ABOUT OUR PROGRAM

The Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health, Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree program is offered jointly by Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo. It provides advanced study beyond the bachelor degree for persons wishing to update professional skills and obtain new professional competencies in the area of public health. The program prepares students to enhance public health locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. The graduates will have acquired the knowledge to: become advocates for needed change; assess factors affecting health; critique and apply research findings; and, develop health promotion and illness and injury prevention programs. Graduates receive a degree awarded jointly by both institutions.

• Students will enroll in one of five majors:

Environmental & Occupational Health: Students graduating from this major are prepared to address environmental and occupational health issues from scientific, regulatory, and administrative perspectives for private industry, health departments, regulatory agencies, consulting firms, and other organizations.

Health Promotion & Education: Students graduating from this major are prepared to assist communities, organizations and individuals in working toward a healthier society by using appropriate educational, behavioral, and social change strategies.

Public Health Administration: Students graduating from this major are prepared to assume applicable administrative roles in government and community agencies, health care facilities, and private industry.

Public Health Epidemiology: Students graduating from this major are prepared to study the distribution of disease in large groups or from a population-based perspective. Epidemiologists attempt to quantify the distribution and establish the determinants of health problems by describing and analyzing the biological, environmental, social and behavioral factors affecting health, illness and premature death. Epidemiologists often work for local, state, and federal governments, health care organizations, private industry, and institutions of higher education.

Public Health Nutrition: Students graduating from this major are prepared to advance knowledge regarding the role of nutrition in disease prevention and health promotion and apply this knowledge to planning, managing, delivering, and evaluating nutrition services and programs. Public Health Nutritionists integrate the knowledge, skills, and experience fundamental to all public health disciplines and apply this integrated knowledge to alleviate diet-related health problems among diverse population groups. Employment often includes health departments, federal and private food assistance programs, worksite health promotion programs, nutrition advocacy organizations, health centers and schools.

NOTE: A minimum of 12 to 15 months would be required to complete the MPH degree as a full time student. Time for completion for part time students is likely to be a minimum of 30 months.

SINGLE DEGREE AND SINGLE MAJOR PROGRAM
The Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health (NOCPH) MPH students typically designate a major (AKA "concentration" or "track") prior to or upon matriculation. If this is not done, MPH students must designate a major upon completion of a maximum of 12 semester credits. There are five MPH majors to choose from as a declared major: Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH), Public Health Administration (PHA), Health Promotion and Education (HPE), Public Health Epidemiology (PHE), and Public Health Nutrition (PHN).

To earn the MPH degree in one of these majors, a student must complete the 45-semester credit (scr.) curriculum for the applicable program. The 45 scr. curriculum consists of: 24 scr. Core courses completed by all MPH students regardless of declared major; plus 12 scr. Major-Specific courses; and, 9 scr. Advised Electives approved for the declared major. All students must complete a Plan of Study form and submit to the applicable Program Coordinator for his or her review, approval and signature.

DUAL MPH MAJOR PROGRAM
Pursuit and completion of the requirements for two majors (i.e., dual major) is another option for the NOCPH MPH students. The option is intended for individuals who desire to combine education and training related to one specific major of the MPH with another major within the MPH program to expand their overall knowledge and expertise. There are five MPH majors to choose from as a declared major: Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH), Public Health Administration (PHA), Health Promotion and Education (HPE), Public Health Epidemiology (PHE) and Public Health Nutrition (PHN). Any combination of two of these majors can be declared as a "dual major" program.

Students must meet all application, retention and graduation requirements for the MPH degree. Individuals interested in completing the dual major option must be simultaneously registered for both majors for at least one semester. Dual major MPH students must complete the 45 scr. curriculum that is required for one of the declared majors (see above); plus, 12 scr. Major-Specific courses for the second declared major and 9 scr. Advised Electives approved for the second declared major (Total = 45 scr. + 21 scr. = 66 scr.). All students must complete a Plan of Study form for each declared major and submit to the applicable Program Coordinators for their reviews, approvals and signatures.

DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM
The NOCPH also offers several dual degree options. The option is intended for individuals who desire to combine education and training related to a specific major of the MPH with another degree to expand their overall knowledge and expertise. The dual degree programs combine the Master of Public Health (MPH) with other master (MBA, MA, MS, MSOH) or doctoral (MD, PhD, EdD, JD) degrees offered by one or more of the two consortial institutions (BGSU and UT). The preceding list of dual degrees is only for illustration. Any graduate degree offered by the two consortial institutions may be combined with the MPH degree in a dual degree program.

Students must meet all application, retention and graduation requirements for each of the individual degrees. Individuals interested in completing the dual degree option must be simultaneously registered for both degrees for at least one semester. Students will be able to apply a maximum of 12 semester credit hours of overlapping courses to fulfill required credits for both degrees, pending approval of the NOCPH Directors and Program Coordinators of both degree programs.