| Degrees and Certificates
Master’s Degrees: MPH, MS in public health
Doctoral Degree: DrPH
Certificate Programs: Certificate in Public
Health, Undergraduate Certificate in Aging, Advanced Certificate in
Gerontology
Advising
Information, applications, and initial advising about
degree programs in public health are available from the assistant dean
for student services at Biomedical Science D-204, 1960 East-West Road,
Honolulu, HI; tel. (808) 956-8267; fax (808) 956-4585, e-mail uhsphsso@hawaii.edu
Graduate Programs
Admissions requirements vary slightly according to
area of specialization and degree program. (See School of Public
Health Bulletin for further details.) Prospective students are
required to supplement the application and transcripts required by the
Graduate Division with the School of Public Health application and three
letters of recommendation. Foreign applicants must demonstrate adequate
English language proficiency and are required to submit a current,
official TOEFL score of 500 or better. All materials should be sent
directly to the School of Public Health.
Master’s Degree
The master’s degree provides students with general
and specific knowledge and skills for promoting and maintaining the
physical, social, and mental health of the public. The MPH program
further prepares students for a broad spectrum of public
health careers at local, state, national, and
international levels. The MS program provides students with a research
oriented education in a specific area of emphasis. Most areas of
specialization require prospective students to have acquired related
work experience prior to admission. Students are admitted in fall and
spring semesters.
General Requirements
All master’s degree students are required to
complete foundation courses in public health and also to develop an area
of specialization. MPH students follow a Plan B (non-thesis) program. MS
students follow a Plan A (thesis) degree program. Plan A and Plan B
students generally require 16 months of full-time enrollment to complete
their master’s degree programs.
Plan A (Thesis) Requirements
• Minimum of 30 credit
hours, 18 or more in courses numbered 600-798
• One graduate seminar
• Foundation courses
• 6 credit hours of thesis research (PH 700)
• Other courses as designated by the student’s thesis
committee
• Final oral examination conducted by the thesis committee
Most students will exceed the 30-credit-hour minimum
to meet their educational objectives.
Plan B (Non-thesis) Requirements
• Minimum of 30 credit
hours, 18 or more in courses numbered 600-798
• One graduate seminar
• Foundation courses
• Other courses as designated by the student’s program
committee
• Field training experience (PH 791) of approximately
three-months duration
• Final competency assessment
Most students will exceed the 30-credit-hour minimum
to meet their educational objectives.
Concurrent Degrees
Concurrent degree programs are available with public
health and other academic programs at the University. The Graduate
Division recognizes two concurrent degree programs with public health:
the master of science in nursing and the master of business
administration. Students may be admitted to candidacy in both programs
simultaneously. Students wishing to pursue degrees in public health and
a field other than nursing or business must satisfactorily
Programs with the College of Business Administration
and the School of Nursing are most common; however, students have also
combined study in public health with degree programs in social work,
political science, geography, medicine, psychology, anthropology, and
law, as well as with the certificate programs in urban and regional
planning and in population studies.
U.S. Peace Corps Cooperative Agreement
The
school and the U.S. Peace Corps signed an Agreement of Cooperation
initiating a Master’s International Program at the School of Public
Health. This program allows simultaneous application to the U.S. Peace
Corps and the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa School of Public Health.
Successful applicants would begin their master of public health studies
at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.
After the first year, the student continues on to a
Peace Corps assignment and may concurrently complete the School of
Public Health field training requirement. Upon completion of the
two-year Peace Corps assignment the student returns to the school for
any remaining course work and the required final orals presentation.
Doctoral Degree
DrPH Degree
The DrPH program is designed to emphasize the
multidisciplinary application of public health sciences and
methodologies to the understanding and solution of health problems. The
program is managed as a school-wide effort and offers an opportunity to
focus on a broad range of issues central to health services development
and personal and community health promotion. The program provides a
broad conceptual and research foundation for all students with adequate
opportunity for each student to undertake advanced study and research in
a significant area of public health concern. The approach to program
development emphasizes issue and problem-oriented themes rather than the
conventional subdisciplinary categories of the master’s program.
In addition to the general requirements described
elsewhere in this catalog, admission requirements include:
1. Completion of a master’s degree from an accredited graduate public
health program or equivalent (Students admitted without MPH degrees will
be required to satisfy specified course requirements during the
qualifying period. These courses do not count towards the course work
required for the DrPH degree);
2. Evidence of a high quality of academic achievement with a GPA of 3.5
or better in post-baccalaureate’s study;
3. At least three years of experience in professional public health
practice, normally following the master’s degree, sufficient to
demonstrate a high level of competence and potential for leadership in
teaching, research, or service or its equivalent;
4. Submission of GRE General Test scores by the application deadline;
5. Three letters of recommendation; and
6. Evidence that the candidate has clear goals for his or her academic
program and has the capacity to complete an acceptable doctoral
dissertation within a reasonable period of time. Additional factors to
be considered in the admission process are availability of school
resources and faculty expertise in the applicants area of interest.
Applicants may be asked to participate in interviews
either with School of Public Health faculty members or with designated
individuals if applicants are not able to appear in Hawai‘i. |