Wellness and Health Promotion / Public Health Combined Program - School of Health Sciences

School of Health Sciences

Academic Advising
3070 Human Health Building
433 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester, MI 48309-4452
(location map)
(248) 370-2369
shs@oakland.edu

Dean's Office
Human Health Building
(248) 370-3562
inhealth@oakland.edu

The Wellness and Health Promotion / Public Health combined program in the Department of Public and Environmental Wellness provides high-achieving students an opportunity to complete a bachelor's and master's degree in less time than would be required if the two degrees were done independently. Participants can graduate with a Master of Public Health degree in approximately one calendar year after completing a B.S. in Wellness and Health Promotion.

NOTE: The Public Health Scholarship Program provides an opportunity for need-based funding. This is available for MPH students and Wellness and Health Promotion / MPH combined program students. Additional information can be found on the MPH website and the School of Health Sciences’ Scholarship website.

Curricular Requirements Degree Plan Advising Apply

Curriculum

Course requirements for the Wellness and Health Promotion / Public Health combined program can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Students in this program complete 12 graduate level credits at undergraduate tuition rates. Students who have a minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.2 and have earned a 3.0 or above GPA in each of the 12-credits of graduate courses will be reclassified as a graduate student through Graduate Study. View the Master of Public Health program website for additional details.

Steps to Graduation

If a student has a minimum overall GPA of 3.2, has at least sophomore standing, and has completed: EHS 2550 (or STA 2220); HS 2250 (or PSY 2500); WHP 2800; and WHP 3500, the student may apply to the BS to MPH combined program through the graduate office. Qualified applicants will be given a delayed admission to the MPH program. (Full, formal admission will not take place until the student successfully completes his or her undergraduate degree with an overall GPA of 3.0). Applications are due February 1.

A student accepted into the combined program continues his or her undergraduate degree with the substitution of 3 graduate courses as shown below:

Please note that students must be accepted into the combined program before taking any graduate level courses.

Courses
PH 5000	Foundations of Health Behavior and Health Education
PH 5100	Principles of Community-Based Participatory Research
PH 5200	Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Public Health Interventions

If a combined program student has successfully graduated with a BS degree and an overall GPA of 3.0, he or she and is fully admitted to graduate MPH program. Classes to be completed are:

Courses
PH 5400	Statistical Methods in Public Health
PH 5500	Introduction to Epidemiology
PH 5700	Health Policy & Management
PH 5600	Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences
PH 5960	Public Health Practicum
PH 5996	Public Health Capstone
Eight credits of electives

Career Information

The career outlook for individuals with an MPH degree is very positive and expected to grow in coming years due to an increasing concern for public health needs around the world. There are a wide variety of professional opportunities in both the public and private sector, including: international health organizations, government agencies, state and local health departments, nonprofit organizations, corporate and worksite wellness sites, and local hospitals.

Job Outlook
Employment of health educators and community health workers is projected to grow 11 percent from 2018 to 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (April 2020). The BLS estimates that employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 18 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Average Salary
ZipRecruiter reports that the average annual pay for the MPH jobs category in the U.S. is $74,231 (June 2020). BLS reports the median annual wage for medical and health services managers was $100,980 in May 2019.