Department Chair, Associate Professor: Kristin Van De Griend, PhD, MPH

Interim Director for the Community and Public Health Undergraduate Programs, Clinical Assistant Professor: Nnamdi Stephen Moeteke, MBBS, MPH, FWACP

Program Director for the Master of Public Health, Associate Professor: Irene van Woerden, PhD

Graduate Certificate in Rural Health Coordinator, Associate Professor: Diana Campanella Schow, PhD, MHE, MA

Associate Professors: Ryan Lindsay, PhD, MPH; Janette Olsen, PhD

Clinical Assistant Professor: Lisa Salazar, PhD, MPH

Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor: Cindy Hansen, MA, ACADC, CCS, CPS

Professional Staff: Madalynn Treasure; Sarah Hibbert Johnson, MPH; Jade Hans, MPH

Emeriti: Richard L. Kearns, Delane C. Kritsky, Willis J. McAleese, Lloyd E. "Mike" Morris, Linda L. Rankin

Department website: https://www.isu.edu/publichealth/

Program Description	Type	Degree
Master of Health Education	Degree	MHE
Master of Public Health	Degree	MPH
Master of Science in Health Informatics	Degree	MSHI
Dual PharmD/MPH	Degree	PharmD/MPH
Accelerated Degree Program in Health Education	Degree	BA or BS/MHE
Accelerated Degree Program in Public Health	Degree	BA or BS/MPH
Graduate Certificate in Public Health	Certificate	Certificate
Graduate Certificate in Rural Health	Certificate	Certificate
Addiction Studies Certificate	Certificate	Certificate

About Community and Public Health

Our Mission

We advance health for all through collaborative learning and scholarly activities, enabling students and communities to thrive.

Our graduates work at the frontlines of emerging health issues and strategically guide organizations and communities through evidence-based decision-making and cultural humility. Each of our programs prepares students in areas with projected job growth as organizations and communities recognize the need for better programs, healthcare, and environments that foster healthy people and communities.

Our degree programs include master's degrees in Health Education, Health Informatics, and Public Health. In addition, we offer an undergraduate degree in Community and Public Health with emphasis areas in Community/Worksite Wellness, Addiction Studies, and School Health.

Our academic certificate offerings include two graduate certificates in Public Health and Rural Health and an undergraduate Community Health Worker certificate. Both certificate programs have reduced credits for focused training and can be completed in person or online.

Accreditation

The Master of Public Health program is accredited through the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). An independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health, and public health programs outside schools of public health.

Degrees Offered

Master of Public Health (MPH)

The goal of public health is to improve the health of populations through planning, implementing, and evaluating health promotion and disease prevention programs. Public health professionals design these intervention programs by using a combination of health education and related organizational, economic, legislative, and environmental supports to enhance the probability of creating a healthier populace.

The Master of Public Health Program curriculum prepares individuals to carry out the following core public health functions as defined by the American Public Health Association: assess both the health needs and resources available in a community, assist in health policy development that supports programs in prevention, and assure that necessary, high quality, effective services including education are available to every citizen.

The MPH is taught fully online, and is designed to meet the needs of working individuals as well as those in rural areas. Courses focus on a community health emphasis and include an acquisition of requisite public health knowledge and skills in the areas of epidemiology, biostatistics, health care ethics, health organization and policy, health program planning and evaluation, research methodology, and environmental health. Students pursuing the MPH degree complete 42 credit hours of course work including an integrated learning experience.

The MPH Program at ISU is accredited by the Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH).

MPH Vision

Diverse communities co-creating sustained health for all. 

MPH Mission

The mission of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program at Idaho State University is to improve the health and well-being of human populations through the application of the essential services of public health by excellence in instruction, community service, research, and continuing professional education.

MPH Foundational Competencies

Evidence-based Approaches to Public Health                    

1. Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice         
2. Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context                               
3. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, and computer-based programming and software, as appropriate                              
4. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice                 

Public Health & Health Care Systems                     

1. Compare the organization, structure, and function of health care, public health, and regulatory systems across national and international settings                            
2. Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities, and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community, and societal levels                    

Planning & Management to Promote Health                     

1. Assess population needs, assets, and capacities that affect communities’ health                             
2. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs               
3. Design a population-based policy, program, project, or intervention                     
4. Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management                          
5. Select methods to evaluate public health programs       

Policy in Public Health                  

1. Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence
2. Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes                             
3. Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations                       
4. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity            

Leadership                        

1. Apply principles of leadership, governance, and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration, and guiding decision making                         
2. Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges                     

Communication                              

1. Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors                
2. Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation                               
3. Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content                      

Interprofessional Practice                          

1. Perform effectively on interprofessional teams        

Systems Thinking                            

1. Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue

Dual PharmD/MPH

Students enrolled in the PharmD/MPH Program at Idaho State University may combine the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) degree with approximately one year of additional effort. This combined program is designed to give PharmD students the added benefit of the MPH degree, giving them an edge in the future job market, opportunities for more advanced practice, including in pharmacoepidemiology, and the potential for a greater impact on the community.

Students may pursue this opportunity through either of two potential entry points: 1) the Graduate Certificate in Public Health, which provides an excellent pathway to explore public health topics while completing PharmD studies to see if the full MPH degree is appropriate for them or 2) the full MPH program. Both options are detailed below. Through strategic course sharing between programs, students can efficiently complete both degrees while maintaining the high standards of each program.

Students should note that the PharmD program is face-to-face and MPH program courses are fully online.

Program Options

• Option 1: Graduate Certificate in Public Health (18 credits). This pathway is recommended for most students as an excellent entry point into public health education.
  • Benefits:
  • All certificate credits can transfer to the MPH program if you decide to continue before graduating with the certificate; NOTE: if you choose to have these courses transfer to the MPH program then you will not be awarded the certificate
  • Excellent "trial" option to explore the fit and feasibility of the dual degree
  • Must earn at least B- grades in courses for transfer to MPH
  • Program details: Graduate Certificate in Public Health
• Option 2: Full MPH Program (42 credits)
  • PharmD program: Face-to-face instruction
  • MPH program: Fully online format
  • 12 credits shared between programs

PharmD/MPH Career Opportunities. 

In addition to clinical work in pharmacy settings, graduates with a PharmD/MPH are prepared for advanced roles in:

• Public Health Leadership and Administration
• Population Health Management
• Public Health Emergency Preparedness
• Health Policy Development
• Federal agencies (CDC, NIH, HRSA, FDA)
• Health systems administration
• Community health program development

Master of Health Education (MHE)

The Master of Health Education (MHE) is a 30-credit fully online degree designed to educate students in strategies of health promotion/disease prevention. Coursework emphasizes the acquisition of skills to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate health education programs in the school, community, or worksite setting. The MHE can be completed in as little as one calendar year and helps prepare and advance health professionals.

Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI)

The MSHI degree is an innovative program in Health Informatics, an emergent field at the intersection of information, people, process, and technology within healthcare organizations. The 39-credit curriculum is developed in accordance with the Health Informatics Competencies established by the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) and the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM). Courses for the MSHI program are offered online, providing the convenience of completing the degree remotely. Upon completion of the MSHI program, graduates will demonstrate competency in the following areas: 

• Health
• Information Science and Technology
• Social and Behavioral Science
• Health Information Science and Technology
• Human Factors and Socio-Technical Systems
• Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health
• Social, Behavioral, and Information Science and Technology Applied to Health
• Interprofessional Collaborative Practice
• Professionalism
• Leadership

MSHI Mission 

The mission of the MSHI program is to provide potential and current healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds with knowledge and skill in three broad domains - Health, Information Science & Technology, and Social & Behavioral Science – enabling them to contribute to the practice of transforming data into information and knowledge to facilitate informed decision-making to enhance outcomes, advance medical research, empower patients, and enrich society.

Program Outcomes

• Implement and manage health informatics solutions in ways that respect the prevailing culture, organizational context, and policies relating to health
• Assess the information technology needs and resources of patients, organizations, and communities
• Design health informatics solutions that are appropriate to their context and have a high probability of being successfully deployed
• Work collaboratively across disciplines to analyze and solve key issues in Health Informatics
• Communicate complex ideas effectively both orally and in writing to different audiences and stakeholder groups

Graduate Certificates Offered

Graduate Certificate in Public Health

The Graduate Certificate in Public Health is designed for both working professionals who would like to expand their knowledge of public health, and graduate students currently enrolled in other academic programs. The Graduate Certificate in Public Health curriculum includes courses that address the public health core knowledge areas. The 18-credit, fully online certificate can be completed in one academic year.

Graduate Certificate in Rural Health

The Graduate Certificate in Rural Health is a 15-credit, fully online program that is designed for graduate students and health professionals who currently practice, or intend to practice, in rural settings. The certificate's curriculum includes courses that: 1) address the public health issues in rural communities, 2) introduce students to rural health systems, and 3) give students a hands-on opportunity to partner with rural health organizations. It also offers a wide variety of electives to help students tailor their experiences to individual needs and interests.

Graduate Certificate in Addiction Studies

The Graduate Certificate in Addiction Studies is a 25-credit, fully online program that provides students with an in-depth understanding of substance use disorders, and the individuals and communities it affects. Through a series of meticulously curated courses, participants will delve deep into critical areas such as ethical and legal issues in counseling, theories of counseling and psychotherapy, effective interventions, and empirically supported treatment modalities. The coursework is structured to aid in building a solid foundation, enabling students to establish their unique theoretical approach to working with diverse groups, including individuals, couples, and families. Completing the certificate and 300 internship hours allows students to become a Substance Use Disorders Associate (SUDA) certified by the Idaho Board of Alcohol/Drug Counselor Certification (IBADCC). With the addition of a Bachelor’s degree, students are eligible for the Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) certification through IBADCC. The knowledge and skills learned in this course will provide competency in addressing addiction-related issues for those in health professions and beyond.