Introduction
A fully online, part-time degree offered by the No. 1 school of public health in the country.
The Master of Arts in Public Health Biology was launched as a fully online degree program in 2017. This program offered by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health allows students to advance in current research or teaching positions, enhance credentials for a new position in academic institutions, industry or governmental research organizations, or gain a solid foundation for advanced graduate work. This program is best suited for students who have had some professional work experience and are looking for a program that would allow them to develop professionally or prepare for a subsequent degree.
Advantages of this fully online graduate program:
Led by renowned experts who are shaping the field through research and application
Online delivery gives flexibility and accessibility to students around the world
Can be completed in 2-3 years
The program is designed to foster knowledge of, and appreciation for, modern biological principles and research methods applicable to the identification, treatment, and prevention of conditions of relevance to the health of the public. The program is interdepartmental, involving the active participation of the School’s three biological science-based departments: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB), Environmental Health and Engineering (EHE), and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (MMI). Required coursework is offered by these three departments, and also by the Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. The program culminates in the writing of a literature-based scholarly thesis. Students will attain a solid understanding of the rationale, tools, and approaches that are essential for addressing problems in public health.
Curriculum
The Master of Arts in Public Health Biology is an interdisciplinary online degree. The topics and concepts allow graduates to apply biological principles to public health issues, conceptualize research questions, interpret results, and apply these skills in the context of human health.
Students will complete a minimum of 48.5 term credits to graduate. The program is designed to be completed within 8 academic terms of 8 weeks each – a total of two academic years (Sept-May), but students have up to four years to complete the degree. In addition to the coursework, students must complete a literature-based thesis, where newly acquired knowledge is employed in order to demonstrate critical synthesis and integration of existing primary literature.
Students, with the advice and approval of the Program Director and the Advisory Committee, will identify a faculty member in the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Environmental Health and Engineering, or Molecular Microbiology and Immunology with whom to prepare the master’s thesis for the MA in Public Health Biology. Together with the faculty member, students will identify at least one additional faculty member who also will review the thesis and provide critical input. Students will be expected to develop the thesis through frequent interaction with the faculty members, using online conferencing technologies available at the School. At the completion of the thesis, students will present their results to fellow students and faculty in a synchronous online presentation.
Competencies
By the end of the program, students should be able to:
Describe the molecular, cellular, immunological, and physiological bases of selected human diseases and conditions.
Describe the biological principles that underlie the development of disease and its prevention, control, and management.
Critically evaluate data described in scientific papers and integrate data from multiple papers into coherent theories about the regulation of complex biological processes and diseases.
Apply statistical principles to the analysis of biological data and apply findings to the understanding and treatment of human disease.
Compose, explain and defend a 20-30 page scholarly thesis that demonstrates a deep understanding of how biological principles and methods are used to understand, treat and/or prevent a particular condition of importance in the public health arena.
Required Courses (16.5 credits):
550.630.81 Public Health Biology (3 credits)
550.631.81 Biological Basis of Public Health (3 credits)
550.855.81 MA Public Health Biology Thesis (5-6 credits)
552.601.81 Foundational Principles of Public Health (.5 credits)
552.602.81 The Role of Quantitative Methods in Public Health (.5 credits)
552.603.81 The Role of Qualitative Methods and Science in Describing and Assessing a Population's Health (.5 credits)
552.604.81 Causes and Trends in Morbidity and Mortality (.5 credits)
552.605.81 The Science of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Prevention in Population Health (.5 credits)
552.606.81 The Critical Importance of Evidence in Advancing Public Health Knowledge (.5 credits)
552.607.81 Essentials of Environmental Health (.5 credits)
552.609.81 Psychological and Behavioral Factors that Affect a Population's Health (.5 credits)
552.610.81 Health Inequities: The Role of Social, Political, and Economic Determinants (.5 credits)
552.611.81 The Impact of Globalization on Global Burdens of Disease (.5 credits)
552.612.81 Essentials of One Health (.5 credits)
Optional Foundation Courses (11 credits):
140.6181 Statistical Reasoning in Public Health I (3 credits)
140.6181 Statistical Reasoning in Public Health II (3 credits)
340.721.81 Epidemiologic Inference I (5 credits)
Required Course, Environmental Health Sciences:Choose at least one of the following
180.6081 Environmental Health (5 credits)
187.610.81 Public Health Toxicology (4 credits)
187.632.81 Molecular Toxicology (4 credits)
183.631.81 Fundamentals of Human Physiology (4 credits)
Required Course, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology:Choose at least one of the following
120.620.81 Fundamentals of Reproductive Biology (3 credits)
120.610.81 Introduction to Biochemistry: Protein Structure and Enzyme Catalysis (3 credits)
120.627.81 Stem Cells and the Biology of Aging and Disease (3 credits)
120.602.81 Concepts of Molecular Biology (4 credits)
120.6281 Introduction to Cancer Biology (3 credits)
Required Course, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology:Choose at least one of the following
260.6181 Principles of Immunology I (4 credits)
260.656.81 Malariology (4 credits)
260.600.81 Intro to Biomedical Sciences (4 credits)
Application Information
Applications for the Fall 2021 program start are now open in SOPHAS. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing, space-available basis until June 1, 2021.
Applications are processed through the Schools of Public Health Application Services (SOPHAS).
Required Application Materials
Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
Official transcripts from all college-level institutions attended, regardless of the number of credits earned or if the grades appear on your home institution's transcript, must be submitted directly to SOPHAS
For international academic records, a course-by-course credential evaluation via WES should be sent directly to SOPHAS
Complete SOPHAS application
Sufficient prior coursework in the biological sciences
Three letters of recommendation: at least two academic recommendations; the third can be professional
Personal statement of professional goals
Optional Application Materials
Work experience: not required but strongly encouraged as this program is designed for students with work experience looking to advance professionally.
Official MCAT or GRE score - the admission committees will make no assumptions if a GRE score is omitted from an application, but the inclusion of a good score may improve the application package of a candidate with deficiencies in some areas.
International Applicants: Most applicants from countries where English is not the official language must submit scores of an English language proficiency test.
To fulfill this requirement, we will accept scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
TOEFL/IELTS Exceptions
Admissions will waive this requirement for degree applicants only if:
a student has completed a four-year degree from an accredited U.S. institution
a student is from a country listed on our quick reference list
