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Community Health:

Master of Public Health

Assess community needs. Develop innovative solutions. Implement impactful programs and policies. Focus on prevention. Build stronger, healthier communities.

Curriculum Overview

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is nationally accredited by CEPH and offers a Master’s of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in Epidemiology or Health Behavior & Promotion.

Degree Requirements for MPH Health Behavior & Promotion

Degree Requirements for MPH Epidemiology (STEM designated)

CORE COURSES

All students take core courses that provide foundational public health knowledge and skills on which other courses build:

CHLH 410: Public Health Practice
CHLH 469: Environmental Health
CHLH 550: Health Policy
CHLH 572: Principles of Epidemiology
CHLH 573: Biostatistics in Public Health

CONCENTRATION COURSES

All students then complete 15-18 credit hours toward the Epidemiology or Health Behavior & Promotion concentration.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In addition to Core and Concentration courses, students take a first-year seminar (Professionalism in Public Health I and II), complete an on-the-job Applied Practice Experience (APE), and construct a final Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) project that integrates knowledge and skills acquired as an MPH student.

Professionalism in Public Health I and II (CHLH 581)

The overall goal of this course is to introduce MPH students to concepts of professionalism and public service. These concepts directly prepare students for the MPH Applied Practice Experience (APE) and the MPH culminating experience, also known as the Integrative Learning Experience (ILE).

Applied Practice Experience (CHLH 587)

Provides MPH students with planned, supervised and evaluated field experience in a public health practice setting where students will synthesize knowledge and skills acquired through the course of MPH study.

Integrative Learning Experience (CHLH 589)

Provides MPH students an opportunity to synthesize, integrate, and apply knowledge and skills acquired in MPH coursework, through work on a project relevant to public health practice. Generally offered for MPH students in their last semester of study in the MPH program.

ELECTIVES

We encourage students to investigate the wide variety of courses offered throughout the University that cover topics important for public health. Any course on campus relevant to the area of public health qualifies as an elective course. All approved concentration courses meet the criteria of an elective course. This is not a complete list and courses change annually. Current students must consult with the MPH Assistant Director before selecting a particular elective or seminar course of choice during the registration process.

The current list of MPH Electives can be found here.

Examples of Possible Elective Courses

Examples of Possible Elective Courses
Code Course
FSHN 428 - Community Nutrition

Hours: 3

CHLH 457 - Health Planning

Hours: 3

ECON 482 - Health Economics

Hours: 4

PHE 498 - Public Health Engineering

Hours: 4

ANSC 499: GM - Tropical Epidemiology

Hours: 3

PATH 527 - Parasitology/Epidemiology Seminar

Hours: 1

Contact Information

  • MPH Program
  • Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
  • 1206 S. Fourth Street
  • Champaign, IL 61820
  • Phone: 217-300-0330
  • Email: mph-admissions@ahs.illinois.edu

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