Master of Public Health
Improve population health at the local level and around the globe with your MPH degree
Meet the increasing need for public health professionals who want to make a difference for individuals, families, and communities. East Carolina University’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program provides you with the skills and knowledge to improve the well-being of diverse populations and their health care systems. Our MPH program’s high graduation rate is attributed to our relatively small cohort size and our engaging faculty.
Eastern North Carolina has significant health burdens, especially in the rural, low-resource, and racial and ethnic minority communities. Addressing these health threats, and the disparities that stem from them, are the driving forces for our teaching, research, and service. The ECU Master of Public Health program is collaborative in our work with local, regional, state, and national public health and health care agencies.
Tailor your Master of Public Health degree to fit your needs
If you would like to customize your graduate studies, our MPH degree program is a great choice. You can choose between three concentrations to gain knowledge and open doors to a public health career that meets your passion and fulfills your professional goals:
- Epidemiology
- Health Policy, Administration, & Leadership
- Community Health & Health Behavior
Learn where it fits your life best—the MPH degree is offered fully online through distance education, AND, if desired, you have the option of taking some classes (about 1/3 of coursework) in person in face-to-face format with additional opportunities available on-campus. For the upcoming class entering in Fall 2023 we are starting a designated in-person learning experience in which 6 or 7 of the 8 core courses will be taken together as one group of on-campus students.
For additional information on the program, including concentration specific information and course plans, see the Program Manual. For more information on the in-person learning experience for the upcoming class entering fall 2023, click here.
Why earn a Master of Public Health degree at ECU?
Do you want to build on your education and seek opportunities to enrich your community and help around the world? East Carolina University’s Master of Public Health program is rigorous and engaging. Gain knowledge and skills that you can put to work immediately in your thriving public health career.
Real-world experience
Conduct research, develop practice-based knowledge, and make an impact in one of the most disadvantaged regions of the United States.
Student life activities
Join our Public Health Organization (PHO)—a unified voice of MPH degree students at East Carolina University. PHO will promote and support you through sponsorship of educational trips and organized events.
Convenient, flexible format
Take MPH courses online or on campus to fit your schedule and life demands.
Courses you will take in the MPH degree program
In ECU’s Master of Public Health program, you’ll become an expert in responding to needs in a changing environment, including skills to work in rural and disadvantaged communities. Gain a broad range of knowledge and critical thinking skills from coursework that includes:
- Principles of Health Behavior
- Biostatistics for Health Professionals I
- Ethics and Law in Public Health
- Fundamentals of Environmental Health
- Interdisciplinary Rural Health
- Introduction to Epidemiology
- Public Health Practice
In addition to coursework, MPH degree students must complete a 240-hour field placement. This is an opportunity for you to integrate and demonstrate the academic knowledge you’ve acquired during class in a practice setting.
Once you are admitted to the Master of Public Health program, career advising will get underway for you. You’ll be assigned an academic adviser based on your concentration and faculty expertise. Learn more about your MPH degree coursework.
Hear from our Master of Public Health graduates
“One of my favorite memories from the MPH program was volunteering with classmates to plant flowers in the garden of a local nursing home. It was a great chance for me to bond with my peers while making a difference for the residents. I use so much of my MPH training on a daily basis, but ECU’s unique focus on rural health ensured that I was well-prepared to engage rural community leaders and underserved populations throughout eastern North Carolina.”
—Caroline Collier, MPH ’18
Rural operations specialist at NC Office of Rural Health
What can you do with your public health master’s degree?
Our flexible, accredited online MPH program is great if you are a working professional looking to advance your career with the skills to solve today’s biggest health challenges.
Meet the increased need for public health professionals
Our MPH degree provides entry-level credentials and basic training for management and leadership positions in public health and the health care fields, among the fastest growing fields of employment in the nation. Use your role to improve the well-being of diverse and disadvantaged populations.
Where are public health master’s degree graduates working?
Earn your ECU Master of Public Health degree to grow your passion and make an impact in a wide variety of professions, including: health educators, epidemiologists, occupational health and safety specialists, health planners, and health care administrators.
The public health field is expected to grow by 16% through 2026, according to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s much faster than the average for all jobs. In addition, working professionals with a master’s degree earn up to $12,000 more annually than counterparts with only a bachelor’s degree.
Get started on your East Carolina University MPH degree
Take the next step toward earning your Master of Public Health degree. We have the resources to answer all your questions and help you get started.
Degree programs related to public health master’s
Considering the ECU Master of Public Health degree, but would like to explore similar programs? You may be interested in the following graduate degree programs:[CBM1]
- Doctor of Dental Medicine
- Master of Science in Nutrition
- Doctor of Medicine
- Master of Social Work
Accreditation for the Master of Public Health degree at ECU
East Carolina University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. In addition, the MPH program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).