Jackson State University

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Public Health Programs at Jackson State University

Jackson State University appears in our ranking of the 10 Best MPH Programs Not Requiring GRE.

The School of Public Health at Jackson State University oversees the public health degree programs it offers for graduate and doctoral students. This school offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) with concentrations in biostatistics and epidemiology. Both versions of the program include a public health core that is worth 18 credits. It includes Biostatistics and Computer Application, Principles of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health and Research and Quantitative Methods.

In the epidemiology track, students will take a minimum of 15 credits of concentration courses, including Chronic and Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Epidemiology of Minority and Special Populations and Advanced Seminar in Epidemiology. Advanced Biostatistics and Computer Application is one of the courses in the biostatistics track. Both programs ask students to take three credits of electives and a capstone project, which includes a fieldwork component. Majors will also an applied practical experience called the Public Health Residency, which is worth three credits. In their residency work, students can choose where they want to work based on the arrangements that the university has with local organizations and agencies.

The MPH program also includes a concentration in health policy and management. It includes Health Information Management Systems, Public Health Policy, Laws and Ethics, and Marketing Public Health and Strategic Planning, among other courses. Students can then apply to the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program with a concentration in health policy and management. Doctoral students take 24 credits of advanced courses that make up the public health core and 15 credits of concentration classes, including Public Health Economics, Decision Modeling and Managed Care Networks and Public Health. They will also do a community research practicum and a dissertation.

Behavioral health promotion and education and epidemiology are other concentrations available for students in the DrPH program. They will take the same core classes and do both a practicum and a dissertation. The courses related to their concentrations are different though. In the behavioral health promotion and education concentration, they take Social and Cognitive Bases of Behavior and Database Management Systems along with courses on the education and promotion of health programs. The epidemiology track includes more complex courses that look at infectious diseases and how those diseases both start and spread.

Also available from Jackson State University is an MPH in environmental and occupational health, which focuses on how the environment can affect workers and lead to injuries or diseases. Students must do a capstone project and a practicum. They’ll usually do the practicum after taking concentration courses such as Environmental and Occupational Toxicology, Environmental Management and Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Health and Safety Management.

About Jackson State University

Known as both Jackson State and JSU, Jackson State University is a public university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is also a historically all-black college that was established in 1877. Originally called the Natchez Seminary because it was in Natchez, Mississippi, it was founded by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. It became Jackson College and went through other name changes after moving to Jackson, including the Jackson College for Negro Teachers and Jackson State College. JSU now ranks as one of the best schools in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report and Washington Monthly.

Jackson State University Accreditation Details

Jackson State has accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for all the programs offered by the School of Public Health. CEPH also approved the fieldwork that these majors do. The primary accreditation that JSU holds comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). As this is regional accreditation, graduate and doctoral students can get financial aid for one of the public health programs when they use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). SACS accreditation also helps students transfer credits from another school to JSU.

Jackson State University Application Requirements

All of the MPH programs at Jackson State require that students apply to the Division of Graduate Studies first. The university looks for students who have a minimum of one year of public health experience and an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher. They also need to write a statement of purpose that talks about their philosophy or approach to public health. The university asks for a resume and two letters of recommendation from academic references and one letter of recommendation from a professional reference. Those accepted into an MPH program need to complete an entrance interview too.

When choosing students for the DrPH program, Jackson State looks at the grades and other information shared in each application. Students need either an MPH or an advanced degree in a health field as well as a GPA of 3.0 or higher. They need to provide a GRE score and make sure that the score was from an exam taken in the last five years. JSU also requires a resume, statement of purpose and three letters of recommendation. The final application deadline for this program is April first. Jackson State only allows DRPH students to start in the fall.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Both graduate and doctoral students in a public health program at JSU pay $460 per credit hour as a Mississippi resident. The cost for nonresidents climbs to $960 per credit hour. Students also pay $87.50 in fees each credit hour, which includes charges for printing and improvements to the campus. When a student takes nine to 13 credits of courses, the university will freeze the rate at $4,222.50 for residents and $4,722.50 for non-residents.

The graduate assistant application is available online for students who want to apply for one of these jobs. Assistants receive financial aid that covers the cost of their classes and fees for one year as well as a monthly stipend. They only qualify if they have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and take at least nine credits every semester. These jobs require that students apply by March first. A small number of tuition waivers are available every year for students who apply by the beginning of March. Students can continue working for the university as long as they take the minimum number of credits and maintain a high GPA. Jackson State University also allows students in public health programs to use federal and alternative loans.