Public Health Degrees Offered at the University of New England
The University of New England appears in our ranking of the 10 Most Affordable MPH Online Degrees in the East.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines public health as organized measures designed to promote health, prevent disease, and prolong life among the population. Initiatives implemented in the field of public health strive to create conditions in which people can remain healthy while focusing on whole populations rather than on individual patients. The University of New England (UNE) offers three programs in public health: a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a graduate certificate.
Offered through the Westbrook College of Health Professions, the Bachelor of Science in Public Health at UNE includes coursework that expands on the five core areas of public health: biostatistics, epidemiology, social and behavioral health, environmental health, and health policy. UNE also offers students the flexibility to pursue a minor in areas such as political science, nutrition, geographic information systems, environmental studies, or health, law, and policy. Students attend classes through UNE’s Portland-based location, just minutes from several Maine’s leading clinics and hospitals. Throughout the program, students will develop the skills necessary to understand critical health issues faced by communities and identify possible solutions to address these issues. Benefitting from leading experts in the field, access to professional conferences, small class sizes, and one-on-one engagement with experienced faculty, students also learn how to work collaboratively with stakeholders and communicate difficult and often confusing concepts to diverse groups of people.
At the graduate level, UNE offers a 46-credit, online-only Master of Public Health Degree — the only CEPH-accredited online public health program of its kind in the state. Designed to enhance students’ skills in a variety of public health areas, the MPH program also prepares aspiring public health leaders with the skills and knowledge they need to promote the health of communities and individuals while preventing injury and disease. Coursework is available entirely online with no campus visits required, and areas of study include public health policy, program planning, leadership, law, global health, and financial management. Students may also explore other critical topics such as evaluation, ethics, epidemiology, communication, analysis, and advocacy. The curriculum involves instructor-led discussions, online lectures, and asynchronous assessments as well as preparation outside of the classroom, including writing papers, developing projects, and completing reading assignments. The program culminates in a practical experience in which students have the opportunity to apply what they have learned to a real-world setting and demonstrate teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Students may earn their degree in as few as 18 months.
About the University of New England
Based in coastal Biddeford, Maine, the University of New England is a private, coeducational institution of higher education that also operates campuses in Portland and Tangier, Morocco as well as online. The Biddeford campus includes the College of Osteopathic Medicine, which provides the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program, and the College of Arts and Sciences, which offers more than 30 undergraduate majors. Within its 540 acres, UNE houses the Marine Science Center, where students prepare to enter marine-focused careers; the Harold Alfond Center for the Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art, modern science education facility; and the Harold Alfond Forum, which includes a basketball arena, NHL-size hockey arena, and other top-notch athletics facilities. The Portland campus is home to the only College of Dental Medicine in the state as well as the College of Pharmacy and the Westbrook College of Health Professions, which confers graduate and undergraduate degree programs in several allied health fields. The 41-acre campus also includes the Maine Women Writers Collection, the UNE Art Gallery, and the Center for Global Humanities.
University of New England Accreditation Details
The University of New England is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition to earning regional accreditation, the undergraduate and graduate public health programs offered through the Westbrook College of Health Professions are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Accreditation is an important factor to consider when reviewing colleges as it indicates that the school has undergone and passed a rigorous peer-review process that examines its mission statement, quality of academics, faculty members, student learning outcomes, and more. Both prospective and current students may rest assured that the school is meeting or exceeding minimum standards of quality set forth by the accrediting agency.
University of New England Application Requirements
Incoming freshmen who wish to pursue a bachelor’s in public health degree must complete either a UNE application or the Common Application and pay a nonrefundable $40 application fee. Students must also submit official ACT or SAT test results as well as an official copy of their high school transcript. Graduates considering a master’s degree in public health are required to hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university or college and show evidence of a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average or better. Students must complete an online application, pay a $40 nonrefundable application fee, and compose statements regarding a public health issue in their communities as well as how a Master of Public Health degree will complement their current skillset and knowledge to help address the factors that contribute to that specific issue. Students must also discuss how they plan to manage the demands of daily life with the demands of an online graduate program. Supporting documents include a professional resume and/or curriculum vitae, an official transcript of all previously completed college-level coursework, and two letters of recommendation.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The tuition rate for a full-time undergraduate taking a course load of 12 to 18 hours per semester is $37,390. This figure is only for courses alone and does not include indirect fees or expenses such as those associated with room and board, books, transportation or travel, and personal needs. Students taking fewer than 12 credits per semester are charged $1,320 per credit hour. Graduate students pursuing the online Master of Public Health or the graduate certificate in public health can expect to pay a $55 general services fee, an $85 technology fee per semester, and $730 per credit hour in tuition costs. Both on-campus undergraduate students and online graduate students may complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine whether they are eligible to receive financial aid to help offset the cost of tuition. A financial aid package at UNE may consist of loans, grants, and/or scholarships.
Read more about the graduate public health program at the University of New England website.