Public Health Practice

Online Master of Public Health Option

Turn your passion into your dream job with an online MPH

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Applications reviewed on Dec 1 (Priority), March 1 & June 1 (Final).

Thrive as a public health professional

With interdisciplinary training in public health practice, our rigorous curriculum incorporates key domains of public health work, including science, community, management and leadership, and policy and systems.

The online MPH format allows you to connect meaningfully and build your network with peers from around the world.

You’ll develop knowledge and skills that will prepare you to thrive in your public health career.

Earn your MPH online from anywhere.

With an emphasis on public health systems, policy, and prevention intervention, graduates can look forward to jobs centered around program management and implementation in public health or allied health settings.

“This kind of training will be ideal to acquire a broad skill set to work with the range of issues students may find themselves managing,” says Sue Carozza, associate professor. Read more at Paving the way for stronger and healthier communities worldwide.

Dani Crabtree

Dani Crabtree, MPH
Online MPH: Public Health Practice alumna

"The most memorable experience so far has been getting to know the people in my cohort. Some of us are close to Oregon State University, while others are in another state or country. It adds a lot of diversity to the group."

Learn how an online MPH program will boost your career

Public health experts — and Oregon State's online MPH instructors — provide industry insights and their top tips for public health professionals. Get the tips and meet your future instructors.

MPH curriculum and coursework

The Oregon State MPH – Public Health Practice degree requires 60 credit hours of coursework (approximately the equivalent of 40 semester credits). Part-time applicants should note that they will be required to take a 6-credit hour course in both Fall and Winter terms of their first year.

The program does not require a thesis; rather, it culminates with an integrative learning experience (ILE). Each MPH option has its own distinct ILE, created by program faculty to assess students’ mastery of program competencies.

See which courses you'll take as a public health practice student.
Option-specific handbooks

What you'll learn as an MPH – Public Health Practice student.
Learning competencies

How you'll apply your knowledge.
MPH internships

We’re here to help

We’re happy to connect with you by email, phone or virtual meetings.

More information including tuition, fee rates, the curriculum and careers can be found on the Ecampus program page.

  

For questions about the application process and requirements, contact CPHHS graduate admissions.

  

To talk about curriculum and life as an MPH student, contact our MPH Administrative Director.

  

For academic or professional information specific to the Master of Public Health – Public Health Practice online degree program, please contact the program director Veronica Irvin, Ph.D., MPH.


Primary faculty


Jonathan Garcia, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Jonathan's work has focused on devising community-led approaches to social inclusion, HIV prevention, and Hepatitis C treatment access, especially among Latinos and LGBT populations.

Jill C. Hoxmeier, PhD, MPH

Instructor

Jill's research focuses on understanding college students’ experiences as bystanders to sexual violence risk situations, including psychosocial influences on prosocial intervention behavior and engagement in initiatives aimed to promote intervention actions. Her work aims to investigate whether, and how, bystander-based prevention models align with primary prevention for violence. Her academic and teaching interests include health promotion program planning and evaluation, theories of health behavior, health policy, and sexual and women’s health issues.

Veronica Irvin, Ph.D., MPH

Associate Professor
Program Director for Public Health Practice

Veronica’s research focuses on the idea that how medical and science information is presented can change someone’s behavior. Her first project assesses health literacy and communication methods in order to better understand how people manage their health. In her second project, she evaluates the content of information on clinical websites and consent forms in terms of accuracy, reading level and sentiment.

Sunil Khanna, Ph.D.

Professor

Sunil's research interests include the complex interrelations of biology, culture, gender, ethnicity and health in South Asia and the United States. He uses diverse yet complementary field techniques such as ethnographic research and qualitative methods, microdemographic survey and nutritional anthropometry in his research studies.

Sarah E. Rothenberg, D.Env.

Associate Professor

Sarah's research uses a multidisciplinary framework, including environmental monitoring, risk assessment, and epidemiologic studies, to fully understand the dynamics of mercury cycling and methylmercury exposure. She also investigates interactions with other trace metals, which co-occur with mercury in the environment.

Ellen Smit, Ph.D., RD

Professor

Ellen is a nutritional epidemiologist. Her research is focused on diet, metabolism, and physical activity in relation to both chronic disease and HIV infection in diverse populations. Studies include cohort designs, multi-center studies, survey analysis of national databases, and linking of registry data sets.


Administrative support


Hanako Justice, MPH, MSW, CHES

MPH Administrative Director

Hanako is the CPHHS MPH Administrative Director. Hanako graduated with her Master in Public Health (MPH) and Master in Social Welfare (MSW) degree from University of California, Los Angeles in 2021, with a focus on community health sciences and child and family welfare. She led a research project on sexual health education resources and relevance for autistic young adults, and has been heavily involved in expressive arts-based education for social and emotional learning and mental wellbeing. Hanako is also a certified heath education specialist (CHES) and is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Tonya Johnson, MPH

MPH Internship Coordinator

Tonya brings nearly 25 years experience in the field of community health, working for both academic and public health agencies in Oregon, Washington, and New York City. She has engaged students in a variety of opportunities to help them strengthen their public health competencies, including developing program plans, facilitating evidence-based programs, providing technical assistance to community-based coalitions, and conducting evaluations.

Laurel Kincl, Ph.D., CSP

Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs

In her associate dean role, Laurel oversees the MPH program, including the MPH online option. She works closely with faculty, the MPH Administrative Director, and the MPH Internship Coordinator and is a resource for future and current students.

Accreditation

In 2014, our college was accredited by the Council for Education in Public Health – the first in Oregon. This distinction provides our students with more resources, more opportunities to engage in research, and faculty experts who specialize in a variety of public health topics.