Master of Public Health

The Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) Master of Public Health (MPH) is a 42-credit-hour degree designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of foundational core public health areas of knowledge including biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, health services administration, and social and behavioral health. Delivered from a distinctly faith-based foundation, the IWU MPH program is designed to prepare students for a career to influence public health on a local, state, national, and global level. The IWU MPH program is further designed to prepare the students to assume leadership roles as members of multidisciplinary teams in the practice of public health so that they can develop, implement, and evaluate programs that have an impact on population health.

The mission of the IWU-MPH program is to address the critical need for well-trained public health professionals by providing an academic environment in which students of public health are skilled through coursework and field learning experiences to deal with the expanding context of their roles in the 21st century.

Upon satisfactory completion of the MPH program, students should be able to:

• Apply evidence-based knowledge of social, biological, and environmental determinants to disease and health conditions.

• Employ appropriate methods of design, analysis, and synthesis to address population-based health problems in urban, rural and global environments.

• Synthesize the interrelationships among the organization, delivery, and financing of health services.

• Communicate public health principles and concepts through various strategies across multiple sectors of the community.

• Promote diversity and cultural understanding in public health education, research, and practice.

• Demonstrate public health knowledge and skills in practice settings.

• Demonstrate effective leadership competencies for building partnerships in advocating for public health programs and policies.

• Articulate a Christian worldview toward various public health issues.

Accreditation

The IWU MPH program is an applicant for accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health. The accreditation review will address the Master in Public Health program. Other degrees and areas of study offered by this institution will not be included in the unit of accreditation review. The Self-Study document will be submitted by March 13, 2022. Please note that all dates are subject to change. For additional information, please refer to https://ceph.org/.

Mission

We are committed to prepare students to improve the health of populations locally and globally through strengthening health systems, building stronger communities, and facilitating healthy behavior from a faith-based foundation.

Admission Requirements

A carefully completed application for admission should be submitted to the Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) School of Health Sciences Master of Public Health (MPH) program. Admission to this degree program is based on qualifications and space availability. This is a competitive program and application alone does not guarantee admission. Admission is awarded without regard to sex, race, color, age, religion, national origin, or disability.

• Applicants to the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program must have a baccalaureate degree from institutions accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with at least a 2.5 GPA for admission in good standing.
  • No GRE scores required to apply.
  • Applicants below a 2.5 GPA will be considered for probationary admission in the program.

• Application Form: Submit a completed School of Health Sciences graduate application form.

• Official Transcript: Submit official transcripts from all universities and colleges attended. Official transcripts from all post-high school educational experiences are to be included. Transfer students from a college or university abroad are also responsible for having their transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation service such as World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) for an official course-by-course credential evaluation (document-by-document evaluations will not suffice). Transcripts from international programs will be individually reviewed.

• International/Non-English Speaking Students: A student who is living in the United States but is not a United States citizen must submit a copy of a visa or permanent resident status during the process of application. Students who do not speak English as their first and primary language must submit satisfactory scores from one of the following before admission to the university:
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

  For additional policy information: Admission and Registration

• References: Submit two professional references.

• Writing Sample: One-page narrative explaining the applicant’s interest in the program.

• Prerequisite Courses: Students are required to have a grade of "B-" or better in a 100 level or higher college mathematics course.

• Resume: A one-page resume summarizing educational achievement, professional and service experiences.

• Virtual Orientation with MPH Faculty:  Highly recommended for applicants to participate in a virtual orientation session with the program faculty.
• Deadline for Application: A July 1st deadline exists for the review of all the applicant’s materials and applicant in-person/video conference with the faculty.

The Admission Committee decides the acceptability of applicants for the MPH program after evaluation of all required applications materials. Applications will not be reviewed until all applications materials are received and requirements are met. New or updated applications are required for those applicants who defer entrance after a year or who re-apply after initially declining an offer of acceptance.

• Probationary and Provisional Acceptance
  • Probation - A graduate student whose entering grade point average (GPA) falls below the minimum required by the program may be accepted on probation. Probationary status will be removed after the student has completed the first two courses of the core with a satisfactory GPA (3.0). In case of extended probation, the number of courses to be completed in order to change status will be determined by the Program Director and MPH faculty. Any student failing to remove the probationary status will be academically suspended from the program.
  • Provisional - Students whose files are incomplete may be accepted provisionally at the discretion of the Vice President for Student Support Services if it appears from the available documentation that eligibility for the program has been met. The student is given until the end of the first course to submit the required materials. Failure to meet the required deadline will result in the student being dropped from the roster and not being allowed to continue.

Transfer Credit

The Indiana Wesleyan University Master in Public Health (IWU-MPH) program policy regarding transfer of credits allows students previously enrolled in a public health program from a college or university that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to transfer up to nine (9) hours of degree credit into the IWU MPH program curriculum. Hours of credit may be transferred, but grades earned in courses taken at another institution are not used in computing the student’s graduate GPA at IWU.

No more than 30% of the graduate degree may be transferred in from another regionally-accredited institutions. To submit courses for transfer, students must submit a list of the courses (an official transcript) they would like to transfer, along with the course descriptions and syllabi to the IWU MPH faculty. The MPH faculty evaluates the courses for equivalency with the course content and learning outcomes of the IWU MPH program. Any culminating project (e.g., capstone) or practicum requirement associated with the IWU MPH program must be taken at IWU.

Minimal conditions governing the transfer of earned graduate credits to the IWU MPH program, include:

• Earned a minimum of a “B-“in the course to be considered for transfer credit.
• The student must have taken the course within the past seven years. When graduate course is taken at another university on a credit/no credit or pass/fail option, hours of “credit” or “pass” are not accepted in computing the student’s graduate GPA at Indiana Wesleyan University.
• Taken the course within the past seven years.

Practicum Experience Alternative

A student with extensive prior field experience in public health may petition the MPH Program Director to receive 3 credits in MPH-610 through prior learning assessment. The petition must be submitted not later than one academic term (8 weeks) before the student would be scheduled to enroll in MPH-610.

This request must be based on experience at the level of a federal health-related agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, or at a state or local health department, of 200 or more hours of public health experience meeting the outcomes of MPH-610, MPH Public Health Practicum, as stated in the MPH practicum Manual.

The application will be submitted on the Practicum Experience Alternative form and will include:

• the name of the health department and/or agency 
• a description of how the experience demonstrates applications of the core and specialty public health knowledge of the public health degree 
• a description of major responsibilities handled 
• the individual’s years of qualifying experiences 
• the individual’s resume 
• the individual’s graduate school record, if applicable
• documentation attesting to the satisfactory performance of all tasks assigned 
• the signature of the individual’s supervisor at the department where the experience was gained

Program Requirements

• A background check and/or drug screen at progression in the program may depend on your compliance and/or the results of these checks. Capstone/Clinical sites may have additional requirements (e.g., immunizations, background checks, and/or drug screen).
• Progression in the MPH program depends on a minimum grade of “B-“ or higher in all MPH courses. Any MPH course with a grade below B- must be repeated. All courses must be successfully completed in the sequence prescribed by the program.
• It is anticipated that the student will be able to complete the MPH degree in 28 months. If the student needs further time to complete the program requirements, then by program policy the MPH degree must be completed within four years of matriculation. Students who maintain continuous enrollment, who make normal progress toward a degree, and who earn their degree within the program's maximum time from the date of enrollment may meet the graduation requirements as stated in the catalog under which they enrolled.
  

Graduation Requirements

To fulfill graduation requirements students must have completed all of the following:

• All credits required in the course of studies with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.

• Minimum grade of "B-" or higher all MPH courses. 
• Payment of tuition and fees is required to receive a diploma.