Online Master of Public Health in Global Health

Global Health Focused Online Master’s Degree

Drexel University has always been a place for industry innovators. The Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health’s online global health focused Master’s in Public Health (MPH) program is one such example. Taught by faculty with expertise and experience in global health, you’ll learn about evidence-based approaches to public health, health systems, planning, and management to promote global health, policy in public health, leadership, communication, interprofessional practice, and systems thinking. In addition, you’ll study local, national, and global implications of these practices that you can apply right away in your career.

MPH: Global Health Online Program Features

• 56 quarter credits
• Average completion time is 2-3 years
• Flexible plan of study that allows you to customize your education to your global health career goals
• Taught by highly respected and global health-focused faculty from Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, which is ranked in the top 15% in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of the nation’s Best Graduate Schools and #1 in Philadelphia and the surrounding region
• Opportunities to add secondary focus areas such as Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Maternal and Child Health and LGBT Health
• Drexel is the first institution in Philadelphia to be accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH)
• No GRE required
• Ability to transfer in credits from Drexel’s online public health certificates

What Will I Learn in the Drexel Online MPH: Global Health?

Advancing in public health requires a global mindset. That’s where Drexel Dornsife’s online Master’s in Public Health with a global health concentration comes in. You’ll learn how to become a leader, a scholar, and a researcher with the ability to address current and emerging local, national, and global public health issues facing the world today. In addition to a customizable plan-of-study, you can expect to be prepared to do the following:

• Think critically and creatively to address current and future global health challenges, including those related to infectious diseases, chronic illness, and environmental toxins
• Design, evaluate, and implement effective, evidence-based health programs and initiatives using quantitative and qualitative methods, while involving communities and key stakeholders
• Analyze global and national health systems, examining and assessing the equitable distribution of resources and the prioritization of healthcare across populations
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of diverse professionals working in global health and the challenges of partnership and importance of country ownership
• Act ethically, promoting the right to health and integrating scientific knowledge and global evidence to advance health policies and interventions that address social determinants of health, with an emphasis on underserved and marginalized populations

MPH Experiential Learning Opportunities

Practice, practice, practice. It’s what makes a good public health professional great. A requirement of Drexel’s online MPH is the practical experience, which offers applied, field-based knowledge in a placement or internship setting.

Practical Experience
Drexel Dornsife believes in providing real-world practical knowledge and skills as a part of your education. This requires creating opportunities to build in-depth understanding and a diverse breadth of knowledge that you can immediately apply in your career. In the online MPH, the Applied Practical Experience (APE) refers to the field placement you receive from either your current employer or an outside location. This experience can be completed near your home, which means you never have to come to campus. Drexel Dornsife will even assist you in finding these opportunities in public health organizations and beyond.

Integrative Learning Experience
As an MPH student nearing program completion, you’ll be required to participate in the integrative learning experience (ILE). With a goal of illustrating mastery of core public health and focus-area-specific competencies, the ILE s completed in the final year of the program and includes writing a high-quality research paper. The ILE can be an internship, capstone course, or data analysis project. Your major will determine which ILE you complete. 

How Long Does it Take to Earn a Global Health Master's in Public Health?

Structured on a quarter-term basis, Drexel Dornsife’s online MPH requires 56 total credit hours for completion. In practical terms, that means a full-time online student can expect to complete the program in one to two years. Part-time online students can expect to complete the program in three years. Drexel offers several options so you can select the flexible path that works best for you:

• 12 Months
  This plan allows you to complete the program in the shortest amount of time. It’s recommended that you not work while pursuing this plan.
  Expect to spend: 60-80 hours of coursework each week
  • This option begins in the summer term. When applying, please make sure to select the 12 month option and summer term option under the term you plan to enroll question.
• 18 Months
  This plan allows you to complete the program by March of your second year. You may be eligible for a research assistantship. You will also have the time to do an internship over the summer should you choose.
  Expect to spend: 40-60 hours of coursework each week
• 21 Months
  This plan allows you to complete the program in less than 2 years, but still work if you choose. You may be eligible for a research assistantship. You will have the time to do an internship over the summer should you choose.
  Expect to spend: 30-50 hours of coursework each week
• 24 Months
  This plan allows you to complete the program in 2 years, but still work if you choose. You may be eligible for a research assistantship. You will have the time to do an internship over the summer should you choose.
  Expect to spend: 30-50 hours of coursework each week
• 33 Months
  This plan allows you to finish the program in less than 3 years while still working full-time. You may be eligible for a Research Assistantship. You will also have time to do an internship over the summer if you so choose.
  Expect to spend: 18-20 hours a week.
• Flexible Plan of Study
  We understand that sometimes you need to go at your own pace. Working closely with your program manager, you can create a customized plan of study that works best for you. On the application, please select the 33-month option. Then set up time to meet with your program manager prior to registering for your first class to discuss your options further.

As opposed to a typical 15-to-18-week semester, a quarter is comprised of 10-week courses that allow for greater flexibility and variety. This means you can take more classes, meet and network with more professors, and expose yourself to a greater variety of subjects. With less downtime than a semester-based system, students in a quarter system remain stimulated and focused on their program and coursework. Upon graduating, you will be better prepared for the next step in your career.

Completion time can be significantly shorter if you have already completed Drexel Dornsife’s online Public Health Certificate, as you may transfer those credits into the online MPH program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Online MPH in Global Health Program Asynchronous?
Online MPH in Global Health classes are conducted asynchronously, which means you are not required to be online at a specific time for course instruction. However, many of our classes include group work. In these instances, you will be asked to find time to meet online with other students to complete the small group projects.

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Related Programs

• Executive MPH
• Master of Healthcare Administration
• MPH: Epidemiology
• MPH: Urban Health
• Certificate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• Certificate in Global Health
• Certificate in Infectious Disease Prevention and Control
• Certificate in LGBT Health
• Certificate in Maternal and Child Health
• Certificate in Public Health
• Certificate in Urban Health
• On-Campus Public Health Programs

Drexel University offers a variety of Graduate Minors that can be added to any master's degree program.
State restrictions may apply to some programs.