Community Health

MPH in Community Health – 100% asynchronous distance education course format

The MPH in Community Health is offered as 100% distance education in an asynchronous format, providing flexibility for working professionals and students balancing commitments. Students also have the option to take the core courses of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in person. The curriculum aligns with Eight Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists determined by a US-based practice analysis study conducted by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) and is regularly updated to reflect current trends and best practices.

This concentration prepares students to lead impactful community health initiatives by developing skills in needs and capacity assessment, program planning and implementation, grant writing and administration, and program evaluation. With a focus on addressing the social determinants of health, the concentration coursework also covers health communication, advocacy, and global health promotion. Students learn to engage across populations, build partnerships, and apply evidence-based strategies to improve health and wellness at local, state, national, and global levels. 

Graduates are equipped for careers in governmental health and human services agencies, nonprofit and community-based organizations, healthcare systems and centers, health maintenance organizations, worksite settings, pharmaceutical companies, professional associations, and academic research centers. Additionally, students in this concentration may choose to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam to enhance their credentials and career opportunities. 

 

Further Information

Learning Objectives / Concentration Competencies

Upon graduation, a student with an MPH in Community Health should be able to:

  1. Generate a report on community health vulnerabilities and assets using spatial and non-spatial data.
  2.  Develop a grant proposal to fund an equity-focused health promotion initiative.
  3. Design a participatory evaluation of a community-based health initiative.
  4. Analyze the implementation of a social media campaign to promote health equity.
  5. Apply a global perspective to design a community health initiative.
  6. Utilize technologies to develop strategies for planning and implementing community health programs.

Advising Sheets

This advising sheet contains updated core and concentration course rotations and formats starting Fall 2025. Please note that the course requirements remain unchanged.

Post-MPH Career Opportunities

Many of the skills gained through the Master of Public Health are transferable across a wide range of career paths. Here are some of the positions our MPH-Community Health graduates have accepted:

 

  • Assistant Director for Wellness Promotion/Coordinator of Student Wellness & Prevention/Director of Student Health Promotion
  • Association Director of Wellness
  • Business Owner/Lead Consultant
  • Clinical Research Associate
  • Community Health Specialist/Community Wellness Program Manager
  • COVID-19 Outbreak Surveillance Investigator
  • Data Analyst/ Public Health Analyst
  • Director of Program Impact
  • Disease Investigation Specialist/Public Health Investigator
  • Doctoral Student (PhD or DrPH) or Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  • Education Program Associate
  • Epidemiology Program Specialist/Epidemiology Research Associate
  • Executive Director
  • External Affairs Manager
  • Grants Project Manager/Director of Grants Development
  • Health Educator/Public Health Educator
  • IRB Education Specialist
  • Manager of Health Promotion/Manager of Complex Care
  • Operations & Communications Associate
  • Population Health Program Specialist/Project Coordinator
  • Prevention Specialist
  • Regional Director of Accreditation and Licensure
  • Research Associate/Senior Researcher/Study Manager
  • University Public Health Instructor/Adjunct Faculty

 

Our graduates can be found in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Here are some of the organizations where you’ll find WCU MPH alumni:

 

  • Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • American Cancer Society
  • American Lung Association
  • AstraZeneca Health Care Foundation
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Chester County Department of Health
  • Chester County Hospital
  • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • ChristianaCare Health Care
  • District of Columbia Department on Disability Services
  • Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems
  • Independence Blue Cross
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Maternal & Child Health Consortium of Chester County, Inc.
  • Merck
  • Montgomery County Office of Drug & Alcohol
  • National Board of Medical Examiners
  • National Council for Mental Wellbeing
  • Pennsylvania Department of Health
  • Penn State University Center for Childhood Obesity Research
  • Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations
  • Philadelphia Department of Public Health
  • Pottstown Hospital - Tower Health
  • Luke's University Health Network
  • Temple University Health System
  • The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals
  • United Way
  • Universal Health Services, Inc.
  • S. Department of Veteran Affairs
  • Valley Health Partners Community Health Center
  • Wellspan Health
  • Westside Family Healthcare
  • YMCA of Greater Brandywine

 

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