Overview
Dr. Heather McGrane Minton, Program Director
The Master of Public Health program at St. John Fisher University prepares students for careers as public health professionals and practitioners across public, not-for-profit, and private sectors where they will work to improve healthcare planning, delivery, assessment, and outcomes for individuals and communities. A major focus of the program are the healthcare needs and disparities across the Greater Rochester region and beyond—specifically addressing nutrition, substance abuse, mental health, maternal/child health, and the impact of trauma and poverty while working with a mix of populations. The program places particular emphasis on the practical, practice-oriented aspects of an MPH education, preparing students for administrative and managerial careers in different fields across health care.
Our mission is to advance scholarship, research, and service so that students become effective members of intra-professional teams that seek innovative solutions to regional, state, and national health concerns. Guided by current theory, evidence-based methods, and a collaborative ethos, students will address the systemic inequities impacting our community to promote public health and public health policies through constructive partnerships within the public and private sectors.
In accordance with standards recommended by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), students develop a strong understanding of the social science foundations of public health, along with the ethical imperatives and the essential analytical and administrative skill sets. The MPH curriculum focuses on measures of morbidity and mortality across populations, program design and evaluation, community health needs assessment, health care issues and special populations, public health policy, promotion of evidence-based interventions, and systems management. Student learning is facilitated through a variety of teaching methodologies, including class discussions, small-group work, case-study analysis, community-based activities, and internships.