Pathways to Health Empowerment: A Guide to Choosing an MPH in Health Promotion Program

A Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Promotion is a graduate study program that prepares you to work with communities to improve their health and well-being.

Many factors influence health outcomes outside of the health care system like socioeconomic conditions, health behaviors, physical environment, and access to education. One of the core functions of public health is health promotion. ¹

This article will discuss what an MPH in health promotion entails, and how to choose a program that will meet your needs, so you’ll know where to submit your application.

The Rural Health Information Hub defines health promotion and disease prevention as follows:

Health promotion and disease prevention programs focus on keeping people healthy. Health promotion programs aim to engage and empower individuals and communities to choose healthy behaviors, and make changes that reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and other morbidities.³

To ensure consistency in how public health professionals serve the public, MPH degree programs adopt a list of core competencies in which students are expected to gain proficiency by graduation. These competencies are more akin to skills and strengths versus subject area expertise.

For example, Georgia State University lists the following core competencies in its MPH in health promotion  program:

You can learn more about health promotion with this short video from Let’s Learn Public Health:

Pursuing an MPH in health promotion will give you the skills and hands-on experience needed to become a valued advocate for better health care in our communities.

Like most students, you’re probably already thinking about what your future will look like after graduation. Luckily, with a public health degree in health promotion, you can pursue many careers that align with your professional goals.
Here are some potential roles you can pursue in health promotion:

As a graduate student specializing in health promotion, your MPH program will start with core public health concepts like epidemiology, environmental health, health policy and management, and social and behavioral science. Once complete you’ll move into your concentration courses for health promotion.

George Washington University Program Director, B. Bingenheimer, describes the core focus of the MPH in health promotion program as follows:

Students in the [M]master of [P]ublic [H]ealth (MPH) in health promotion program learn to use proven social and behavioral theory and behavior change models and strategies to improve health behaviors and practices for a variety of populations. They acquire the skills to plan, design, implement, evaluate, and communicate programs and research targeted toward health promotion and disease prevention for the public.⁵

While every MPH program with a health promotion concentration differs, here are some courses you’ll likely come across:

Here’s an example of an MPH in health promotion program course list at Eastern Kentucky University.

In addition to courses, most MPH Health Promotion programs require graduate students to complete field experience through applied practice experiences (APEs) and complete a capstone project.

APEs are hands-on opportunities that allow you to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom in a real-world setting. You’ll work under the supervision of a preceptor in a public health setting, such as a community clinic or government agency, as you work on projects. This field experience typically lasts one to two semesters towards the end of your program.

A capstone project is a final project that allows you to showcase the knowledge and skills you’ve gained in your health promotion graduate program. You may complete the capstone project over one or two semesters before graduation. An example of a capstone project is a presentation of a topic you explored in-depth during an internship.

Choosing the right MPH in health promotion program is essential, as you want to choose one that aligns with your professional goals in public health. You can ensure you pick the right school for your future career by evaluating their programs based on the factors below.

Choosing an accredited program is essential. Accreditation is an intensive review process schools must go through to determine if their educational programs meet certain standards. Most Master of Public Health programs are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), an independent accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The council focuses on “health through the assurance of professional personnel who are able to identify, prevent, and solve community health problems.”⁶

Schools will typically list their accreditations on their website, but you can also research schools on CEPH to find their accreditation.

In addition to accreditation, you want to ensure that your chosen program instills academic excellence. This can include having an award-winning and expert teaching faculty, delivering a rigorous curriculum, having a high-ranking or recognized program, or providing students with opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research.

Most schools share their program’s curriculum on their website, so you can check out their list of core courses, concentration courses, and electives you can expect to take.

If there’s a specific area of public health you’d like to explore in your graduate program in health promotion, such as infectious diseases, global health, or environmental health science, look for a program that allows you to add on a public health minor, specialization, or electives in these topics.

The potential benefit of a minor, specialization, or electives is their ability to open pathways to other areas of public health you might be interested in pursuing as a career.

Most MPH in health promotion programs require students to complete field experiences and/or a capstone project before graduation. These experiences give you valuable hands-on experience through community-based service learning, internships, and projects that not only allow you to apply the skills and knowledge you’ve learned to real-world situations but also something you can add to your resume.

The capstone project is a large component of your last year in the health promotion program. You’ll work on a practical project where you synthesize and integrate the competencies you’ve learned into addressing a public health issue. Because capstone projects are personalized based on the student’s interests, you can deepen your expertise in a specific area of health promotion by gaining in-depth knowledge and skills in that field. Both the practical experience and the capstone are opportunities to demonstrate the breadth of your knowledge to potential employers.

The impact of an MPH program relies heavily on the expertise of the teaching faculty. You want to learn from an expert who’s spent several years working in health promotion and understands what areas of this field they need to focus on to ensure you’re a well-rounded public health professional. A professor with industry experience can teach graduate students specific skills to land a job and how to succeed and flourish in that role throughout their career. Teaching faculty can usually be found on the school’s website where you can learn more about their educational background, whether they’re involved in research, and what areas they specialize in.

Another important component when choosing a program is access to support. Does the school provide in-person or virtual academic advising, mental health services, IT support, or career services? These resources are essential for succeeding in your graduate program if you need access to academic, emotional, and personal support.

If you’re taking in-person classes, you’ll likely want to take advantage of the resources available on campus. Taking a campus tour before applying will allow you to see if your prospective graduate school has libraries, laboratories, and collaborative spaces to meet with teaching faculty and current students. These resources can enhance your learning experience by improving your academic performance and allowing you to connect with your peers.

Do you prefer an online experience? There are plenty of virtual options available to those pursuing an online MPH in health promotion degree. Online tutoring, IT support, an e-learning platform, and online libraries are just some of the many resources that some schools offer.

Now that you understand what an MPH in health promotion entails, you’re probably ready to apply for schools. Below we’ve listed some of the top health promotion graduate programs nationwide. For each program, we’ve provided a high-level overview and key features to consider when choosing the right one for you.

Given the intensive curriculum and hands-on experiences, graduating with an MPH in health promotion can open the door to many career opportunities in public health like community health education, public health policy, and health services management.

During your graduate studies, the guidance of career services and internships can help set you up for success in future roles. Internships and other hands-on learning experiences in organizations let you apply what you’ve learned in real-world public health challenges. These experiences, plus the courses, prepare you to become an effective public health professional who can positively impact population health outcomes.

Once you’ve settled on some schools matching your academic and professional goals, consider contacting current students or alumni to get insights into their graduate program experiences. Ask them questions about the teaching faculty, access to student support services, and online or traditional learning formats to better understand the experience at your prospective school.

If you’re still interested in the schools after speaking with students and alumni, you can start applying. Most schools accept online applications, so you can easily upload the requested documents, such as transcripts, resumes, statements of purpose, and letters of recommendation. Contact the school's admissions office to request more information about admissions or request support if you need help navigating the application process.

Graduate school admissions can be very competitive, so considering multiple options can work in your favor. You may have a favorite, but check the latest graduate catalogs of other schools to see what they offer, then select your top two or three.

Health promotion is critical to our public health care system to improve our communities' overall health and well-being. If you have a strong passion for public health education and community health sciences, consider pursuing a master’s in health promotion to explore your career interests.

We recommend that you vet any MPH in health promotion program to ensure they deliver a comprehensive, competency-based curriculum and provide experiential learning opportunities to give you a strong foundation for success.