Biostatistics, MPH

Master of Public Health (MPH) Program

The goal of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program is to prepare students to be effective public health professionals. You will be trained in a variety of disciplines related to the development and provision of public health services; learn to recognize the social, economic, cultural and environmental factors that affect the health of the public; have the knowledge to take a leading role in developing and implementing social policies that encourage and foster healthy group and individual behaviors in a community. Public health professionals work in a variety of organizations and agencies to contribute to the common aim of promoting and protecting health in human populations. Students in the MPH program may select coursework from one of the following six areas: biostatistics (biometry or clinical research), community health, environmental and occupational health sciences, epidemiology, health management and policy, or professional option.

The Health Science Center is a member of SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Service). Students may apply online at www.sophas.org. The School of Public Health admits students during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The admission priority deadlines are as follows:

It is recommended that non-U.S. citizens apply well in advance of these deadlines to allow for the preparation of immigration documents.

Applicants to the MPH program will fall under one of the following admissions categories:

1. Full Admission: Accepted without reservation to the MPH program.
2. Denied: Not admitted to the program because application was not competitive.
3. Non-review: Not reviewed due to an incomplete application file.
4. Provisional Admission: In rare instances, the SPH may admit a student on a provisional basis where one of the credentials is below the average of the applicant pool, providing that all other admission criteria are met or exceeded. This admittance requires the approval of the Master’s Admissions Committee. Upon successful completion of the provisional requirements, the student may be granted full admission into the School.

MPH Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution,
• Submit an application to the School of Public Health via SOPHAS (Schools of Public Health Application Service) at www.sophas.org,
• Submit complete, official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended,
• Submit official scores from one of the following graduate admissions examinations: Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) or Pharmacy School AdmissionsTest (PCAT). The examination requirement is waived for applicants possessing a professional doctoral degree with a license to practice in the United States.
• Applicants with foreign transcripts must also include an official WES or ECE transcript evaluation report listing course-by-course U.S. grade point equivalencies.
• International applicants must demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in oral and written English before being granted admission. Minimum TOEFL exam requirements: written=550; computer-based= 213; internet-based=79. The TOEFL is waived if the applicant has earned a high school diploma or a bachelor or master degree from an accredited institution within the United States or Canada.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• Statement of Purpose (1-2 pages referencing the chosen concentration of study) 
• Current resume or curriculum vita 
• If invited for an interview, applicants are expected to participate in either an on-campus interview or a technology-assisted interview. Interviews at the student’s request are always welcome.

In addition to the MPH admissions requirements above, applicants to the professional option must meet one of the following eligibility requirements:

• Applicants with an advanced degree e.g., PhD, DO, MD, JD, MSN, MBA, PA; or
• Applicants currently enrolled in a master’s degree program other than an MPH; or
• Applicants currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program; or
• Three years of work experience in the health professions

Once an offer of admissions has been extended to a student, official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended must be re-submitted directly to the SPH Office of Admission and Academic Services, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699.

Once an offer of admissions has been extended to an international applicant, the Health Science Center will not issue immigration papers for student visas until the following documents have been received and approved by the Health Science Center:

• Proof of financial resources
• Official transcripts from each college or university attended should be re-submitted both in English and the student’s native language

Admissions Decisions and Deferments for MPH Applicants

Applicants will be furnished written notification regarding their admission status by the SPH Office of Admission and Academic Services. Statements by other Health Science Center personnel concerning the applicant’s admissibility are not valid until confirmed in writing by the Office of Admission and Academic Services.

Applicants who are admitted to a degree program and plan to enroll are required to submit an Admission Decision Form along with a non-refundable $200 assurance fee that will be used toward tuition upon arrival. Applicants admitted to a degree program that do not intend to enroll in the semester for which they applied must contact the Office of Admission and Academic Services to request a deferment. Deferments must be made in writing and cannot exceed one year from the original acceptance date. There is a non-refundable deferment fee of $300; the deferment fee is due at the time the request is made.

Information submitted in the application materials must be complete and correct. Prospective and current students must notify the proper institution officials regarding any changes in the information provided on their application. Falsification or omission of any information on the application documents will void a student’s admission, cancel their enrollment, and/or result in appropriate disciplinary action.

All materials submitted during the application process become the property of the Health Science Center and cannot be returned.

Financial Assistance

To be eligible for scholarships and assistantships offered by the School of Public Health, applicants must complete the admissions application by March 15, 2013. For more information, please contact the Office of Admission and Academic Services at 817-735-2401.

MPH Learning Objectives

After completion of the MPH program, the student will be able to:

1. Select and apply effective approaches to prevent disease and promote health in human populations.
2. Identify the contribution of social, cultural, and physio-chemical/biological environments as risk factors and root causes of health status, health outcomes, and the use of health services.
3. Use appropriate analytical methods and make relevant inferences in analysis of data related to a public health problem.
4. Critically evaluate literature and data relevant to public health issues.
5. Communicate effectively in writing and orally with the lay public and within professional and academic forums.
6. Use technology to access, communicate, manage and analyze data and information.
7. Lead and participate effectively in a group to address issues by applying basic team building and human relations skills in problem solving.

MPH Academic Procedures

Each student is responsible for the completion of the Master of Public Health program according to the procedures that follow. Each item must be completed in the sequence and time period indicated. Forms are subject to revision at any time and should be obtained from the School of Public Health Office of Admission and Academic Services.

1. Upon acceptance into the School of Public Health, an academic advisor is assigned.
2. The student must file a curriculum plan approved by the advisor and department chair with the School of Public Health Office of Admission and Academic Services before the completion of the first semester of enrollment. Enrollment will be restricted after the first semester if a curriculum plan is not on file.
3. Students must complete a public health practice experience. Students who have maintained a 3.0 GPA are eligible to enroll for Public Health Practice Experience after the completion of a minimum of 21 SCH of core and/or departmental coursework. Students must confer with the Center for Public Health Practice prior to registration.
4. Student not opting to complete a thesis for the culminating experience must successfully pass a comprehensive examination prior to graduation.
5. Prior to enrolling in thesis, a student must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours and gain consent from a major professor to supervise the culminating experience. The major professor must be a full time faculty member within the student’s concentration department; the major professor does not have to be the student’s advisor. The student must subsequently select a faculty committee. The faculty committee will consist of a major professor and a minimum of two committee members. Committee members must have faculty, adjunct or temporary adjunct faculty status with the School of Public Health. Students should contact the appropriate department regarding individuals with adjunct faculty status.
6. Students who select the thesis option for the culminating experience must meet with their major professor the semester prior to enrolling in thesis hours to make progress toward the thesis proposal.
7. To enroll in thesis hours, a student must have selected a thesis topic, made progress toward a proposal, selected their major professor and committee members, and gained approval from their major professor. After the successful oral and written defense of the thesis proposal, the proposal defense form must be filed with the School of Public Health Office of Admission and Academic Services. An application for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) must be prepared and submitted for approval before any data can be collected for the thesis.
8. Once a student has enrolled in thesis, he/she must maintain continuous enrollment in a minimum of 3 SCH of thesis during each semester (fall, spring, summer) until the final document has been accepted by the appropriate department chair and the dean. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment will either invalidate any previous credit or will result in the student’s dismissal from the degree program unless granted an official leave of absence by the dean for medical or other exceptional reason.
9. The completed thesis must be submitted to the faculty committee prior to an oral presentation (check with major professor for specific departmental deadlines).
10. Students are required to give an oral presentation to their faculty committee on the thesis.
11. Students must submit an Intent to Graduate Form to the School of Public Health Office of Admission and Academic Services prior to the semester in which they intend to graduate. To be eligible for submission of the Intent to Graduate Form, students must have a defended copy of their thesis proposal on file with the Office of Admission and Academic Services (see academic calendar for Intent to Graduate deadline).

* Students choosing the comprehensive examination as their Culminating Experience take an additional six (6) semester credit hours of concentration coursework and are required to enroll in the comprehensive examination course which is 0 semester credit hours.

** Students in the Department of Epidemiology that select the thesis option will complete 51 SCH. Refer to the School of Public Health website for detailed information on MPH degree requirements.

To request a waiver for a course, a student must submit a petition in writing to their advisor and the appropriate instructor outlining the class they would like to waive. The petition should also include documentation indicating that the previous coursework is comparable to the requirements of the course stated in the petition. The student’s advisor, instructor, and department chair associated with the course must approve the petition.

No credits are awarded for courses that are waived.

A waiver allows a student to substitute an elective course for a required course. For additional information regarding transfer coursework, refer to section on “Use of Transfer Credit.”

The thesis is an individual research project conducted under the supervision of a faculty committee. The thesis is written in a traditional academic style and orally defended.

MPH Concentrations

The Masters of Public Health degree program prepares students to address the following core competencies while advancing their knowledge of public health:

1. Public Health Knowledge and Skills: The MPH student will apply basic knowledge and skills of the core public health sciences that include: biostatistics, epidemiology, health management and policy, behavioral and community health, and environmental and occupational health, to the prevention of illness and injury and the promotion of population health.
2. Integration of Theory and Practice: The MPH student will demonstrate the effective integration of theory and practice related to public health issues that affect diverse populations, through a thesis or comprehensive examination and a practice experience.
3. Communication and Informatics: The MPH student will gather, organize, and manage data and information effectively to address public health issues through oral and written communications to diverse professionals and lay audiences.
4. Diversity and Culture: The MPH student will demonstrate the ability to interact with both diverse individuals and communities to produce or impact an intended public health outcome.
5. Professionalism: The MPH student will apply ethical principles to the practice of public health in a variety of settings, demonstrating personal integrity while embracing diverse communities.

Biostatistics

Biostatistics is designed to train students in data management, statistical analysis, interpretation, and presentation of analytical results using computing technology. The concentration focuses on the methodologies and procedures of statistical analysis and research design. There are excellent career opportunities for students wishing to pursue positions in local, state, and federal health agencies, health and medical centers, health care and clinical research institutions, the pharmaceutical industry, and consulting. Applicants to this program are expected to have a background in college algebra and calculus.

Students in biostatistics will complete a minimum of 48 semester credit hours to earn the MPH degree. By the conclusion of the MPH program, a student in will be able to:

1. Translate mathematical and statistical foundations to biostatistics.
2. Design and critically evaluate study protocols in the health sciences.
3. Design and apply comprehensive data management strategies for health related studies.
4. Identify and apply suitable statistical methods for data analyses.
5. Effectively communicate statistical information to health practitioners and professionals.
6. Understand and abide by strict ethical standards in health related studies

Note:

Upon approval by the Academic Advisor and the Department Chair, an MPH student may elect to complete a Thesis for the Culminating Experience. This requires the student to take 15 semester credit hours of “Elective” coursework and 6 semester credit hours of Thesis. An MPH student enrolled in the Thesis part of their degree plan must achieve satisfactory progress toward completion as determined by the Academic Advisor.

MPH Practice Experience

All MPH students are required to complete a Public Health practice experience. This requirement is based upon the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accreditation Criterion 2.4 (2011).

A student is eligible to participate in the Public Health Practice Experience after completing at least 21 semester credit hours, has a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, and has the permission of their academic advisor.

During the Public Health Practice Experience, students must complete a minimum of 200 contact hours working on a project that enhances professional skills and knowledge. During the practice experience, students must maintain a portfolio of their progress that will be monitored by the class instructor, their Academic Advisor, and their site supervisor. Upon completion of the practice experience, students are required to present their work during a poster presentation at the end of the semester.

No exceptions will be granted for the practice experience. The practice experience is designed as a supervised experience based upon the application of competencies gained during the Masters of Public Health program. As such, prior work experience does not qualify as a MPH Practice Experience. For more information, please see the Public Health Practice Experience website.