4+1 Program Frequently Asked Questions What is it? The 4+1 MPH Program is a new 5-year program, where outstanding undergraduate Temple public health majors have the opportunity to acquire Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees, with a concentration in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. The curriculum is designed so the degree requirements for the BS can be met by a full-time student at the end of four years and the MPH requirements will be satisfied by the end of the fifth year of study. How many credits is it? Students will take a minimum of 110 credits of undergraduate course work and 12 credits of graduate coursework during their first four years. They will then take an additional 27 credits of graduate coursework after they receive their BS to satisfy the MPH requirements. Who is eligible? Guidelines for admission to the accelerated program include: 1. Be a declared public health major at the time of application. 2. Have a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA in at least 45 credits of coursework taken at Temple. 3. Apply in the Spring semester of their second (sophomore) year at Temple. 4. Be able to complete their undergraduate degree in 4 full-time semesters, beginning with their first semester and taking four graduate courses as an undergraduate. 5. Be able to complete the graduate degree in one additional year, including one summer semester. If I am attending school part-time can I still participate in this program? Part-time students are not eligible for this program, since you must graduate with your undergraduate degree in 4 years from your matriculation date (first semester enrolled at Temple). However, part-time students may apply directly to the Master of Public Health program upon completion of their undergraduate degree. If I am a transfer student can I still participate in this program? University policy regarding 4+1 Programs states that students must complete at least 45 credit hours at Temple University. Therefore, most transfer students will not be eligible for this program. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact Dr. Sheldon Oliver Watts, Undergraduate Program Director, in the Department of Public Health. Ineligible transfer students may apply directly to the Master of Public Health program upon completion of their undergraduate degree. When would I apply? Students meeting the admissions criteria would apply in the Spring semester of their second year (or equivalent). Application packets should be submitted to Dr. Sheldon Oliver Watts, Undergraduate Program Director, in the Department of Public Health. They should be received no later than March 14.
After successful completion of coursework at the end of four years, participating students would apply for graduation and receive their BS degree. If they have met the minimum requirements to remain in the program, they would also formally apply to the MPH program. See the Office of Research and Graduate Education. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) will not be required. What is required in the program application? Students who want to apply to the program must provide the following: 1. Completed application form. 2. Copy of their official transcript to date, including any transcripts from transfer institutions. 3. Two academic letters of support. 4. Statement of purpose, outlining why you are applying for the program and your aspirations in the field of public health. What happens after I apply and when do I hear back with an application decision? Once Spring grades are posted, all applications are reviewed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies to evaluate recent academic performance and determine application suitability. A departmental committee reviews all applications and decision letters are sent via email to a Temple University email address. For admitted students, a commitment letter will accompany the decision letter. Admission decisions will be sent by May 14th. The commitment letter must be signed and returned to the department for enrollment in the program to be finalized. What if I am not accepted? Students remain eligible to apply for the Master of Public Health upon completion of their bachelor's degree. How does this affect my tuition? Students are charged undergraduate tuition rates for the 12 hours of graduate level courses they take while completing their undergraduate degree. Once admitted to the Graduate program (after their Spring Senior semester), students are charged graduate level tuition. The most current tuition rates are available at Temple University Bursar's Office. What graduate classes will I take as an undergraduate and what will they replace? Students will take four graduate level classes as an undergraduate, replacing their undergraduate equivalents. They are: 1. PH 5001 Fundamentals of Public Health (counts as a PH or general elective) 2. PH 5101 Epidemiology (replaces PH 3101 Epidemiology) 3. PH 5102 Health Behavior Theory (replaces HRP 2013 Health Psychology and Human Behavior) 4. PH 5103 Environmental Health (replaces PH 2102 Environmental Health)
What would my semester course grid look like if I were in the 4+1 program? Freshmen FALL Freshman SPRING Eng 0802 Analytical Reading/Writing (4) GenEd Quantitative Literacy (4) GenEd Human Behavior (3) Mosaic I (3) GenEd World Society (3) GenEd Arts (3) GenEd Race and Diversity (3) PH1101 Intro to Public Health (3) General Elective (3) GenEd US Society (3) Sophomore FALL Sophomore SPRING (APPLY TO PROGRAM) KIN 1223 Anatomy and Physiology (4) PH Content Course (1104, 1105, or 1106) (3) PH Content Course (1104, 1105, or 1106) (3) KIN 1224 Anatomy and Physiology (4) PH Content Course (1104, 1105, or 1106) (3) HM 3501 Health Care Management (3) Mosaic II (3) PH 2101 Disease Prev. & Control (3) CIS 1055 Computers and Application (4 credits) PH 2216 Ethnicity, Culture& Health (3) TOTAL: 17 credits Junior FALL Junior SPRING PH 3496 Intro to PH Programs (3) PH 3596 Admin. PH Programs (3) PH 3102 Research Methods (3) PH 3105 Teaching Techniques (3) PH 5001 Fundamentals PH (GRAD) (3) PH 5102 Hlth Behav. Theory (GRAD)(3) STOC 1111 Public Speaking (3) PH 3104 Professional Seminar (3) PH 2219 Biostatistics (3) TOTAL: 15 credits Cognate Elective TOTAL: 15 credits Senior FALL Senior SPRING PH5101 Epidemiology (GRAD) (3) PH 5103 Enviro. Health (GRAD) (3) PH Elective (3) PH 4185 Internship II (8)
PH 3185 Internship I (4) General Elective (3) PH Elective (3) TOTAL: 13 credits TOTAL: 14 credits Summer after Senior Year PH 5002 - Biostatistics PH Elective GRAD PH 5006 Pol/Econ Aspects Grad 5 th Year MPH FALL 5 th Year MPH SPRING PH 8112 Program Evaluation (3) PH Elective (3) PH 9289 Fieldwork I (3) PH 9389 Fieldwork II (3) PH SBS Concentration Elective (3) PH 8001 Health Communication (3) TOTAL CREDITS: 122 credits undergraduate (includes 12 credits graduate level); 39 credits graduate (12 credits taken as undergrad). At the undergraduate level: PH 5102 replaces HRP 2013; PH 5101 replaces PH 3101; PH 5103 replaces PH 2102 and PH 5001 fulfills a general or public health elective. What would I have to do to stay in the 4+1 program once accepted? If accepted, students must: 1. Maintain a 3.0 undergraduate GPA. 2. Earn a B- or better in all graduate level courses. 3. Graduate with a BS in May of their fourth year. 4. Apply to the MPH program in the spring semester of their fourth (senior) year. What happens if I am not able to satisfy the program requirements? If a student is unable to satisfy the 4+1 program requirements, he/she can return to the traditional BS in Public Health curriculum. Credits that have already been taken will be counted towards the requirements for the BS, as long as minimum undergraduate required grades have been met (i.e. C or better in core public health classes). If this is not the case, the student would retake the undergraduate equivalent (e.g. if the student received a C- in PH 5101 Epidemiology he/she would no longer be in the 4+1 program and would retake PH 3101 Epidemiology to replace it. If the student received a C or C+ in
PH 5101, he/she would still not be able to advance in the 4+1 program but the credits would count for their undergraduate epidemiology requirement). If I decide I cannot complete the Master s degree, after I complete my Bachelor s degree, will my graduate level courses transfer to a different institution? This academic agreement allows Temple University students to take Graduate level classes as an undergraduate student and have those credits count towards the 4+1 MPH degree. This is an agreement between Temple University s Graduate School and the College of Public Health. If a student were to transfer these credits to a different institution, that institution would decide on whether to accept those credits What if I have other questions? If you have other questions, please contact Dr. Sheldon Oliver Watts at sheldon.watts@temple.edu.