Master of Public Health (Health Policy and Administration)

Master'sMPHMaster of Public Health

Overview

A 45-hour online MPH emphasizing health policy and administration, which can be completed in 15 months full-time. Students complete a 150-hour internship in an off-campus public health agency and comprehensive exams. The degree is CEPH accredited.

Official program name: Master of Public Health (Health Policy and Administration)
Awarded degree: Master of Public Health
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Degree level: Master's
University: University of Southern Mississippi
Administering location: Hattiesburg, MSWhere the university or its administering campus is located. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Subject: Public Health (MPH, BS)Health Care Management
Required credits: 45 total hours
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Duration: 15 months full-time (full-time schedule averaging 4-5 courses per semester, including summer)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Start terms: Fall, Spring
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Teaching language: English (not separately stated)

Why this program is listed

Online MPH with a required internship in an off-campus public health agency.

Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

We list online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from institutionally accredited US universities. Eligibility rules

Online format and attendance

“Online” is not one format. Delivery, campus visits, practical placements and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the university states it.

Academic delivery: Online coursework + local placementCoursework is online; a clinical placement, practicum, internship, fieldwork or student teaching is completed in person, usually near the student.
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Campus visits: Campus visits: not verified
Practical placement: Practical placement required
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Class schedule: Not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

In-person and practical requirements as published

Internship Required
Approved internship of three credit hours / 150 fieldwork hours in an off-campus public health agency, during the last semester
Off-campus public health agency
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Curriculum

Other

Comprehensive examinations, usually over two days in the last semester
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Prior degree: RequiredCompleted undergraduate degree
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 2.75 — Minimum GPA 2.75 on the last 60 hours of coursework
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredStatement of purpose
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of reference
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Résumé / CV: RequiredResume
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test: Not required
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
TOEFL iBT: Required — minimum 79International applicants (iBT)
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadline
August 1 · for Fall
The university does not print a year with this date.
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Year not printed
Application deadline
December 15 · for Spring
The university does not print a year with this date.
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
In-state — Graduate MS Resident, per hourFrom the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level	$594	per credit · 2026-2027Estimated tuition$26,730 = 45 credits × $594 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Other published fees

Online Delivery Fee: $30 per creditMandatory
Source: usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Scholarships and financial aid

Awards published by the university for this program or for online students at this level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; financial aid availability does not make a program “fully funded”. Scholarships & funding guide

Online Student Scholarship Institutional scholarship
$500 towards the first semester
Eligibility: First-time, fully online students
How to apply: Students must be admitted to Southern Miss to apply.
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Out-of-state tuition waiver for fully online programs Tuition discount
Out-of-state tuition waived
Eligibility: Students in fully online programs
Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Institution-wide awards are listed because they cover online students at this level; eligibility conditions apply.

Accreditation, authorization and licensure

Three separate questions: is the university accredited, can it enroll students from your state online, and does the program meet licensure requirements where you live?

Institutional accreditation

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

Council on Education for Public Health — Accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

State authorization

USM is a SARA participating institution (since 3/31/16) and is authorized to offer distance education in NC-SARA states; all states participate except California. Official pageSource: usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

International applicants

The online unit provides admission information for fully online international students, including English proficiency requirements.Source: online.usm.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 10, 2026.

online.usm.edu/graduate/master-public-health/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
online.usm.edu/pricing/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
online.usm.edu/undergrad/business-administration-bs/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
usm.edu/business-services/general-tuition-fees.php — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 10, 2026
usm.edu/online-learning/sara-1.php — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026

Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this university? Claim the profile

Key facts

Online format
Online coursework + local placement
In-person requirements
Practical placement required
Subject
Public Health (MPH, BS) · Health Care Management
Length
15 months full-time (full-time schedule averaging 4-5 courses per semester, including summer) · 45 total hours
Tuition
$594 per creditIn-state — Graduate MS Resident, per hour, 2026-2027
Next deadline
No upcoming verified date
Administering location
Hattiesburg, MS

Check state authorization for your state before applying. Details

Official program page How to apply

Also at University of Southern Mississippi

Similar programs at other universities

Same degree level and subject group. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

UNC Gillings Online Master of Public Health

Master'sMPHMaster of Public Health

Public Health (MPH, BS) · Epidemiology

Chapel Hill, NCUniversity location, not a residency requirement

Online coursework + local placement · Synchronous (live sessions) · Full-time, Part-time

Practical placement required

24–36 months for most students (part-time); in as few as 24 months full-time; 60 months maximum (part-time pace for most students) · 42 credits

Tuition: $1,735 per credit · All online students · 2026-2027

October 20, 2026 · January 2027

View program

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Master of Public Health (MPH) Online

Master'sMPHMaster of Public Health

Public Health (MPH, BS) · Epidemiology

Champaign, ILUniversity location, not a residency requirement

Fully online

In-person requirements not verified

Duration not verified · 48 credits

Tuition: $575 per credit · All online students — Per credit hour (Illinois Online program cost table)

No upcoming verified deadline

View program

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Online MPH in Public Health Practice

Master'sMPHMaster of Public Health

Public Health (MPH, BS)

Amherst, MAUniversity location, not a residency requirement

Fully online · Asynchronous · Part-time

In-person requirements not verified

2.5-3 years (part time) (Part-time study) · 42 credits

Tuition: $675 per credit · All online students — SPHHS online graduate courses, as of Fall 2025

October 15, 2026 · Spring 2027

View program

Online Universities is independent and not affiliated with University of Southern Mississippi. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the university.