ATSU Online Master of Public Health (MPH): Complete Program Guide 2026

Why ATSU’s Online MPH Stands Out

The demand for public health professionals has never been greater. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of public health professionals is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, driven by an increasing national focus on preventive care, community health, and emergency preparedness. For professionals looking to enter or advance in this growing field, A.T. Still University’s (ATSU) online Master of Public Health offers a compelling combination of academic rigor, professional flexibility, and institutional heritage.

Founded in 1892 by A.T. Still, DO — the pioneer of whole person healthcare — ATSU has spent over 130 years dedicated exclusively to health sciences education. This singular focus distinguishes ATSU from larger universities where health programs compete for resources with dozens of other departments. At ATSU, everything is oriented toward health sciences: the faculty, the research infrastructure, the library collections, and the institutional culture. With 6 schools, 3,500+ students, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, the university provides an intimate, health-focused academic environment that translates directly into program quality.

The online MPH is offered through ATSU’s College of Graduate Health Studies (CGHS) and holds program-specific accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) — the recognized authority for public health education. Combined with full institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), this dual accreditation ensures that graduates hold a credential respected by employers, licensing boards, and doctoral programs nationwide. Similar to how the CMU undergraduate CS program is recognized for its rigor in technology, ATSU’s CEPH accreditation signals quality in public health education.

Program Overview and Fast Facts

The program’s 100% asynchronous format is its most significant structural advantage for working professionals. There are no required live sessions, no specific times students must be online, and all coursework can be completed around existing work and family schedules. Each 10-week block contains structured assignment deadlines — typically discussion posts due on Wednesdays and major assignments due on Sundays — providing rhythm without rigidity.

Core Curriculum: 15 Courses Across Public Health

The MPH curriculum provides comprehensive coverage of public health’s core competency domains, mapped to CEPH standards and designed to prepare graduates for diverse professional roles:

Foundation and Methods (Courses 1-3)

• Introduction to Public Health Concepts: Establishes the philosophical and practical foundations of public health practice, including the social-ecological model, health determinants, and population health frameworks.
• Fundamentals of Research in Public Health: Covers research design, methodology, ethical considerations, and evidence-based practice principles essential for professional competency.
• Community Health Informatics: Explores how information technology and data systems are used to monitor, analyze, and improve population health outcomes.

Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Courses 4-6)

• Epidemiology: The study of disease distribution and determinants in populations — a cornerstone competency for all public health professionals. Students learn to interpret epidemiological data, evaluate study designs, and apply findings to community health challenges.
• Biostatistics: Quantitative methods for analyzing health data, including descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, regression analysis, and the interpretation of public health datasets.
• Identifying Community Health Needs: Methods for conducting community health assessments, including needs assessment frameworks, data collection strategies, and stakeholder engagement techniques. Research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides foundational frameworks studied in this course.

Environmental and Behavioral Sciences (Courses 7-9)

• Environmental Health Sciences: Examines the relationship between environmental factors and human health, including air and water quality, toxic exposures, occupational health, and climate change impacts.
• Behavioral Sciences and Health Education Concepts: Applies behavioral theories and health education models to the design of interventions that promote health behavior change at individual and community levels.
• Development of Community-based Programs: Practical frameworks for designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs within community settings.

Administration and Policy (Courses 10-12)

• Public Health Administration: Management principles applied to public health organizations, including leadership, strategic planning, budgeting, and organizational behavior in health agency settings.
• Public Health Policy: Analysis of how health policies are developed, implemented, and evaluated at local, state, and federal levels. Students learn to navigate the policy landscape and advocate for evidence-based interventions.
• Public Health, Emergency Preparedness, and Disaster Response: Covers the public health role in emergency management, including pandemic preparedness, natural disaster response, bioterrorism preparation, and crisis communication strategies.

Global Health and Practicum (Courses 13-14)

• Global Health Issues: Examines health challenges that transcend national boundaries, including infectious disease control, maternal and child health, health system strengthening in developing countries, and international health governance.
• Public Health Practicum: The capstone experience combining applied practice with integrated learning (detailed in the next section).

Elective Course (Course 15)

Students choose one elective from three options reflecting current public health priorities:

• Community Health and Social Media: Leveraging digital platforms for health promotion and community engagement
• Cannabis History, Policy, and Culture: The evolving landscape of cannabis regulation and public health implications
• Public Health Disparities, Health Equity, and Covid-19: Examining how the pandemic exposed and exacerbated existing health inequities

The Public Health Practicum Experience

The practicum is the culminating hands-on experience of the MPH program, consisting of two complementary components that bridge academic learning with professional practice:

Applied Practice Experience (APE)

Students develop and execute an applied practical experience with a public health organization of their choice. This component requires students to work directly with a community health organization, government agency, non-profit, or healthcare institution to address a real public health challenge. The APE ensures that every graduate has demonstrated the ability to apply classroom learning to real-world settings.

Integrated Learning Experience (ILE)

The ILE requires students to produce a high-quality, substantive written document aimed at a public health organization. This capstone document integrates knowledge from across the curriculum and demonstrates the student’s ability to synthesize research, analyze data, and communicate evidence-based recommendations to professional audiences. Programs like the McGill MEng in Mechanical Engineering similarly require capstone projects that bridge academic theory with professional practice.

Faculty Expertise and Academic Support

The MPH program is led by Mary-Katherine McNatt, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, CPH, COI, Chair and Associate Professor of the MPH program. Dr. McNatt holds a Doctorate of Public Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, is a Certified Public Health professional and Master Certified Health Education Specialist. Her expertise spans epidemiology, program planning, community health, and public health preparedness, with particular research interests in cultural health disparities, rural and border health issues, and maternal and child health.

The broader faculty includes all doctoral-level professionals drawn from diverse health sciences backgrounds, including dentistry, public health, education, and health administration. This interdisciplinary expertise ensures that students gain perspectives from across the health sciences spectrum:

Student Support Services

ATSU provides comprehensive support for online students:

• Dedicated Academic Advisors: Each student is paired with an advisor providing personalized support for scheduling, academic progress, and motivation
• Writing Center: Staffed with professional writers and editors experienced in healthcare research writing
• A.T. Still Memorial Library: Full access to medical and dental research libraries with most resources available online
• Career Services: Resume preparation, interview coaching, and career advising — even for already-employed students seeking advancement

Flexible Scheduling for Working Professionals

The program’s scheduling structure is specifically engineered for professionals who cannot pause their careers to pursue a graduate degree. Key features include:

Asynchronous Course Delivery

All courses are delivered asynchronously, meaning there are no required live sessions and no specific times students must be online. Students complete readings, participate in discussion boards, and submit assignments on a weekly schedule with specific due dates but flexible timing within each week.

10-Week Block Format

The academic year is divided into four 10-week blocks (two per semester), with students typically enrolling in one course per block. This focused approach allows students to dedicate their limited study time to a single subject, promoting deeper learning without the cognitive load of juggling multiple courses simultaneously.

Typical Weekly Time Commitment

Students typically invest 8-15 hours per week in coursework. A typical week includes assigned readings, an initial discussion post due on Wednesday, discussion responses to classmates, and a separate assignment due on Sunday. This predictable rhythm helps students establish sustainable study habits alongside work and personal commitments.

Four Annual Start Dates

With intake blocks beginning in January, March, July, and October, students don’t need to wait for a single annual admission cycle. This flexibility reduces the gap between the decision to pursue an MPH and the start of classes, maintaining motivation and momentum. Transfer credits of up to 3 courses or 9 credits are accepted from courses completed within the last 7 years with a minimum grade of 3.0. Academic scheduling at institutions like ATSU CGHS is specifically designed around working professionals’ needs.

Accreditation: CEPH and HLC Standards

Accreditation is arguably the single most important factor in evaluating an online MPH program. ATSU’s dual accreditation provides assurance at both the program and institutional levels:

CEPH Program Accreditation

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is the independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools and programs of public health. CEPH accreditation means the MPH curriculum meets rigorous standards for content coverage, faculty qualifications, student learning outcomes, and community engagement. For graduates, CEPH accreditation is critical because many employers, government agencies, and certification bodies require or strongly prefer graduates of CEPH-accredited programs.

HLC Institutional Accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) provides full institutional accreditation for A.T. Still University, validating the university’s overall academic quality, financial stability, governance, and student services. This institutional backing ensures that the MPH program operates within a well-resourced, properly governed academic institution, which is particularly important for financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.

Career Outcomes and Professional Pathways

An MPH from ATSU opens doors across the diverse landscape of public health careers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects faster-than-average growth for public health professions, and ATSU graduates are positioned for a wide range of roles:

• Community Health: Director of Community Health Services, Health Educator, Health Education Consultant
• Epidemiology & Research: Epidemiologist, Biostatistician, Public Health Research Analyst
• Policy & Advocacy: Health Policy Advisor, Health Advocacy Specialist, Public Health Information Officer
• Administration: Public Health Director, Health Administrator, Public Health Management Analyst, Public Health Project Manager
• Environmental Health: Environmental Health Scientist, Health Economist
• Academia: Assistant/Associate Professor in Health Education

The program’s whole person healthcare philosophy — inherited from ATSU’s osteopathic medicine heritage — distinguishes its graduates in the job market. Employers increasingly value public health professionals who understand the social, behavioral, environmental, and economic determinants of health as an integrated system rather than isolated factors. ATSU’s approach produces graduates who think holistically about community health challenges and design interventions that address root causes. Similar to how the BU Questrom Executive MBA prepares leaders with a broad business perspective, ATSU’s MPH develops public health leaders with comprehensive community health vision.

Costs, Financial Aid, and How to Apply

Tuition and Fees

Tuition rates are evaluated annually by the university. At $718 per credit hour, ATSU’s online MPH is competitively priced among CEPH-accredited programs, particularly when considering the 11:1 student-faculty ratio and comprehensive student support services included.

Financial Aid

Students enrolled at least half-time (minimum 5 credit hours per semester) are eligible for Federal Direct Stafford Unsubsidized Loans and Grad PLUS Loans. Accepted students also gain access to Scholarship Universe through the ATSU portal, which aggregates both internal university scholarships and external scholarship opportunities.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from any field (no health-related degree required)
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Qualifying TOEFL scores for international students
• Completed application form, resume, official transcripts, and essay

How to Apply

Applications are accepted year-round at atsu.edu/cghs-application. For questions, contact the admissions team at 877.626.5577 or cghsonlineadmissions@atsu.edu. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, and student information sessions are available for prospective students to hear directly from current students and faculty.