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Preparing public health professionals for global challenges
When H5N1 bird flu spread to US dairy cattle in 2024, it was epidemiologists and public health officials who traced transmission patterns and briefed policymakers. Farm worker protections were coordinated on time. When the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared monkey pox a global health emergency in August 2024, it was again public health professionals who built the vaccination and surveillance response from the ground up.
This is what public health professionals are trained to do, and why the world cannot afford to be without them. The US Bureau of Labour Statistics projects epidemiologist employment to grow 16% by 2034, while roles in health services management are expected to surge 23% over the same period, far outpacing most fields.
If you want to enter this field with real depth, Georgia Southern University's Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (JPHCOPH) is built for exactly that – through its Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited Master of Public Health (MPH). The programme has seven concentration areas, two of which are fully online. They are Applied Public Health (online), Biostatistics, Community Health, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Public Health Informatics (online), and Health Policy and Management. The college's explicit focus on rural and underserved communities means you’ll graduate trained to tackle the health equity gaps that matter most and are hardest to close.
When H5N1 bird flu spread to US dairy cattle in 2024, it was epidemiologists and public health officials who traced transmission patterns and briefed policymakers. Farm worker protections were coordinated on time. When the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared monkey pox a global health emergency in August 2024, it was again public health professionals who built the vaccination and surveillance response from the ground up.
This is what public health professionals are trained to do, and why the world cannot afford to be without them. The US Bureau of Labour Statistics projects epidemiologist employment to grow 16% by 2034, while roles in health services management are expected to surge 23% over the same period, far outpacing most fields.
If you want to enter this field with real depth, Georgia Southern University's Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (JPHCOPH) is built for exactly that – through its Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited Master of Public Health (MPH). The programme has seven concentration areas, two of which are fully online. They are Applied Public Health (online), Biostatistics, Community Health, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Public Health Informatics (online), and Health Policy and Management. The college's explicit focus on rural and underserved communities means you’ll graduate trained to tackle the health equity gaps that matter most and are hardest to close.
500
students are currently enrolled in programmes at JPHCOPH
5
public health degrees and certificates are offered at JPHCOPH
25+
years of service and leadership in public health in Georgia and the world
1998
marked the beginning of Public Health at Georgia Southern University
As Georgia's first public health school within the University System of Georgia, the college has spent over two decades building the partnerships and expertise that newer programmes do not yet have. That foundation shows up directly in how you will be taught.
You will learn from nearly 50 faculty experts who actively collaborate with the WHO, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and state and local health agencies. They bring that work into the classroom, regularly updating curricula to reflect shifting public health realities and grounding coursework in real community-based challenges that connect theory to practice from day one.
Where rigorous training meets real-world impact
That learning does not stay in the classroom for long. Through the Eagles Participating in Community-Engaged Health programme, you will work alongside faculty and community partners on live public health projects, building a job-ready portfolio through internships and practicums before you graduate. The Centre for Public Health Practice and Research extends that reach further, anchoring the college's work in rural Georgia and underserved populations where the gaps are widest.
Meet the students and graduates
Meet the students and graduates
After earning her bachelor's in public health in 2019, Daiiyah Davis returned to Georgia Southern to complete a public health certificate before signing up for the online MPH programme. She chose the online format because it allowed her to work and study simultaneously, a balance that has kept her focused on what she cares about most: community health and maternal and child health.
The programme introduced her to areas she had not previously considered, including emergency preparedness. Through it, she saw how disasters ripple across entire communities and learned what it takes to respond to them effectively. “It was also great because we were able to complete some of the NIMS certifications that would help us professionally," she says.
Those skills, she believes, will be essential going forward. "I hope to make an impact that represents the public health field and the JPHCOPH in an honourable manner,” she says.
Daiiyah Davis,
MPH in Applied Public Health, Class of 2026
Andrea Serano was looking for a programme that would build on her professional experience while pushing her to think more critically about policy and population health. That search led her to the MPH in Applied Public Health at JPHCOPH. The programme would sharpen her analytical thinking while keeping her grounded in the community. Training in data collection and programme planning gave her stronger technical skills, which later took on a deeper purpose. She learned to use data to tell a story, identify gaps, and design interventions that reflect the realities of the communities she serves.
That grounding in both evidence and community shaped how Serano approaches partnerships today, combining data-driven strategy with cultural responsiveness to ensure the work holds up on both fronts.
"In my current role as Executive Director of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere Inc, I consistently rely on the foundational skills I developed during my MPH programme," she says. "This includes data collection and analysis, programme planning, and evaluation. These skills are essential for designing initiatives and ensuring accountability in our work."
Andrea Serano,
MPH in Applied Public Health, Class of 2025
While already working as an Environmental Health Specialist with the Georgia Department of Public Health, Donya Glenn Jr decided to pursue an MPH to deepen his understanding of the policies and prevention strategies behind the work he was doing every day.
Coursework in epidemiology, health promotion, and data analysis sharpened his thinking about environmental and community health problems, and that new knowledge quickly showed up in his day-to-day responsibilities. "For instance, when dealing with a potential food safety problem, my coursework helped me think through how germs spread and what factors could cause illness," he says. "It also made me better at explaining the issue and focusing on steps to prevent it from happening again."
That power to connect classroom learning to real situations is what Glenn values most about the experience. "Overall, the programme has connected what I learned in school with real-life public health work and better prepared me to help improve community health," he says.
Donya Glenn Jr,
Master of Public Health, Class of 2026
While already working as an Environmental Health Specialist with the Georgia Department of Public Health, Donya Glenn Jr decided to pursue an MPH to deepen his understanding of the policies and prevention strategies behind the work he was doing every day.
Coursework in epidemiology, health promotion, and data analysis sharpened his thinking about environmental and community health problems, and that new knowledge quickly showed up in his day-to-day responsibilities. "For instance, when dealing with a potential food safety problem, my coursework helped me think through how germs spread and what factors could cause illness," he says. "It also made me better at explaining the issue and focusing on steps to prevent it from happening again."
That power to connect classroom learning to real situations is what Glenn values most about the experience. "Overall, the programme has connected what I learned in school with real-life public health work and better prepared me to help improve community health," he says.
Donya Glenn Jr
Master of Public Health, Class of 2026
Andrea Serano was looking for a programme that would build on her professional experience while pushing her to think more critically about policy and population health. That search led her to the MPH in Applied Public Health at JPHCOPH. The programme would sharpen her analytical thinking while keeping her grounded in the community. Training in data collection and programme planning gave her stronger technical skills, which later took on a deeper purpose. She learned to use data to tell a story, identify gaps, and design interventions that reflect the realities of the communities she serves. That grounding in both evidence and community shaped how Serano approaches partnerships today, combining data-driven strategy with cultural responsiveness to ensure the work holds up on both fronts.
"In my current role as Executive Director of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere Inc, I consistently rely on the foundational skills I developed during my MPH programme," she says. "This includes data collection and analysis, programme planning, and evaluation. These skills are essential for designing initiatives and ensuring accountability in our work."
Andrea Serano
MPH in Applied Public Health, Class of 2025
After earning her bachelor's in public health in 2019, Daiiyah Davis returned to Georgia Southern to complete a public health certificate before signing up for the online MPH programme. She chose the online format because it allowed her to work and study simultaneously, a balance that has kept her focused on what she cares about most: community health and maternal and child health.
The programme introduced her to areas she had not previously considered, including emergency preparedness. Through it, she saw how disasters ripple across entire communities and learned what it takes to respond to them effectively. “It was also great because we were able to complete some of the NIMS certifications that would help us professionally," she says.
Those skills, she believes, will be essential going forward. "I hope to make an impact that represents the public health field and the JPHCOPH in an honourable manner,” she says.
Daiiyah Davis
MPH in Applied Public Health, Class of 2026
An impactful education awaits at Georgia Southern University's Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health.
An impactful education awaits at Georgia Southern University's Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health.
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