Over 95 percent of Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s most recent BS/MPH graduates are working in a public health related field.
Earn your bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years, while gaining knowledge and experience for rewarding careers in a vastly growing field.
Program Benefits
- Learn to protect and improve the health and well-being of people and communities through education, health policy development, research for disease and injury prevention and more.
- Professional development coursework builds career skills and prepares students for hands-on experiences such as a career field experience, and local or international health-related community projects.
- Curriculum combines skill-based health studies with a strong background in the psychological, sociological, behavioral, and business aspects of health care.
- The BS curriculum provides specializations in health and fitness, as well as community health, where students can focus on education, administration or community health principles.
- MPH courses are face-to-face, hybrid, and online and are offered during late afternoons and evenings to accommodate the working professional.
- Skill-based electives provide students with expertise they can directly apply during their fieldwork and capstone.
- Our active MPH Student Association sponsors many activities, including on-campus public health awareness events, attending local and national public health conferences, fundraising, community service initiatives and social events.
Career Outlook
Public health is an exciting and growing profession and allows our graduates to be employed in a variety of settings.
- Health departments
- Managed care organizations
- Community-based organizations
- Consulting firms
- Hospitals
- Academic institutions
- Global health organizations
- Research teams
Popular careers include:
- Health program managers
- Outreach coordinator
- Medical outcomes data analyst
- Discharge planner
Lucy Connery, ’19/20
Health promotion, community health principles; Spanish; Master’s in Public Health
Associate Director at the Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo & WNY, Inc.
Program Specifics
Program Structure
- This program leads to multiple degrees. Degrees are conferred separately: the BS, upon completion of all baccalaureate requirements; the MPH upon completion of the entire BS and MPH requirements.
- Prior to the start of the Professional phase (Year 4) of the program, all coursework referenced in the first 3 years must be completed in full
Admission to Upper Division Requirements/ Professional Phase begins at the end of 3rd year.
- A cumulative grade point average (GPA) minimum of 3.0.
- Students must successfully complete Biology and Chemistry, Service Learning (3), MTH124 (or equivalent), HPR102, HPR103 and HPR208 or HPR320, with a grade of C or better before advancing. The remaining course (HPR208 or HPR320) must be successfully completed later.
- Students must achieve a grade of C or better in all courses in the Health Promotion portion of the curriculum, including departmental requirements and specialization. Students may not have any courses in this area which need to be retaken in order to earn the minimum grade of C or better.
- GRE is waived.
Requirements During the 4th Year
- Students must receive a B- or better in all PH courses during the 4th year and maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) minimum of 3.0 in order to progress to the 5th year and official entry into the MPH program. However, a grade of C or higher will still apply to complete requirements for the BS Health Promotion degree. Students who do not achieve a B- or higher in all PH courses or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 during the fourth year will not be permitted to continue to the 5th year of study and official entry into the MPH program. They may then re-apply to the MPH program as a direct entry student and would need to retake any necessary courses and meet all MPH course grade requirements.
Graduation Requirements
- A minimum grade of C or better in all courses in BS Health Promotion portion of the curriculum. This includes all courses under the Major and the Specialization.
- A minimum grade of B- or better in all PH courses and cumulative GPA of 3.0 during the 4th year.
- In the 5th year, while officially in the MPH program, a minimum grade of B- in any course. (Refer to Course Repeats, Probation, and Dismissal in the Master of Public Health section of the Graduate Catalog for academic policies during year 5 of study) Students must maintain an overall minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00.
Practicum and Capstone experiences provide students the opportunity to work directly with community partners who are experts in their areas of public health. These experiences provide the opportunity for students to apply their curricular knowledge to public health practices in the student’s area of specialty or interest. Below are just a few examples of organizations in which previous students have completed practicum and capstone projects:
- Roswell Park Cancer Institute
- Erie County Department of Health
- The Horizon Corporations: Health Management Group, Ltd
- National Institute of Health: Porto, Portugal
- Rakai Health Sciences Program, Uganda
- HealthNow New York Inc.
- Kaleida Health - Department of Public Health
- Community Service Alliance, Dominican Republic
- American Heart Association
- Jewish Family Service
Students complete a career field experience in their specialization area or a professional development course. Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ has community partnerships in various areas of health promotion and public health. Students have worked with several institutions in order to build valuable skills for their resume.
- Alzheimer’s Association
- American Diabetes Association
- American Red Cross
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
- Catholic Health
- Community Access Services
- Elderwood
- Erie County Department of Health
- Erie-Niagara Tobacco-Free Coalition at Roswell Park
- Comprehensive Cancer
- Evergreen Health Services
- Gloria J. Parks Community Center
- Gold’s Gym International
- Independent Health Foundation
- Jacobs Neurological Institute
- Lupus Foundation of Western New York
- Made 2 Move Fitness
- MedTel Outcomes
- VA Western New York Healthcare System
- Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo & WNY Center
- YMCA