Frequently Asked Questions

Every online degree program at Regis College centers around challenging, yet fulfilling coursework designed to promote critical thinking and enhanced academic insight. Students can expect to spend on average 20 hours per week engaged with the coursework. As with most public health programs, students will be expected to keep up with the weekly pace of the courses but will have the flexibility of selecting the time for coursework, allowing for full-time professional work.

Our online program has three start times a year — January, May, and September. You can apply to begin the program at a time that is most convenient for you.

The epidemiology concentration at Regis requires a uniquely qualified student. The program is cohort-based and the curriculum is carefully designed as a rigorous educational experience. While the Epidemiology concentration seeks well-qualified students, early in the program you may be allowed to switch to the Health Policy and Management concentration. However, the program does not allow for transfer from Health Policy and Management into the Master of Public Health Epidemiology concentration.

The Regis MPH program allows students to transfer up to 6 credits of previous graduate coursework. Transfer courses must be equivalent to Regis MPH program courses and will be evaluated by the Program Director as part of the admissions process.

Five of the 42 required credits for this program pertain to a student-selected and Regis-mentored project (MPH Practicum). The  can be based on a project related to your current position, but must be supervised by someone who holds an MPH degree (who is not your current supervisor). The practicum coordinator helps each student develop a practicum proposal during the second year of the program. A practicum packet will be provided to guide you through the process. Once developed, the coordinator identifies the Regis faculty member who will mentor you for the remaining part of the program. You are allowed to recommend potential mentors. You will be responsible for finding your practicum location, so plan ahead.

The practicum will ideally take place at a local, state, federal, or nonprofit public health agency in your community.

The online Master of Public Health program includes two concentrations: Epidemiology and Health Policy and Management.

Epidemiology is the study of diseases and other health issues, and involves the investigation and analysis of health data trends. This concentration requires completion of a statistics course within the last five years to improve your chances of success in the program.

Health Policy and Management is the study of the delivery, quality, and costs of health care and its effects on a community.

The MPH in Epidemiology is designed for career professionals seeking specialization in advanced quantitative methods of epidemiology and its applications for population health research, policy, and disease investigation programs. The degree also provides a public health framework for new epidemiologists.

Epidemiologists study the frequency, distribution, and determinants of disease in humans, a fundamental science of public health. Students who pursue an MPH in Epidemiology are encouraged to choose practicum locations in surveillance, infectious disease investigations, environmental health and global health. The career track of an epidemiologist can include focused and dedicated work in these specialized areas at the federal, state, or local levels. Courses specific to the concentration include Data Management & Data Analysis, Chronic Disease Epidemiology, and Applied Epidemiology practice.

Students in the Health Policy and Management concentration can develop skills that apply economic, legal, and political analysis toward the design, implementation, and evaluation of public health and health care policies. Through the core disciplines in public health, they also acquire skills in the interpretation and evaluation of scientific evidence to inform their policy work. Students are encouraged to choose practicum locations that will help them develop an area of interest and expertise in policy management, such as access to care, health care quality, pharmaceutical policy, environmental health policy, injury prevention, global health policy, or health care financing.

This field of study prepares students for policy positions in the public, nonprofit, or private sectors — directly as policymakers or as policy analysts, advocates, or consultants. Graduates will also leave prepared to contribute toward policymaking positions in other public health organizations at the federal, state, and local levels. Courses specific to the concentration include Policy Analysis and Health Ethics, as well as Policy and Program Implementation.

Regis College’s online MPH program tuition costs $600 per credit. Our cost per credit for the program is highly affordable compared to many other online MPH programs. As our mission states, Regis College aims to empower students to challenge themselves academically, to serve and to lead. Regis is a diverse and welcoming community; therefore, we have made our pricing reflective of our mission, aiming to make education accessible to all.

It takes just over two years, or 28 months, to complete the MPH program. The program is taken over the course of seven semesters.

To apply to the program, you will need to provide:

• A current résumé
• An essay of intent
• A $65 application fee
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts

The online MPH program has no GRE requirements. For the Epidemiology concentration, you should have completed a statistics course in your undergraduate degree in the last five years. A statistics course may be taken concurrently with the MPH program, but must be taken before PBH 633 Epidemiologic Methods.

For more information, contact an admissions advisor: https://online.regiscollege.edu/vcita-all-programs/

Yes, the MPH program is completely online, except for the field placement portion of the program.

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is the nationally recognized accrediting body for both schools of public health and public health programs. Because CEPH-accredited schools and programs are peer-reviewed, students can be sure their institution has met the standards established by CEPH. Regis College’s online MPH program is designed with CEPH standards in mind.

When the CEPH accredits a school or program, it is essentially giving some assurances to those who study MPH at that educational institution. It is confirming that the program is committed to promoting public health and safety in the community by educating public health professionals who will be competent. It is also assuring students that the MPH curriculum at that school or program meets the standards required in the field.

For many jobs in the industry, graduation from a CEPH accredited program is NOT required. However, there are exceptions, such as employment in public health jobs in the military, for example.

Because we are a new MPH program, Regis College is currently not an applicant for accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health. However, our goal is to pursue applicant status for CEPH accreditation in the fall of 2020. The accreditation review will address the online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program and the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health.

Regis College’s application for CEPH accreditation of the MPH program (if accepted) does not guarantee accreditation. Moreover, if future accreditation is granted, the date of initial accreditation will be either the date on which our application was accepted by the Council (proposed fall of 2020) or the date on which the most recent extension of the applicant status was granted, if applicable, whichever occurs later. Entry into the process and acceptance of an application are not a guarantee. The entire process can take three years or more.

Regis College’s online MPH program launched fall of 2019. To go through the accreditation process, the program has to meet certain benchmarks and requirements. One major requirement is to have at least one graduate of the program. Our first graduating cohort is scheduled for Summer 2022, and therefore we cannot expect full CEPH accreditation until after this date.

The Certified in Public Health exam is a voluntary core credential exam for public health professionals, administered by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. It demonstrates a public health professional’s commitment to the field and knowledge of public health sciences and issues. Someone can sit for the CPH exam with either one of the following circumstances:

• Students in/ alumni of a CEPH accredited program can take the CPH exam while in the program or immediately after graduation.

• Students who graduate from a relevant graduate-level degree, and at least three subsequent years’ public health work experience are eligible to take the exam and become certified.