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FAQs about the MPH Distance Education Program-
The Distance Education Program is a cohort program where students progress through the program in the same 25 member group for 2 years. The regular campus-based program offers students the flexibility of completing the program full-time in 2 years or part time in 3 to 7 years. The primary difference between the two programs is one of curriculum delivery – distance mode versus traditional on-campus mode. In addition, the distance program is entirely self-supporting. All distance program expenses are paid from student fees, whereas the regular campus program is primarily supported through state funds and student tuition fees. The distance program is offered through the SJSU International and Extended Studies (IES) division and courses are offered through Special Session. However, the Distance Education Program is regarded by the University, and our public health accrediting body, as equal to the campus program. Therefore, your diploma will NOT indicate that you attended a distance program. It will be the same MPH diploma that the campus students receive. How is the SJSU MPH Distance Education Program similar to the Regular Program? The distance program and the campus program are similar in that all students receive the same rigorous course content, with the same course learning objectives, and the same professional faculty. However, all distance courses are delivered online and students only meet once a year for about 5-days in San José. Course length varies from five to eight weeks. Courses are taught sequentially, and not concurrently, with the exception of some overlap during the field experience (internship). In addition, in most courses, distance students meet once a week online for a live class session via the Elluminate learning platform. Is the San José State University MPH program accredited? Yes. The MPH program was established in 1970 and first accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) in 1974. CEPH is the only organization that is approved by the federal government to accredit Graduate Public Health Programs and Schools of Public Health. Our graduate program has been fully accredited continuously since 1974. Here is a listing of the CEPH accredited MPH programs and schools: www.ceph.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3344 Why is a CEPH accredited MPH degree important? Earning an MPH degree from a CEPH accredited academic institution is very important . Many state, county, and local governments require that job applicants possess an MPH from a CEPH accredited institution. For example, the California Department of Health Services requires that applicants for the Health Education Consultant position must have "Possession of a master's degree with specialization in public or community health education awarded on completion of a program of study accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health sanctioned by the American Public Health Association" (see: www.dpa.ca.gov/textdocs/specs/s8/s8333.txt ) What is the emphasis of San José State University’s Distance Education MPH program? The emphasis of our MPH program is Community Health Education. Our students take the same core public health courses (such as epidemiology, biostatistics, administration, and environmental health) as all public health students in the U.S., except that the majority of our students' coursework, and the focus of the program, is the philosophy and methods of community health education and health promotion. Our curriculum emphasizes the theories and skills necessary to promote public health with individuals, groups, organizations, and communities through educational programs and prevention initiatives, community organizing, capacity building, and policy advocacy. Students seeking MPH degrees with specialization such as epidemiology or health care administration, should consider other programs. Who teaches in the SJSU MPH Distance Education Program? The CEPH accrediting body requires that a significant
proportion of the courses be taught by the regular full-time MPH program faculty -- all dedicated career professors.
Although we employ excellent part-time faculty to complement the tenured and tenured-track full-time faculty, the regular faculty will teach between one and two MPH courses to each cohort. The part-time faculty is derived from very experienced public health professionals and professors
from outside of SJSU. Some of these instructors
are located in other academic institutions and some in professional
public health settings. All of the instructors, including the
regular MPH faculty, bring both strong academic preparation
and community-based experience to their instruction. How does the SJSU Distance MPH program differ from online MPH programs in other institutions? First of all, very few accredited public health schools or graduate public health programs offer a complete MPH degree online. Some offer a combination of both online and classroom instruction, and in some cases require students to come to campus at least once if not twice each semester. The SJSU MPH Distance Program reqires one five-day campus visit per year. In addition, our MPH program is located in the Department of Health Science within SJSU’s College of Applied Sciences and Arts - the largest college in SJSU. SJSU has a student body of approximately 30,000 students. Some MPH programs in the health education specialty area are located within accredited schools of public health and some do not have 'walls' - since they are primarily online only institutions. Our program is classified by CEPH as a Graduate Public Health Program; we are not a school of public health. Schools offer MPH and doctoral degrees in a number of specialized areas (i.e., epidemiology, health policy, administration, social and behavioral sciences, maternal and child health, as well as community health education). Regardless of the academic setting, the core curriculum of each public health program is the same. The differences are in the scope and breadth of the institution, the faculty research and community service interests, and the program’s philosophy of master’s level education. The best way to find out about these differences is to learn as much as you can about each institution, whether or not they are CEPH accredited, and then decide which environment and approach would be best for you. The formal course of study requires 42 semester units and 400 hours of fieldwork. Core courses (Health Education Core and Public Health Core) comprise 37 units and fieldwork 5 units. In addition, all students must complete no-cost, self-paced, on-line epidemiology and biostatistics tutorials prior to taking HS 261 Epidemiology and HS 267 Public Health Statistics, respectively. How long does it take to complete the MPH program? The program is designed for completion in 2 years. Courses are taken sequentially, not simultaneously, in 5 to 8 week periods per course. In most cases, course scheduling takes into consideration American holidays. Exact course dates for Academic Year Fall 2008 – Spring 2009 will be posted in the future. Are there any prerequisite courses? No. However, all students must complete no-cost, self-paced, on-line epidemiology and biostatistics tutorials prior to taking HS 261 Epidemiology and HS 267 Public Health Statistics, respectively. Can I get academic credit for courses I have already taken or work experience? You cannot get academic credit for work experience. Up
to nine units of previous coursework may be approved for transfer credit as long
as they were not counted towards a previous degree. These units must come from
San José State University, SJSU Open University, another academic institution,
or a combination of both. Credit is only available for equivalent
courses
, as demonstrated by the
course syllabus content, course learning objectives, and assignments. For example,
let’s say you attended a graduate public health program in Boston and completed
a 3-unit graduate course in environmental health but moved to the Bay Area for
employment reasons. Since you were not able to complete your MPH degree in
Boston, and with appropriate review of the course’s syllabus, content, and
assignments, your Boston course would likely transfer to the SJSU MPH program
since environmental health is also required at SJSU. Approval of previous units
is done on an individual basis by MPH Faculty Advisors after admission and
requires review and approval by the Graduate Studies Division.
HOWEVER , since
we do not have electives in the MPH program, you must still enroll in
the courses for which you receive academic credit and pay the tuition
fee
. Your previous academic work will substitute for the required MPH course work. What are the academic expectations of the MPH Distance Education Program? Potential applicants must
recognize that this is a serious, fast-paced, academic experience that is taught
by career professors and public health practitioners. For many courses, there
are only weekend breaks between each course. There is a two-week break during
late December and early January and a short 10-day break in late July and early
August. There is a heavy reading load, as is typical of all public health
graduate programs. Generally, students will read approximately 800 pages per
course and have several writing assignments. Students can expect to spend at
least
9 to 18 hours per week for each class. In effect, students must have
excellent time-management skills and be able to balance their professional,
personal, and academic commitments. Most classes, but not all, will have a
once-a-week live class session, using the Elluminate Live instructional
platform. Students are expected to have good computer skills and easy and consistent
access to the internet, since all assignments are downloaded from WebCT
and uploaded to WebCT after grading. Small group assignments, and online team
presentation assignments, are a part of most, but not all classes. Students in
this program do not learn alone, they learn with their classmates. Overall, the
distance faculty seek applicants who recognize the personal and continuous commitment
necessary to complete a rigorous MPH degree in distance mode. No, it is not required. Distance MPH students fulfill the university’s Graduation Requirement through a culminating experience. What does the Distance Program cost? The
Fall 2008 cohort fees are $475 per unit for the 42-unit program. The total
tuition is $19,950 plus books and travel/lodging in How can I find out more about the field of Health Education and Public Health in general? Talk with health educators and public health professionals in your community. You can also visit public health and health education websites for more information. SJSU faculty, alumni, and students are active participants in many of the organizations listed below:
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