Public Health Degree Programs at the University of Utah
University of Utah appears in our ranking of the 10 Best MPH Degrees in the West.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects positions in public health management to grow by 20 percent over the next ten years, much faster than other career fields. In 2017, the average salary for a public health manager was $99,730. As part of their position, they plan, direct and coordinate health services, either while managing an entire facility or working with a specialty group of healthcare providers. Healthcare managers normally need at least a bachelor’s degree or higher to obtain a position in the field. The University of Utah offers several degree programs that are designed to prepare graduates for careers in health management.
The University of Utah offers an undergraduate degree in Health, Society, and Policy that addresses human health at many levels. The program provides an understanding of health factors beyond pathogens or illness including lifestyle, environment, socioeconomic status, culture, communication and lack of compliance with medical instruction. Students are provided instruction in how geographic location, literacy, and other factors can impact health. Students gain an understanding of epidemiology, behavioral science, research methods, administration, philosophy, and history. The program includes a series of interdisciplinary seminars on a particular theme related to health, society, and policy.
The Health Promotion and Education undergraduate degree is designed for those who wish to help individuals and communities improve health. Students discover, refine and facilitate the practical strategies that promote the adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyles. The program follows the Certified Health Education Specialist competencies. Students are taught how to write grants, organize communities for action and develop health education and information that can be used to provide information to individuals, groups, and communities. The program includes instruction in stress management, death and dying, chronic diseases as well as human sexuality, prevention practices, and medical terminology. Students can concentrate their studies in Community Health, Consumer Health, Emergency Medical Services, and Nuclear Medicine Technology.
About University of Utah
The University of Utah began as the University of Deseret in 1850. Brigham Young knew that there was a need for a school to educate teachers not long after the Mormons arrived in Utah. He had hoped to create a school that would train young men for those positions. Because there was very little funding, the Board of Regents assigned to create the school could not build anything so they chose to erect a wall around the area where the university would exist.
Plans were to build what they called the 13th Ward Schoolhouse but they grew impatient. A local resident allowed them to open the University of Deseret at her home and Dr. Cyrus Collins was the only teacher. The school only admitted men initially. Not long after the school opened, they moved to the Council House on the corner of Main and South Temple. Women were admitted and the school hired a second teacher. The schoolhouse was built in 1851 and the campus relocated to that location. However, in 1852, crop failures due to drought led to a drop in enrollment as people focused more on survival than higher education. That same year, the legislature withdrew a $5,000 grant as it believed the school was self-sustainable.
The arrival of the railroad in the 1860s boosted the economy and non-Mormons began to arrive in the territory. This led to an increase in the need for higher education and the University of Deseret opened again in the Council House. In 1892, the legislature changed the name of the school to the University of Utah. In 1894, Congress deeded 60 acres of Fort Doublas Land and a new campus was built at the new location. The first students attended the new campus in 1900. Today, almost 32,000 students attend the University of Utah,
University of Utah Accreditation Details
The Northwest Commission on Colleges Commission on Colleges and Universities accredits the University of Utah and has since 1933. Accreditation indicates that the university meets standards that indicate educational quality and effectiveness. Accreditation also indicates that the university accomplishes objectives and is organized to promote success in their students. Programs in the university are also accredited by the following industry organizations or associations:
- ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission
- Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
- Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
- Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
- Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant
- American Bar Association
- American Board of Genetic Counseling
- American Chemical Society
- American College of Nurse-Midwives
- American Physical Therapy Association
- American Psychological Association
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Commission on Dental Accreditation
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
- Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation
- Council on Academic Accreditation
- Council on Education for Public Health
- Council on Social Work Education
- Keck Graduate Institute
- Liaison Committee on Medical Education
- National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
- National Architectural Accreditation Board
- National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
- National Schools of Dance
- National Association of Music
- NRPA’s Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions
- Planning Accreditation Board
University of Utah Application Requirements
Applicants who have not earned college credit after high school graduation enter the University of Utah as a freshman. They must provide official high school transcripts along with official SAT or ACT scores.
Applicants who have earned 30 or more credits after high school graduation are considered transfers into the University of Utah. They must provide official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 2.6 or higher although students with a GPA of 2.35 or higher may be admitted if they have earned an associate’s degree.
Graduate applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants must provide official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended and must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
The University of Utah Tuition and Financial Aid
Full-time undergraduate tuition at the University of Utah is $1,230.04 per credit hour for freshmen and sophomores. For juniors and seniors, tuition is $1,239.91 per credit hour. Graduate tuition varies depending on which program the student plans to enter.
Financial aid is available through the University of Utah. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify. Scholarships and grants may be offered which do not need to be repaid after graduation. Students who attend on-campus may be offered work-study programs. Graduate students who attend on-campus may be offered assistantships or fellowships. Both undergraduate and graduate students may be provided student loans, but it is important to remember loans must be repaid after graduation.
The University of Utah ranks among the top 100 universities in the world and is one of the best in the nation at creating startup companies, indicating that the school encourages innovation and industrious thinking.