One Degree, Three Concentrations
How Long Will It Take to Complete?
You can complete the M.P.H. degree at Des Moines University in as little as two years. Students earn 42 total credit hours that include six hours of electives, an Applied Practice Experience and an Integrative Learning Experience.
Curriculum Overview and Outline | Course Descriptions
Foundational Competencies
The M.P.H. program adheres to the foundational M.P.H. competencies as specified by the Council on Education for Public Health. The required public health core courses for all M.P.H. concentrations will give students didactic preparation and applied assessments to allow attainment of the following competencies.
View the full list of foundational M.P.H. competencies.
Applied Practice Experience
Learn public health by practicing public health! M.P.H. degree candidates complete a 120- to 180-hour internship in a public health setting to expand their knowledge of pertinent public health issues and support their academic and career goals. In consultation with preceptors in the field, students create at least two practice-based deliverables that are of utility to the host organization. These might include project plans, grant proposals, training manuals, surveys, podcasts, presentations, or other products. Students create a final e-portfolio including the practice-based deliverables and a systematic reflection on their selected foundational and concentration competencies.
Integrative Learning Experience
This culminating experience allows students to use knowledge gained from their degree program experiences. Students choose projects that let them demonstrate their understanding of theory and principles learned in course work and apply them in a professional practice situation. Faculty use the capstone to evaluate whether the student has mastered the program’s competencies.
M.P.H. students also can tailor their internships and capstone projects on topics relating to international public health or global health initiatives in the United States. DMU students pursuing the M.P.H. degree only and those pursuing dual degrees in the University’s clinical programs have had internships abroad and with international health entities including the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Are You an Organization With a Public Health Learning Experience Opportunity?
We'd love to hear about it! DMU is looking for community-based learning experiences that take ~120 hours to complete, result in work products that are useful to your organization, and allow students to gain real-world experience while meeting educational learning objectives.