Gwynedd Mercy University’s Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is an online program that will prepare you to become a public health leader in a critical, growing, and rapidly evolving field.
Join us to meet faculty and learn more about the program:
• MPH Evening Reception (in-person) on Wed, June 29 at 5:30-8:00 p.m. Register here!
• MPH Virtual Open House on Wed, July 20 at 4:00 p.m. Register here!
GMercyU alumni, take advantage of our 10% tuition grant for master's degree programs!
Complete your MPH degree online in as little as 20 months as a full-time or part-time student. This program is ideal for:
The only program of its kind in our area to offer a Health Equity Concentration, GMercyU’s online MPH degree will prepare you to identify underlying causes of health disparities in disadvantaged communities in the U.S. and abroad, and develop effective strategies to address them.
The program includes a focus on developing public health skills relevant to the breadth of public health practice. Courses address epidemiology, program planning and evaluation, environmental health, policy, advocacy, and public health leadership.
Other benefits include:
And, you will learn at an institution whose history and mission is rooted in service – at GMercyU, we have been developing change-makers and social justice advocates for decades.
Master of Public Health students must complete 42 credits in public health courses. Courses are designed to help students become competent and confident in the application of skills used in the field of public health.
The first year courses focus on an integrated core curriculum that addresses these foundational public health competencies:
PUB 600 | Foundations of Public Health and Health Equity |
PUB 610 & 630 | Public Health Analytic Methods 1 & 2 |
PUB 620 | Health Equity: Policy & Advocacy |
PUB 640 | Planning and Managing Public Health Interventions |
PUB 650 | Environmental Health Equity |
After completing these foundational courses, students will have the opportunity to apply these public health skills during the summer in an Applied Practical Experience with a public health organization in their community.
The second academic year will allow students to further develop public health skills in courses that address specific strategies for addressing health disparities and achieving health equity in domestic and international populations.
PUB 710 | Communication Strategies for Health Promotion |
PUB 720 | Structural Barriers to Health Equity |
PUB 730 | Collaborative Design of Health Education Programs |
PUB 740 | Applied Epidemiology |
PUB 750 | Global Health Equity |
PUB 760 | Qualitative Research Methods for Public Health |
Producing a final, high-quality, written product developed during the Integrative Learning Experience in your last semester will allow you to synthesize the skills you have learned throughout the program.
For all Master of Public Health course descriptions, please refer to the graduate catalog.
Sharla Willis, DrPH, MPH, MA, Founding Program Director and Assistant Professor of GMercyU’s Public Health Programs, took part in each of the following panel discussions:
Dr. Willis also wrote Public Health Encompasses More than Pandemics to share careers in public health you might not have considered.
Position: Founding Program Director and Assistant Professor of Public Health
Did You Know? Dr. Willis completed a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Health Scholars postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan focused on community-based participatory research.
Learn MoreEven before the COVID-19 pandemic, public health was a growing field. According to a 2017 survey of state and local public health workers, 22% planned to retire in the next five years (de Beaumont Foundation, 2019). With an MPH degree, you’ll join a community of well-paid public health leaders. Salaries for MPH degree graduates in the Philadelphia area average about $78,000 – more than twice the average wage for the region, according to a survey conducted by Burning Glass Technologies.
Nationally, job opportunities in the public health field are expected to increase by 10% through 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Public health is a broad and diverse field. Experts are needed all over the world to work for government health departments and agencies, private corporations, non-profit organizations, community clinics, schools, and more.
With an MPH degree, public health professionals can advance into management positions and enjoy a career in which they can make a difference and a living, while benefiting from increases in job opportunities.
Here are just a few examples:
Position | Median Salary 2018 | Expected Growth 2018-2028 |
Medical and Health Service Managers | $99,730 | 18% |
Social and Community Service Managers | $65,320 | 13% |
Health Educators | $54,220 | 10% |
Environmental Specialists | $71,130 | 8% |
Occupational Health & Safety Specialists | $73,020 | 6% |
Epidemiologists | $69,660 | 5% |
(US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020)
No GRE is required. Admission requirements for the online MPH degree program will include:
Applications are reviewed holistically to make a determination of applicants’ ability to thrive in our graduate program. We look for:
*Since this is a fully online program, GMercyU cannot sponsor any student VISAs for the MPH degree. For international students interested in the MPH Program, we recommend that you first check with your government's policies to determine if they accept online U.S. degrees as a valid degree before considering this program.
Get the education you need to advance your career — and expand your career possibilities — in public health! Earn your Master of Public Health at GMercyU!
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