Public Health

Program Description

Public health is defined as the practice of helping members of society live healthier, longer lives. Public health is both an art and a science, and is practiced by multidisciplinary teams of professionals whose training spans a wide array of medical, social, and physical sciences. Public health focuses on the general health of communities through efforts to monitor the spread of diseases, initiatives, (both clinical and policy- oriented) to prevent disease and disability, and by promoting healthy lifestyles through education and community engagement.

The program focuses on rural health, health promotion and prevention, disease state management, and related activities of interest to North Dakota public health care practitioners and policy makers. Specializations include American Indian public health, community health sciences, food safety, and management of infectious diseases. The MPH degree consists of 42 credits and can be completed in two years as a full time graduate student.

The intention of the accelerated Dietetics BS/MPH Program is to promote health and well-being in diverse populations through promoting healthy food system approaches. Public health nutrition professionals look at nutrition practice from the realm of creating and sustaining environments that promote access to healthy foods for all people.

The field of Public Health Nutrition enjoys a long history of connecting dietitians with public health theory and practice. Jobs in this field include: public health nutrition program administrator, health care delivery specialist for chronic disease management and prevention, community health coach, and maternal and child health program specialist. After graduating with a MPH, the public health nutritionist RD will quickly become a leader in the nutrition field across the health care and public health workforce.

Dietetics students are able to complete a BS/MPH dual degree in as little as one extra year of study. Students who are in good academic standing are eligible to apply to the program during the fall semester of their third year in undergrad/first year in the Dietetics program.

All applicants to the Master of Public Health program must demonstrate adequate preparation in a field related to public health and show potential to undertake advanced study, research and practical training as evidenced by previous academic accomplishment and experience.

All admission decisions are based upon full review of all information in the application in order to ensure fairness and to balance the limitations of any single element of the application, including practical experience in their field of public health.

Minimum Program Admission Requirements

1. Completion of the online application form and payment of the application fee.
2. A baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university (for U.S. degrees, accreditation by one of the six regional accrediting associations: MSA, NASC, NCA, NEASC-CIHE, SACS-CC or WACS-Sr.).
3. An undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00. Undergraduate coursework in fields related to public health should generally exceed a GPA of 3.00.
4. Your success as a Graduate Student at NDSU is important and so we require a standardized test score to be submitted.* The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Dental Admission Test (DAT), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) are accepted. While there is no minimum score required for admission on standardized tests, performance is used an indicator of an applicant's verbal and quantitative skills.​
   
   ​*A standardized test is not required of applicants who have completed a degree in a graduate program at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution of higher learning that required a standardized test score for admission. This test is also waived if applicants can show a minimum of five years of work experience, preferably in a community health-related field post baccalaureate degree along with a GPA of 3.2 or higher from most recent degree earned. Please email a current CV/resume and unofficial transcript to the academic coordinator, Stefanie.meyer@ndsu.edu, if you’d like to be considered for a waiver.
5. All graduate applicants must demonstrate academic-level proficiency with the English language before they will be considered for admission. This requirement must be met by all applicants, regardless of citizenship, residency, or nation of birth. No applicants will be considered for admission until the English Language Proficiency Requirement has been met. The English Proficiency Requirement will not be waived for any reason. This requirement may be satisfied in any of the following ways:
   • A bachelor’s degree or higher from a recognized institution in the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Australia, New Zealand, or English Speaking Canada;
   • An overall minimum band score of 6.5 on the Academic Module IELTS;
   • A satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).The expected minimum score is 233 for the computer-based test, 90 for the Internet-based test, and 577 for the paper-based test.
   • Successful completion of English Language Service (ELS) Language Center’s Intensive Level 112.
6. Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation

• Written Statement of Purpose and Goals – applicants must submit a one-page, written narrative describing their education, relevant work experience and current professional career goals. Applicants are expected to comment on plans they have to use their education and training in public health and any personal qualities, characteristics and abilities they believe will enable them to be successful in achieving their professional career goals.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Official post-secondary academic transcripts from all institutions attended (transcripts must be sent directly from the institutions to NDSU)
• Admissions Tests – scores must be sent by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) directly to NDSU. The institution code for the GRE and TOEFL the institution code for North Dakota State University is 6474.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation from individuals who the applicant feels are most qualified to evaluate their academic achievement; clinical, public health or other professional experiences; or leadership potential in public health.

The Admissions Committee may invite selected applicants for an interview on the basis of the Committee's review of all submitted application materials.

Final decisions will be made on rolling basis starting March 1 through May 1 or until the class cohort is full.

Policy on Transfer of Credit

American indian public health option

Management of Infectious Diseases Option

Community Health Sciences OPTION

FOOD SAFETY OPTION

Integrative Learning Experience/Master’s Paper

PH 789, master’s paper is a requirement for graduation for students in the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program. This is an opportunity to work on public health projects under the direction of faculty and community public health practitioners or researchers. The goal is to synthesize, integrate and apply the skills and competencies acquired in the PH Program to a public health problem. Completion of the PH master’s paper requires both written and oral components.

Practicum/Internship

Concepts and competencies learned from PH coursework are integrated through a minimum of 240 hours practicum that provides an opportunity to apply knowledge in a practice setting. A wide range of settings and opportunities are available and are individually tailored to assure competence in general PH and specialization-specific skills. The practicum is designed to meet student goals, specialization criteria, and the needs of the agencies or institutions involved. The practicum is selected by the student in consultation with faculty and approved by the adviser. This experience is usually completed in the student's final term in the program and often results in the capstone project written report and presentation. However, students may register for 1 to 3 credits, repeated up to 3 times if appropriate.

All work must be approved in advance by the PH program. Students cannot receive credit for past work experience.

For more information about PH specializations, please visit the PH website http://www.ndsu.edu/publichealth/specializations/.

American Indian Public Health

Donna Grandbois, RN, Ph.D.
Andrea Huseth, Ph.D.
Siobhan Wescott, M.D., M.P.H

Food Safety

Teresa Bergholz, Ph.D.
Rick Jansen, Ph.D.

Mary Larson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., C.D.E.

Community Health Sciences

Molly Secor-Turner, Ph.D.
Mark Strand, Ph.D., CPH
Abby Gold, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.
Mary Larson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., C.D.E.

Management of Infectious Diseases

Paul Carson, M.D.
Abby Gold, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.
Rick Jansen, Ph.D.