The Clemson University Department of Public Health Sciences now offers an online master’s degree program for public health professionals interested in developing pertinent, practical skills to lead public health initiatives in local communities.
The Master of Public Health (MPH) online degree program has two emphasis areas: rural health and health outcomes and quality improvement. Through the rural health emphasis area, students receive training in rural health outreach and overcoming barriers of population health in rural communities. Students in the health outcomes and quality improvement emphasis area receive training in health services implementation to develop skills critical for success in the health services sector.
A paper from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health explains how the growing public health workforce shortage, skill gaps and an exodus of public health professionals in recent years due to epidemics such as COVID-19, indicate a need for graduates who are practice-ready on their first day of work.
The national shortage is expected to climb, according to the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey, and by 2025, more than half of the state and local governmental public health workforce is expected to leave or retire. This translates to a potential loss of 129,000 workers.
Clemson is working to combat this shortage by educating more public health professionals through its online MPH program, a modality that can reach people in rural areas regionally, nationally and globally.
“We identified a gap in educational opportunities for public health professionals working in rural communities, and we are delighted to have designed a program to meet the demands of students’ schedules and provide quality education and training so they can better serve their local communities,” said Interim Department of Public Health Sciences Chair Sarah Griffin. “This program fulfills our land-grant mission to provide outreach and support statewide and beyond, especially in rural areas.”
Nearly 27 percent of South Carolina’s population lives in rural communities, and Emily Sweatt, a rural health and nutrition agent with Clemson Extension and student in the MPH program, works with patients in one of these communities in Darlington County. She provides chronic disease management programming for community members, coordinates with local schools to encourage wellness initiatives for students and staff and works to address community needs related to nutrition and physical activity access. After completing her first year, she said she knows the MPH program will equip her with the knowledge and skills to improve community health programs for Darlington County residents and deepen her understanding of how to assess, implement and evaluate health education efforts effectively.
The MPH program’s core courses focus on theories and determinants of health, epidemiological research, health policy and health research.
Courses specific to the rural health emphasis area focus on foundations of rural health, rural health community planning and population health and research. Courses specific to the health outcomes and quality improvement emphasis area focus on clinical and translational science, health system quality improvement and outcomes assessment and evaluation in health services. This track expands upon existing relationships with Prisma Health that will train clinicians to use the principles of public health in their practice.
Online classes include synchronous meetings, self-directed study and group projects. The degree is completed in two academic years across four semesters. The MPH program consists of 43 credit hours. Classes are offered online in the evenings to complement working professionals’ schedules.
“We are excited to be able to offer this program and believe it will be vital to increasing support and knowledge for working professionals in rural areas,” said Bryan Miller, CBSHS Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. “This new program not only helps fulfill our land-grant mission but directly contributes to the Clemson Elevate goal of growing the state’s public health workforce to improve health outcomes.”
The Department of Public Health Sciences is a part of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.
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