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Health Sciences

College of Education and Professional Studies

Master of Public Health

About our Master of Public Health

As the most frequently awarded graduate degree in the public health profession, the Master of Public Health (MPH) will prepare you for applied public health practice and leadership in diverse environments and jobs such as: 

  • Local, state, and federal agencies 
  • Hospitals and clinics 
  • Community-based and non-profit organizations 
  • Research institutions and other agencies in both domestic and global settings.  

You will learn the various perspectives in public health to help you complete your capstone portfolio, including a project-based or research thesis, applied learning experience, and interprofessional education competencies.

Student studying outside"Virtually every person is seeing how critical public health must be if we want to have functioning communities; this is a very real opportunity to elevate the role of public health in society. It’s also an extraordinary time to be studying public health and applying the principles that we know improve the health of populations.” 
-Dr. Tishra Beeson, Chair of Health Sciences


Program Highlights

Where is this program offered?  

CWU Ellensburg Campus 
Online 
Hybrid 

How much does this program cost?

Find out how much this program costs through the registrar

Careers and Outcomes   

A Master of Public Health degree will prepare you for jobs such as: 

  • The average annual wage for a Health Education Specialist is $64,930. The Olympia-Tumwater area in Washington is ranked #2 in Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs for Health Education Specialists: $67,840. 
  • Communicable Disease Surveillance 
  • The average annual wage for a Postsecondary Health Specialties Teacher is $133,310. Washington ranked #1 in Top paying states for Postsecondary Health Specialities Teacher: $167,290 
  • Epidemiologist 

Degree Information

Admission Requirements  

Applicants to the MPH program at CWU are required to submit the following materials by the admissions deadline:  

  • Transcripts from a completed undergraduate degree program. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the event of a pending graduation date, and official transcripts must be received prior to matriculation.  
  • Completion of a college-level statistics course with a grade of B- or higher as evidenced on the applicant’s official transcript(s).  
  • Professional writing sample of 1,000 words or more. Examples may include: Peer reviewed manuscript, policy analysis, technical report, or white paper on which the applicant is the primary author.  
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation. The admissions committee places preference on one letter from an academic reference and one from a professional or community reference.  
  • Resume/CV  
  • Cover Letter or Personal Statement of 1 page or less  
  • Application fee to the CWU School of Graduate Studies and Research 

For information regarding admission requirements, required and elective courses, please reference the 2022-2023 Graduate Academic Catalog

Please see CWU Graduate School for more information. 

 

Graduate students in public health can also choose to start the program with the Rural and Community Health Graduate Certificate, of which 15 credits may transfer in toward completion of the MPH degree. 


Contact Information 

Dr. Melody Madlem
Master of Public Health and Undergraduate Public Health Program Director 
Office: 302-R  Extension: 1971 
Melody.Madlem@cwu.edu 

Take the Next Step to Becoming a Wildcat.

Admissions@cwu.edu