Contact Information

phone: (716) 839-8398
daemen.edu/mph

Chair

Degrees Offered

• Master of Public Health (MPH)

Admission Requirements

Transfer Studies

Students in the MPH program may apply for up to six graduate transfer credit hours for courses with grades of B or better taken from a public health accredited or public health-related accredited institution outside of the College.  Requests for transfer credit will be considered on an individual basis by the program director or departmental designee.  Grades assigned to transfer credits will not be included in the calculation of the student’s grade point average.

Prerequisite Studies

There are no specific prerequisite courses that are required by students in order to be considered for the MPH program.  However, applicants should have a demonstrated interest in public health through previous related academic studies or volunteer or employed public health-related work.

Non-Matriculating Students

Non-degree or non-matriculating students may take no more than nine credits of “PH” courses before they are required to apply to the program.  This does not apply to students admitted to the accelerated BS in Health Promotion / Master of Public Health degree program.  Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the MPH Program Director.

Students Considering MPH courses While an Undergraduate Student:

• Courses are charged at a graduate rate unless they have approved courses for students registered in the combined HPR/MPH program, or other approved articulation programs (e.g., BS Public Health (D’Youville) / MPH (Daemen)).
• Students must have a current GPA of at least 3.0 unless an exception is made by the Program Director.
• Permission is required by the student’s academic advisor, course instructor, and MPH Program Director.
• Generally, no more than 11 credit hours may be completed, unless completing the approved courses as part of the combined HPR/MPH program or other articulation programs (e.g., BS Public Health (D’Youville) / MPH (Daemen)).

Program Policies and Student Expectations

Time Limitation

A student admitted to the program is expected to maintain continuity in his/her academic program and enroll each semester until all requirements are completed.  Normally, a part-time student should complete a minimum of three (3) credits per semester.  Full-time students must complete a minimum of nine (9) credits per semester.  All requirements for the Master of Public Health degree must be completed within a period of five years from the student’s enrollment for graduate study unless otherwise approved by the MPH program director.  For information on leaves of absence and extensions, consult the Academic Regulations and Standards section in the Graduate Catalog.

Course Repeats, Probation, and Dismissal

Any course for the MPH degree in which less than a grade of B- is earned must be repeated.  No course can be repeated more than once.  A maximum of two repeated courses is allowed.  Students who earn more than three grades below a B- will be dismissed from the program.

Students must maintain an overall minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 at the end of each semester.  Students who earn less than a B- in a course or less than a 3.0 semester or cumulative GPA will be placed on academic probation. Academic deficiencies which resulted in program academic probation must be corrected within the two semesters immediately following the date of probation.  Failure to meet the academic standards during a probationary period will result in dismissal from the program.

Professional Conduct

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner commensurate with the standards of an institution of higher education and to abide by the “Standards of Honor and Professional Conduct Policies” established by the Department. These standards and policies are guided by the mission of our program and American Public Health Association (APHA) Core Values. Upon entering the MPH program, the essential values are expected to be our common understanding.  As future public health leaders, professionalism and ethical conduct will influence how others perceive the field of public health.  MPH students are required to maintain high standards for their work. This includes the necessity of remaining current on significant developments in the field and abiding by recognized ethical standards in the conduct and publication of research.  As a member of the profession of public health, all matriculating MPH students are required to maintain student membership in the American Public Health Association (apha.org).

Graduation Requirements

Completion of all course work as defined under the curricular requirements for the program, including:

1. Completion of all course work as defined on the student’s Plan of Study, which is designed together with the student’s Graduate Faculty Advisor.
2. Successful completion of a practicum and capstone.
3. A minimum grade of B- in any course. (Refer to the “Course Repeats” section for policies on course repeats.)  Students must maintain an overall minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00.
4. Filing an Application for Degree form with the Registrar’s Office at the onset of the final term of study. The Application for Degree form is accessible from the Registrar’s web page.

Daemen College reserves the right to make changes to the Master of Public Health curriculum, professional program entrance criteria, and/or professional program and graduation requirements. All enrolled students must meet all requirements if changed or amended by Daemen College.