6 Best MPH Programs in Philadelphia – 2025
Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org
Wondering whether it’s too late to embark on a career as a public health professional? With a Master’s Degree in Public Health, you can become a health policy analyst, a community health activist, a health educator, or an epidemiologist. Many MPH programs in Philadelphia are offered in an online format that enables you to pursue professional development while keeping up with your family and job responsibilities. And public health professionals make good money, too: Their average salary in Philadelphia is $122,640. This is the right moment to make your dream come true! Get started by evaluating the 6 best MPH programs in Philadelphia for 2025.
RECOMMENDED ONLINE MPH PROGRAMS
FOLLOWING ARE THE 6 BEST MPH PROGRAMS IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA FOR 2025
(Based on our Ranking Methodology, we have ranked the 6 best campus-based and online MPH programs in Philadelphia.)
Programs Offered: MPH (On Campus & Online MPH), BS/MPH, and Executive MPH (online/on-campus hybrid)
On-Campus MPH Specializations Offered: Community Health & Prevention, Environmental & Occupational Health, Epidemiology, and Health Management & Policy
Online MPH Specializations Offered: Epidemiology, Global Health, & Urban Health
If graduating from one of the best MPH programs in Philadelphia is high on your priority list, then you should be checking out the MPH program offered by Drexel University. This public health school, committed to improving the health of people in the state is ranked #1 in Philadelphia by the U.S. News & World Report. Its graduates play a key role in creating healthier cities, reducing health disparities, and promoting health. Emphasis on critical thinking, research, scholarship, and education makes this school a rather sought-after place to secure a degree in public health. To suit individual needs the college offers its MPH program in three formats, online, on-campus, an executive MPH, and a dual degree that offers both, a BS and an MPH.
Drexel offers its regular MPH program to students who have completed a baccalaureate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0. If you prefer to study face-to-face, you have four tracks to choose from, Community Health & Prevention, Environmental & Occupational Health, Epidemiology, and Health Management & Policy. Conversely, if you prefer to study through the distance format you can choose from either Epidemiology, Global Health, or Urban Health competencies. If you enroll in this regular MPH program, regardless of the concentration you choose, you must complete 56 credits comprising core, specialty-specific and elective courses.
On the other hand, if you have still not completed your undergraduate education, you can consider the BS/MPH dual degree that offers you the advantage of taking MPH courses during your undergraduate senior year. This way you can complete the otherwise 6-year coursework in the 4+1 format, saving one year of study. For this dual degree, credit requirements go up considerably, entailing earning a total of 237, out of which 56 are in MPH courses. You can pursue this program in any concentrations of your choice.
For those who are already at the mid-level of your career, are an ideal candidate for the 56-credit Executive MPH which can be pursued either online, on-campus, or in the hybrid format.
Programs Offered: MPH
Specializations Offered: Generalist, Global Health, and Environmental Health
An MPH degree from the University of Pennsylvania can prepare you for leadership in public health by integrating research, education, and service. The university’s public health center that offers this MPH program has been in the reckoning since 2007. It emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and brings together expertise from other disciplines across the Penn campus, including the nursing school, veterinary medicine, school of business, dental medicine, and social policy & practice. Here, you will experience learning not only through rigorous didactic courses but also by undergoing extensive experiential learning opportunities at the center’s several community partners. Furthermore, a ratio of just 5:1 during the capstone projects makes way for effective mentorship under its experienced faculty. You can pursue the MPH degree either as a generalist track or in an area of emphasis, including that of Global Health or Environmental Health.
Whether you enroll in the generalist track, Global Health or Environmental Health, the coursework builds upon core courses which are common for all three tracks. The common coursework which comprises 9 courses educates you in biostatistics, principles & methods of epidemiology, environmental & occupational health, methods for public health practice, and public health law & ethics.
The generalist track requires you to complete 5 elective courses from a broad range of topics. This way you can either focus on one area of emphasis or gain a wider knowledge by choosing varied topics. On the other hand, global health and environmental health tracks offer focused courses specific to the chosen concentration. Additionally, you must also complete two elective courses from a broad range of course options.
All the three tracks of this MPH program in Philadelphia culminate with a capstone experience, individualized to match your interests and goals.
Programs Offered: MPH (On-Campus & Online) and Accelerated 4+1
On-Campus MPH Specializations Offered: Applied Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Health Policy & Management, and Social & Behavioral Sciences
Online MPH Specializations Offered: Epidemiology, Health Policy & Management, and Social & Behavioral Sciences
If you keen on a fulfilling career in public health, you can consider enrolling in Temple University’s MPH or dual degree of a BS/MPH. Known among the prestigious master of public health schools in Philadelphia, here whether you enter as a fresh graduate or working professional, you will graduate as a public health leader who can influence health promotion, disease prevention, nutrition, and environmental health. The school’s commitment towards better public health reflects in its broad research portfolio which includes varying topics such as cancer, family welfare, autism, health disparities, and HIV/AIDS, to name a few. This conducive environment of discovery not only opens up doors of learning but also provides for meaningful practicum opportunities where you engage in community welfare.
Admission into the regular MPH program requires you to have completed your undergraduate education with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The program can be pursued along with several concentration options. Each track starts with fundamental concepts that lead to advanced topics. Depending on the MPH concentration you enroll in, you complete the coursework either through the on-campus or online format. If you are particularly looking out for 100% online MPH programs in Philadelphia, then out of the six tracks that are offered on-campus three tracks also offer the option of an online course delivery that can conveniently fit into your busy life. Regardless of the track, graduation requires you to complete around 42 credits, which if taken on a full-time basis can be completed within two years, or three to four years if enrolled in the part-time schedule.
The accelerated 4+1 program or dual degree comprises undergraduate courses of 110 credits and around 39 credits worth of MPH courses, summing up the total credit requirement to approximately 149. Upon completion of this combined degree, or even the regular MPH program for that matter you will leave the college with enhanced critical thinking and decision-making skills that can be applied to various public health careers of research, administration, and policy.
4) Thomas Jefferson University - Philadelphia
Programs Offered: MPH and MPH in One Year
MPH Specializations Offered: Public Health Analytics, Public Health Policy & Advocacy, Healthcare Quality & Safety, and Public Health Practice (Generalist)
Do you see yourself leading local, state, and federal health agencies? Are you passionate about improving lives? If your answer is yes and completing your MPH in Philadelphia is the next thing on your mind, then you may want to shortlist Thomas Jefferson University’s MPH program. Here, you will be trained through an interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes leadership skills, cultural relevance, and global health. The program is offered in the regular as well as in the accelerated format of one year for mid-level healthcare professionals. Regardless of the path you choose to become a public health professional, you will graduate with the Jefferson advantage of interprofessional education and a global perspective.
To be considered for the regular MPH program, you must have a baccalaureate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Whereas the MPH accelerated program requires to have a healthcare background with work experience of around five years. Regardless of the program, upon graduation you will be prepared to solving the many challenges faced in the promotion of health and well-being.
Whether you enter the regular or accelerated format, this master of public health program in Philadelphia helps you gain expertise in either public health analysis, public health & advocacy or healthcare quality & safety, depending on the area of emphasis you choose. You can also enroll in the generalist track that requires you to complete six electives instead of the concentration-specific courses. Each track builds upon the core that teaches you the foundations of public health, US healthcare system, social determinants of health, epidemiology, policy & advocacy, health research methods, and program planning, implementation & evaluation. As part of your training, you also complete an applied practice experience.
5) La Salle University - Philadelphia
Programs Offered: MPH and Five-Year BSPH/MPH
If you find your calling in improving the health of urban populations, you can consider enrolling in the MPH program offered by LA Salle University. With an emphasis on reducing health disparities in urban communities, here you will be trained to meet the needs of the medically underserved and vulnerable urban areas. As a graduate of this program, you will be able to effectively collaborate with community partners in addressing healthcare issues to better health outcomes for the diverse urban population. This MPH degree can be obtained through two program paths, a regular MPH or a five-year dual degree program.
To be considered for admission into the regular program, you must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above. Whereas for the dual degree you can enter even without a baccalaureate. While the regular MPH program spans across two or three years, depending on whether you enroll in the full-time or part-time schedule, the dual degree of BSPH/MPH is achieved at the end of five years. With the dual degree, you will complete the first year of the MPH coursework in the senior year of your undergraduate study.
Regardless of the program, the MPH curriculum comprises of core, cross-cutting courses, electives, and a capstone. Some of the topics you will be educated in include environmental health, public health leadership, research methods, health policy, epidemiology, GIS applications for public health, and concepts of health & disease. The electives offer a wide choice, allowing you to choose two courses that match your interests and goals. After completing all the courses, you complete 200 hours of public health applied experience and finally culminate the program with a capstone.
Specializations Offered: Health Policy
Graduating from one of the reputed MPH programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania can equip you with the excellent professional skills that are in demand with employers across the world. University of the Sciences offers one such program that trains you to solve public health issues in local and global communities. Here, to prepare you for this interdisciplinary field, you are taught under an expert faculty that come from various fields, including that of public health, economics, pharmacy, political science, and environmental science. Offered with a specialization in Health Policy, upon graduating, you can explore fulfilling job positions in private, state, local, and federal agencies.
To qualify for this MPH program, you must have an accredited undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The 45-credit coursework spans across two years if taken on a full-time basis. Upon enrollment, you begin with core courses that include fundamentals in public health, statistics, public health management, epidemiology, human health, and behavioral and social foundations of public health. The concentration-specific courses mainly focus on health disparities, health services & policy, and public policy analysis. Furthermore, you also require completing two electives for which a course in public health program planning & evaluation is advised. Finally, you must complete a field experience and a capstone course to earn your degree.
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