Kansas State University Public Health Programs
Kansas State University appears in our ranking of the Top 10 MPH Nutrition Degree Programs.
Programs in public health at Kansas State University include a concurrent bachelor’s and master’s degree program, a master’s degree option, and a certificate program. For students who choose the concurrent degree program, the university allows students to choose from several participating bachelor’s degree programs that will be earned at the same time as the Master of Public Health.
Undergraduate options that may be paired with the public health graduate degree include animal sciences & industry, biochemistry, dietetics, kinesiology, microbiology, and psychology. Students can also choose a degree in nutrition & health, nutritional sciences, life sciences, food science & industry, biology, or athletic training to pair with the MPH.
Students who already have a bachelor’s degree can choose a single graduate degree instead and will complete a total of 42 semester hours in the program. Public health core classes include Environmental Health, Administration of Health Care Organizations, Introduction to Epidemiology, Fundamental Methods of Biostatistics, and Social & Behavioral Bases of Public Health.
Enrollees are also offered a choice of four emphases in Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Public Health Physical Activity, Public Health Nutrition, and Food Safety & Biosecurity. Each emphasis requires completion of 21 credit hours. Classes may include Food Protection and Defense-Essential Concepts, Public Health Nutrition, Functional Foods for Chronic Disease Prevention, and Interpersonal Aspects of Physical Activity.
Working professionals may want to choose the Public Health Core Concepts Graduate Certificate, which is designed for graduate students who don’t have any previous experience in public health. The certificate introduces students to the five core areas of public health that include biostatistics, environmental health sciences, social & behavioral sciences, health services administration, and epidemiology.
Overall, the certificate program requires students to complete 15 credit hours with the opportunity to take classes on campus or online. Classes include Introduction to Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Fundamental Methods of Biostatistics, Social and Behavioral Bases of Public Health, and Administration of Health Care Organizations. Students are required to earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher to earn their certificate.
About Kansas State University
Kansas State University, which is often abbreviated as K-State, is a public university in Kansas that is located in the town of Manhattan. The university has been experiencing record enrollment in the past decade and routinely has more than 24,000 students enrolled for classes. The university runs additional branch campuses in the cities of Olathe and Salina. The university also maintains status as a space-grant and land grant institution.
The university was founded as Kansas State Agricultural College in 1863 and opened its doors during the American Civil War. The university is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state and was also the first land grant college established after passage of the Morrill Act. The official color of the university is purple. Students play in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I, and their teams are nicknamed the Wildcats. The campus in Manhattan covers 668 acres.
Kansas State University Accreditation Details
Kansas State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. This accreditation applies to the university as a whole. Accreditation is a process that repeats once a decade. In the 1930s, the university was also accredited by the Association of American Universities as an institution capable of providing graduate programs to its students.
There are also some program-specific organizations that have accredited degrees offered by KSU. Within the College of Education, accredited programs include those in counseling, which have been accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs and the education programs, which have been accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, as well as the Kansas State Department of Education.
Kansas State University Application Requirements
Applying to Kansas State University as a first-year student means meeting certain grading benchmarks, as well as completing the university’s recommended high school classes. Students must earn a minimum 2.0 GPA if they’re a Kansas resident or a 2.5 GPA if they’re a non-resident, as well as obtain a minimum 21 on the ACT, 1060 on the SAT, or a top third rank in the student’s graduating high school class.
For graduate students, application standards are determined by each program, but most programs require proof that the student has earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and transcripts from the student’s program. Some of the supplemental materials required may include a statement of purpose, resume or CV, statement of objectives, standardized test scores, or letter of recommendation. Some programs may also have unique application dates that are different from the overall university.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students who are Kansas residents pay in-state tuition rates of $312.50 per credit hour, which means annual tuition of 30 credit hours is $9,375. For out-of-state students, the tuition rate is $841.70 per credit hour, and the annual total for 30 credit hours is $25,251. The overall amount of tuition may vary if students take fewer or more credits or if their program charges any extra fees.
Other items students may need to pay for include on-campus housing, which ranges from $4,950 to $8,750 per year and a meal plan, which varies from $4,190 to $4,790 per year. The average cost of supplies and books is $925, and students may also need to budget additional funds for personal costs like entertainment, clothing, and parking fees. The university also charges campus fees that add $1,065 to the total cost of attendance.
Students who want to receive financial aid will work with the Office of Student Financial Assistance. Financial aid applications begin on October 1, and students should meet the K-State priority deadline of December 1 if they want to qualify for the best possible financial aid package. Traditional and transfer students are eligible for financial aid, and students may also qualify for aid if they’re current or past military.
The State of Kansas offers some state-based aid, and applicants may qualify for the Kansas Comprehensive Grant, the Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship, or the Kansas Career Technical Workforce Grant. Additional awards available to Kansas State University students through state sources include the Kansas Military Service Scholarship, the Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship, and the Kansas National Guard Education Assistance program.