Mastering Public Health: Evaluating Florida’s Top MPH Programs

According to the Florida Department of Public Health, Florida Health was the first accredited public health system in the country³. As of 2023, Florida had more uninsured people than the national average, at 11.2% of their residents uninsured compared to 8% nationally⁴. Using the same data, as an access-to-care measure, the state of Florida had more active primary care providers than the national average, with about 263 per 100,000 people compared to 232 per 100,000⁴. The Commonwealth Fund, an independent private foundation that invests in research, ranked Florida as having the 36th best (or worst) health system in the nation⁵.

The states were ranked based on 56 measures comprising healthcare quality and access, disparities present, outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and service use and cost. This data shows some of the public health challenges specific to Florida as being access and affordability (ranked 47th in the nation), prevention and treatment, population health disparities (income disparities ranked 33rd and racial & ethnic equity ranked 22nd), and public health planning needs (such as emergency preparedness for COVID-19; Florida ranked 25th in the nation)⁶.

Despite some pressing public health challenges, there is a strong network of public health programs across the state, including those at Florida State University, Florida International University, University of North Florida, and the University of South Florida. All of this makes Florida a great place to continue your public health education journey.

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, is an independent agency charged with accrediting public health programs in the United States. The accreditation process takes about three years and there are currently over 260 unique, accredited public health degree and joint degree programs in the country—with over 45 of them in Florida. The accreditation process consists of site visits and numerous other procedures to ensure the program is legitimate and meets qualifying criteria. In addition to accrediting programs, CEPH also publishes basic information about program history, curriculum, concentration area, and links to the official program website.

If you do a quick search on CEPH’s website, you’ll see that there is an abundance of unique MPH programs. Click on these program’s websites and examine the curriculum offerings. Many will have similar core public health courses, but some MPH programs offer unique focuses on specialties such as public policy, health promotion, and healthcare management. If you have a specific public health interest, click on the ‘Concentration’ tab and filter by your interest to see which schools tailor their curriculum to your specific goals. Open the different programs in new windows to compare their curriculum to see which is the best fit for you. Enrolling in an MPH program with a specific concentration may equip you with a more concentrated skillset to help with your job search down the line.

There are many other factors to consider beyond accreditation and curriculum offerings, such as program flexibility, availability of online MPH options, and the support for practical experience like internships or community engagement projects.

• Participate in Discussions: Make sure you are staying engaged in your virtual classroom and online discussion boards to maximize your learning while in the program. 

• Utilize Your Access to University Resources: You will likely only have access to university resources while you’re in grad school, so make sure you’re utilizing any professional development and networking opportunities, office hours with professors, and other services your school may offer.

• Do Research on the Alumni Network: It will likely be more difficult to network remotely, so make sure your school promotes networking opportunities that are accessible to you.

• Connect with Peers:Online learning can feel lonely. Make sure you are going out of your way to connect with peers, faculty, and staff at the school to feel supported and engaged in your learning.

There are many great MPH programs in Florida, with over 45 accredited by CEPH. The 10 diverse programs highlighted here were selected due to their program strengths, unique offerings, and campus life.

Honorable Mention: The University of West Florida has online MPH programs in three concentrations: Generalist, Health Promotion, Education and Behavior, and Global Health. Also accredited by CEPH, if you are interested in a fully online Master of Public Health, learn more about the University of West Florida MPH program.

Similar to MPH programs across the country, Florida’s programs have similar admission requirements such as academic prerequisites, GRE requirements, letters of recommendation, and experience. While you don’t need to have a public health major or a related undergraduate degree, it may help your graduate studies to have taken health or social science-related academic prerequisite coursework (such as statistics, epidemiology, biology, etc.) in your undergraduate education. Many schools, such as Boston University and the University of North Carolina, have undergraduate degrees that specialize in public health studies or public administration. However, if the majority of your undergraduate coursework was in a field like computer engineering, civil engineering, or business administration, you will still be welcomed by your future MPH program. 

Many MPH programs have GMAT or GRE required for entry, and most will require letters of recommendation from either a supervisor, professional colleague, or academic faculty member from your undergraduate institution. Most programs will require individuals to submit a personal statement, which is like a cover letter that’s geared towards receiving an education at the specific institution you are applying to. Many programs have a fall start date (August or September), but some online programs allow you to begin your coursework year-round. 

Additionally, many schools prefer individuals to have some amount of work experience in the public health field. This can be volunteer, internship, or full-time or part-time job experience. Any applied practice experience in the public health field will be immensely helpful to reflect back on during your studies. 

Below are tips for how to strengthen your application:

Finally, as much as a school might be vetting students to ensure they are a good fit for the program, you should also be vetting the school to ensure it’s the right fit for you. Reach out to alumni and faculty of the program to talk about their experiences. Request information online if you have any questions and interact with admissions offices to gain additional insight that isn’t posted on the website. You will be spending much of your time over the next couple of years in the program, so make sure it’s a great fit for you too.

It is no secret that public health is not the highest-paying field. As of October 2024, the national average salary for a public health job in the United States was $79,657⁸ and in Florida, it is much lower, at $55,124 per year⁹. You don’t want to enroll in a public health graduate program that will break the bank, so it’s important to take finances and scholarships into consideration when looking into graduate school. 

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: This is a federal program that allows loan forgiveness for government workers or non-profit employees. After paying a percentage of one's loan that is proportionate to their salary for 120 months (non-consecutively), the remaining balance of an individual’s loans are forgiven.  
  

• Graduate Assistant and Teaching Assistant Positions: Most graduate schools offer GA and TA positions to students in exchange for stipends and/or reduced or free cost of tuition. Individuals will often be paired with a specific course or professor and be assigned research, grading, or other similar entry-level work. Typical hours can range from five to 20 and are often completed asynchronously. These positions are advertised on university websites, so take a look at your prospective program’s opportunities. 
  

• Scholarships: There is an abundance of public health and MPH scholarships that you may be eligible for. In addition to school-specific scholarships, there are over 70 private, non-profit, and government-sponsored scholarships available for public health students. Many scholarships target specific public health concentration areas, such as health administration, public health practice, health policy, and environmental health sciences.
  

• University-specific Financial Aid: While there is an abundance of scholarships, grants, and loans offered throughout the country for MPH students, your prospective university likely sponsors financial aid programs and assistantships that can reduce the cost of your graduate education. The University of South Florida offers many scholarships for graduate students. Florida International University also has a page dedicated to funding sources for students to help offset the cost of education. Take a look at each individual university’s website to see what financial aid packages they offer to their graduate students.

There are many potential public health careers that MPH graduates can pursue in Florida. Areas of employment include roles within state and local health departments, non-profit organizations, private healthcare firms, and many more. MPH graduates in Florida can work in health policy, program management, school commission, hospital leadership, health promotion, consulting, and more. The possibilities are endless.

Given Florida’s unique public health landscape, there is a great need for jobs in areas like health services administration, public health planning, and environmental health, so you will likely find an abundance of openings in those types of roles. Public health needs are ever-changing as our landscape evolves and grows, so you are entering a field of lifelong learning. Strap in and get ready for an exciting ride.

With the current public health landscape in Florida, such as the high rate of non-insured, high prevalence of primary care providers, and below average overall health system rating, Florida has an opportunity to really improve their healthcare access and affordability. The state presents a unique opportunity for students in the field to tackle the public health challenges, and we need public health graduates to uncover fresh ideas and knowledge. If you are considering pursuing an MPH in Florida, explore how these programs can help meet your career education and goals.

Take the time to further familiarize yourself with options and take proactive steps towards your public health education. Contact admissions offices for more information, visit campuses, and attend virtual information sessions to learn more about the specific programs. Use these 10 profiled programs as a starting point for your exploration and come back periodically throughout your search to ensure you are considering the factors that are important to you.