Master of Public Health Online
Master of Public Health Online - Health Equity Emphasis Overview
The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is a professional degree offering a curriculum in the core areas of knowledge basic to public health both recognized by the public health community and the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The MPH program has been continuously accredited by CEPH since 1978.
The MPH Online Health Equity option is for students who prefer online learning, specifically via asynchronous courses rather than scheduled in-person courses. The MPH Online program will benefit students who work full-time in health and human services professions, such as physicians and other clinicians, evaluators, mental health professionals, therapists, health planners, community health workers, etc. It is also perfect for students who desire an advanced degree but live removed from campus or who lack consistent transportation, those with family caregiving pressures, and persons with disabilities.
In addition to the Foundational Public Health Knowledge and Foundational Competencies as required by CEPH, students in the Health Equity emphasis will attain competencies specific to this area of concentration/performing in a global health profession:
- Analyze the barriers to health equity among all populations that experience the burden of social determinants of health.
- Demonstrate cultural humility in working with diverse cultural values and practices of populations experiencing health disparities.
- Demonstrate mastery in conveyance of evidence-based health disparities among minoritized populations.
- Identify relevant impacts of available data focused on the development of multi-level policies that seek to eliminate health disparities.
- Analyze adequacy of continuous data systems that exist to measure changes in the health of diverse communities.
- Use data to be able to advocate for needed policy changes that are community-supported.
- Establish ability to evaluate policy and determine their impact.
See the Health Equity Curriculum
Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Each program will have its own application with its own application fee through SOPHAS and the University of Utah Slate application systems. Please note that if you apply and are accepted to the Online MPH program, you are an online student and cannot register for in-person courses and vice versa.
Yes. The online course codes are different than the in-person course codes. Please contact your academic advisor with questions.
Yes. Learning abroad will be an elective course for the Online MPH students if they choose to go.
Yes, the courses will be asynchronous, which will help with the flexibility so many students need.
Applicants must meet academic minimum requirements for admission. The requirements listed are the minimum set by the Graduate School of the University of Utah and do not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Additionally, each academic department or program defines additional requirements. Applicants are evaluated in relation to university and departmental requirements and with respect to the pool of available applicants.
The minimum academic requirements for graduate admission are the following:
- A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college/university
- Demonstrated quantitative ability, usually with a grade of 'B' or higher in College Algebra or equivalent class
- At least a 3.00 or higher undergraduate weighted mean GPA*
*If the candidate has a GPA below 3.0, they must submit a justification letter. This letter should detail why the candidate's GPA is lower than 3.0 and why they feel that they are prepared to pursue the public health degree in spite of their lower GPA. This letter is different than the Statement of Purpose and will be included with the candidate’s application file. - Meeting the academic department's admission standards and receiving a recommendation for admission to their program.
Application Fees
- Applicants must complete both a SOPHAS application and a Slate (University of Utah) application and upload all required documents to be considered for admission. We cannot waive SOPHAS or Slate application fees. You can apply for a fee waiver for SOPHAS if you feel you qualify.
- SOPHAS
- Official transcripts for US/Canadian applicants
- Unofficial transcripts & WES, ECE, or other accredited transcript evaluation for international applicants
- GRE scores or demonstrated quantitative ability
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Current Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Official transcripts for US/Canadian applicants
- Slate
- Unofficial transcripts
Required Documents
- Transcripts & Transcript Evaluation: Applicants must upload to SOPHAS and Slate a transcript from each institution where they earned credit.
- Three Letters of Recommendation: Required for each PhD applicant; the recommendation letters should come from persons familiar with the applicant's academic and professional capabilities, achievements, work experience, and/or personal qualities—not family or friends. There is no specific format for these letters.
- Statement of Purpose: The statement, not to exceed 500 words, should include comments relevant to public health degree(s), reasons for choosing public health as a future career area, any previous relevant work experience, and how the training will facilitate your career goals.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae: Resumes and CVs should be professional and up-to-date.
Other Requirements
- College Algebra: Transcripts should reflect completion of College Algebra (1050) or higher (e.g., Algebra II, Calculus, or Statistics) with a grade of B or better. A course in Statistics or Epidemiology is highly recommended but not required.
- General Graduate Record Examination (GRE): The GRE is not required but is recommended for applicants who have not completed College Algebra (1050) or higher with a grade of B or better or earned a terminal degree (M.D. or Ph.D.) in the U.S. Scores no older than five years will be accepted. Please provide code 4932 (University of Utah Division of Public Health SOPHAS) to ETS to have them send your scores to your SOPHAS application. MCAT scores may be substituted only if the applicant has been accepted into the University of Utah Medical School and plans to seek the MD/MPH or MD/MSPH. The medical school letter of acceptance must be attached to MCAT scores.
- English Proficiency for International Students: Please see the Office of Admissions website for details on demonstrating English Proficiency and sending your test scores.
- Personal Interview: May be requested, including international applicants. These typically are requested by video conference and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Resident Tuition
Non-Resident Fees
Online
WRGP
The Division of Public Health’s MPH, MSPH, PhD and Certificate programs are approved for the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). Students receiving WRGP are eligible for resident tuition rates PLUS 10%. Please visit the WRGP website for more information.
The admissions deadlines for the University of Utah's Online Master's of Public Health Program are as follows:
Fall 2026 deadlines: January 15th - priority deadline. March 15th - final deadline.
Applicants are responsible for monitoring the progress of their applications to ensure all required documents, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other information are received by the deadline. The SOPHAS and Slate online applications allow applicants to track their application status by logging back into the system with their PIN and password and clicking “check status” in SOPHAS or “check your application” in Slate.
You must submit an official transcript from each institution from which you have earned college credit (except the University of Utah) to the Office of Admissions. Please see the Office of Admissions website for details on how to submit official transcripts. If you fail to submit official transcripts, you will be unable to register for classes.
Check your email for admissions updates and post-admission instructions.