St. John Fisher College to Offer New Master of Public Health Graduate Degree

Starting in fall 2019, a new Master of Public Health (MPH) offered at St. John Fisher College will help health care professionals and administrators deepen their understanding of the health care needs and disparities within the community.

The MPH will launch at the same time as the College’s new undergraduate degree in public health, announced in August. Both programs will help meet a growing demand for professionals to better understand population-based health care issues and obtain the practical and analytical training needed to interpret and address those issues.

“Importantly, not all MPH programs are identical. Ours is a practice-oriented degree that emphasizes the applied practice of public health principles for administrators, clinical managers, and others overseeing health care programming and planning,” said Dr. David Baronov, professor and director of the MPH program.

Like its undergraduate counterpart, the graduate program will be housed in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology within the School of Arts and Sciences. Interdisciplinary by nature, faculty from gerontology, anthropology, biology, psychology, nursing, mental health counseling, and pharmacy will participate in the program.

The degree is designed to be completed in 18 months, and courses will cover concepts including community health, biostatistics, epidemiology, data analytics, and health care information systems, among others. Candidates will also engage in community-based practicums and capstone projects. Baronov said that the program’s pedagogy is intended to introduce students to the unique needs of rural, urban, and suburban communities in and around Rochester, while providing hands-on opportunities to apply essential competencies to complex and emerging public health issues.

Graduates of the program will be prepared to work in the fields of health education, public health administration, program planning, development, and evaluation, as well as on special initiatives including mother-child health programs, the current opioid crisis, diabetes management, and other emerging health needs.

“In working directly with the community, students will see how agencies identify population-based health problems, set priorities, and drive interventions,” he explained.

To learn more about the program, visit the master of public health degree webpage or call the Office of Transfer and Graduate Admissions at (585) 385-8064.