By Erin Jester
Three things to know about the Master of Public Health program
Lisa McNeil, applied practice experience and outreach coordinator for the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions’ Master of Public Health program, knows firsthand the benefit of an M.P.H. degree and the career flexibility it offers.
McNeil began an online M.P.H. program at Florida International University to cope with the uncertainty in the world caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, she was a middle school teacher, and she used what she was learning in her classes to help her students work through their anxiety, too.
She taught them about John Snow, a 19th-century pioneer of early epidemiology who made critical contributions to public health, and led them through a research project on past pandemics around the world.
“I think it helped ease their minds,” she said. “They could see that eventually we’ll get through it.”
Without the option of an online program, McNeil would have had to quit her teaching job and relocate. Earning an M.P.H. online, she said, gave her the freedom to change careers without pressing pause on her life.
Apart from the ability to earn your degree from anywhere, UF’s M.P.H. program offers a sense of community for both online and in-person students, extensive real-world experience and ability to specialize with concentrations that translate to almost endless career opportunities.
Applications for fall 2025 admission to the M.P.H. program for both online and in-person students are due June 1.
Here are three things to know:
An M.P.H. opens the door to a variety of career opportunities
The M.P.H. program offers six concentrations on campus: biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, population health management, public health practice, and social and behavioral sciences; and three online: population health management, public health practice and social and behavioral sciences.
Additionally, an M.P.H. can be combined with six other UF degree programs from PHHP and beyond: clinical and health psychology (Ph.D.), rehabilitation science (Ph.D.), law (J.D.), medicine (M.D.), pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and veterinary medicine (D.V.M.), and other doctoral and master’s degree programs that can be developed on an individual basis with approval of the participating programs.
Exceptional undergraduate students may apply for the combined bachelor’s/M.P.H. degree program. Applications for fall 2025 admission are due June 1.
Alumni of the program are present in all aspects of the public health field, from on-the-ground epidemiological research to legislative policy advising. Notable career placements include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, NASA, Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, global health-focused nongovernmental organizations and numerous state- and nationwide health districts across the country.
McNeil noted that earning an M.P.H. can also make a student more competitive when applying for further degree programs and medical school.
The program offers community and comprehensive support
A culture of compassion is important to M.P.H. program administrators, McNeil said. The program supports student wellness through hybrid learning options and prioritizes their growth and well-being as people. Faculty and career services staff help students identify their path early on and build their network through internships, workshops and connections with alumni and working professionals.
Every student is assigned an individual faculty mentor to support their research interests, internship and capstone project development.
The program values collaboration over competition. M.P.H. students represent a wide variety of backgrounds and are encouraged to form bonds through UF’s Public Health Student Association and service learning opportunities – even those who aren’t physically present.
Online students frequently participate in on-campus activities via Zoom, such as PHHP Days during spring semester and Public Health Days.
“A lot of online programs can feel disconnected,” McNeil said. “Here at UF, they take great strides to make sure the online community feels included too.”
UF’s M.P.H. focuses on real-world experience
In coursework, students consider public health from a variety of different angles, such as infectious disease response, mental health education and health equity initiatives. Then, they get to translate that knowledge into community action.
Virtual preceptor fairs to introduce students to internship opportunities, which McNeil said she’s trying to expand to include more out-of-state options.
Students complete Applied Practice Experiences with local, state, national or global partners to address current public health challenges. The ProSeries professional work readiness program helps students prepare for their APE, capstone project and transition into a career in public health.
“You graduate prepared to be a public health leader,” she said.
For more information, visit the M.P.H. program’s FAQ site or email askmph@phhp.ufl.edu.