The MPH Program with a specialization in Community Health Education in San José State University’s Department of Public Health offers students the flexibility to complete their degree in two years or more, depending on personal circumstances. The MPH Program was founded in 1970 to prepare community health education practitioners and has been continuously accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) since 1974. CEPH is the independent agency officially recognized to accredit graduate programs in public health. As stated in its mission statement, CEPH assures quality in public health education and training to achieve excellence in practice, research, and service, through collaboration with organizational and community partners. The SJSU MPH Program is well-known for its practice-oriented, community-based training.
The program’s essential mission is: To provide a professional education that prepares students to be innovative thinkers, critically engaged practitioners, and transformative leaders who can apply the conceptual frameworks, health education and public health competencies, in order to develop programs, build community capacity, advocate policy for health equity, and contribute to evidence-based public health practice. The MPH program’s mission is achieved through an integrated program of instruction, scholarship, and internships in partnership with a diverse network of community programs and practitioners. The ultimate goal is public health and social justice through planned, organized, and empowering community efforts.
Additional information is available on the Master of Public Health website.
On-Campus Program
Hybrid Program (Special Session)
The MPH Hybrid option is offered through special sessions and is a fast-paced, 24-month program of study. Courses in the Hybrid format are conducted synchronously on Tuesday nights (PST) in Zoom. Hybrid students are required to come to the SJSU campus for 3-4 days in August, depending on their year, for orientation and advising, tutorials, in person class sessions, and the comprehensive examination.
Both campus and Hybrid students engage in the same rigorous course of study.
Special Session Program Information
Academic Programs offered through Special Session are operated by the Professional and Global Engagement. Registration and enrollment in a Special Session course or program must use the special session application form and will follow special session fee and course schedules. Note that regular session students seeking to enroll simultaneously in a special session course or program will trigger a separate and additional set of fees. This may require an additional enrollment appointment from the Registrar and it may have implications for financial aid status or requirements. Please visit the Professional and Global Engagement website for more information.
University Admission Requirements
Candidates must complete all required application materials for CSU Graduate Admissions and the MPH Program. Applicants must meet all university graduate admission requirements before admission to the MPH program will be considered.
Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirements webpage.
Department Requirements
New students are admitted once a year, and begin course work during the fall semester in both Hybrid and campus formats. A detailed Admissions Information Packet is available at www.sjsu.edu/hsr/academicprograms/mph.
Advancement to Candidacy
The university requirements for advancement to candidacy for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures section.
Matriculated graduate students must submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy a minimum of one semester prior to graduating.
Program of Study Requirements
Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.
Course Requirements
To meet the requirements for the MPH, a student must complete 42 units (and satisfy the program GWAR requirement) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Campus-format students opting to complete an independent project (Plan B) as their culminating experience must enroll in an additional 3-6 units above the 42 unit requirement.
In consultation with the department graduate coordinator, MPH students develop and complete the 42-unit plan of study. Students must successfully complete all requirements of the selected plan including the course work specified in the Master’s Degree Approval Program. The MPH program requires grades of B- or higher in all program required courses.
Culminating Experience
MPH students must complete one culminating experience. Campus format students may choose either Plan B (Project) or Plan B (Comprehensive Examination). Independent projects may only be undertaken by students enrolled in the regular session MPH Campus format. Projects are subject to departmental approval and will require a minimum of 3 additional units of coursework.
Plan B (Project)
Campus students opting to complete a master’s project will take the PH 298 - Graduate Project for an additional 3-6 units over program requirements.
Plan B (Comprehensive Exam)
All Hybrid format students, and Campus format students opting for the courses-only option must pass the Comprehensive Exam (given once a semester) to earn the MPH degree. The Comprehensive Exam is the student’s opportunity to demonstrate mastery and integration of the knowledge and skills of the MPH curriculum. The comprehensive exam is a written exam that is administered on campus in May and August.
Return to: