Our online Public Health Practice (PHP) degrees offer professional expertise in a convenient, flexible format.
In the Online Public Health Practice MPH you will gain applied knowledge that enhances your ability to engage stakeholders, identify community needs, gather data, design and implement programs and policies, lead organizations, and collaborate across disciplines. You can choose to take our Online PHP MPH Program in a 2-year or a 12-month accelerated timeline. Both formats prepare you to serve communities facing disproportionate health risks and connect with professionals across the field including researchers, policymakers, clinicians, and community advocates.
You’ll benefit from a dynamic online learning platform that promotes strong relationships and one-on-one support from instructors.
Build your practical skills in grant writing, program design and evaluation, data analysis, and public health research.
The Online Public Health Practice MPH program is ideal for:
- Professionals with full-time careers, including educators, nonprofit personnel, government officials, hospital administrators, community organizers and others whose work involves advancing the public’s health.
- Students living in rural areas of the Pacific Northwest, or outside of the Portland Metro Area.
- Full-time students living in or near metropolitan Portland
- Graduate students in other fields (including medicine, law, and social work) who seek to add a public health lens to their work, through a masters degree in public health.
MPH Online PHP Program Timelines
The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health (SPH) offers the MPH in Public Health Practice in two flexible timelines.
2-Year Online Format
The two-year MPH in Public Health Practice pairs online coursework with hands-on engagement in your own community, wherever you live.
Designed to accommodate recent college graduates as well as working adults, our online MPH can fit easily into any schedule, whether you are taking courses full-time or balancing them with your job, family, and other responsibilities.
12-Month Online Accelerated Format
The 12-Month Online Accelerated Public Health Practice MPH delivers a fully online, fast-paced curriculum that equips you with the specialized public health skills needed to meet your specific career goals.
You can complete this rigorous MPH in Public Health Practice program during a year off from an MD, JD, MSW, MPA, or other graduate degree, adding complementary training that expands your scope of expertise and increases your marketability.
Receive a Guaranteed $12,000 Scholarship
Support for your next step in public health starts here.
All eligible students admitted to the Online Public Health Practice MPH (whether in the 2-Year Online or 12-Month Online Accelerated format) will receive a guaranteed $12,000 scholarship. This award reduces tuition costs so you can focus on preparing for your next career milestone.
Explore Scholarship DetailsProgram Requirements & Guide
Please refer to the Program Guide for an overview of program requirements and a current program of study. To see all of the graduate program guides for an overview of degree requirements and a current programs of study, visit the MPH and MS Requirements page.
Recruitment & Admissions
Schedule an appointment with our Recruitment & Admissions Manager.
Schedule AppointmentCore Competencies & Contact Information
MPH in Public Health Practice - Core Competencies
Assessment & Action
Have Questions?
Students graduating from this program will be able to:
- Design public health research and practice initiatives in collaboration with communities, policymakers, and leadership, grounded in equity, anti-racism, and social justice.
- Evaluate the implementation and outcomes of public health research and practice for effectiveness, efficiency, and adherence to equity, anti-racism, community engagement, and social justice principles.
- Co-create ethical programs and policies for navigating complex organizational, political, and societal contexts in public health practice settings.
- Communicate complex public health data and concepts effectively to diverse audiences, including policymakers, leadership, and community members.
- Apply advanced grant writing, budgeting, and resource management techniques to secure, lead, and sustain public health initiatives.
- Synthesize diverse sources of scientific literature and data to inform policymakers, leadership, and communities involved in evidence-based decision-making in public health practice.
The following information is how the program measures aggregate student obtainment of competency, including direct measurements from the classwork and student self-reflection, in students enrolled across all years of the program:
| What competency did we measure? | What did we find? | What did we change? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Assess, analyze, and synthesize the health status of vulnerable populations. | Students met the benchmark in their classwork and reported high confidence in this learning domain. | No current action is needed – we will continue to monitor annually. |
| 2. Identify, develop, and manage interventions to promote and protect the health of populations at risk. | Students met the benchmark in their classwork and reported high confidence in this learning domain. | No current action is needed – we will continue to monitor annually. |
| 3. Lead and participate in interprofessional efforts to address health inequities with community partners. | Students met the benchmark in their classwork and reported high confidence in this learning domain. | No current action is needed – we will continue to monitor annually. |
| 4. Conduct, participate in, or apply research which improves the health of a population. | Students met the benchmark in their classwork and reported high confidence in this learning domain. | No current action is needed – we will continue to monitor annually. |
| 5. Assess and integrate cultural beliefs and practices in public health interventions. | Students met the benchmark in their classwork and reported high confidence in this learning domain. | No current action is needed – we will continue to monitor annually. |
| 6. Develop and plan interventions utilizing principles of health systems organization and health care finance to address health disparities. | Students met the benchmark in their classwork and reported moderate confidence in this learning domain. Systems Thinking for Public Health is a second-year course; returning students met the self-assessment criteria. | Our redesigned core curriculum includes foundational concepts of health systems during the first year, which will prepare students for advanced coursework. |
| 7. Apply program planning and quality improvement principles in the development, management, and/or evaluation of public health services. | Students met the benchmark in their classwork and reported moderate confidence in this learning domain. Public Health Program Planning is a second-year course; returning students met the self-assessment criteria. | Our redesigned core curriculum includes foundational concepts of program planning during the first year, which will prepare students for advanced coursework. |
| 8. Demonstrate basic skills in the development of a grant proposal. | Students met the benchmark in their classwork and reported lower confidence in this learning domain. After making several changes to the course content, students had higher confidence than prior years but continued to feel less confident than in other domains. | We redesigned the planning course to emphasize the wide variety of grant proposals public health students may encounter, as well as reframe the skillset the students already possessed that would support grant proposals – writing, planning and evaluation, and budgeting. These proposal building blocks will consistently be highlighted throughout the program, not just in the planning class, and we are creating a 1-credit course on program and research grant writing for MPH/MS students. |
| 9. Employ techniques to manage human, fiscal, and other public health resources. | Students met the benchmark in their classwork and reported moderate confidence in this learning domain. After making small changes to the course content, students had higher confidence than prior years but continued to feel only moderately confident. | We redesigned the planning and evaluation course sequence, spending more time on the importance of managing resources in public health, adding more video content and examples from program and non-research proposals. We have integrated resource management throughout the program as a tool for quality improvement and leading effective teams. |
Contact our Recruitment & Admissions Manager with your questions about our MPH program.
Recruitment & Admissions Manager – Josh Hodsden, MBA, MPH, CPH
applysph@pdx.edu
503-494-1158
Schedule an Appointment
Program Director – Rebecca Junbgauer, DrPH
jungbaue@ohsu.edu
APPLY TO THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Take the next steps and apply to our MPH in Public Health Practice program.
Learn about the application process and requirements for applying to the Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice.
Accreditations and Rankings
The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Application Requirements
Admission information for Graduate OHSU-PSU School of Public Health students.
Graduate AdmissionsTuition & Fees
School of Public Health guidelines for tuition and fees for graduate programs.
SPH Tuition & FeesFinancial Aid
Learn more about SPH financial aid opportunities for graduate students.
SPH Financial Aid