Public Health Programs at Northeastern State University

Northeastern State University, one of the top-rated universities in the country, affords students with two opportunities to improve health outcomes through the specialized preparation and training of global health leaders; community outreach; and collaboration with community partners through careers in public health. While the didactic portion of our 43-credit hour MPH program is 100% online, students complete a 200-hour practicum in which they gain hands-on experience working directly with community partners. In 18 short months, students can complete a Master of Public Health (MPH) in two specializations: 

• Global Health
  • The concentration specific coursework focuses on global health policy, infectious disease, and issues impacting nutrition and food security on the national and international levels. Emphasis is given to addressing the health and well-being of culturally diverse populations. 
  • MPH Global Health Fall Start Course Sequence
  • MPH Global Health Spring Start Course Sequence
• Public Health Leadership
  • Concentration specific coursework focuses on the principles of public health leadership and organizational management and behavior. Emphasis is given to addressing the health and well-being of underprivileged populations. 
  • MPH Public Health Leadership Fall Start Course Sequence
  • MPH Public Health Leadership Spring Start Course Sequence
• Nutritional Health                                                                                                      
  • Concentration specific coursework focuses on nutritional health across the lifespan and during various states of illness. Emphasis is given to addressing the nutritional health issues that occur in rural populations.
  • MPH Nutritional Health Fall Start Course Sequence
  • MPH Nutritional Health Spring Start Course Sequence

Certificates:

A certificate in public health at NSU is the perfect option for students who want to acquire a solid foundation of knowledge in the field of public health but are unable to pursue a master’s degree. Having a certificate in public health prepares individuals for positions in clinics, hospitals, government agencies, and non-profit organizations that require advanced knowledge and practical skills beyond that of a bachelor’s degree. 

NSU offers four embedded certificates: 

• Public Health
  • Certificate in Public Health
• Global Health
  • Certificate in Global Health
• Public Health Leadership
  • Certificate in Public Health Leadership
• Nutritional Health
  • Certificate in Nutritional Health    

The Certificate in Public Health provides students with knowledge and skills in the core areas of public health including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, social and behavioral health and administration/policy. For the Global Health and Public Health Leadership options students learn concentration specific knowledge and skills.  For the Nutritional Health option students gain an in-depth understanding of medical nutrition therapy. In addition, most of our courses are 8 weeks in duration which allows full-time students to complete the certificate program within a year.

NSU is an educational partner serving Northeastern, Southeastern, Northwestern, Southwestern, Central, and Eastern Oklahoma. Scholarships are available for students from Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, and Kansas.

Beyond the admission requirements for the Graduate College, admission to the Public Health, M.P.H. program requires:

• Possess an earned bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Apply and be formally admitted to Northeastern State University and the Graduate College. 
• Official transcripts of all previous college coursework must be directly submitted by the institution where coursework was completed to the NSU Graduate College.                   
• Conditional Program Admission:  Applicants with a cumulative GPA of 2.80 - 2.99 may be granted conditional admission. Students admitted conditionally must earn at least a "B" in each course of the first 9 hours attempted (as outlined on the program of  study) to remain in the program and advance to regular admission.
• Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale.
• Completion of all prerequisite courses with a grade of "C" or better.
• Be in good standing with the college or university last or currently attending.
• World Education Services (WES) evaluation for all foreign coursework.
• International applicants must submit a TOEFL score of 550 or higher on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 79 on the Internet-based test. Minimum IELTS score is 6.5.
• Submission of the MPH Program application packet.

NOTE: Only applicants who have submitted all required documentation by the application deadline will be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to request transcripts from previous universities. Transcripts must be sent directly from the institution attended to Northeastern State University, Graduate College Office, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, 74464. The priority application deadline for the fall admission is July 15th. For spring admission, the priority deadline is December 15th.