UNE has Maine's first accredited master of public health degree

The University of New England has announced that its Master of Public Health Program has received accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health - making UNE's program the first accredited in the state of Maine.  

"We are pleased to offer the only accredited MPH program in Maine," said UNE President Danielle N. Ripich, Ph.D.  "We see this program as a critical piece of our investment in the health of our state - and with the ability for students to obtain this degree through a flexible interactive online experience, public health graduate education is now available across Maine."

"We are fortunate to have world class faculty teaching for us, offering courses ranging from foundational public health courses, health policy and management, public health emergency preparedness to environmental health," said Tim Ford, Ph.D., dean of graduate studies, who is leading the program. "Our focus is on providing the public health skill sets needed in the work force of today as well as of tomorrow. Although we have 100 students currently enrolled, now that we are fully accredited, we expect to greatly expand enrollment, especially since employers and schools often require degrees from accredited institutions."

"An MPH is considered one of the most marketable degrees, since health care providers are increasingly being required to use public health skills to care for their patients," said Dora Anne Mills, M.D., M.P.H., UNE's vice president for clinical affairs.  "As the largest educator of health care providers in Maine, we at UNE are excited to be offering this degree to many health professional students while they are on campus as well as working health professionals across Maine and the globe."

All students graduating from UNE's new College of Dental Medicine will also receive an advanced certificate in public health. 

The Graduate Programs in Public Health within the College of Graduate Studies at UNE currently offers an online certificate program and an online MPH degree program in both full and part-time formats. These online programs offer dynamic multimedia curricula with expert public health practitioners, researchers and educators.

The MPH includes an integrated public health practicum that provides students with the opportunity to work in public health settings and network with the public health workforce prior to graduation. 

For more information on UNE's Graduate Programs in Public Health, please contact: Denise Bisaillon, Ed.D., Director at 207-221-4464 or visit the website.