Online Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree
Online Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree
journey today.
The public health field focuses on the health and wellness of entire populations. It explores evidence-based ways of preventing diseases and injuries, promoting health education and tracking outbreaks of infectious diseases. The Master of Public Health at Grand Canyon University follows a curriculum designed with modern public health challenges in mind.
Offered by the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, this online1 MPH degree provides a comprehensive framework for understanding public health challenges on a local, regional, national and global scale. Join fellow health professionals as you seek to expand upon your competencies in epidemiology, public health advocacy and the application of public health data. Prepare to make an impact in the lives of others by promoting health and wellness.
Address modern challenges in public health by earning your graduate degree exploring global and community health at GCU. Work through a curriculum that considers everything from the environmental determinants of health to leadership best practices within health organizations. Enjoy opportunities to put theory into practice while completing field experience hours, which may allow you to work toward improving the lives of others.
At GCU, you will receive a well-rounded, distinctly Christian education. With faith-integrated courses, our Christian university strives to graduate future servant leaders who work with integrity and mindfulness to make a positive impact on their communities.
GCU is committed to providing an accessible, flexible education for working professionals. Fit your online1 MPH classes around your current schedule and meet your professional responsibilities while positioning yourself to potentially further your career objectives.
Our intuitive e-learning platform is designed to allow for close collaboration and academically stimulating discussions with peers and instructors, who bring a wide range of diverse perspectives to the table. All of our online students benefit from the same high-quality instruction as our on-campus students.
The online1 Master of Public Health degree transitions you from exploring theoretical concepts to applying your skills. You will be expected to complete field experience/practicum hours to apply what you’ve been taught to actual public health situations. Successful completion of this degree requires a minimum of 150 hours of supervised field experience.
This program also requires the completion of a capstone course. During the capstone course, you will complete a public health project based on your particular interests and career objectives. This project may become part of your professional portfolio.
Our public health curriculum is designed to provide a strong academic foundation for tackling a diverse range of modern challenges in the field. Wherever your health policy and management career takes you, you may benefit from having completed public health courses that examine everything from biostatistics to health education and more.
Some of the topics and competencies explored in this degree program include:
Examine the Leadership Skills Needed To Serve Others
At GCU, you can delve into public health and prepare to pursue a career in service to your community.
The MPH curriculum teaches a number of skills, including the following:
Best practices in designing, planning and implementing health programs and services
Strategic leadership skills in public health, including communication and negotiation
Cross-cultural competence
Statistical analysis and data management and application
Public health professionals may be drawn to this field because they have an enduring desire to help individuals, families and communities. Public health professionals may work in federal, state and local health departments, hospitals and medical facilities, universities, community organizations, global health organizations and healthcare companies.2
Some public health professionals choose to focus their career on one specific aspect of public health. These might include health education, policy analysis, disaster management or global health.
With a firm foundation in public health competencies, you might decide to pursue any of a variety of related careers, including:
Community health worker
Medical and health services manager
Health education specialist
29%
Estimated job growth rate for medical and health services managers from 2023 to 20333
$110,680
Median annual salary of medical and health services managers as of May 20234
GCU’s mission is to graduate fully capable, work-ready professionals who strive to make a positive difference in the world. As such, we are proud to be an institutionally accredited university — a reflection of the quality of education our students receive. The Higher Learning Commission has continually accredited GCU since 1968. The College of Nursing and Health Care Professions shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.
MPH Accreditation Status
Grand Canyon University is an applicant for accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health. The accreditation review will address the Master of Public Health degree program. Other degrees and areas of study offered by this institution will not be included in the unit of accreditation review. For further information, please see the CEPH page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our frequently asked questions are here to provide you with more information on important aspects of a career in public health and earning your MPH degree.
Individual salary expectations can vary, based in large part on the specific type of career you wish to pursue, as well as employer, geographic location, years of experience and other factors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for medical and health services managers was $110,680 as of May 2023.4
Those who pursue an MPH are often passionate about helping improve the lives of others in their communities. Healthcare degrees give healthcare professionals the opportunity to learn how to effect change within their communities at a high level. Core competencies covered in advanced coursework can be immediately applicable in the field.
If you’re passionate about protecting and promoting the health of whole populations, then MPH classes may indeed be worth it for you. There are also other degree programs to consider, such as related science degrees, which may lead you down a related yet different path in health.
Additionally, several public health occupations expect much faster than average job growth. For example, the BLS estimates job growth for medical and health services managers to increase by 29% from 2023 to 2033, much faster than average, indicating an additional 160,600 new jobs in the field.3
If you’re interested in pursuing your MPH degree, first review our graduate admission requirements to help determine eligibility. To learn more about gaining admittance into this program, fill out the form on this page to get in contact with a university counselor.
Make a Difference for Others
Prepare to make a meaningful impact on communities and populations with a public health degree.
1
Clinical, practicum and immersion hours completed locally.
2 Coursera Staff. (2023, Nov. 29). 7 Public Health Careers (+ How To Get Started). Coursera. Retrieved Aug. 21, 2024.
3 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2024, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical and Health Services Managers, retrieved Sept. 13, 2024.
4 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Medical and Health Services Managers as of May 2023, retrieved Aug. 21, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as medical and health services managers, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.