Public Health Programs at Capella University
Capella University appears in our ranking of the 10 Most Affordable MPH Degree Programs Online.
Capella University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in public health as well as some certificates in this field. The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Public Health includes up to 17 electives and 14 general education classes as well as the 14 classes in the public health core. Some students will take fewer courses because they transferred credits. They can also get discounts if they work for companies and organizations that partnered with the university. Some of the courses in the bachelor’s program include Introduction to Theories of Social and Behavioral Changes, Introduction to Biostatistics, Introduction to Epidemiology and Introduction to Public Health Policy and Management.
In the Master of Public Health (MPH) program, majors must do a practicum and spend a minimum of 80 hours in a public health setting. Capella University allows students to wait until their final semesters to do this work, but they can also do their practicums early in their studies. Majors will also take one capstone course and 12 core classes. They can transfer up to 16 credits into the program too. Among the required courses in the public health program are Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health, Principles of Epidemiology, Social Detriments of Health Equity and Learning to Lead in Public Health Settings: Personal and Team Development.
A Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) is also available at Capella University. This program has multiple start dates that let students enroll several times a year. It features a 100-hour practicum that helps students build on what they learned in an MPH program and specialize their degrees with experience in a specific field. DrPH students receive help from advisors and counselors as they take classes such as Educating the Public Health Workforce, Community Health Behavior and Promotion and Evaluation and Interpretation of Data in Health Care. The capstone at the end of the program takes the place of the dissertation found in similar programs.
The university also offers a graduate public health certificate program that includes five classes. Though this program does not offer as much financial aid for students as the degree programs do, it allows them to study public health without committing to a long program. Principles of Epidemiology and Principles of Biostatistics are two of the program’s required classes. Students will also take courses on public health administration, social aspects of public health and environmental concepts and how they relate to public health.
About Capella University
Capella University is an online university that helps students earn their degrees without living on or visiting a physical campus. Founded in 1993 as a private university called The Graduate School of America, it would adopt the Capella University name a few years later after its parent organization became the Capella Education Company. The university added bachelor’s programs in the early 2000s before adding graduate and doctoral programs. It now offers assessments that students can take to get course credit for their knowledge and experience as well as discounts for those who serve/served in the military and their children. Capella has acceptance for many of its bachelor’s programs, including those in business, education, and nursing. Ranked as one of the best online universities in the country, Capella now has an enrollment of more than 38,000 students across its undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs.
Capella University Accreditation Details
With accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Capella can offer financial aid packages to all online students in its public health and other degree programs. HLC accreditation serves as the regional accreditation required of students to use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This accreditation also allows students to transfer credits to Capella from another university with regional accreditation and use their Capella credits at another college.
Capella University Application Requirements
Though Capella charges a $50 application fee, it often waives this fee. Students can visit the university’s website to find a promo code. When they enter the code on the application, they can apply without paying the fee. The main requirements for undergrads include a completed application and a high school diploma or GED. Students also need to supply any transcripts they have to show that they are capable of college work.
Incoming MPH students need a bachelor’s degree from a college/university with regional accreditation and a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a traditional 4.0 scale, which they’ll show with their transcripts. Though Capella does not require a score from an entrance exam such as the GRE, it does ask that all MPH students pass a background check before they start the program.
Students can apply to the DrPH program if they have a graduate certificate in public health or an MPH. The university also accepts students with a graduate degree in another area of public health. They need to submit transcripts from the schools where they earned their graduate degrees to show that they earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Capella also asks these students to pass a criminal background check.
Tuition and Financial Aid
In the MPH program, students pay $500 per credit hour and take 60 credits for a total of $30,000 to complete the program. Students who bring credits with them can pay as little as $22,000 to finish their degrees. Most undergrads pay $411 per credit hour, in the doctoral program, students pay $800 per credit hour or $4,900 per quarter. Capella charges as much as $805 per credit hour in the university’s certificate programs. Students also pay $75 to $125 per credit hour for a learning assessment. Some programs have a residency component that charges students $275 per weekend or $1,495 per week too.
Learning assessments are just one way Capella can help students save on their tuition. Discounts are available for those who work for partner companies and organizations, which drop rates to $357 per credit hour for undergrads, $435 for graduate students and $540 for doctoral students. Those who qualify for military benefits can use government programs to pay their costs and use the programs offered by the university. Capella also accepts federal aid from students who complete the FAFSA, including loans and grants. Financial aid counselors are available to help students who need financial aid to pay for one of the public health programs available at Capella University.