Public Health Degrees Offered at The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Bachelor’s in Public Health Degree Programs.
The College of New Jersey offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Public Health. This degree teaches students the fundamentals of improving the health of individuals throughout communities by encouraging healthier lifestyles, conducting research on diseases and injuries, and implementing ideas to control diseases that easily spread. Graduates of this program will be aware of how to handle concerns from the public involving health and medical issues as well as how to improve the healthcare system by ensuring good quality, equity, and accessibility. The following courses are required to complete the B.S. in Public Health: Introduction to Public Health, Introduction to Epidemiology, Wellness Promotion across the Lifespan, Environmental and Occupational Health, Population Approaches to World Health, Statistics, Research Methods, and more. In the last year of the program, students will be required to participate in a capstone internship. This will consist of 120 hours of hands-on, in-depth experience at a public health agency.
The university also provides a Master of Public Health (M.P.H) program for individuals who already possess a bachelor’s degree. This is a 45-credit program that teaches students the necessary steps to improve the health of individuals and communities. The program is rigorous and equips students with the necessary skills of leadership, research, critical thinking, and the ability to seek employment in a wide range of public health careers. Students may choose between three different tracks to specialize in, which include Global Health, Health Communications, and Precision Health. The following are a few of the required courses to graduate from this program: Environmental and Occupational Health, Health Systems and Policy, Intermediate Epidemiology, Biostatistics for Public Health, Health Promotion for Individuals and Communities, and more. Depending on which track the student chooses, there will be additional required courses related to that specific track. Before graduating, students will complete a capstone internship that requires 120 hours of firsthand learning of the public healthcare system. Full-time students typically complete the entire M.P.H. in as little as two years, and part-time students finish in four to five years.
Additionally, The College of New Jersey also features a graduate certificate in public health, which is directed toward individuals who are interested in earning an advanced education in public health but do not wish to pursue a degree program. This certificate is centered around broadly teaching the components of the public health system to students. Although anyone can pursue the public health certificate, it is considered very useful for individuals who are already in the public health field and are looking to gain new skills in modern-day healthcare delivery. This is a 24-credit program that requires the completion of five core courses and a capstone course. The following are the core courses students must pass: Epidemiology, Health Promotion, New Media and Culture, Public Health Policy, and Health and Risk Communication Campaigns.
About The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey, also referred to as TCNJ, is a public college that was established in 1855. It is located in Ewing, New Jersey, which is around 30 miles from Philadelphia and 70 miles from New York City. This university is considered average size with an undergraduate population of 7,048 and a campus stretching across 289 acres of land. According to U.S. News & World Report, the university ranked first for best colleges for veterans and top public schools, second for best undergraduate teaching, fourth for best regional universities in the north, and 52nd for best value schools. On Niche, it ranked 61st for top public universities in the United States.
Undergraduate students attending The College of New Jersey have the choice of pursuing 50 different degree programs in seven schools on campus. In addition, students also have the opportunity of joining 150 student clubs and participating in the several athletic programs offered. The sports teams are part of the NCAA Division 3 New Jersey Athletic Conference and are known as the “TCNJ Lions.”
The College of New Jersey Accreditation Details
The College of New Jersey has received its accreditation from the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, which is located in Philadelphia. The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a regional accrediting agency that is responsible for providing accreditation to colleges and universities in its specific region. The agency is acknowledged by the U.S. Secretary of Education, and it accredits colleges and universities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The College of New Jersey Application Requirements
With an acceptance rate of 48 percent, The College of New Jersey is considered competitive. The undergraduate application process includes filling out an application, paying the $75 application fee, submitting high school transcripts, turning in SAT or ACT scores, providing two to three letters of recommendation, and writing an essay.
The application process for the Master of Public Health and the public health graduate certificate program consists of filling out an application form, paying the $75 application fee, turning in undergraduate college transcripts, submitting two recommendation letters, providing a resume or CV, and writing an essay.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate students who are New Jersey residents are required to pay $6,619.40 in tuition alone per semester, whereas undergraduate students who are not New Jersey residents are required to pay $12,608.52 for tuition alone each semester.
In-state graduate students can expect to pay $808.58 per credit hour, and out-of-state graduate students can expect to pay $1,248.14 per credit hour.
Annually, The College of New Jersey gives a scholarship to in-state and out-of-state high school graduates with excellent grades. The award amount per student can range from $2,000 to $10,000 each year. In addition, the school also has a loan program to help students pay for their education with no interest fees added. This is called the HELP loan, and students may receive one loan per semester.
Graduate students may receive financial assistance by pursuing an assistantship program. This involves working alongside a faculty member or staff performing duties such as teaching, research, clerical work, and more. Most students are placed into an assistantship that relates to their field of study. Students will be required to work 15 hours a week and will be awarded $5,000 each semester. Only individuals who are enrolled full-time and possess an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 will be considered for an assistantship. If chosen, it will last a maximum of two years.
For more information about public health programs, please visit the website of The College of New Jersey.