Undergraduate FAQs

Where can I work after I complete my degree in Health Education?

Our graduates in Community Health Education work in many different types of community settings. They will be health educators employed in governmental agencies (city, county, state, federal agencies), private companies, schools and universities, non-profit agencies, prisons, community health centers, and international health programs, among other programs.

How competitive is it to be accepted into the Health Education Program?

If the applicant has met the GPA and course requirements and has a strong application (good personal statement and letters of recommendation), chances of admission are good.

What is the difference between Pre-Health Education and Pre-Health Professions?

Pre-Health Education is the beginning of the major/degree that trains you to be a health educator. Pre-Health Professions refers to students, regardless of major, who are interested in applying to medical school, dental school, chiropractic school, physician's assistant programs, etc.

How do I get a Pre-Health Education advisor?

Call the Undergraduate Program Coordinator at 626-32075, describe what you need, and the coordinator will direct you to the appropriate advisor.

How often should I see an advisor?

You should see an advisor whenever you have a question, but at least once a semester prior to registering for the following semester.

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Graduate FAQs

What is public health?

Public health focuses on the health of entire populations, distinguishing it from the field of clinical medicine, which is concerned with the health and disease of individual patients. Public health is concerned with promoting health and preventing diseases that disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations. Five key disciplines comprise public health – biostatistics, health services administration, environmental health, epidemiology and behavioral sciences/health education.

What kind of jobs could I expect to get with a public health degree?

Because public health is a large field with many areas of specialization, there is great variety in the kinds of jobs that public health graduates hold.  Some of the more common job titles held by public health graduates include epidemiologist, biostatistician, industrial hygienist, research study coordinator, health educator, healthcare administrator or analyst. Your suitability for any of these positions depends on the training you receive in your degree program. The Surgeon General of the United States, whose job it is to safeguard the health of our country, is an alumnus of the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health MPH Program.

For more information, see What Is Public Health. To find out more about the jobs that our graduates hold, explore job titles of UA Zuckerman College of Public Health alumni.

What sets the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health apart from other schools of public health?

In its short existence, the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health has distinguished itself for its outstanding community-based research and practice projects and for its focus on eliminating health disparities, especially within the populations of the Southwest. This focus on communities extends to the classroom curriculum as well.

In addition , the College enjoys a reputation for providing a welcoming environment to a diverse student body and ranks among the top five schools of the 36 accredited schools of public health for the percentage of American Indian and Hispanic graduates and students enrolled (2004 Annual Data Report of the Association of Schools of Public). The population of the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health student body closely mirrors or exceeds the percentages of the two largest underrepresented ethnic groups in the State of Arizona, as well as other minority populations.

What graduate degree programs are available?

The UA Zuckerman College of Public Health offers five distinct graduate degree programs: a Master of Science in Epidemiology (MS); a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Epidemiology; a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biostatistics; a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) with tracks in Maternal and Child Health and Public Health Policy and Management; and a Master of Public Health (MPH) with concentrations in Biostatistics, Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Family and Child Health, Health Behavior and Health Promotion, and Public Health Policy and Management.

How long does it take to complete the MPH?

Full-time s tudents are able to complete the MPH curriculum in two years. Currently, 65% of MPH students are full-time students (taking 9 or more credits per semester, and 35% of MPH students are part-time students.  The average MPH degree completion time is between 2.5 and 3 years.  Each concentration area outlines a model course sequence plan for its incoming full time students. All MPH courses are not taught each semester, so careful planning is recommended when deciding to matriculate as a part time student.

What is the most competitive MPH concentration area to be admitted to?

The level of interest in and number of applications to our concentration areas vary from year to year. This yearly variability is due to many factors, including faculty research interest areas, current hot topics in public health, as well as availability of training in particular public health subspecialties throughout the country.

The most important factors to consider when choosing a concentration area are your own interest areas, academic preparation, and career goals. If you are drawn to a particular discipline within public health, the probability that you will enjoy your studies, perform well and develop a rewarding career is good. Should your interests and aspirations change after one semester in the MPH Program, you may request to change concentration areas. Concentration faculty will consider your request to switch and your suitability for the concentration in the same manner that new applicants are chosen for admission.

What kind of financial assistance is available to me as a graduate student?

The number of graduate and teaching assistantship opportunities in the College is growing. The best way to find a research assistantship is by contacting individual faculty members who are doing research in the areas that you are interested. Teaching assistantships are generally open to those individuals who either have teaching experience or who have previously taken a UA Zuckerman College of Public Health course that needs an assistant.

In addition , the College provides travel funding for students who present papers or participate in public health related seminars and conference.

Can I transfer in work completed at other schools?

Yes, work completed at other universities may be accepted. However, the UA Graduate College restricts transfer units to 20% of the minimum units required for your degree, or approximately 8 or 9 units. All transferred work must be graduate level and have received a grade of A or B. Students requesting approval of transfer credit must submit the appropriate form to the Graduate College in their first year of study.

In addition , if the course being transferred is to be used as a substitution for a required MPH course, the transfer course must be evaluated by the appropriate UA Zuckerman College of Public Health faculty member and approved by your Faculty Advisor. Please see the Graduate Academic Progress Coordinator for detailed instructions and forms.

Can I complete another degree while I'm completing my public health degree?

There are three categories of simultaneous degree programs: dual degree, joint degree, and concurrent degree programs. Dual degree programs are formal programs that result in the awarding of two degrees based on a pre-approved curriculum that allows some overlap so that the total number of units required is reduced. Students cannot invent their own dual degree programs, but they may take a concurrent or second degree, sometimes called double degrees.  Further information on our dual degree programs is located here. 

Concurrent or second degrees are when a student enrolls in two separate programs concurrently or sequentially. There is no pre-approved curriculum in this arrangement so the curriculum and requirements for the two degrees each must be met. However, the UA Graduate College will allow for up to 6 credits of the required units to double count if some course work can legitimately apply to both degrees.

Joint degrees are formal programs in which students earn a single degree with two majors. The MPH program does not participate in any joint degree programs.

I understand there is a required internship in the MPH Program. Can you tell me more about it?

The culminating experience for all MPH students is the internship. It is the student’s opportunity to link classroom experiences to community-based program participation, assimilating the didactic instruction, integrating and then applying it to real world public health issues. Internships frequently lead to job opportunities or contacts.

Depending on your concentration, 3 to 12 units of internship are required. Each unit of credit represents 45 hours of internship participation. Prior to registering for internship credit, the student must first complete 60% of the MPH core course requirements and specified concentration courses which vary by concentration.

Internship sites and content vary widely. The internship is developed by the student in consultation with the student’s internship committee to reflect the student’s interests and career goals, as well as the ten essential services of public health and the mission of the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health.

The MPH program is open to creativity and flexibility in internship proposals. With a few restrictions (where there are US State Department travel warnings), internships may be located across the globe. They may be part-time or full-time as long as they can be completed within a year’s timeframe.

Once completed, the students present internship project results at an open-invitation conference to which students, alumni, faculty and public health professionals are welcome.

When can I apply?

You can begin compiling your application today.  All applications will now be submitted online at SOPHAS.  Please see the How to Apply page for more information on deadlines.

Who can apply?

Applicants must have completed a Bachelor's degree (Master's degree for the PhD in Epi) at the time of admission, demonstrate academic preparedness (GPA of at least 3.0), including previous course work in college algebra, statistics or advanced math classes AND one semester of college biology each with a grade of "C" or higher. In addition, all applicants must meet admission requirements of the Graduate College before being admitted into a program.  For more specific information, please see the Admissions Criteria page.

Can any other standardized test substitute for the GRE when applying to the MPH or Epi Graduate Program?

No, all applicants must submit official GRE test scores that were taken within the last five years.  Test scores are recommended, but not required, for applicants holding a US doctoral degree.  Applicants to the MD/MPH program may submit MCAT scores.