Online Master of Public Health

The George Washington University’s Master's of Public Health online program, MPH@GW, seeks aspiring public health leaders who are ambitious about addressing complex health care challenges.

MPH@GW offers program start dates four times per year, typically in January, April, July and September. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more about start dates and deadlines.

ONLINE MPH APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

To apply to MPH@GW, you must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university. GRE scores are not required for admission, however these scores can be provided to supplement previous academic and work experience.

To complete your application, you must submit the following:

• Online application
• Application fee
• Statement of purpose
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts from all educational institutions attended
• Resume or CV

Application and Program Support

Our support team can provide you with the resources you need to learn about the program and submit your application. Admissions Counselors, Academic Advisors and Student Success Specialists are available to assist you from the moment you request information up until you graduate.

Our program support specialist can help you:

• fill out and submit your application
• understand your financial aid options
• learn about the online student experience
• explore the curriculum and academic coursework
• find out if the program fits your professional goals

Fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), MPH@GW offers a 45-credit program designed to help you develop the skills and real-world experience required to lead public health initiatives.

To address the multifaceted and ever-changing landscape of public health, MPH@GW is built to give you complete control of your MPH. You can take a comprehensive curricular path or concentrate your elective courses in one particular focus area.

MPH@GW Requirements

Required MPH Core Coursework (19 credits)

• Biostatistical Applications for Public Health 
• Principles and Practice of Epidemiology
• Social and Behavioral Approaches to Public Health
• Fundamentals of Program Evaluation
• Environmental & Biological Foundations of Public Health 
• Fundamentals of Health Policy 
• Essentials of Public Health Practice & Leadership 1: Leading Self and Teams in Public Health 
• Essentials of Public Health Practice & Leadership 2: Managing Organizations & Influencing Systems in Public Health
• MPH Applied Practice Experience
• Culminating Experience
• Interprofessional Education Experience (IPE) 

Required MPH@GW Program-Specific Coursework (10 credits)

• Program Planning & Evaluation
• Practical Data Management and Analysis for Public Health
• Comparative Global Health Systems
• Introduction to PH Communications & Marketing

Electives and Optional Concentrations (16 credits)

MPH@GW students may choose to use their elective credits to formally "major" in a growing number of concentrations. These concentrations allow students to build knowledge and skills in a specific area of the public health space, and also connect with faculty and fellow students who focus their professional and academic efforts in that area. Alternatively, students may opt to choose their own electives for a more generalist curriculum.

Online Health Informatics & Analytics Concentration

Health informatics is designed to provide students with opportunities to optimize health information technology and data to improve clinical and health care–affected services, processes and research. This requires the capability to effectively and efficiently manage information based on accurate data from various sources and to utilize available technology. Students will develop the skills needed to bridge the gap between advanced health care technologies and the industry, including collecting, analyzing and translating the massive amount of data being generated by today’s latest technologies.

Program of study for the MPH@GW, Health Informatics & Analytics concentration include:

MPH Core courses, MPH@GW program-specific courses and:

REQUIRED- 9 credits

• Health IT, Informatics, and Decision Making  
• Population Health Analytics 
• Health Systems & Health IT Applied Analytics Immersion*

SELECTIVES (5-6 credits: choose 2-3 of these courses)

• Predictive Analytics: Applying the Concepts to Predictive Modeling
• Research Analytics : Applying the Concepts to Analytics
• Health Law and Health IT *
• Healthcare Delivery & Health IT* 
• Design of Technology for Health & Healthcare Settings

Online Climate and Health Concentration

The Climate and Health MPH program will train MPH students to assess environmental exposures and public health risks associated with anthropogenic climate change, and to mitigate these health risks by learning a systems approach that considers crisis phenomena, such as COVID-19, climate-sensitive programming, and public policies.

Program of study for the MPH@GW, Climate and Health concentration include:

MPH Core courses, MPH@GW program-specific courses (with Social Dimensions in Climate Change & Health replacing the Introduction to Public Health Communications and Marketing requirement) and:

REQUIRED- 12 credits

• Global Environmental and Occupational Health  
• Sustainable Energy and the Environment
• Researching Climate Change and Health
• Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
• Global Climate Change and Air Pollution

ELECTIVES (4 credits)

Online Global Health Concentration

The Global Health concentration will prepare the next generation of global health professionals with the values, knowledge, and skills to address today’s pressing global health issues informed by a thorough assessment of the best available evidence.

Program of study for the MPH@GW, Global Health concentration includes:

MPH Core courses, MPH@GW program-specific courses and:

REQUIRED- 10 credits

• Global Environmental and Occupational Health  
• Global Health Frameworks
• Public Health in Humanitarian Settings
• Global Health Programs and Approaches to the Control of Infectious Diseases
• Global Child Health

ELECTIVES (6 credits)

Online Women, Youth, and Child Health (WYCH) Concentration

Our new Women, Youth, and Child Health concentration within the MPH@GW program is grounded in a life course perspective as an organizing framework that acknowledges distinct periods in human development and presents both risks and opportunities for interventions. Further, the concentration explores the social, behavioral and systems-related determinants that are unique to the health and well-being of women, children, adolescents and families in the United States and around the world, and focuses on development of programs, policies, and advocacy strategies.

Program of study for the MPH@GW, Women, Youth, and Child Health (WYCH) concentration includes:

MPH Core courses, MPH@GW program-specific courses and:

REQUIRED- 9 credits

• Maternal and Child Health I: Foundations
• Women's Health
• Global Child Health
• Sexual Reproductive Health Monitoring

SELECTIVES (choose 4 credits)

• Community Engagement & Advocacy
• Researching Violence Against Women and Girls
• Public Health & Law
• Global Health Frameworks
• Public Health in Humanitarian Settings
• Preventing Health Disparities
• Social Behavior Change Communication in Middle- to Low-Income Countries
• Evaluation of Nutrition Programs
• Global Vaccinology

ELECTIVES (3 credits)

MPH@GW Admissions Counselors are available to help you figure out which concentration area works best with your goals. They can also assist you with your application and keep you up-to-date on important deadlines and events.

With the MPH@GW, you have the option to select elective courses based on your personal goals and interests. Specialize in one of these six subject areas or take a more generalist, holistic approach.

Epidemiology

Study complex data sets and leverage research to influence disease response and treatment at the local and national levels. Investigate patterns and trends throughout populations and create strategies to improve society’s health. Courses Include:

• Introduction to Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
• Global Child Health
• Global Vaccinology
• Epidemiologic Based Strategies for Global Infectious Disease Control

Health Communication

Spearhead beneficial public health initiatives through marketing and communication campaigns. Use strategy to influence populations, geographical locations and environmental circumstances. Courses include:

• Community Engagement and Advocacy
• Social and Behavior Change Communication in Middle- to Low-Income Countries
• Social Marketing: Theory and Practice
• Marketing Research for Public Health

Health Policy

Strategize, design and create public health initiatives through legislation and marketing. Collaborate with health specialists and experts to lead the implementation of health strategies aimed at enhancing health systems worldwide. Courses include:

• Public Health Leadership Seminar
• Public Health Law
• Law, Medicine and Ethics
• Prescription Drugs, Policy and Public Health

Program Planning and Evaluation

Evaluate, initiate and oversee health interventions and education programs within a wide range of public health sectors. Communicate research and findings to the public and other health professionals. Courses include:

• Design, Monitoring and Evaluation of Sexual and Reproductive Health Programming in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
• Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health
• Cost Effectiveness in Health Promotion Programs
• Researching Violence Against Women and Girls

The Applied Practice Experience (practicum) and culminating experiences enable you to apply classroom principles to a real-world environment. You can choose to complete your practicum in your own community or study abroad. GW offers its established partnerships with more than 700 affiliated preceptors as you search for the perfect fit.

Examples of practicum settings include:

• Federal and state health agencies
• Health care start-ups
• Health service delivery organizations
• International development organizations
• Nonprofits
• Policy institutes
• Think tanks
• Volunteer health agencies

Work with your MPH@GW Advisors to determine the best practice experience for you!

Bringing together the fields of medicine, business and education, a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree can open the door to a breadth of career path options in many segments of the health care industry.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a growing demand for skilled health care professionals. Employment of health care occupations is projected to grow 14% from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 1.9 million new jobs.¹ MPH@GW prepares you to meet this growing demand. Learn more about MPH@GW. Request information here.

What Can I Do With an MPH?

Health Care Policy Analyst - Health Policy

Health care policy analysts research complicated health policy problems and formulate subsequent recommendations for reform.

Community Outreach Program Manager - Health Communication

Managers of community outreach programs coordinate and supervise health-related programs and community organizations. They manage staff that provide health-related services to the general public.

Project Manager - Global Health

Project managers oversee all aspects of a project and work to ensure that a health initiative is reaching and exceeding its goals. Project managers are integral to the success of global health projects.

Medical Director - Program Planning and Evaluation

Medical directors are doctors who manage other doctors and medical employees while ensuring projects and organizations operate effectively.

Infection and Injury Prevention Specialist - Epidemiology

Infection and injury prevention specialists conduct research to chart infection and injury trends in populations. They then communicate prevention strategies with the public, hospitals, corporations and more.

Environmental Health Officer - Environmental and Occupational Health

Environmental health officers work with the federal, state or local government to ensure that companies and organizations are complying with relevant laws.

Prepare for Your Ideal Career With GW

Designed to help you become a leader in public health, MPH@GW gives you the tools and options to pursue the career of your choice.