Master of Public Health
Program Features
At-a-Glance
- Hybrid schedule, with two evenings of in-person classes per week
- Curriculum combines training in health policy and promotion
- Offered in a cohort format to facilitate teamwork and learning
- Culminating experience focused on solving a public health problem in the community
- Learn to serve local populations through a social justice lens
- Sacramento location allows for insight into policy-making in California
- Complete the degree in two years
- Accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- In the top 4 most affordable CEPH accredited programs in Northern California
Overview
The Master of Public Health in Health Promotion, Policy and Leadership is designed to provide advanced training to address the health needs of diverse communities. Students learn how to enhance their practical skills for implementing health policies and promotional tools to reduce health risks and protect populations. Students also gain the tools to work with legislators, health advocates and leaders in the profession to impact policies and regulations that affect public health.
Audience
Designed for working professionals, this program is ideal for advancing or transitioning to a career in Public Health leadership. A health-related background is not necessary to pursue this master’s degree; however, 2 or more years of full-time professional work experience in public health (or related field) is preferred. The program is ideal for advancing or transitioning to a career in Public Health leadership.
Applicants must have completed a baccalaureate degree (or U.S. equivalent) from an accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0 from the last undergraduate or graduate degree completed.
Format
The program is cohort-based and offered in a hybrid format with in-person classes usually meeting two evenings per week. This allows working professionals the flexibility to attend classes at night and complete the degree in two years (including one summer, that’s five consecutive semesters). With a practice-based approach to coursework, students learn the foundational material and apply it in real-world settings. As public health practitioners, students prepare for leadership positions across promotion and policy in the public, private and government sectors. Please note this is not a STEM program.
Three intensive residencies are required throughout the program, in an all-day Friday meeting: one at the start of the program, one in the middle. and one at the very end. Students also participate in both practicum and capstone project requirements that complement their professional experience. The practicum is a guided field experience that is completed in the summer between the first and second years and includes a consultative position providing technical assistance to local organizations to help with community issues. The capstone is a culminating project, completed in the final term, where students devise practical solutions for a pressing public health concern.
Prerequisites
Students without a baccalaureate degree in public health from a CEPH accredited program must successfully complete our non-credit, online, self-paced prerequisite course before starting classes. The fee for the online course is $200.
Accreditation
Sacramento State is fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
Sacramento State’s Master of Public Health program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Course Offerings
The program provides advanced training in mixed methodology, so some courses cover quantitative analysis from a variety of applications, while others cover qualitative analysis across several applications. The concentration is in Health Promotion, Policy, and Leadership. There is fundamental training in epidemiology and biostatistics, with more advanced training in Program Planning and Policy Analysis.
Information Sessions
Join us at an upcoming information session on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Prospective students can watch a previously recorded information session on our YouTube page.
Employment Outlook
Access career data at the Master of Public Health catalog for Labor Market Insights.
Costs
Course fees for this program are on a per-unit basis and will remain the same for the duration of the two-year cohort.
- Fall 2025 cohort course fees will be $689/unit.
- Fall 2026 cohort course fees will be $730/unit.
Students pay for each course as they enroll. Additionally, admitted students who do not have a baccalaureate degree in public health from a CEPH accredited program are required to successfully complete MPH 100, our non-credit, online, self-paced course, before starting classes to prepare them for the program content. The fee for MPH 100 is $200.
Application fees include the $70 non-refundable university application fee paid online through CSU Apply, and a $50 departmental fee which is paid upon formal admission to the program. Admitted students will pay the $50 departmental fee in their student center their first semester in the program.
Students are responsible for additional university fees related to program completion such as the graduation application, graduation date change (if needed), culminating experience workshop, thesis upload, graduation regalia and continuous enrollment (if needed).
Students are also responsible for purchasing required course textbooks and materials and parking permits.
Financial Aid
Financial Aid is available for qualified students in the program. Please visit the College of Continuing Education Financial Aid page for detailed information.
To assist with completing some Financial Aid forms, please use the MPH Program of Study flyer and the University’s academic calendars. (Please note that CCE class dates may vary slightly from the academic calendar.)
Still have questions about Financial Aid?
Email ccefinancialaid@csus.edu
Browse previous students’ culminating experience projects.
How to Apply
Upcoming Dates
- Fall 2027 Application Opens: Aug. 1, 2026
- Application Submissions Start: Oct. 1, 2026
- Priority Deadline: Dec. 1, 2026
- Final Deadline for International Applicants: March 1, 2027
- Final Deadline for Domestic Applicants: May 1, 2027 – admission offer based on space available
All complete applications received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Monday, Dec. 1, 2026, will be reviewed and considered for admission for the Fall 2027 cohort. Applications submitted after Dec. 1, 2026, will be considered only if they are complete and admission will be offered only if space is available. No applications will be accepted after May 1, 2027. We do not review incomplete applications.
Basic Requirements
To be considered for admission to the Master of Public Health program, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications:
- a completed baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
- a minimum GPA of 3.0 from the last undergraduate or graduate degree completed;
- 2 years of full-time, professional work experience in public health or a related field is preferred.
Domestic applicants with foreign documents and international students (F-1 or J-1 visa applicants) must consult the Office of Graduate Studies and lnternational Programs & Global Engagement for specific application instructions. These students must also submit TOEFL scores as needed; for more information, please visit the Office of Graduate Studies website.
Applicants must submit the following documents to be considered for admissions:
- Completed Cal State Apply application;
- MPH Supplemental Application Form;
- Official and unofficial transcripts from all higher education (unofficial transcripts are uploaded with the Cal State Apply application, but once students are admitted they must submit official transcripts before matriculation);
- A professional resume or CV;
- Personal statement (essay).
Please note:
- The GRE is NOT required.
- Letters of Recommendation are NOT required.
- Contact information for two references IS required.
- This is not a STEM program.
Prerequisite
- Foundational knowledge competencies are prerequisite knowledge that students are expected to have when entering the MPH program. Students may demonstrate mastery of the competencies in either of the following two ways:
- Undergraduate degree in public health, community health from a CEPH accredited program.
- Successful completion of the MPH 100 course with a score of 80% or higher on all course assessments.
- Students are informed once they have submitted their Intent To Enroll (ITE) as a final step in the admission process whether they must complete MPH 100 in order to matriculate as a student in the MPH program. MPH 100 is a self-paced, asynchronous, non-credit course with a cost of $200. Students must successfully complete the course the summer before starting their first semester in the MPH program.
Submission Steps
Step 1: Complete the Sacramento State Graduate Application online.
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- Submit your Cal State Apply application online.
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- After setting up your Cal State Apply account and completing your Extended Profile, select the MPH program on the Add Program page:
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- Filter for: Sacramento
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- Scroll to: SACRAMENTO EXTENSION
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- Click the plus sign (“+”) next to: Public Health – Master of Public Health
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- Verify the start term and year: Fall 2027
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- After setting up your Cal State Apply account and completing your Extended Profile, select the MPH program on the Add Program page:
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- While completing the application, you must list all colleges/universities you have attended, even if you did not earn a degree from that institution, or if you only enrolled in one class and dropped it.
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- You do not need to list each individual course you completed through each institution.
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- While completing the application, you must list all colleges/universities you have attended, even if you did not earn a degree from that institution, or if you only enrolled in one class and dropped it.
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- The $70 non-refundable University Application fee will be paid online at the end of the application before submission.
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- Admitted students pay a $50 departmental application fee upon formal admission to the program.
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- If you have technical issues with the application, please call 857-304-2087 for assistance.
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- We strongly urge you to submit your application several weeks in advance of the deadline to give yourself enough time to complete the remaining steps in the application process.
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- View the Graduate Application Guide for detailed instructions.
Step 2: Submit Supplemental Program Application Documents
To be considered for admission, you must also submit all supplemental program application documents. Submit these items in Quadrant IV of the Cal State Apply application.
Please upload the following required documents:
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- Completed MPH Supplemental Application. This is an editable PDF that you can fill out, save, and upload online. (Please double-check that your information is saved in the editable fields before uploading.) If you prefer, you may print the form, fill it out by hand, sign and scan the form before uploading.
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- A current professional resume or CV: 1-2 pages maximum, addressing your relevant paid and unpaid experience.
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- Personal Essay: Please provide a personal essay that addresses each of the three prompts below. Be sure to number and title each section of the essay in alignment with the prompts listed below and limit your responses to no more than one page for each prompt (maximum three pages in total).
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- Three Essay Prompts:
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- Path to Public Health: How did you become interested in the field of public health and why are you pursuing a graduate degree in this field? Why are you applying to the MPH program at Sacramento State?
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- Commitment to Public Health: What are your career goals and how will an MPH help you advance those goals? Describe the ways you are committed to serving many different communities as a public health professional.
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- My Readiness for Graduate Education: How have you prepared your life to meet the demands of graduate-level education? How have your life experiences so far prepared you to collaborate with colleagues in the program from a variety of different backgrounds?
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- Three Essay Prompts:
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- Formatting Requirements: Your essay must (i) include your name at the top, (ii) be organized by number and title according to the list of prompts above, (iii) be double-spaced with 12-point font and 1-inch margins, and (iv) be saved as a PDF. Your essay must address all three prompts listed above. Essays are scored for completeness, depth of content, and writing mechanics.
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- Personal Essay: Please provide a personal essay that addresses each of the three prompts below. Be sure to number and title each section of the essay in alignment with the prompts listed below and limit your responses to no more than one page for each prompt (maximum three pages in total).
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- One set of unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, including transcripts from ALL community colleges attended and colleges where credit was earned as a high school student or evidence of foreign document submission to an approved evaluation agency. If you have attended more than five colleges/universities, please combine your unofficial transcripts. Five uploaded documents are the maximum allowed. Missing documents will result in a delay in application processing.
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- If you have transcripts from institutions outside of the United States, please submit your transcripts one month prior to the deadline to allow time for a foreign credential evaluation. Please review the Office of Graduate Studies website for information about applicants with foreign documents.
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- Once admitted to the program, applicants are required to submit one official transcript from all colleges and/or universities attended, in university-sealed envelopes or through the university’s e-transcript service (preferred method) directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by the transcript deadline.
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- One set of unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, including transcripts from ALL community colleges attended and colleges where credit was earned as a high school student or evidence of foreign document submission to an approved evaluation agency. If you have attended more than five colleges/universities, please combine your unofficial transcripts. Five uploaded documents are the maximum allowed. Missing documents will result in a delay in application processing.
Step 3: Submit official transcripts.
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- An official copy of transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, other than Sacramento State; send electronic transcripts to gradtranscripts@csus.edu or hard copy transcripts to:
Office of Graduate Studies
California State University, Sacramento
Riverfront Center, Room 215, MS 6112
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819
- An official copy of transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, other than Sacramento State; send electronic transcripts to gradtranscripts@csus.edu or hard copy transcripts to:
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- Photocopies or opened transcripts are not accepted.
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- If you have transcripts from institutions outside of the United States, please submit your transcripts one month prior to the deadline to allow time for a foreign credential evaluation. Please review the Office of Graduate Studies website for information about applicants with foreign documents.
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- We also strongly urge you to put in your requests to have your official transcripts sent to us from US institutions several weeks in advance of the deadline to ensure that we receive them in time.
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- For detailed instructions about applying to Cal State Apply, see the Office of Graduate Studies Application Information and Procedures webpage.
After you have submitted all application materials
Around the end of February 2027, we will begin sending notifications of admission decisions to applicants.
Please keep an eye out for further instructions from program staff regarding your next steps. If you are formally admitted, you will receive instructions for submitting your $50 departmental application fee, how to complete the online Public Health Foundational Knowledge course (if required based on your academic history), and any other final steps in the formal admission process before you can begin the program.
International Applicants
Applicants must possess the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree to apply for a graduate program. International Admissions conducts an in-house review of foreign credentials for F-1 and J-1 applicants. WES evaluation is not required, but is accepted if applicants choose to submit official transcripts and degree certificates through WES. Other Sacramento State accepted credential evaluation services are ACEI and ECE.
If you earned a degree from an institution located in a nation where English is not the official language, you must take the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE.
Submit your Cal State Apply International Application, and follow the instructions above to help find the program. Please review the Cal State Application International Guide if you need help completing the application.
Other documents required for the application can be found on the International Programs & Global Engagement (IPGE) International Admissions webpage
If you have an F or J visa only and foreign documents, please visit: Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) Applicants with Foreign Documents webpage
Send documents for OGS to:
California State University, Sacramento
Office of Graduate Studies
Riverfront Center 215, MS 6112
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819
Send documents for IPGE to:
California State University, Sacramento
International Admissions
Modoc Hall 4005, MS 6012
3020 State University Drive
Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
FAQ
Program Structure
What MPH (Master of Public Health) concentrations do you offer?
We have one concentration: Health Promotion, Policy, and Leadership.
What is the format for the classes?
In-person classes start after 5 p.m. to accommodate working professionals. You’ll meet no more than two days per week with the specific day of the week varying. Course length and start and end dates match the 16-week academic schedule for the Fall and Spring semesters. The summer session differs slightly.
Are classes online?
This is a hybrid program where about half of each course is delivered in-person during the week and the other half is delivered asynchronously online.
Can I take summer courses?
Yes. The cohort completes two classes in the summer between their first and second year. These are 10-week courses (about two and a half months) and start the same week as the main campus summer session schedule. No other summer courses are offered or required as a part of the MPH program requirements.
What if I need to take a leave of absence?
The University has a leave-of-absence policy. Students wishing to take a leave of absence should consult the Graduate Coordinator. Please be aware that if you take a leave of absence, there will be a disruption to your course sequencing and thus your enrollment with your cohort. Joining another cohort could change your per-unit course fees. All students are required to adhere to the seven-year Master’s degree completion timeline.
Application Information
What type of undergraduate degree do you have to have to get into the MPH?
All undergraduate degrees are welcome. Public Health is a broad field of study and includes many different disciplines.
What are the prerequisite requirements for the MPH program?
You must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university (or U.S. equivalent) with a minimum GPA (grade point average) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Additionally, you must either:
a) have earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from a CEPH-accredited program, OR
b) complete our MPH 100 course
I received my degree from a different country, can I still apply?
Yes, but your degree must first be evaluated before your application can be reviewed by us. You must submit documents at least one (1) month prior to the posted deadline. This is a university requirement. The MPH program does not have the authority to waive the degree evaluation requirement.
Helpful links for international applicants:
Do you accept International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) results?
If you earned a degree from an institution located in a nation where English is not the official language, you must take the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE. This is a university requirement. The MPH program does not have the authority to waive the language exam requirement.
Helpful links for language requirements:
What if I do not have a 3.0 GPA?
We will review complete applications with a final cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater from the most recently completed undergraduate or graduate degree. While we may also consider applications with a cumulative GPA between 2.75 and 2.99, exceptions to this requirement are rare and limited in number. Applicants with a GPA below 2.75 will not be reviewed and therefore denied.
What if I do not have two years of work experience in public health?
While two years’ work experience in public health is preferred, we will consider all work experience — paid and unpaid. When preparing your application, include volunteer public health experience and professional public health work.
Other Considerations
Is financial aid available?
Yes, primarily in the form of unsubsidized loans or scholarships. We also offer two paid Graduate Assistantships per year, per cohort.
Is your program application in the Centralized Application Service for Public Health (SOPHAS)?
No. Our main application is on Cal State Apply, with our supplemental application available on our website.
Is this program accredited by the Council of Education for Public Health (CEPH)?
Yes, we are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Is there an application fee waiver?
No. We do not offer an application fee waiver. Fee waivers for graduate programs are uncommon.
Can I transfer units from another MPH program at another school?
It depends but is highly unlikely. Each MPH program varies with how they organize their content. Also, our MPH program is a cohort model — which means our students take all coursework together with their cohort.
Is this a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Designated Degree Program?
No. The MPH is not a DHS STEM program.
Is this a clinical program/degree?
No, this is not a clinical degree. Public health is the study of prevention, promotion and policy at the population health level. Public health interventions have led to greater life expectancy and better quality of life.
What careers/jobs can I get with an MPH?
There are a wide variety of careers that you can have with an MPH degree. Here is a brief list of industries and job titles from our MPH graduates:
- Director of Community Safety Programs at Health Education Council
- Outreach Specialist and Youth Coordinator at Yolo County Health and Human Services
- Program Administrator at Center for Collaborative Planning
- Program Analyst at Seneca Family of Agencies
- Field Researcher on the Medical Mentoring Project at UC San Francisco
- CalFresh Outreach Program Manager at California Department of Social Services
- Statewide Manager for Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program at UC Davis Health
- Outreach Care Specialist at Elevance Health
- Associate Governmental Program Analyst at California Department of Public Health