Graduates of the top Master’s in Public Health degree programs in North Carolina will find that they qualify for a number of different jobs after they graduate. The healthcare field will almost always have a high need for qualified professionals as people working in the industry retire. Many graduates of NC programs work in major cities like Charlotte or in the Research Triangle. Some of these students work in advocacy or research positions, but graduates can also work in clinics and other healthcare facilities. Students should look at all programs to find one that appeals most to them.
See our ranking of the Top 10 MPH Programs with No Out-of-State Tuition Fees.
Campbell University
Public Health
Campbell University is quite selective on who it admits to its public health graduate program. Those applying to the program must submit a transcript that shows the student maintained a 3.0 GPA as an undergrad. All students must have a bachelor degree at the time that they start classes in the program too. Though the university recommends that students submit a GRE test score, it will also accept scores from the MCAT and similar tests. Students who have a professional degree, which Campbell refers to as Ph.D. degrees, do not need to submit a test score after filling out the application.
MS in Public Health
One of the top Master’s in Public Health degree programs in North Carolina for students who have an interest in science and research is the MSPH program through Campbell University. Campbell designed this program for full-time students to complete their studies in just two years or four semesters. They need to take 32 credits of required and core public health classes and 10 credits of electives at the graduate level. Students must also do a research project and take a practicum course. Other courses in the program include Community Health Assessment & Evaluation, Overview of Rural Health and Epidemiology.
Accreditation
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
Contact
PO Box 1090
Buies Creek, NC 27506
(800) 760-9734
Duke University
Global Health Institute
Duke University is one of the more prominent private schools in North Carolina. U.S. News & World Report and Washing Monthly are among the publications that rank Duke as one of the nation’s best schools, but it also ranks in terms of the best colleges in the world today. The university is home to the Global Health Institute, which offers opportunities for students who want to study both rural and urban health subjects. Duke allows students to gain experience and course credit through special projects like volunteering with the Peace Corps and working overseas to help people in need.
Master of Science in Global Health
Duke University students majoring in global health can study on its North Carolina campus and on the campus it operates in China. The is one of the only Master’s in Public Health degree programs in North Carolina and in the United States with an emphasis on global health. Duke has its own blog that allows students and alumni to share their experiences in the program and to talk about experiences they gained outside of the classroom. Students do fieldwork and take classes like Global Health Research: Design and Practice, Biostatistics and Epidemiology for Global Health and Ethics for Global Health Research.
Accreditation
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
Contact
310 Trent Dr.
Durham, NC 27710
(919) 681-7760
East Carolina University
Graduate Programs
Students majoring in public health at East Carolina University can choose a concentration in health administration, epidemiology or health policy. The health administration concentration is best for those who want to work in management positions, while the health policy program allows students to develop the skills that will help them advocate for the needs of others. Its epidemiology concentration teaches students how to research diseases and conditions. ECU gives students the option of picking a concentration in one area and taking courses from the other disciplines to develop the skills they will need in the future based on their career goals.
Public Health, MPH
Like other Master’s in Public Health degree programs in North Carolina, the ECU program features a core of public health courses. Those courses are worth 24 semester hours and include classes like Biostatistics for Health Professionals, Ethics and Law in Public Health, Behavioral Sciences and Health Education and Interdisciplinary Rural Health. Students also take two applications courses. They can either write a professional paper, do fieldwork or choose both. The remaining 15 credits needed to finish the MPH program come from the student’s concentration classes. ECU allows students to take electives in addition to their required concentration courses.
Accreditation
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
Contact
E 5th St.
Greenville, NC 27858
(252) 328-6524
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Academics
The MPH program that Lenoir-Rhyne University offers allows students to do a dietetics internship before beginning the program. Any student who wants to work as a registered dietitian will need to do one of these internships. The university will count that internship as nine of the credits needed to earn an MPH degree. Lenoir-Rhyne offers one of the more unique Master’s in Public Health degree programs in North Carolina because it allows students to take courses from so many different disciplines. Students can take courses on biology, psychology and kinesiology to learn more about how the human body works.
Master of Public Health
To earn a Master of Public Health from Lenoir-Rhyne University, students need to take 42 credits of classes, which will include a public health core that is worth 15 credits. This core features classes such as Program Planning for Human Behavior Change, Environmental Health and Health Administration and Policy. Students can take 12 credits of electives or declare a concentration in community health and take classes like Program Implementation and Evaluation and Research Methods for Health Professionals. Students also gain three credits for the research projects that they do and three credits for fieldwork, which lets them work in medical facilities.
Accreditation
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
Contact
625 7th Ave. NE
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 328-7788
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Gillings School of Global Public Health
The University of North Carolina is the largest public university system in the state and one of the largest in the nation. Its flagship campus is in Chapel Hill. This branch of the university also goes by the names of UNC Chapel Hill and just UNC. Its Gillings School of Global Public Health offers degree programs for students who want to study all fields relating to public health. They can enroll in a program to earn a full degree or enroll in a non-degree program. This UNC school also offers doctoral programs, other graduate programs and continuing education options for professional students.
Public Health Programs
UNC Chapel Hill offers more options for those looking at Master’s in Public Health degree programs in North Carolina than any other school in the state. It offers a Master of Public Health program with an emphasis in an area like epidemiology and biostatistics. Students who work in the healthcare industry or have experience in the field can enroll in a terminal MPH program, which allows them to study public health. The university designed this program for students who do not want to earn a doctoral degree later.
Another unique program available through UNC is an MPH program with a concentration in veterinary epidemiology. This program focuses on the diseases that animals have and the medical conditions found in the veterinary field. Students learn how to identify those diseases, do research on those conditions and find treatments for those problems. Though its basic MPH programs require that students take 42 credits of classes, this program requires that they complete 56 credits of work.
UNC Chapel Hill also offers several dual or joint degree programs. One is a dual degree in public health and city and regional planning. It looks at the link between environmental and physical health. A similar program focuses more on the changes that cities and towns can make to improve the health of residents.
Students can also earn a Master of Social Work or a Juris Doctor degree at the same time that they work on an MPH degree. The JD program features 111 credits of classes and is best for students who want to work in legal fields. The UNC MSW program allows students to gain practical experience working with clients in the field as they learn more about how physical health relates to the way individuals feel and act. Students can become licensed social workers after they graduate.
Accreditation
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
Contact
170 Rosenau Hall, CB#7400
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
(9919) 966-2499
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Division of Academic Affairs
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is one of the largest campuses in the UNC system. Its location in Charlotte makes it a popular choice for students who want to live in the big city. Those students can attend NASCAR races, watch the Panthers and Hornets play and enjoy other professional sporting events. Also called UNC Charlotte, the campus is home to four of the top Master’s in Public Health degree programs in North Carolina. These programs include a more traditional MPH program and options for students who have a nursing license and those who want to earn two degrees.
Public Health, MPH
UNC Charlotte offers an MPH program through its Department of Public Health. All undergrad students can apply for an early admission version of the program that lets them begin taking graduate courses while still working on a bachelor degree. The 36 credits of courses that students take include a core of public health courses, a capstone experience, and an internship. They get three credits for doing an internship or any type of fieldwork and up to six credits for doing a capstone project and/or thesis. The program also features classes like Social and Behavioral Foundations of Public Health and Community Epidemiology.
Nursing: Community/Public Health Nursing, M.S.N.
Another option for those with an interest in public health is the university’s Community/Public Health Nursing program. Only those who already have a nursing degree and a valid nursing license can enroll in it. Though it features 38 credits of classes, this is a distance education program that allows students to take classes online as they continue working as nurses. It includes two cognate courses that require students study fields outside of nursing, including biostatistics and epidemiology. Students can also find and secure internships in their own towns. UNC Charlotte allows students to earn six credits through those internships.
Public Health and Health Informatics, MPH/M.S., Dual Degree
One of the only dual degree programs that allows students to study public health in North Carolina is this UNC Charlotte program, which also focuses on health informatics. This program is unique because students will need to submit applications to both departments and gain acceptance to earn one before beginning their studies. The university offers a data science concentration, which requires that students take three extra classes. Students can also do a thesis on a topic in public health and gain credit for their research and writing. The university also allows students to do a final project instead of a thesis.
Public Health, MPH, Early Entry
UNC Charlotte offers one of the state’s only early entry programs for public health majors. Students will need to take at least 75 credits of work at the undergrad level before applying. Once they finish 90 credits of undergrad work, they can then take graduate level courses. The university requires that students maintain a 3.2 GPA in all undergrad courses and a 3.5 GPA in all graduate classes they take. Some of the classes they take will count towards both their degrees, which allows them to take fewer classes and complete both programs in five years.
Accreditation
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
Contact
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223
(704) 687-8622
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Public Health Education
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is one of the smaller branches of the UNC system. It offers a fully accredited public health degree program that prepares students for working in different communities and educating patients. This program is best for those who want to help patients understand different medical conditions and their risks of developing those conditions. It’s one of the only Master’s in Public Health degree programs in North Carolina with an education focus. The university offers financial aid packages that can include loans and assistantships for students who need more financial help paying for graduate school.
Master’s of Public Health Education
This public health program features three different areas of study: teaching, research, and service. Students can take courses that teach them how to educate others, classes that show them how to do health research, and do fieldwork experience. UNC Greensboro requires that students that students take 45 semester hours of courses and gives them the chance to take those classes whenever they want. Those classes include Management of Community Health Organizations, Principles of Community Health Education, Community Health Research & Evaluation and Health Policy. All students do a health care internship and work for a community organization in the final semester of the program.
Accreditation
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
Contact
1408 Walker Ave.
Greensboro, NC 27412
(336) 334-5532
MPH programs qualify students to work in a range of jobs within the healthcare industry. They can work in research, policy advocacy and in positions that require direct contact with patients and/or the general public. Master’s in Public Health degree programs in North Carolina provide students with help starting their careers.
