Department of Population and Public Health Sciences
The Department of Population & Public Health Sciences is a leader in public health education and research. The department is home to the first Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program in southwest Ohio and two nationally recognized research centers. Last year, our faculty conducted approximately 3 million dollars in substance use research and program evaluation.
We leverage our alumni network, public health partners, and research centers to provide graduate students a unique hands-on educational experience. Graduates of our programs go on to become leaders in medicine, public health, health care, insurance, and non-profit agencies - building the public health workforce for our region.
Educational Programs
DPPHS faculty provide consultation and collaborate with other Boonshoft School of Medicine and university departments in the areas of education and service. Many of the DPPHS faculty are course directors for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses and electives within the department’s educational programs. The department also administers the Health Care Management Concentration in conjunction with the Raj Soin College of Business as part of its Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree.
Master of Public Health Program
The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) program is a nationally accredited program from the Council on Education for Public Health, providing flexible classes from diverse faculty and in collaboration with local public health leaders to prepare you with specialized skills like epidemiology and public health leadership. The M.P.H. program is located in the DPPHS Education Center. The program director of the M.P.H. program is Sara Paton, Ph.D., CPH.
Physician Leadership Development Program
The Physician Leadership Development Program (PLDP) provides an opportunity for Boonshoft School of Medicine medical students to obtain either and an M.P.H. or M.B.A. degree in addition to their M.D. degree in an innovative five-year program that emphasizes leadership training and experiences. The program director of the PLDP is Nicole Turkson, M.D., M.P.H.
Graduate Certificate Programs
The department offers four certificate programs through the Wright State University Graduate School: Aerospace Medicine, Epidemiology, Health Care Management, and Public Health Leadership The completion of a certificate is noted on your transcript and it is a great way to show future employers you have acquired skills in a specialized area. Courses completed as part of a certificate can be applied toward the Master of Public Health degree.
Undergraduate Public Health
The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences is invested in undergraduate education at Wright State University. The newly updated Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs are interdisciplinary, student-centered, and focus on workforce skill development. With collaboration between the College of Science and Math and the College of Liberal Arts, students complete coursework in public health foundations, communication and analytical skills, and public policy. In addition, collaborations with local public health agencies and healthcare organizations provide students with numerous opportunities to engage with local public health professionals. All students complete a capstone project that demonstrates the culmination of career-focused skills. Qualified capstones can include internships, student cohort service-learning projects, senior seminars, or research projects.
Students from a wide variety of majors will find the Public Health minor attractive as it provides them with a basic understanding of each of the core areas of public health, introduces students to career opportunities and prepares students for admission to graduate programs in public health and other health-related programs. Students are able to select from a diverse offering of public health foundation courses, offered both online and in the classroom.
Non-Public Health students can choose a general education course, Introduction to Public Health (PPH 1080), Global Health (PPH 2000), Climate Change & Health (PPH 2100), and Humans & Machines at Extremes (ASM 1717) which are all offered online. Other public health courses include Disease Detectives (PPH 2200), Community Health Improvement (PPH 3300), Behavior Change Interventions (PPH 4100), Environmental Health (PPH 4310), Epidemiology & Community Health (PPH 4770), and the Public Health Capstone/Internship (PPH 4980). The Global Health course received the 2015 Innovative Curriculum Award from Delta Omega, the national honor society for public health scholarship and can be applied towards the minor in public health offered by the College of Science and Mathematics Pre-Health Program at Wright State University. ASM 1717, PPH 2000, and PPH 2100 are electives within the Wright State Core for general education curriculum - the PPH 2000 and 2100 courses are under Element 3: Global Traditions, and the ASM course is under Element 6: Natural Science. PPH 2200 is an Integrated Writing course.
Research
The Center for Interventions, Treatment, and Addiction Research (CITAR) and the Substance Abuse Resources and Disabilities Issues (SARDI) are housed within this department. CITAR represents the focal point for substance abuse related services, academic research, and services research. The SARDI program conducts collaborative and participatory research, seeking to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities, including those who are concurrently affected by behavioral health issues.
Our Vision
A community of population health leaders that promotes and protects health for all
Our Mission
Provide interdisciplinary education, research, and service, through leadership and community collaborations
Our Values
- Student-Centered: The central focus of our program is our students and their future as public health professionals.
- Community Engagement: We believe that preparation of students is achieved through an academic-public health practice partnership in which students, faculty and practitioners interact in a life-long cycle of learning and service.
- Integration: The health of populations is best served when medicine is integrated with public health programs and policies.
- Leadership: We strive to be recognized as the leader of public health initiatives across the university and southwest Ohio.
- Research and Scholarship: We strive to make meaningful public health discoveries and believe that students engaged in the pursuit of discovery will continue to pursue their own research.
- Equity: We believe that to create communities where all members thrive, all members of society need to be represented and their differences considered.
