After the economic recession and the country’s slow recovery, many working people have had to re-imagine their career paths, re-purpose their skills, and re-brand themselves entirely. For many, this has meant going back to school.
It is fortunate that the ever-growing power of communications technology, computing power and telecommunications have made it possible for more people than ever to get a college education online or on a non-traditional schedule.
Enter the availability of accelerated MPH programs.
MPH one year programs allow students to complete their degree in an intense, accelerated format. There are programs available on-campus and one year MPH programs online. Students can choose which format best fits their needs. Online college courses make a wider variety of learning opportunities available to people who may struggle with traditional classrooms. There has never been a better time, or way, to enroll in one of the top schools offering 1 year MPH programs.
Methodology: Graduate students typically engage in an MPH program as a means of boosting their income potential. Many of these students recognize the need to cut the cost of continued education however they can but commit to a two-to-four-year program that is riddled with hidden costs above and beyond the cost of tuition. Not the least of these hidden costs is the loss of income due to the impracticality of holding a job outside of full-time schooling.
Fortunately, an accelerated public health master’s program can make the return to school a reality. Students are discovering the great flexibility so many innovative accelerated MPH programs now offer. We have created the following resource that considers all accelerated programs accredited by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. Using a formula calculating a 40% cost, 40% outcome, and 10% completion rate, we have compiled a list of the top 14 MPH 1 year programs. This ranking is in the order of most-to-least expensive.
Please note: Tuition is accurate at time of publishing and subject to change. Additional fees may apply.
See Also: Best Scholarships for MPH Degrees
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
Average Graduate Student Tuition- $77,892/year
Founded in 1979, Dartmouth is one of the oldest members of the Ivy League and ranks among the world’s finest institutions of higher learning. Nicknamed ‘Big Green,” it was originally founded for “the education and instruction of Youth of the Indian Tribes in this Land … and also of English Youth and any others.” It is perhaps most famous for its undergraduate liberal arts program, and its three leading professional academies among which is the Geisel School of Medicine. Dartmouth’s mission is to instruct only the most promising students, prepare them for a lifelong learning ethic, leadership, and responsibility in the creation of knowledge.
The accelerated MPH program at Dartmouth is an 11-month immersive degree. The student to faculty ratio is 12:1, supporting discussions and group projects. Courses focus on areas like:
- Health Policy
- Quality Improvement
- Decision Analysis
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$63,408/year
The Johns Hopkins University full-time 11-month accelerated MPH program focuses on flexibility, diversity, and quality. It begins each year in June or July, at the East Baltimore campus where students are expected to complete the program in a single academic year. The majority of courses are completed on-site, but students have the option to take many courses online during the course of the program.
Students have a wide variety of elective courses in addition to the core curriculum – many of which have online alternatives. Because only 40% of the required course work is core curriculum, students have a great deal of flexibility in what courses they take allowing for a surprising degree of personalization.
See Also: What Is An MPH Degree ?
Northwestern University – Feinberg School of Medicine
Evanston, Illinois
Average Graduate Student Tuition- $56,067/year
Founded in 1859, the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has attracted talented instructors, students, and staff with its innovative research, cutting-edge curriculum, outstanding clinical affiliates, and international perspective. From the center of the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, the Feinberg School of Medicine has built its reputation for academic excellence through its dedication to interdisciplinary and collaborative medical research and education. The Feinberg School is dedicated to producing high-quality professionals of outstanding skill and learning.
The MPH 1 year program at Northwestern is a full-time program. Most courses are offered during the evening hours to accommodate working professionals. Concentration options are available in:
- Community Health Research
- Epidemiology
- Generalist
- Global Health
All students complete an applied practice experience within a community or government organization. A capstone style project services as the culminating experience.
Harvard University – T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$71,820/year
The Harvard School of Public health was founded in 1913 as an outcropping of the Harvard-MIT School for Health Officers. It was the nation’s first graduate training program in the field of public health. Over the last century, the faculty members of the Chan School have revolutionized policy and cultural attitudes toward public health. Such changes have been direct reflections of the school’s core values:
- healthcare as a human right
- public responsibility to promote the provision of public health care
- emphasis on prevention
- public health institutions as responsible for disseminating information to the public
The Harvard University Chan School is unique in its role of changing the culture from both a legislative angle and by shaping public opinion to effect a tangible change in the moral zeitgeist of our time.
Columbia University
New York, New York
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$71,914/year
In the Fall of 2012, Columbia University and the Mailman School of Public health introduced their Accelerated MPH program. A one-year course oriented toward motivated medical professionals who are interested in advancing their career with a degree in public health. The Accelerated program has a curriculum similar to Columbia’s public health program, but it runs at a much faster pace. As a result of an intensive school-wide collaboration of more than 150 members of students and faculty, the curriculum provides systemic and far-reaching mastery of complicated public health issues and the understanding needed to meet those challenges in a variety of settings.
Students can expect to study areas like:
- Ethics of Public Health
- Qualitative Foundations
- Environmental Determinants of Human Health
- Human Rights
Emory University – Rollins School of Public Health
Atlanta, Georgia
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$26,800/semester
Students of RSPC develop competence in the identification, analysis and intervention of the most pressing public health issues of our time. Located in Atlanta, (AKA the Public Health Capital of the World), RSPC is home to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, the Arthritis Foundation, and The Carter Center, to name a few. An ideal setting for hands-on study and research, the Rollins School collaborates with the world’s leading public health agencies. It is a community-oriented program where true to life learning experiences are second to none. Students from all over the globe flock to RSPH to acquire and apply knowledge of the promotion of health, as well as the prevention and treatment of disease.
Emory University offers an accelerated MPH program in Global Health. Students complete this three semester 1 year MPH program on-campus. Core requirements include:
- Public Health Development
- Behavioral and Social Sciences in Public Health
- Inter-Professional Team Training
Emory also offers a one year accelerated MPH program in Health Care Management. Students must complete an applied practice experience and an integrative learning experience to complete their master’s degree.
George Washington University
Washington, DC
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$82,575/year
The one year MPH online program is George Washington University’s accelerated program aimed at those motivated to enhance their careers through an added degree in Public Health. This intensive program is equal to the traditional GW on campus and online Master of Public health programs with the exception of its pace, which is double that of the other programs. Students at George Washington University have the option to earn a Master’s in Public Health over one and one-half years rather than in just one year. Students have up to four years to complete the program in its entirety. Students are not permitted to work during the accelerated MPH due to the demanding load of coursework.
Elective tracks allow students customize their studies. Elective courses cover areas like:
- Global Health
- Health Policy
- Environmental and Occupational Health
- Epidemiology and Public Health Research Methods
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$1,271/ credit
Dedicated to the science of health and education, generating knowledge, and setting new standards for compassionate and efficient patient care, Thomas Jefferson University has been a leader in academic medicine since 1824. Now known as Sidney Kimmel Medical College, this institution of learning has rapidly become the nation’s most prominent healthcare learning institution of its kind. Its mission revolves around a vigorous re-imagining of the accepted parameters of health, health education – and the ceaseless striving to promote unequaled value in the practice of medicine and academics.
The Master of Public Health prepares graduates to be Leaders in Evidence, Application and Prevention (LEAP). This accelerated master’s degree program is available to students with a competitive undergraduate degree and plans to pursue a healthcare profession within two years of earning their degree.
Mercer University
Macon, Georgia
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$1,009/ credit
This recognized national leader in health education is known for its unique approach to teaching its students. First, there is no cap-point for admissions. They manage to keep classes small and personable. The second factor that makes Mercer’s public health curriculum one of a kind is that it is specially designed to provide students with a solid foundation in public health coupled with an acute understanding of the challenges faced by people living in underserved communities and disenfranchised populations. With the recent global concern over disease prevention and positive health promotion, public health has become a critical career focus, and a secure humanitarian path for those with an inclination to serve public health needs.
University of California – Davis
Davis, California
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$26,651 (11 Months)
The largest University of California campus, UC Davis is famous for its dedication to sustainability, outstanding academics, and spirit. For more than a century, UC Davis has transformed itself from just an agricultural school into a true university of the highest order. It is ranked with the top ten public universities in the country. Their mission is to advance the human condition by raising the quality of life for everyone. Indeed their vision of excellence and principles of community have gained world renown for UC Davis as a mecca of progressive values and responsibility on the west coast.
UC Davis offers a 56-credit hour MPH program. Students can choose from two concentrations including General Public Health and Epidemiology. Small class size allows students to develop strong relationships with their peers and instructors. Between 94 and 96% of graduates find a job in the field within six months of graduating.
University of California – Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$70,000
The people of UC Berkeley believe that all people deserve an opportunity to lead a healthy life. It is their vision that access to treatments for preventable disease is a basic human right and should be extended to all. They strive to achieve this by training students to develop a broad and working knowledge of human health to include ecological, behavioral, environmental, as well as the biological determinants of health and wellness. Ranked among the leading public health graduate schools, UCB has earned a legacy of success in helping people live more healthfully and in a safer world spanning over 65 years.
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$623/ credit
The University of Memphis’ MPH program is a synergistic mixture of real-world solutions and academic rigor. The U of M is especially well known for its rationalistic approach to the prevention of chronic disease control/prevention. Their programs focus on the needs of the underprivileged urban populations of the middle South, United States. U of M attracts students and faculty who are particularly attracted to the challenge of advocating for underserved populations. Their 42-credit hour public health program is focused on five critical areas:
- epidemiology
- health systems management
- social science
- biostatistics
- environmental health
Concentrations are available in:
- Urban Health
- Biostatistics
- Epidemiology
- Generalist
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
Students will complete a capstone project which will be part of either a thesis or the basis of a Master’s Project option.
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$600/credit
Students of FIU can choose to complete a one year online MPH program with the university’s new accelerated public health degree. It is an especially well-suited program for professionals and pre-med students who wish to obtain a degree quickly. Applicants at or above the 75th percentile will have the opportunity to apply for the 1-year fast track program at the time of their admission. Students entering the one year accelerated curriculum will focus on one of the four available specializations:
- Environmental and Occupational Health
- Health Policy and Management
- Epidemiology
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Average Graduate Student Tuition-$750.00/credit in-state and $1,681.65/credit designated tuition
Since its establishment in 1891, UTMB has grown from a single building for 13 faculty and 23 students to an impressive and modern health science center with over 3,500 students and faculty. The University of Texas at Galveston credits its success to its adherence to five core values; compassion, integrity, respect, diversity, and lifelong learning. UTMB was Texas’ first academic health center and is the birthplace of the Lone Star State’s first schools of medicine, allied health sciences, and nursing.
The accelerated MPH program epidemiology track is offered as a one year accelerated track program for students pursing a dual degree or enrolled in a clinical program. Course offerings include:
- Public Health Assessment, Planning and Evaluation
- Epidemiological Methods
- Applied Public Health Leadership
Frequently Asked Questions
Most Master of Public Health (MPH) programs typically last around 1.5 to 2 years if pursued full-time, but some programs offer part-time options that may take longer to complete. It depends on the specific program and your schedule!
While it’s possible to earn a six-figure salary with a Master of Public Health (MPH), it often requires years of experience, advanced specialization, and leadership roles in fields like healthcare administration or epidemiology. However, many MPH graduates find fulfilling careers in public health with competitive salaries.
Choosing between an MPH and an MBA depends on your career goals. An MPH focuses on public health and healthcare management, while an MBA offers broader business skills applicable to various industries.
MPH graduates are in high demand due to the growing emphasis on public health and healthcare management. With increasing health challenges and the need for qualified professionals to address them, the job market for MPH holders remains robust. MPH graduates can work in various sectors, including:
• government agencies
• healthcare organizations
• non-profit institutions
An accelerated MPH program is designed to condense the coursework and completion time of a traditional MPH program. It allows students to earn their degree in a shorter period, typically by offering intensive coursework and shorter breaks between semesters.
The highest paying job in public health varies. Roles like health services manager, epidemiologist, and biostatistician often offer competitive salaries. These positions typically require advanced degrees and specialize in:
• managing healthcare facilities
• studying disease patterns
• analyzing health data to improve population health
