Public Health Degree Programs Offered by Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University appears in our ranking of the 10 Most Affordable MPH Online Degrees in the East
The Institute of Public Health at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University offers programs for students who want to work in public health. Ranked as one of the top five programs of its type for African American students in the nation, the main public health program is available on the university’s campus in Tallahassee. Students can choose from an on-site Master of Public Health (MPH), online MPH and Doctor of Public Health (DPH) programs.
Online students take 50 semester hours of courses across several subject areas, including core classes and research and practice courses. Those classes include Introduction to Public Health, Biostatistics, Introduction to Epidemiology and Topics in Public Health. Public Health Practice for Professionals is another required class that goes over some of the careers available in public health and what students do in those careers. Online MPH students will do a public health internship that is worth six credits and take a comprehensive exam.
In the traditional MPH program offered by Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, students also take 50 semester hours of classes. They can choose from concentrations in behavioral and health education, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology and biostatistics or health policy and management. Each concentration includes nine credits of classes. Traditional students take the comprehensive exam after they do their internships, which many choose to do in their final years. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University also requires that MPH students do an independent study project.
Students can get their DPH degrees through the university too, though this will include on-campus work. Concentrations are available in health education or behavioral science and health education, and each one includes nine hours of electives. They can choose from classes that include Planning and Evaluation of Health Education, Health Education Seminar, Current Issues in Public Health and Advanced Biostatistics for Public Health Practice. Public health majors also receive credit for the comprehensive exams they take and for their required practicums. Students who do not have an MPH can enroll in the university’s DPH program that includes 78 semester hours of work rather than the 60 hours found in the standard program. Both programs ask for a dissertation from each student.
About the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
The Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public university in Tallahassee, Florida better known as Florida A&M or FAMU. Established in 1887 as the State Normal College for Colored Students, it would become the State Normal and Industrial College for Colored Students in 1891 and then the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes in 1909. It wasn’t until the 1950s that it adopted the FAMU name, which was after it became a full university. Florida A&M is now a historically all-black college and university and one of the only campuses of its type in Florida. The university started as a small college that would provide opportunities for African American students and maintains a commitment to those students today.
Known for its health and medical programs, Florida A&M was one of the first historically black colleges in the nation to open a public hospital for its students. That hospital offered experiences and programs that weren’t available to black students at other schools. The university is now home to 12 colleges and schools that offer more than 50 programs for undergrads and more than 40 programs for graduate and post-graduate students. U.S. News and World Report placed Florida A&M at number 254 on its list of the best colleges in America, and The Princeton Review ranked FAMU as one of the best schools in the southeast.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Accreditation Details
Florida A&M has the accreditation that students look for when they need financial aid. This is the regional accreditation it has from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which is one of the reasons why incoming and returning students can use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The other important form of accreditation that the university has is the one from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), which covers the university’s graduate and doctoral programs in public health and any practicums or internships that they do.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Application Requirements
Students must meet the base requirements for admission to one of the university’s public health programs. Graduate students must have three years of health experience and a bachelor’s degree in a medical or health field, while doctoral students need an MPH. The university offers a separate DPH program for students who do not have an MPH. They can apply with a bachelor’s degree only but will need to have more experience in the health field. Both graduate and doctoral students need to submit their college transcripts, a test score such as an official GRE score and a goals statement. They may need to submit several letters of recommendation too. If Florida A&M needs anything else from a student, it will contact him or her.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Florida A&M students who also live in the state pay $25,228 each year. This rate rises to $25,642 per year for Florida residents who enroll in the online MPH program. Students who are not from Florida pay $36,322 per year for on-campus enrollment and $36,763 per year if they take classes online. Those in the DPH program pay the same amount based on whether they are residents or nonresidents.
The most common type of aid that MPH and DPH students attending Florida A&M get is a student loan. They can use the PLUS and unsubsidized loans available from the federal government or opt for an alternative loan. A maximum travel award of $500 is available each year for students who need help paying for the costs of attending an academic or professional conference. Students can apply for another program that covers the cost of taking summer classes and to a program that awards them fellowships of $2,500 a year. The university also offers fellowships and other programs that provide students with money they can use for research projects and their dissertations. All of the public health degree programs available at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University allow students to apply for any of these funding options after they use the FAFSA.