Portland-State-University 2019-2020 Bulletin

Health Promotion M.P.H.

The Health Promotion program is an interdisciplinary course of study providing students with specialized training in public health promotion and education. Through coursework and community-based experiences, students learn to address factors in the broader social, economic, policy, and built environments to improve the health of populations. In this track students build practice and research skills for population-level intervention, including program development, implementation, and evaluation. The curriculum further offers opportunities to focus on health across the lifespan. Graduates of the Health Promotion track will be able to effectively recognize and assess health disparities, communicate health information, promote health equity, and mobilize resources for social change. 

Program Competencies

Students graduating from this program will be able to:

  • Apply theory in the development, implementation, and evaluation of health promotion interventions, programs, and policies.
  • Develop interventions and programs to effect change at multiple levels, including individual, community, organizations, and policy.
  • Design and implement strategies to promote health.
  • Solicit and integrate input from community and organization stakeholders.
  • Design and deliver health communication messages.
  • Evaluate and interpret results from program evaluations and other research.
  • Define research problems, frame research questions, design research procedures, and outline methods of analysis.
  • Apply ethical principles that govern the practice of public health.
  • Demonstrate cultural competency in health promotion among all social and cultural communities. 

Requirements

Students pursuing the M.P.H. degree must complete at least 60 credits, including a core of 17 credits, 28 additional required credits, an Interprofessional Education course (1-2 credits), the 1-credit Applied Practice Experience seminar, the 4-credit Integrative Learning Experience, and 9 credits in an Area of Emphasis. Students must earn a grade of "B-" or higher in all core required, and program required courses. A grade of "C-" or higher must be earned for elective courses. The student’s academic advisor must approve the Area of Emphasis. All students must pass a Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam before graduation. 

The following courses are required:

Core Courses (17 Credits)

PHE 512Principles of Health Behavior I

3

Epi 512Epidemiology I

4

ESHH 511Concepts of Environmental Health

3

HSMP 574Health Systems Organization

3

Bsta 525Introduction to Biostatistics

4

Health Promotion Required Courses (34-35 Credits)

PHE 511Foundations of Public Health

3

PHE 517Community Organizing

3

PHE 519Introduction to the Etiology of Disease

3

PHE 520Qualitative Research Design

3

PHE 521Quantitative Research Design and Analysis

3

PHE 550Health Promotion Program Planning

4

HSMP 573Values and Ethics in Health

3

HSMP 588Program Evaluation and Management In Health Services

3

 

PHE 540Mass Media and Health

3

or

PHE 541Media Advocacy and Public Health

3

  

PHE 504Integrative Learning Experience

4

IPE Interprofessional Experience

1-2

Area of Emphasis (9 credits)

The student’s academic advisor will work the student to define and must approve the Area of Emphasis.

Total Credit Hours: 60-61