Due to the abundance of high-ranking universities within its borders, it's no surprise that there are several accredited public health degree programs in Illinois to choose from. Not only do these programs offer the unique opportunity to study in the thriving Midwestern center of Chicago, but they also provide preparation for favorable job prospects. In the next decade, Illinois will be adding on to its public health workforce in an effort to curb the state's high prevalence of binge drinking, increasing rate of preventable hospitalizations, and rising level of air pollution. If you've received the calling to help improve community health for America's 20th least healthy state, below are the MPH degrees approved by the CEPH in Illinois.
Benedictine University
College of Education and Health Services
Grounded in the spirit of St. Benedict, Benedictine University is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts institution educating a diverse community of over 9,600 students on its main 108-acre suburban campus in Lisle with satellite locations in Springfield, Naperville, Mesa, Bellwood, China, and Vietnam. Named the #1 fastest-growing campus in America by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Benedictine is ranked the 139th best university in the Midwest and 375th top private college in America by Forbes magazine. In the College of Education and Health Services, the Department of Public Health is dedicated to producing qualified health professionals for positively impacting health outcomes at the community level.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Founded with the goal of preparing graduate students with the ability to enhance the health of human populations through organizing community health efforts, the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at Benedictine takes on a generalist approach to public health education. In the 66-credit curriculum, students can study on-campus or online to build essential knowledge in biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy, behavioral health, environmental health, and more. Each student also participates in a culminating internship experience to obtain at least 240 contact hours working in real-life public health agencies throughout the Chicago area. Students can choose to supplement their MPH with a certificate in Disaster Management, Health Education and Promotion, or Health Management and Policy.
Accreditations
- Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact
5700 College Road
Lisle, IL 60532
(630) 829-6399
[email protected]
http://www.ben.edu/college-of-education-and-health-services/public-health/
DePaul University
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Initially established in 1898 by the Congregation of the Mission in the Vincentian faith, DePaul University is a major private Roman Catholic institution standing proudly on a main 38-acre urban campus in the heart of downtown Chicago. Well-known for being the nation's largest Catholic university with more than 24,000 students, DePaul is currently ranked as the 121st best university and 31st top school for veterans in the United States by the U.S. News and World Report. Within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, students can choose from 29 undergraduate and graduate academic programs that blend a top-notch liberal arts education with in-depth study in their chosen area of expertise.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
With the applied mission of developing high-quality public health practitioners for serving underrepresented and under-resourced communities, especially in urban areas, the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at DePaul is structured around a unique singular focus in community health practice. Students are prepared with the content knowledge and professional skills they'll need to identify and address emerging community health needs for effectively preventing disease and promoting well-being. Within the 56-credit curriculum, students will join a cohort group in a traditional classroom environment during convenient evening hours. In the final semester, MPH students will also gain 300 hours of community health-focused practice over a nine-month practicum experience.
Accreditations
- Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact
990 West Fullerton Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 325-4008
[email protected]
http://las.depaul.edu/academics/graduate-programs/public-health-mph/Pages/default.aspx
Northern Illinois University
College of Health and Human Sciences
Situated on an 800-acre suburban campus in the city of DeKalb within just 65 miles west from downtown Chicago, Northern Illinois University is a comprehensive public research institution composed of seven degree-granting colleges to serve more than 20,300 students. Named the third best public university in Illinois in Washington Monthly magazine, NIU is ranked as the 194th best college and 110th top public school in America by the U.S. News and World Report. Within the College of Health and Human Sciences, students can choose from 11 programs offering over 400 external practicum sites to build the skills needed to enhance the life of communities across the lifespan.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Available with two specializations in health promotion or health services management, the Master of Public Health (MPH) at NIU is designed to prepare professionals for obtaining leadership positions in identifying, researching, and improving current health issues on a local and/or global scale. In a convenient online format with optional face-to-face electives, the 43-credit program trains graduate students on how to analyze the social, political, professional, and economic forces that play a role in shaping the delivery of community health services for vulnerable populations. Graduates from the health promotion track can sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) Exam and graduates from the health services management track are qualified to take the Illinois Nursing Home Administrators Licensing Exam.
Accreditations
- Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact
1425 West Lincoln Highway
DeKalb, IL 60115
(815) 753-1384
[email protected]
http://chhs.niu.edu/public_health/mph/index.shtml
Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine
Since being built amidst swampland in the 1850s, Northwestern University has evolved into one of the nation's premier private research institutions with more than 21,000 students on its beautiful main 240-acre campus in Evanston and 25-acre satellite campus in Chicago along Lake Michigan. Conducting more than $550 million in sponsored research annually, Northwestern is ranked as the 13th best university and 20th top value school in America by the U.S. News and World Report. Also acclaimed for being the country's 18th best medical research school, the Feinberg School of Medicine offers graduate programs in public health within the Department of Preventive Medicine.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Offered in a full-time or part-time format, the Master of Public Health (MPH) at Northwestern is focused on allowing graduate students to build the healthcare skills, knowledge, and passion needed to solve large community health problems worldwide. Designed for health professionals with a minimum of two years of work experience in healthcare, the program includes five core courses with six electives to cover biostatistics, behavioral science, health policy management, epidemiology, and environmental health. In the field experience (FE), students will work with a Chicago-based government or public health agency. Students can also pair their MPH with an M.D. or Ph.D. degree in medicine, medical anthropology, or biological science.
Accreditations
- Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact
633 North St. Clair Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 503-3590
[email protected]
http://www.publichealth.northwestern.edu/prospective-students/mph.html
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
College of Education and Human Services
Despite being a large comprehensive public research institution nationally ranked in the top four percent of universities by the NSF, Southern Illinois University Carbondale maintains an intimate small-college feel for over 17,900 students on its 1,136-acre rural campus along the northern edge of Shawnee National Forest. Boasting a student-faculty ratio of 14:1, SIU Carbondale is currently ranked as the 189th best university, 106th top public school, and 65th best college for veterans nationwide by the U.S. News and World Report. As the country's 77th best education school, the College of Education and Human Services encompasses more than 28 diverse majors focused on preparing professionals to transform the world.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Fully accredited by the CEPH, the Master of Public Health (MPH) at SIU Carbondale has the goal of promoting public health practice by providing top-notch professional preparation to our nation's next generation of community health educators, public health practitioners, community service workers, and health researchers. Within the program, students can choose to earn a classic MPH with a specialization in Community Health Education or combine the degree with a Medical Doctor (MD) degree from the School of Medicine. Those taking the traditional route will complete two years of full-time graduate studies to earn at least 42 credits and successfully pass a community health education practicum experience.
Accreditations
- Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact
1263 Lincoln Drive
Carbondale, IL 62901
(618) 453-2777
[email protected]
http://ehs.siu.edu/her/graduate/mph/index.php
University of Illinois at Chicago
School of Public Health
Nestled on a 240-acre urban campus within the country's third most populous city with over 27,500 students, the University of Illinois at Chicago is an elite comprehensive publicly supported research institution known for being the principal educator of health service professionals for Illinois. Recognized among the top 100 universities less than 50 years old worldwide by the Times Higher Education, UIC is ranked as the 149th best college and 78th top public school in the United States by the U.S. News and World Report. Even more importantly, the CEPH-accredited School of Public Health is nationally distinguished for offering the 16th best graduate programs for public health.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Delivered in an on-site format or a convenient online format, the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at UIC is the basic professional degree for public health practice that covers a plethora of sub-specialty areas for graduate students seeking to become applied practitioners. Within the 42-credit curriculum, students are given the freedom to specialize in Community Health Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, or Health Policy and Administration. Regardless of the chosen concentration, all MPH students will complete a field experience to obtain 320 clock hours of public health practice in an approved setting. For the capstone, students will create a poster, oral presentation, or paper after completing their own community-engaged research project too.
Accreditations
- Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact
1603 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 996-6620
[email protected]
http://publichealth.uic.edu/academics/degrees/mastersdegrees/#d.en.2248
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College of Applied Health Sciences
Based on a vast 1,783-acre urban campus in the twin cities of east-central Illinois within a few hours from Chicago and St. Louis, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the state's major flagship comprehensive public land-grant research institution with over 42,000 students. Boasting one of the top 10 study abroad programs in America, UIUC is currently ranked as the 42nd best university and 11th top public school in the country by the U.S. News and World Report. Also recognized for offering the 68th best degrees in social sciences and public health globally, the College of Applied Health Sciences simply strives to build a better world.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
At UIUC, the Master of Public Health (MPH) program explores the interdisciplinary nature of public health through cross-departmental collaborations to ensure graduate students acquire the program evaluation, policy analysis, and health promotion skills needed for success. In addition to receiving a well-rounded education in the core areas of public health practice, health policy management, epidemiology, biostatistics, and environmental health, all students complete a concentration in Health Behavior and Promotion. The two-year program of 48 credits also includes a practicum experience with at least 200 clock hours spent working in a public health setting. Undergraduate students can accelerate their learning by enrolling in the new five-year BS/MPH degree with a major in Community Health, Kinesiology, or I-Health.
Accreditations
- Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA)
Contact
901 West Illinois Street
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-0302
[email protected]
http://mph.illinois.edu/Program/
Earning a master's degree in public health can open new pathways to some of the most in-demand healthcare professions today, including healthcare administrator, clinical laboratory technologist, nutritionist, health educator, emergency management director, and epidemiologist. If you're looking to study in the "Land of Lincoln," attend one of these great accredited public health degree programs in Illinois to start improving the well-being of vulnerable populations.