Public Health Master's Degree

MPH graduates are employed in a variety of job fields, including:

• State public health veterinarian
• Critical research coordinator
• Food and agricultural organizations
• Veterinary services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health
• Inspection Service agency
• The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention's Epidemic Intelligence Service
• Quality assurance coordinator for a major food corporation
• Peace Corp
• International non-governmental organizations
• U.S. Army Veterinary Corps
• Biological science lab technician
• American Red Cross
• Nursing/Infection control
• Regional hospitals
• State and local health departments

Learn to identify and categorize risks, challenges and solutions in the food system for food safety, biosecurity and defense issues in the food production continuum. Courses in this emphasis focus on the multidisciplinary and complex nature of food safety and biosecurity policies, globalization and international trade – and their influence on public health.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (42 credit hours)

Core Requirements (15 credit hours)

• MPH 701 - Fundamental Methods of Biostatistics (3 credits)
• MPH 802 - Environmental Health (3 credits)
• MPH 754 - Introduction to Epidemiology (3 credits)
• MPH 720 - Administration of Health Care Organizations (3 credits)
• MPH 818 - Social and Behavioral Bases of Public Health (3 credits)

Required Courses (10 credit hours)

Prerequisite courses
Students without an undergraduate degree in food science or closely related field may be required to complete undergraduate prerequisite courses before being allowed to take emphasis area courses. Prerequisite courses may include:

• biochemistry
• organic chemistry
• an introductory course in microbiology
• a course in botany, zoology or biology
• mathematics courses (college algebra, calculus and statistics)
• a course in physics

Required

• DMP 815 - Multidisciplinary Thought and Presentation (3 credits)
• DMP 816 - Trade and Agricultural Health (2 credits) (online)
• DMP 888 - Globalization, Cooperation and the Food Trade (1 credit) (online)
• FDSCI 730 - Multidisciplinary Overview of Food Safety and Security (2 credits)
• FDSCI 731 - Food Protection and Defense – Essential Concepts (2 credits)

Elective Courses (11 credit hours)*

• AAI 801 - Interdisciplinary Process (3 credits)
• DMP 710 - Introduction to One Health (2 credits) (online)
• DMP 806 - Environmental Toxicology (2 credits)
• DMP 844 - Global Health Issues (3 credits) (online)
• DMP 855 - Disease Detection, Surveillance and Risk Assessment (3 credits)
• DMP 880 - Problems in Pathobiology
• FDSCI 600 - Microbiology of Food (2 credits) (online version of FDSCI 607)
• FDSCI 601 - Food Microbiology Lab (2 credits)
• FDSCI 690 - Principles of HACCP and Preventive Controls for Human Food (3 credits)
• FDSCI 695 - Quality Assurance of Food Products (3 credits) (online + in class)
• FDSCI 750 - Food Toxicants (2 credits) (online)
• FDSCI 751 - Food Laws and the Regulatory Process (2 credits)
• FDSCI 753 - Risk Assessment for Food, Ag and Vet Med (3 credits)
• FDSCI 791 - Advanced Applications of HACCP Principles (3 credits) (odd years)
• FDSCI 820 - Advanced Food Microbiology and Biotechnology (2 credits) (online, summer odd years)
• MC 750 - Strategic Health Communication (3 credits) (alternate years)
• MC 760 - Communication and Risk (3 credits) (alternate years)
• STAT 705 - Regression and Analysis of Variance (3 credits) (in class)

*Plus any graduate course approved by the graduate committee and the program director.

Culminating Experience

• MPH 840 - Public Health Practice (6 credits)

Learn how to strengthen zoonoses prevention and control programs; investigate emerging infectious diseases; enhance the public's ability to respond to bioterrorism and biosecurity emergencies; and coordinate rapid response activities among government, agriculture industries, nonprofit organizations and academia.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (42 credit hours)

Core Requirements (15 credit hours)

• MPH 701 - Fundamental Methods of Biostatistics (3 credits)
• MPH 802 - Environmental Health (3 credits)
• MPH 754 - Introduction to Epidemiology (3 credits)
• MPH 720 - Administration of Health Care Organizations (3 credits)
• MPH 818 - Social and Behavioral Bases of Public Health (3 credits)

Required Courses (11-12 credit hours)

• BIOL 530 OR DMP 812/814 - Pathogenic Microbiology (3 credits) OR DMP 812/814 Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology Lecture and Lab or Lecture only
• DMP 710 - Introduction to One Health (2 credits)
• DMP 815 - Multidisciplinary Thought and Presentation (3 credits)
• DMP 817 - Principles of Veterinary Immunology (3 credits)

Elective Courses (9-10 credit hours)*

• AAI 801 - Interdisciplinary Process (3 credits)
• AP 845 - Toxicology (2 credits)
• ASI 540 - Principles of Animal Disease Control (3 credits)
• BIOL 529 - Fundamentals of Ecology (3 credits)
• BIOL 545 - Human Parasitology ( 3 credits)
• BIOL 546 - Human Parasitology Laboratory (1 credit)
• BIOL 604 - Biology of Fungi (3 credits)
• BIOL 670 - Immunology (4 credits) (Requires prerequisites)
• BIOL 671 - Immunology Laboratory (2 credits)
• BIOL 675 - Genetics of Microorganisms (3 credits)
• BIOL 687 - Microbial Ecology (3 credits)
• BIOL 730 - General Virology (3 credits)
• DMP 834 - Veterinary Parasitology (4 credits) (D.V.M. only)
• DMP 875 - Veterinary Public Health (2 credits) (D.V.M. only)
• DMP 770 - Emerging Diseases (3 credits) (intersession)
• DMP 806 - Environmental Toxicology (2 credits)
• DMP 816 - Trade and Agricultural Health (2 credits) (online)
• DMP 851 - Veterinary Virology (3 credits)
• DMP 830 - Quantitative Analysis (3 credits)
• DMP 844 - Global Health Issues (3 credits) (online)
• DMP 850 - Domestic Animal Immunology (3 credits)
• DMP 854 - Intermediate Epidemiology (3 credits)
• DMP 855 - Disease Detection, Surveillance, Risk Assessment (3 credits)
• DMP 860 - Bacteria Pathogenesis and Host Response (3 credits) (alternate years)
• DMP 871 - Molecular Diagnostics of Infectious Diseases (3 credits)
• DMP 880 - Problems in Pathobiology (1-6 credits)
• DMP 888 - Globalization, Cooperation and the Food Trade (1 credit) (online)
• DMP 888 - Globalization, Cooperation and the Food Trade (1 credit) (online)
• DMP 954 - Advanced Epidemiology (4 credits)
• ENTOM 849 - Biology of Disease Vectors (3 credits)
• FDSCI 690 - Principles of HACCP and Preventive Controls for Human Food (3 credits)
• FDSCI 730 - Overview of Food Safety and Security (2 credits)
• FDSCI 731 - Food Protection and Defense - Essential Concepts (2 credits) (online)
• GEOG 508 - Graphic Information Systems I (4 credits)
• GEOG 608 - Geographic Information Systems II (3 credits) (Prerequisite GEOG 508)
• MC 750 - Strategic Health Communication (3 credits) (alternate years)
• MC 760 - Communication and Risk (3 credits) (alternate years)
• STAT 705 - Regression and Analysis of Variance (3 credits)
• STAT 716 - Non-parametric Statistics (3 credits)
• STAT 717 - Categorical Data Analysis (3 credits)
• STAT 720 - Design of Experiments (3 credits)
• STAT 730 - Multivariate Statistics Methods (3 credits)

*Plus any graduate course approved by the graduate committee and program director.

Culminating Experience (6 credit hours)

• MPH 840 - Public Health Practice (6 credits)

Johnson County resident scholarship
Students who live in Johnson County and who are applying to this program may be eligible for a Johnson County resident scholarship.

These scholarships for Johnson County residents are sponsored by the Johnson County Education and Research Triangle, or JCERT. Scholarship awards are based on availability of funds. Applicants may be awarded up to $5,000 for master's degree programs for the duration of their program of study, provided they meet minimum academic and enrollment requirements. Scholarship amounts vary depending on fund availability, merit and need.

Eligibility details:

• Applicant must be a resident of Johnson County, Kansas. Proof of residency will be required.
• Applicants must be resident at K-State Olathe and admitted to or seeking admission to the following JCERT mission-related programs:
  • Public Health (master's degree)

Apply for a Johnson County resident scholarship.

View all scholarships available at K-State Olathe.

No. Public health needs people from all discipline areas. There may be prerequisites required before taking biostatistics, epidemiology and some other courses in a selected emphasis.

Students have up to 6 years to complete the program, and can take as many or as few credits/courses each semester as desired. If taking nine credits a semester (three courses), the program may be completed in five semesters.