Department of Public Health

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Mission and Vision Statements:

Mission: 

Prepare public health professionals who aim to impact public health by addressing issues of health equity for all populations.

The foundational tenets of building an equity-informed public health workforce, engaging in effective policy-making, engaging in impactful research and providing relevant services guide educational efforts within the program.  The vision, mission, and values of the program speak to the belief that health equity and by association, the elimination of health disparities, touches every one of the diverse fields within public health.  It serves as an acknowledgment of the fact that in order to effectively address many of the issues or problems associated with achieving health equity, public health professionals from multiple fields along with stakeholders and experts from other professions often work side by side. 

Vision:

Every community will have optimal health through the achievement of health equity.

Program Overview:

University and community leaders decided that the addition of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program was consistent with the University’s mission in late 2013. Therefore, the program was founded with the intent to develop local and national leaders in public health who are academically prepared to impact both policy and programming while serving in diverse communities.

The Master of Public Health program was created and received SACS approval in 2014, then officially launched in the Fall 2015 with an inaugural cohort. The program is a member of the Consortium of African-American Public Health Programs and holds a program membership in the American Public Health Association (APHA). The program has participated in the Society for Public Health Education’s Health Policy Summit and the APHA/Academy Health Policy Institute.  Faculty and students from the program have presented their research at the APHA Annual Meeting, Network of Minority Health Research Investigators, American Diabetes Association, Florida Brownfields Association Conference, Society for the Analysis of African American Public Health conference and more.

The program has students who have served as interns with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services- Office of Minority Health, the Florida Department of Health, and Healthy Start Volusia/Flagler Counties.  Program students have also been selected for Health Equity Internship funded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administrated by the Association of State and Public Health Nutritionists.  The program has developed, sponsored, and hosted two regional and national conferences the Health Equity Summit in 2017 and the National Conference on Equitable Development in 2018 (https://www.cookman.edu/academics/schools/chs/NCED/index.html).

Academic Program Names:

Master of Public Health in Health Equity (M.P.H)

Admissions Requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or its equivalent
• Official, original academic transcripts from each institution attended beyond high school/secondary level.
• A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
• GRE test scores
• Three letters of recommendation
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• A one-page personal statement describing your professional and research experience in relation to your goals in the MPH program
• TOEFL test scores as applicable. Foreign credential evaluation if applicable
• Completion of BCU Graduate Application

Program Description:

Master of Public Health in Health Equity (M.P.H.)

Public health is defined by the World Health Organization as “A complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. To that end, public health professionals work to protect the health of communities and populations. They accomplish this through education, promotion of healthy behaviors, tracking outbreaks of disease, advocacy, and policy development, setting safety standards, providing direct care, and research and more.

The Master of Public Health program at Bethune-Cookman University is a 45-hour credit program focused on providing a graduate-level public health education within a framework of social justice, health equity, and bold leadership. The program is designed to be completed in five sequential semesters (22 months) and is a residential, cohort program. Students matriculate in the fall semester.

Education Outcomes:

Program Objectives:

Student Learning Outcomes:

Graduation Requirements:

Graduate degree:  Commencement requirements for Master of Public Health students are as follows: 

1. Successful completion of all coursework (45 credits)

2. Successful completion of the practical rotation, internship, and/or professional clinical requirements

3. GPA of 3.0 or above

4. Complete all academic requirements and transcript submission as stated in the graduate commencement requirements for all candidates (see below)

All Graduate Commencement Candidates:

Only students who have completed all academic requirements for graduation (as defined by the academic programs and listed below) are allowed to participate in commencement exercises. Additionally, all official transcripts, which include transfer credits to be used to satisfy graduation requirements, must be received in the Office of the Registrar BEFORE a student is allowed to participate in commencement exercises.

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