Dual BS/MPH Degree in Public Health
The Dual BS/MPH Degree Program in Public Health is designed to train public health leaders. Our graduates are prepared for rewarding careers in settings including health departments, federal health agencies, voluntary health agencies, private industry, consulting firms, and hospitals, among others.
Fast Facts
- Program Type: Full-time, accelerated
- Degree Offered: BS and MPH in Public Health
- Program Length: Five years, including ten regular academic semesters (fall and spring) and one summer semester (for students who follow the suggested course sequencing in the Curriculum Worksheet); opportunities for transfer students to catch up
- Total Credits: 153 total credits, with double-counting
- Dual Degree Savings: 24 credits of undergraduate tuition and fees
- Financial Assistance: Graduate assistantships and scholarships are available
About the Program
Public health can be defined as the art and science of preventing disease and promoting quality of life by working with communities, private and public organizations, and society at large. Unlike a clinical model of health care, public health focuses on protecting the health of populations, identifying root causes and societal influences on health, and engaging stakeholders to promote greater wellbeing and vitality of all who are potentially impacted.
The undergraduate Public Health degree prepares students with the skills and knowledge necessary to attain employment in health-related fields within the public and private sector. It is also a pre-professional degree that may be used to pursue graduate study in a variety of allied health programs. Students may choose from two highly structured concentrations within the program; those who specialize in and successfully complete the Community Health Education track will be eligible to take the exam offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing to become Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES).
While completion of the bachelor’s degree does not guarantee acceptance into a graduate program, students in the Community Health Education track may apply for the Stockton dual degree program that enables students to earn the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Public Health degree and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in an accelerated timeline.
The accelerated dual degree provides students with the foundational skills, education, research experience and service needed to fill leadership roles in public health settings, including state or local health departments, federal health agencies, voluntary health agencies, public utilities, private industry, consulting firms, hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, health insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations.
Accreditation
Stockton University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The MPH program will seek accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the nationally recognized body that establishes the rigorous standards and oversight for public health programs and schools at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Program Coordinator:
Stephanie Griffin
F-214
609-626-3137
Stephanie.Griffin@stockton.edu
Curriculum
The courses, number of credits, and specific course sequencing are available on the Curriculum Worksheet.
Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Community Health Education Concentration (CHED) courses:
- PUBH 1200 Introduction to Public Health 4 credits
- PUBH 2330 Research Methods and Statistics 4 credits
- PUBH 2450 Public Health Marketing 4 credits
- PUBH 3415 Writing for Health Professionals 4 credits
- PUBH 4950 Public Health Internship and Fieldwork 4-6 credits
- BIOL 1200 Cells and Molecules 4 credits
- BIOL 1205 Cells and Molecules Lab 1 credit
- CHEM 2110 Chemistry I General Principles 4 credits OR CHEM 2010 Chemistry for Life Science I 4 credits
- CHEM 2115 Chemistry I Lab 1 credit
- HLTH 2221 Functional Human Anatomy 4 credits
- PSYC 1100 Introduction to Psychology 4 credits
- PSYC 2212 Health Psychology OR PUBH 2315 Health Communication 4 credits
- PUBH 2432 Contemporary Health Issues 4 credits
- PUBH 3510 School Health Education 4 credits
- PUBH 4113 Patient Education 4 credits
- PUBH Cognate Electives* 8-12 credits
*Suggested electives: In consultation with a PUBH preceptor, students are advised to select a cluster of course from GERO, WGSS, HHM, Childhood Studies, Cannabis Studies, or any other health / population health related courses of study.
The Master of Public Health Program is comprised of 42 graduate credits. Each course is 3 graduate credit hours unless otherwise specified:
- PUBH 5000 Introduction to Public Health (sub for 3000-4000 PUBH Cognate Elective, 4 undergraduate credits)
- PUBH 5006 Biostatistics (sub for 3000-4000 PUBH Cognate Elective, 4 undergraduate credits)
- PUBH 5102 Epidemiology (sub for PUBH 3420 Epidemiology, 4 undergraduate credits)
- PUBH 5103 Community Assessment, Planning, and Evaluation (sub for 3000-4000 PUBH Cognate Elective, 4 undergraduate credits)
- PUBH 5007 Community Health Education and Promotion (sub for PUBH 3102 Community Health Education Theory and Practice, 4 undergraduate credits)
- PUBH 5100 Environmental and Occupational Health (sub for PUBH 2530 Basic Environmental Health, 4 undergraduate credits)
- PUBH 5004 Health Disparities and Health Equity
- PUBH 5005 Global Health
- PUBH 5203 Health Care Economics and American Healthcare Policy
- PUBH 5104 Public Health Practice: Leadership and Personal Mastery*
- PUBH 5202 Public Health Practice: Research Evaluation and Application
- PUBH 5800 Public Health Practice: Current Issues and Methodologies
- PUBH 5204 Public Health Practice: Grant Writing and Management
- PUBH 5900 Applied Practice Experience (“Internship,” approximately 200 hours, 2 credits)
- PUBH 5901 Integrative Learning Experience (1 credit)
MPH courses are delivered in an online/hybrid format.
*Portions of the hybrid course, PUBH 5104 Public Health Practice: Leadership and Personal Mastery, are offered in-person on two weekends at Stockton’s Atlantic City campus. Students will be informed of the exact dates when they register for the course.
Information
- Curriculum Worksheet
- Bulletin: Program Description (page 344)
Email HLTH.school@stockton.edu for curriculum information or questions.
Admission Requirements
Students currently enrolled in the undergraduate program are advised to declare their concentration by the beginning of the second year to provide sufficient time to meet all dual degree program requirements by the end of their third year. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with the PUBH undergraduate program coordinator, by appointment, prior to applying for the dual degree.
A minimum grade of C- is required in all PUBH undergraduate courses (or their equivalents) and an undergraduate PUBH GPA of C (2.0) or better is required to be eligible for graduation (non-PUBH courses do not have to meet the C minimum; but, total GPA needs to be a 2.0 or higher).
Students may apply to the B.S./MPH accelerated dual degree program upon or after admission to the university as first-year or transfer students. Students in the PUBH bachelor’s program may enter the accelerated program any time; however, no student will be eligible to enroll in graduate courses (5000-level) until they meet these requirements:
- Minimum of 96 undergraduate credits
- Minimum of 20 credits in undergraduate PUBH major courses
- Minimum of 3.2 GPA in the PUBH major
- Successful completion of Introduction to Public Health (PUBH 1200), and either School Health Education (PUBH 3510) or PUBH 4113 (Patient Education), each with a grade of B or better.
Transfer students are eligible for the accelerated dual degree program. Students with over 96 transfer credits should consider the "Direct Entry" application for the MPH.
Graduation Requirements
The Public Health dual degree program requires completion of 153 total credits, including 111 undergraduate credits and 42 graduate credits.
Successful completion of the following program requirements (129 credits) leads to a Bachelor of Science degree.
- Major Courses (Public Health Core and Concentration): 81 credits
- General Studies (G-acronym): 32 credits
- At-Some-Distance (ASD): 16 credits
Successful completion of the 42-credit graduate curriculum leads to the MPH degree. Students in this dual degree program complete up to six MPH courses (18 credits) as undergraduate PUBH students. The six graduate courses (18 credits) would also fulfill requirements in the MPH program. In other words, these six MPH graduate courses will double count for the B.S. in Public Health and the MPH graduate degree.
Dual degree students will complete an Applied Practice Experience ("internship"), typically involving 200 contact hours with the internship supervisor (“site preceptor”). Students will be eligible to enroll in the Applied Practice Experience after they have completed at least 18 credits within the MPH program. The Applied Practice Experience provides real world application of current issues and practices in public health and can take place in settings including:
- Community-based organizations
- Health care agencies
- Academic settings
- Non-profit organizations
- Governmental and non-governmental agencies
To be awarded a graduate degree, a student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in courses applied toward the MPH.
Faculty
Elizabeth Calamidas
Ronald Caplan
Tara Crowell
Stephanie Griffin