Miller School Launches Online M.P.H. Program
Article Summary
- The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine launched a fully online Master of Public Health program.
- The online M.P.H. offers the convenience of distance learning and the expertise of the Miller School’s internationally renowned faculty.
- The program emphasizes personalized instruction and mentoring to prepare students to address contemporary health care challenges.
Aspiring public health leaders, scientists and researchers who are interested in studying South Florida’s diverse health landscape now have an online avenue to earn an M.P.H. degree.
The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine recently launched an online Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program, affording students the convenience of distance learning and a unique training ground that explores public health challenges faced in Miami and around the world.
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Online Master of Public Health program
“The Department of Public Health Sciences is excited to extend M.P.H. training opportunities via our new online offering to students from across the country and around the world,” said Dr. David Lee, Ph.D., professor and chair in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the Miller School.
“We are thrilled to introduce the online Master of Public Health program,” said Elahe Nezami, Ph.D., the online M.P.H. program director and professor of professional practice in public health sciences at the Miller School. “Our mission is simple: to provide exceptional education for all through 100% online coursework, personalized instruction and practical experience.”
Distance Learning, International Public Health Expertise
Learners will benefit from the Miller School’s nationally and internationally recognized research enterprise, as well as its expansive clinical footprint across South Florida. The Miller School’s Department of Public Health Sciences received more than $15 million in National Institutes of Health funding in 2023, the 10th-highest figure in the U.S. Overall, the Miller School is ranked first in Florida for NIH funding.
“Miller seemed to offer a variety of exposures and spaces within public health,” said Arpan Parekh, an M.D./M.P.H. student. “I’ve been able to stitch together a lot of my interests by bringing together the various resources available at the university in the form of department and faculty members.”
“The Miller School is South Florida’s preeminent academic medical center and our M.P.H. students work closely with the faculty members who have made the Miller School a research powerhouse,” said Dr. Nezami. “On the clinical side, our relationships with the University of Miami Health System, Jackson Health System and the VA provide a comprehensive training experience unlike any other in the U.S.”
The online M.P.H. program offers contemporary distance learning advantages, with 100% online coursework that includes personalized instruction and mentoring. Prospective students can enroll in the fall or spring, and the program requirements and breadth of curriculum mirror the Miller School’s onsite M.P.H., with classroom time devoted to:
- Research design and conduct
- Data and policy analysis
- Program planning and administration
- Public health systems and the organization of health services in the United States and Latin America
- Ethical issues in public health and professional practice
- The needs of special populations
Serving Your Community
M.P.H. classwork is complemented by abundant opportunities to work with public health organizations from the Miami community and beyond through the Capstone Program, which provides an opportunity for students to apply what they learned in the MPH classrooms in real-world settings.
“Historically, our M.P.H. students have completed capstone projects targeting critical public health issues all over the United States and in countries spanning the globe,” Dr. Lee said.
Capstone field experience entails at least 150 hours of public health work with a community partner, with oversight and instruction provided by a faculty advisor.
“I think to be an effective doctor, you have to have some sort of background and knowledge in community health,” said Yanexy Cardona, who completed the M.P.H. program in 2022. “Everything we learn in the classroom we apply to our capstones, to our field work, to our jobs.”
And those jobs integrate contemporary public health methodology and philosophy to address the most pressing community needs. Those jobs make a difference in people’s lives.
“One of the cornerstones of the M.P.H. program is really engagement with vulnerable communities that need a lot of assistance and a lot of focus,” said Tyler Bartholomew, Ph.D., a Miller School assistant professor of public health sciences who graduated from the program. “It’s a priority of our department to revolutionize how we engage with these types of communities.”
“The M.P.H. has really transformed the way I think about medicine,” said Akeim George, M.D./M.P.H. “Over my career, I plan on continuing to do advocacy to make sure I’m still making positive changes for people’s health.
Many students see the M.P.H. program as a logical and beneficial step before enrolling in medical school.
“The M.P.H. program here has prepared me for future endeavors in medical school,” said current student Mackenzie Goodman. “I have gained a lot of understanding of how health care is formed and how doctors can treat patients in a better way.”
“This program prepares students to become future health care leaders,” said Dr. Nezami, “and tackle public health challenges in our own community and around the world. There really is no better place to get this experience than at UM.”
Tags: Dr. Elahe Nezami, Master of Public Health, medical education, public health