Diverse Public Health Degrees Available at UNMC
University of Nebraska Medical Center appears in our ranking of the 10 Best MPH Degrees in the Midwest.
At Harold & Beverly Maurer Center, the College of Public Health led by Dr. Ali Khan grants a 42-credit, CEPH-accredited Master of Public Health for hybrid online Biostatistics, Maternal & Child Health, Health Promotion, Epidemiology, Environmental & Occupational Health, and Public Policy tracks with 210 fieldwork hours. Chaired by Dr. Sharon Medcalf, the 36-credit MS in Emergency Preparedness offers practice-based and academic-based options online via Canvas with Center for Biosecurity & Biopreparedness thesis research for disaster health careers. Since Fall 2017, the University of Nebraska Medical Center has awarded a 57-credit, 24-month Master of Health Administration under Dr. Li-Wu Chen with 500-level courses like Health Economics and 15-week internships.
Ranked 101st by the ARWU, the University of Nebraska Medical Center presents a 60-credit, four-year PhD in Biostatistics directed by Dr. Gleb Haynatzki that blends rigorous 900-level seminars like Nonlinear Regression Analysis with dissertations in the Center for Research Design. Headed by Dr. Deborah Levy, the PhD in Epidemiology follows a 48-credit path where graduates can engage in the Rural Health Education Network, intern at Methodist Hospital, pledge Delta Omega, and earn paid teaching assistantships. The PhD in Health Promotion & Disease Prevention spans a 90-credit, five-year curriculum advised by Dr. Melissa Tibbits with public health courses, qualifying exams, and dissertations at top institutes like the Agricultural Safety Center. Additional opportunities are the PhD in Environmental Health, PhD in Health Administration & Policy, Dual MD/MPH, and Dual MPH/PharmD.
About the University of Nebraska Medical Center
The University of Nebraska Medical Center originated in 1880 when Omaha Medical College started the state’s first MD program for rural health practitioners. In 1902, the University of Nebraska System founded on February 15, 1869, acquired it for public medical education. In 1903, it established the earliest dentistry degree. Five years later, the College of Pharmacy blossomed for PharmD achievement. By 1942, the Graduate College was formed for other allied health master’s and doctorates. In 1968, the teaching hospital and college joined to become the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Three decades later, it purchased Clarkson Hospital for a Nebraska Medicine satellite. In 2011, the College of Public Health built its 52,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art building. In June 2013, the Stanley M. Truhlsen Eye Institute was dedicated to the premier ophthalmologist. The Buffett Cancer Center also debuted in Summer 2017.
Budgeting $732.7 million yearly, the University of Nebraska Medical Center now employs 8,000 staff teaching 3,970 students from 47 countries and handling 426,923 patient visits at its 809-bed hospital in Omaha, Forbes’ 44th best city. In 2003, UNMC won the first of 13 National Consumer Choice Awards. In 2018, UNMC won the National Safety Council Award for Nebraska’s Safest Companies. The University of Nebraska Medical Center received the 2017 Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval too. The U.S. News & World Report ranked UNMC 56th for public health, eighth for medicine, and 25th for pharmacy programs. On Niche, UNMC boasts America’s 140th most conservative students and 182nd best college location. Times Higher Education placed Nebraska Medical Center among its top 500 globally. The Center for World University Rankings crowned UNMC the 134th best college. The Institute of International Education named UNMC 19th.
University of Nebraska Medical Center Accreditation Details
On March 2, 2017, the University of Nebraska Medical Center received formal notification from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) that extended the Level VI accreditation status through 2026-27 under Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, who earned the Medical Mission Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Located 470 miles east via Interstate 80 in Chicago, Illinois, this gigantic 19-state Great Plains Region accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Education Department to review UNMC’s five baccalaureate, 10 master’s, seven doctoral, and 28 certificate offerings. Particularly, the College of Public Health was reaffirmed by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) on October 15, 2011. The College of Medicine is approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) through 2022. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has also accredited UNMC since October 11, 1959.
University of Nebraska Medical Center Application Requirements
Admission to UNMC’s College of Public Health is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because only 47 of the 84 Fall 2017 applicants were selected for 56 percent acceptance. Post-grad Cornhuskers must have culminated 120+ credits for a regionally accredited bachelor’s degree. Previous coursework must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or better. Combined Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores must total at least 300. Minimum GMAT marks of 500 often qualify. Dual MD/MPH cohorts achieve an average MCAT score of 511. Testing waivers are available for students with GPAs above 3.5 or three years of relevant experience. Same goes for UNMC Public Health Certificate grads with 3.25 GPAs or better. Foreign learners still need minimum 550 TOEFL pBT or 7.0 IELTS scores for English fluency though. The PhD in Epidemiology is the only doctorate requiring a MPH/MS degree first.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center has admits Fall MHA cohorts until June 1st. The Master of Public Health has April 1st international and June 1st domestic deadlines. MS in Emergency Preparedness entrants apply until June 1st or October 1st. PhD in Biostatistics candidates must file by April 1st. The PhD in Epidemiology closes on January 31st each year. The College of Public Health has a January 1st priority date for HSRA doctoral students. Accordingly, complete the SOPHAS Application online with a $70 non-refundable fee. Forward official transcripts to 984359 Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE 68198. For testing results, select GRE code 0695 or GMAT code 7WQ-1C-98. Finish supplemental steps like the two-page personal statement, updated résumé or CV, exam waiver, three recommendations, and English proficiency verification. Contact (402) 552-9867 or coph@unmc.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2018-19, the University of Nebraska Medical Center charged in-state MPH students $436 per credit. Non-resident master’s tuition was $1,061 per credit. The College of Public Health priced online courses at $580 per credit for everyone. Doctoral-level Nebraska natives were billed $333 per credit. Out-of-state PhD cohorts spent $925 per credit. Student health insurance premiums were $1,731 per semester unless waived. Post-grads covered the $25 distance education fee, $6.25 library fee, and $50 laboratory fee. Technology fees were $200 each term. Living at the Omaha campus’ housing like Dewey Apartments required $345 to $1,050 for monthly rent.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office on 42nd & Emile connects 68 percent of full-time UNMC Cornhuskers to tuition assistance averaging $8,113 each for $4.81 million combined. Public health funds include the Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship, Chancellor Robert Sparks MD Scholarship, Carruth Wagner MD Scholarship, Patte Martin Scholarship, Public Health Workforce Expansion Scholarship, Alice Friedlander Scholarship, Susan Thompson Buffett Scholarship, and Davis-Chambers Scholarship. The Collegebound Nebraska Program covers full tuition for students with minimum 2.5 GPAs and maximum family income of $53,000. The Pre-Professional Student Scholarship in Health Promotion gifts $1,000 annually to MPH and PhD majors focused on disease prevention. Filing FAFSA applications coded 006895 unlocks federal resources, including Graduate Plus Loans. The Department of Health & Human Services pays up to $30,000 each year for the Nebraska Loan Repayment.
Keep reading about the University of Nebraska Medical Center at the College of Public Health website.