARE
Education and Training: PhD, University of Alabama (in-progress), Nursing Science; MPH, University of California-Berkeley; BSN, Johns Hopkins University; BA, Vassar College, English

Rattan has two decades of leading, managing, and supporting sexual, reproductive and maternal health programs around the world, with recent experience leading a team who respond to women's sexual reproductive health (SRH) needs and rights crisis-affected settings in Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Pakistan. 

Rattan has a record of successfully managing multi-million dollar programs and large teams in complex, multi-cultural environments. She also leads the publication of two major papers on CARE's success in increasing access to SRH services in fragile settings – the results of which were referred to as "stunning" in an editorial that accompanied the publications. She is currently the Learning Director for the CARE USA Health, Equity, and Rights Team.


Herman WillemsHerman Willems, MD, MSc, John Snow, Inc
Herman Willems joined JSI in 2004 after more than 15 years in the clinical field and emergency relief programs in low-income countries. He supports HIV and reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health programs with quality improvement, monitoring, and evaluation.

Dr. Willems has lived and worked in various countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Both his MD and MSc are in public health.

How much does this degree cost?

2023-24 Tuition
$742/credit hour

Financial Aid
There are several ways to help pay for graduate school. You can see complete information about graduate scholarships, loans, and grants on the graduate admissions page.

Housing
Campus housing is available for students enrolled in a graduate program at SAU on an annual, semester, and monthly basis.

Graduate Fees

2023-24 Fees

Graduate level students taking 9 or more credit hours $280/yr. ($140/semester)
Graduate level students taking 8 or less credit hours $140/yr. ($70/semester)

Scholarships

External Scholarships

There are also scholarships available through our membership organizations:

Internal Scholarship

The Joseph R. '72 and Joyce O'Rourke Master of Public Health Endowed Scholarship will benefit current/enrolled students in the MPH program.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must:

  • be in the first year of the MPH Program.
  • be enrolled or planning to enroll part- or full-time in MPH courses in an upcoming semester.
  • have a bachelor's degree; 3+2 students who have not yet graduated are not eligible.
  • complete the online scholarship application.

Annual Deadline: Sept. 14

Degree Options

Master of Public Health (43 credits)

The Master of Public Health program (MPH) is a 43 credit hour, online curriculum sequence with an applied practicum (approximately 200 hours) and integrated learning experience. Additionally, students complete electives, an internship, and a capstone project.

Course Subject Examples: 

  • Epidemiology
  • Biostatistics
  • Qualitative Research
  • Behavioral/Social/Environmental Health
  • Ethics and Health Equity
  • Health Systems
  • Policy
  • Evidence-Based Practice/Application
Full-Time Degree Options

In addition to being a proven leader in healthcare studies, St. Ambrose University also offers flexibility with our part- and full-time degree options for the MPH, including start times in fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Full-Time 

By enrolling full-time, you will earn your degree in 1½ years. An outline of courses you will take is below.

OPTION 1 - FALL START

Year 1

Fall 1: 510 Global PH Concepts and Practice
Fall 1: 515 Health Promotion and Communication
Fall 1: 516 Applied Practicum Experience (APE) and Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) Planning (1 credit)
Fall 2: 520 Epidemiology
Fall 2: 540 Behavioral, Social, Environmental Health
Spring 1: 525 Biostatistics
Spring 1: 620 Global Health Policy
Spring 2: 530 Qualitative Research
Spring 2: 630 PH Equity and Ethics
Summer 1: 610 Evidence-Based Practice
Summer 1: 670 Global Health Systems

Year 2

Fall 1: 680 Management and Leadership in PH
Fall 1&2: 695 Applied Practice Experience (APE)
Fall 2: 690 Community Health Analysis and Promotion
Fall 2: 700 Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)


OPTION 2 - SPRING START

Year 1 

Spring 1: 510 Global PH Concepts and Practice
Spring 1: 516 Applied Practicum Experience and Integrative Learning Experience Planning (1 credit)
Spring 1: 620 Global Health Policy
Spring 2: 530 Qualitative Research
Spring 2: 520 Epidemiology
Summer 1: 610 Evidence-Based Practice
Summer 1: 670 Global Health Systems
Fall 1: 680 Management and Leadership in PH Systems
Fall 1: 515 Health Promotion and Communication
Fall 2: 540 Behavioral, Social, Environmental Health
Fall 2: 690 Community Health Analysis and Promotion

Year 2

Spring 1&2: 695 Applied Practice Experience (APE)
Spring 1: 525 Biostatistics
Spring 2: 630 PH Equity and Ethics
Spring 2: 700 Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)


OPTION 3 - SUMMER START

Year 1

Summer 1: 516 Applied Practicum Experience and Integrative Learning Experience Planning (1 credit)
Summer 1: 510 Global PH Concepts and Practice
Summer 1: 670 Global Health Systems
Fall 1: 515 Health Promotion and Communication
Fall 1: 680 Management and Leadership in PH Systems
Fall 2: 540 Behavioral, Social, Environmental Health
Fall 2: 520 Epidemiology
Fall 2: 690 Community Health Analysis and Promotion (*overload here or Fall 2 of Year 2)
Spring 1: 525 Biostatistics
Spring 1: 620 Global Health Policy
Spring 2: 530 Qualitative Research
Spring 2: 630 PH Equity and Ethics

Year 2

Summer 1: 610 Evidence-Based Practice
Summer 1: 695 Applied Practice Experience (APE)
Fall 1: 700 Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)
Fall 2: 690 Community Health Analysis and Promotion (*if not taken in Fall 2 of Year 1)

Part-Time Degree Options

By enrolling part-time, you can complete your MPH degree in three years.

OPTION 1 - FALL START

Year 1

Fall 1: 510 Global PH Concepts and Practice
Fall 1: 516 Applied Practicum Experience (APE) and Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) Planning
Fall 2: 520 Epidemiology
Spring 1: 525 Biostatistics
Spring 2: 530 Qualitative Research
Summer 1: 610 Evidenced-Based Practice in PH

Year 2

Fall 1: 515 Health Promotion and Communication
Fall 2: 540 Behavioral, Social, Environmental Health
Spring 1: 620 Global Health Policy
Spring 2: 630 PH Equity and Ethics
Summer 1: 670 Global Health Systems

Year 3

Fall 1: 680 Management and Leadership in PH Systems
Fall 2: 690 Community Health Analysis and Promotion
Spring 1&2: 695 Applied Practicum Experience (APE)
Spring 2: 700 Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)


OPTION 2 - SPRING START

Year 1

Spring 1: 510 Global PH Concepts and Practice 
Spring 1: 516 Applied Practicum Experience and Integrative Learning Experience Planning (1 credit)
Spring 2: 520 Epidemiology
Summer 1: 610 Evidence Based Practice
Fall 1: 515 Health Promotion & Communication
Fall 2: 540 Behavioral, Social and Environmental Health

Year 2

Spring 1: 525 Biostatistics
Spring 2: 530 Qualitative Research Methods 
Summer 1: 670 Global Health Systems
Fall 1: 680 Management and Leadership in PH systems
Fall 2: 690 Community Health Analysis and Promotion

Year 3 

Spring 1: 620 Health Policy
Spring 2: 630 PH Equity and Ethics
Summer 1: 695 Applied Practice Experience (APE)
Fall 1&2: 700 Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)


OPTION 3 - SUMMER START

Year 1

Summer 1: 510 Global PH Concepts and Practice
Summer 1: 516 Applied Practicum Experience and Integrative Learning Experience Planning (1 credit)
Fall 1: 515 Health Promotion and Communication
Fall 2: 520 Epidemiology
Spring 1: 525 Biostatistics
Spring 2: 530 Qualitative Research

Year 2

Summer 1: 610 Evidenced-Based Practice in PH
Fall 1: 680 Management and Leadership in PH Systems
Fall 2: 540 Behavior, Social, Environmental Health
Spring 1: 620 Health Policy
Spring 2: 630 PH Equity and Ethics

Year 3

Summer 1: 670 Global Health Systems
Fall 1&2: 695 Applied Practicum Experience (APE)
Fall 2: 700 Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)
Fall 2: 690 Community Health Analysis and Promotion

Online Accelerated (12-Month)

We have flexible part-time and full-time options that you can start in the summer, fall, or spring semesters. Launching in June 2023, you can choose to complete your degree on an accelerated pathway in as little as 12 months!

Interested in learning more? Please contact Joe Golden at MPH@sau.edu, or apply today on SOPHAS.org.

Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Degree (3+2) Pathways

The MPH 3+2 Accelerated Pathway allows students to begin their asynchronous online MPH coursework as an undergraduate student at an undergraduate rate, offering time and cost savings!

How does the 3+2 Pathway work?

Following 3 years of undergraduate coursework, students begin taking MPH courses online that will count toward electives in the majors approved below.

Upon graduation, students will continue their MPH coursework as a dedicated graduate student for two years, allowing students to complete a bachelor's and master's degree in just 5 years! Contact us at mph@sau.edu to learn more. 

The Master of Public Health program has established accelerated 3+2 Pathways with the following majors at St. Ambrose University and Winona State University:

St. Ambrose University 3+2 Pathways 

  • Biology
  • Communication
  • Data Analytics
  • International Studies
  • Math
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Justice, Diversity, and Gender Studies
  • Don't see your major listed here? Contact us at mph@sau.edu to learn about you options!

Winona State University 3+2 Pathways 

  • Community Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Administration

Loras College 3+2 Pathways

  • Multiple majors have entry points into the 3+2 MPH program. Contact mph@sau.edu to learn more.
  • More information on the Master of Public Health Articulation Agreement with Loras College can be found here.

Ready to Apply for the MPH 3+2 Pathway? 

You must see your university AND major listed above to apply via the SOPHAS Express application. If you DO NOT see your university and major listed above, please apply via the traditional SOPHAS application available on the MPH Application webpage.

Not sure which application is right for you? Not a problem, contact us on the right to find out! 

Online Accelerated (12-Month)

We have flexible part-time and full-time options that you can start in the summer, fall, or spring semesters. Launching in June 2023, you can choose to complete your degree on an accelerated pathway in as little as 12 months!

Interested in learning more? Please contact Joe Golden at MPH@sau.edu, or apply today on SOPHAS.org.

MSW-MPH

The dual master's degree program incorporates competencies of public health and social work education and practice to provide an epidemiologic/populations-based approach to preventing, addressing, and solving social health problems. This dual degree trains students in population-based prevention and multi-level intervention. Additionally, students gain practical experience in inter-professional practice, cultural competency, social justice, empowerment, leadership and management, research and evaluation, and policy development.

Dual degrees can lower the total cost of both degrees (when taken separately) and articulates an intentional path for social workers wanting to explore the practice of public health. Together, these two degrees elevate social work's strengths in cultural and community responsiveness, empowerment, inter-professional teamwork, and care coordination through public health's strategic and epidemiological approach to caring for the underserved and most vulnerable.

Admission Requirements
Students typically enter the dual degree via the MSW Program then apply to the MPH program in their first year of MSW studies. Staggering application meets admissions standards for both programs and multiple decision points for students. Please see the MPH or MSW director if you wish to begin with the MPH.

Review MPH Admission Requirements

Review MSW Admission Requirements

Course Sequence

Year 1

Fall
MSW 510 Generalist Practice I, 3 credits
MSW 610 Human Behavior Theories, 3 credits
MSW 710 SW Research Design, 3 credits
MSW 810 Social Welfare Policy, 3 credits
MSW 591 Field Instruction and Seminar I, 3 credits
Total semesters hours = 15

Spring 
MSW 520 Generalist Practice II, 3 credits
MSW 620 Diversity and Social Systems, 3 credits
MSW 720 SW Program Evaluation, 3 credits
MSW 820 Social Policy Analysis, 3 credits
MSW 592 Field Instruction and Seminar II, 3 credits
Total semester hours = 15

Year 2

FALL
Fall I - First 8 Weeks
MPH 510 Global PH Concepts/Practice, 3 credits
MPH 515 Health Promotion & Communication, 3 credits
MPH 516 Applied Practicum Experience Planning,  credit 1
(synchronous-blended)
Total hours = 7

Fall II - Second 8 Weeks
MPH 520 Epidemiology, 3 credits
MPH 540 Behavioral-Social-Environmental Health, 3 credits
Total hours = 6

SPRING
Spring I - First 8 Weeks

MPH 525 Biostatistics-Quant Research, 3 credits
MPH 620 Global Health Policy, 3 credits
Total hours = 6

Spring II - Second 8 Weeks
MPH 530 Qualitative research, 3 credits
MPH 630 PH Equity and Ethics, 3 credits
Total hours = 6

SUMMER
Summer I - First 8 Weeks

MPH 610 EBP in PH, 3 credits
MPH 670 Global Health Systems, 3 credits
Total hours = 6

Summer II - Second 8 Weeks
MSW 550 Empowerment SW in Mental Health, 3 credits (elective)
Total hours = 3

Year 3

Fall 
MSW 530 Empowerment Practice I, 3 credits
MPH 680 Management and Leadership in PH systems, 3 credits (counts as MSW Elective)
MPH 690 Community Health Analysis and Promotion, 3 credits (counts as MSW Elective)
MSW 603 Field Seminar III: SW Ethics, 2 credits
MSW 593 Field Instruction III, 4 credits
Total semester hours = 15

Spring 
MSW 540 Empowerment Practice II, 3 credits
MSW *** MSW Elective, 3 credits
MSW 604 Field Seminar IV: Ethical Decision Making, 2 credits
(Capstone project to be focused on public health social work)
MSW 594 Field Instruction IV, 4 credits
Total semester hours = 12

*Substitution available.

Ready to Apply?

Click Here

Before you can submit an application for admission to the MPH program, you'll need to gather some information first.

Click here to learn about MPH supplemental application materials.


wreetu wreetu

Wreetu Sieh

Master of Public Health,BS, Westchester University of Pennsylvania, Science ,Class of 2022


Wreetu Sieh set out the change the world, but wasn't sure just how to accomplish that. Then she found the SAU Master of Public Health program and began working not only toward earning a graduate degree, but also toward equipping herself with knowledge to make a difference wherever she goes.

See My Story

Apply Visit Info

Contact


Joe Golden, MPH

Center for Health Sciences Education, 1320 W. Lombard St.
Mail: 518 W. Locust St.
Davenport, IA 52803
563-333-5815
MPH@sau.edu

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