Jacksonville is home to a few great colleges and universities like the University of North Florida, Jacksonville University, and Florida State College at Jacksonville, though unfortunately none of them offer Public Health degrees online. Programs offering online formats are designed for working professionals who require the schedule flexibility to take classes at their leisure. While most online programs do not require their students to visit campus, the ability to visit campus to meet with faculty and other students can be extremely valuable. If you are looking for online Public Health degrees in the closest proximity to Jacksonville, the best options are the University of Florida, which is located in Gainesville, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (also known as Florida A&M or FAMU), which is located in Tallahassee. For a list of the top Public Health degrees in the state of Florida, check out our ranking of the Top 5 Best Public Health Degree Programs in Florida.
The University of Florida
The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, which is about 70 miles away and about an hour-and-a-half drive, from Jacksonville. The University of Florida offers an online Master’s in Public Health (MPH) which requires students to complete 48 credit hours of class work which usually takes about two years. However, students who already have a health-based doctoral degree from an American institution can also apply for their accelerated online MPH program, which requires students to complete 42 credit hours in one year’s time. Online MPH students will choose between one of two concentration areas: Public Health Practice and Social and Behavioral Science. The Public Health Practice track is designed for professionals who interact with the public on a day-to-day basis, like physicians, nurses, and social workers. The Social and Behavioral Sciences track is meant to prepare students for roles in health agencies where they will conduct community assessment, and develop programs to help issues of public health. All MPH students at the University of Florida are required to complete an internship with a public health or related agency to gain experience in their field of concentration which will give them extra qualifications for professional job placement. For reference to some of the best jobs in the field of Public Health, check out our list of the 50 Top Public Health Jobs.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Florida A&M is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, which is about 160 miles, and usually an hour-and-a-half drive from Jacksonville. The university is the first HCBU to offer an online MPH degree, and it is also the only accredited public health program that is hosted within a College of Pharmacy. The influence of the College of Pharmacy gives students a unique perspective on issues like health care and vaccination that is not available in other MPH programs. Online MPH students at Florida A&M specialize in the field of Public Health Practice, which gives students training and research that focuses on health issues that predominantly affect poor and underserved populations. The tuition at Florida A&M is a great value for students located in-state, as tuition costs $5,785 for one school year, though if you want an even better deal on your degree, be sure to apply to one of the Top 36 Best Scholarships for MPH Degrees.
