SPH Online MPH Meets the Needs of Students Worldwide.
SPH Online MPH Meets the Needs of Students Worldwide
SPH Dean Adnan Hyder announces broadened scope of the Online MPH as part of SPH’s foundational commitment to accessible education for all.
Five years after the debut of its accredited, affordable online Master of Public Health, Boston University School of Public Health’s Online MPH is now even more accessible for prospective students.
“This relaunch of the online MPH program is because we have formatted it to fit all possible needs and requirements around the world,” says Adnan Hyder, Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at the School of Public Health. “Whether you have one year of experience, 10 years of experience, or you’re a fresh graduate—we welcome you into our online MPH program.”
The Online MPH is structured in a modular format that guides students through the course material like stepping stones along a path. After a foundational online orientation module taken prior to the start of the semester, students are required to complete six online modules with weekly deadlines. The modules are arranged to explore multiple facets of public health in a specific sequence and each must be completed successfully before students are allowed to advance to the next module.
Designed to be completed fully online in as little as 24 months, or up to five years for students who need additional time, the flexibility of the Online MPH echoes back to the student-centered design of the initial on-campus MPH, which was established 50 years ago to fit the needs of working health professionals in Boston. Then, the on-campus classes were primarily scheduled as night classes to allow doctors, nurses, and health care practitioners to attend.
That same level of flexibility is now also a major draw for students regardless of location, whether around the world, across the country, or based right in Boston, such as current MPH candidate Yosaris Rodriguez-Pena, an HIV Drug Assistance Program Coordinator at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “The program was designed for professionals actively working in the field,” Rodriguez-Pena says. “It allows us to bring our lived experiences and professional perspectives into the virtual classroom while developing frameworks and initiatives that place health equity at the forefront rather than treating it as an afterthought within capacity building.”
Two years of work experience is recommended but is not required, and students are expected to be comfortable learning and working independently, as all courses are self-directed. The level of independent asynchronous work is ideal for international students whose work and life schedules differ substantially from the on-campus classes.
For current student Nicholas Oyler, a School Nurse Regional Liaison for the Maine Department of Education, pursuing an MPH had been a goal for several years, but finding the right program was important to him.
“I needed a program that would allow me to continue working full-time while still providing the academic rigor of a top-tier school of public health,” Oyler says. “I was particularly drawn to the fact that the online program is designed and led by the same faculty who teach in BU’s traditional MPH program. Throughout my time in the program, I’ve experienced the strong sense of community, support, and academic excellence that BUSPH is known for, even as a remote student.”
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