The University of Missouri Master of Public Health program has received accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health, becoming only the second accredited program of its kind in Missouri and the only accredited program at a public university.
Kristofer Hagglund, director of the Master of Public Health, or MPH, program and associate dean of the School of Health Professions, said the accreditation will allow the MU program to provide high-quality coursework, research and community service in Missouri and beyond.
“I am delighted, but not surprised that the MPH program was awarded full accreditation,” Hagglund said. “The program’s students, faculty and staff are dedicated to learning and to enhancing the health and well-being of our community. The program has outstanding support from the university and from its many community partners.”
Chancellor Brady J. Deaton has identified public health as a strategic priority for MU. The MPH program was initiated in 2007 with a total enrollment of 58 students. Stakeholders from multiple schools and colleges have worked to diversify and build the program, and today, there are more than 143 students studying public health at MU.
The mission of the MPH Program is to advance the health and well-being of the citizens of Missouri and elsewhere through excellence in teaching, discovery and service in public health. The program incorporates academic strengths of the university in veterinary medicine, policy analysis and development to address the needs of underserved populations and prepare public health leaders at local, state and national levels.
Dual degrees are offered in conjunction with the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and the Truman School of Public Affairs. The program will add a dual MPH/ journalism degree in the near future.
The program has attracted students from across the country, as well as from India, China, Libya, South Korea, Haiti, Georgia, Zimbabwe, the Bahamas, Colombia, Tanzania, Nigeria and Nepal. Students are trained to plan, implement and evaluate programs aimed at enhancing health in human populations. Graduates of the program have gone on to careers at local, state and federal public health agencies, private think tanks, research universities and non-governmental organizations that work to improve the public’s health.
“The accreditation process reflected the unique structure and strengths of MU’s MPH program, including the commitment to excellence in research, teaching and service.” said Lise Saffran, associate director of the program. “This exciting news was the result of the interdisciplinary team work and collaboration that is at the heart of public health.”
The Council on Education for Public Health is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and graduate public health programs. The MU program was awarded the maximum five-year term, through December 2015.