Three Universities offer public health degrees in Alabama: Tuskegee University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), School of Public Health is the only school of public health in Alabama accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). In addition, due to the reputation of the school, numerous degree offerings, and online availability options, UAB is clearly the best choice for students pursuing a degree in public health in Alabama.
| University Name | Bachelor’s Degree? | Master’s Degree? | Doctoral Degree? | Certificate Programs? | CEPH Accredited? |
| Tuskegee University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Graduate Public Health | No | MPH and MSPH | No | No | Seeking accreditation |
| The University of Alabama, College of Human Environmental Sciences, Department of Health Science | No | MPH, MA in Health Studies | PhD | No | Seeking accreditation |
| The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health | BSPH | MPH, MS, MSPH | PhD, DrPH | Yes | Yes |
Two Master of Public Health Degrees Are Offered by The Tuskegee University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Graduate Public Health
The Tuskegee University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Graduate Public Health in Tuskegee, Alabama offers two master’s of public health degrees.
Tuskegee University is a private, historically black land-grant university. The campus was designated as the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site by the U.S. National Park Service in 1965. The site includes Booker T. Washington’s home and gravesite, the grave of George Washington Carver, and the George Washington Carver Museum.
The first cohort of the Department of Graduate Public Health was enrolled in August 2011. The Department offers “opportunities to students who desire to pursue a traditional public health career and/or enhance their translational research capacity.”
The vision of the Department is “to address health inequities and protect, promote and sustain the public’s health. Its mission is “to prepare the next generation of diverse leadership through research, innovation, advocacy and community engagement.”
The DGPH currently operates two hallmark programs that focus its activities on the DGPH mission, vision, and core values. The Graduate Public Health Program (GPHP), accepted its first cohort in August 2011 entrusted with the rights, privileges to offer the Master of Public Health (MPH) and the Master of Science in Public Health (MPH) degrees.
Tuskeegee University. (n.d.). Department of Graduate Public Health. https://www.tuskegee.edu/programs-courses/colleges-schools/cvm/cvm-department-of-graduate-public-health.
The two master’s degrees offered by the Department are both generalist degrees. Students can choose between a traditional Master of Public Health (MPH) or a Master of Science in public health (MSPH).
The Department does not offer a public health undergraduate or doctorate degree.
The Graduate Public Health Program is not currently accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), however, it is in the process of seeking accreditation.
The University of Alabama, College of Human Environmental Sciences, Department of Health Science
The University of Alabama, College of Human Environmental Sciences, Department of Health Science has an undergraduate program in public health. Located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the program “is designed for students interested in public health education and/or other health professions and offers two concentrations: 1) health education and health promotion and 2) health professions.” The health education and health promotion concentration is for students seeking a career in health education settings. The health professions concentration is aimed at students “students interested in graduate study in physical therapy or medicine, as well as other allied health and public health professions.”
The University offers several graduate degrees.
The Graduate Program in Health Studies at the University of Alabama is committed to providing a high quality, student-oriented program to students with the skills to design, implement and evaluate health education and health promotion programs. The graduate programs are theory-driven and are based on related research findings.
University of Alabama, College of Human Environmental Sciences. (n.d.). Graduate Programs. http://www.health.ches.ua.edu/graduate-programs.html.
Integral in the professional preparation program at the graduate level is the commitment to [e]nsure that students can design, implement and evaluate program application to meet the Health Objectives for the Nation for the Year 2010, and that students meet all criteria to be a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). These goals are met through didactic course instruction and mentoring of student progress.
Three graduate degrees are offered in health science:
- Master of Public Health in Health Education & Promotion
- Master of Arts in Health Studies
- Doctor of Philosophy in Health Education and Promotion
The MPH degree in Health Education and Promotion is offered both on-campus and through an online distance education format. The degree curriculum provides foundations in the core areas of public health (health behavior, environmental health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and health services administration). It is tailored to train students about programs promoting individual and population-based health.
The Master of Arts in Health Studies degree option is also focused on health promotion. This degree option is offered completely online and is designed for disciplined adults currently working in health professions.
The PhD program in Health Education and Promotion “is designed to provide students with coursework and practical experiences needed to become leading faculty, researchers, and practitioners in health education and health promotion.”
The University of Alabama, College of Human Environmental Sciences is not currently accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). However, it is in the process of seeking accreditation.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), School of Public Health is the only school of public health in Alabama accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). In addition, due to the reputation of the school, numerous degree offerings, and availability options, UAB is clearly the best choice for students pursuing a degree in public health in Alabama.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health is one of the best educational values in the southeast. Our CEPH-accredited public health program is ranked 19th nationally by U.S. News & World Report. The UAB School of Public Health also received the 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. Factor in affordable tuition, competitive scholarships, and the low cost of living in the Birmingham area and you have benefits-per-dollar unrivaled by most state and private universities.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), School of Public Health. (n.d.). About. https://www.uab.edu/soph/home/about.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is located in the diverse city of Birmingham, Alabama. Widely recognized as a “foodie” city, the city has a thriving art scene, a revitalized downtown area, and much more.
Undergraduate Degrees
UAB offers a bachelor of science degree with a choice of concentrations in public health, environmental health sciences, and global health studies. Also offered is the option of pursuing a minor in public health to augment other major degree programs.
Masters Level
UAB offers three different masters degrees: a masters of public health (MPH), a masters of science (MS), and a masters of science in public health (MSPH). The MPH focuses on “developing practice-based skills to critically examine and address the breadth of public health challenges.” The MPH core has been redesigned based on the Evidence-Based Public Health Model.
The MS degree is provided through the Department of Biostatistics. “The objective is to produce research-oriented scientists who anticipate a career performing data management and statistical analysis.”
Whereas the MPH degree is practice-based, the MSPH degree prepares students for careers in research. The degree is best suited for students intending on conducting rigorous scientific studies or those intending on continuing on to pursue a doctoral degree.
Concentrations available for the masters degrees include biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health behavior, health care organization and policy, and population health.
Doctoral Degrees
UAB School of Public Health offers a PhD and a DrPH. The PhD emphasizes scientific research and provides a balance between theory and application. The DrPH degree in public health focuses on public health practice. This degree route is best for students who “plan to become leaders in the field of public health.”
Concentrations available for the doctoral degrees include biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health behavior, and health care organization and policy.
Dual Degree Programs
UAB allows for coordinated degree programs that allow students to combine training in their chosen field with an MPH concentration in population health. Since a “portion of the coursework in the coordinated degree programs is shared between the two degrees, students are able to complete both degrees more quickly and at a reduced cost.” For example, students in medicine, law, business, and social work can pursue a dual degree with an MPH in population health.
Online Availability
The UAB School of Public Health has many degree programs that are available on campus and completely online.
Consistently ranked as some of the best online public health programs in the nation, our online offerings are carefully designed using best practices in online education to provide an exceptional educational experience. All courses are asynchronous, meaning students can view course content, work on assignments, and coordinate team-based work at times convenient for their schedules.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham. (March 2021). Working for a Healthier World. https://www.uab.edu/soph/home/images/documents/about/soph-brochure.pdf.
Certificate Programs
UAB also two certificate programs. The Public Health certificate is a 17 hour course designed for individuals wanting to explore the field of public health. The certificate is structured around the MPH core.
The Global Health Studies certificate allows students to gain knowledge about global processes such as globalization, climate change, and global migration. Impacts on population health and health care delivery are explored.
Research
The UAB School of Public Health is a leader in public health research. It currently has earned over $37 million in research funding. Approximately $18 million of that funding is from the National Institutes of Health. The School ranks #15 in research funding from NIH among schools of public health.
The School has research centers focusing on the following areas: community health, occupational health and safety, hypertension, health policy, and global health.
Accreditation
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), School of Public Health is the only school of public health in Alabama accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
To become accredited, a public health school, program, or standalone baccalaureate degree program must undergo a rigorous evaluation. CEPH accreditation standards establish minimum levels of educational quality and provide assurances that students will be educated in a manner consistent with the best standards in public health education.
To maintain accreditation, schools must complete the re-accreditation process every seven years. The UAB School of Public Health was initially accredited in 1978. It wIll undergo its next re-accreditation process in 2023.
For more information about the CEPH accreditation process and to understand the importance of accreditation when choosing a public health program, click here.