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MPH Degree Personal Statement Samples

 

Statements of Purpose for Master's Degree in Public Health

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Sample 1st 2 Paragraphs for the MPH Degree

 

By the time I graduated from high school, I was focused on two things, food and travel. An African-American woman from a working-class family, my options were limited, so I became a cook in the military. This is why I did not enroll in college until the age of 24. I served my country, saw the world, and learned a great deal about food, especially the challenges involved in preparing large quantities of it in a wholesome fashion.

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I began with a Culinary Dietetics Program at a community college. Up until this time, I had not really focused, at least not primarily, on the nutritional value of food and its medical and health care implications. Soon, I became horrified to learn and reflect upon the way that we as a culture, African-Americans in particular, have been slowly killing ourselves off by the way we eat.

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Sample 1st paragraph for the MPH Degree

 

A 33-year-old woman from India, I have been living in Adelaide, Australia for the past 7 years and I will be a citizen next month. It is now time for me to return to graduate school to rebuild my career in science and nutrition. I finished my master's degree in India, and now I very much hope to complete my Master’s Studies here in Australia at XXXX University. I feel that I now have the experience and professional maturity to make the most positive contributions to the diversity and creative energy of your program. XXXX University if my first choice among graduate programs because of my profound respect for the breadth and comprehensiveness of your curricula.Why the MPH Degree?

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The MPH Degree

 

A Master of Public Health (MPH) is a graduate degree that prepares you to work in public health. Public health is an important part of any thriving community. A public health official “promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play,” according to the American Public Health Association 1. Unlike a medical degree, which prepares you to work one-on-one with a patient in a health care setting, you’ll work with communities and different populations, educating, promoting better health practices, identifying health risks, and more.

An MPH is designed to provide graduate students with the skills you’ll need to work with various populations on their health and well-being. There are in-person programs, online programs, and hybrid programs, all designed to suit each student’s unique needs. Because public health is such a broad topic, you may find that many schools offer specializations that allow you to focus on one aspect of it 1.

Some sample MPH concentrations include:

  • Biostatistics and informatics

  • Community health

  • Disaster management and emergency preparedness

  • Environmental health science

  • Epidemiology

  • Health services and administration

  • Global health

  • Maternal and child health

  • Nutrition

You can expect to take core courses in public health before you begin focusing on the area in which you’d like to specialize. As you search for MPH programs, take time to look at their required coursework and elective options so you have an idea about what types of courses you’ll need to take, and how they align with what you’d like to learn over the course of your graduate studies.

Beyond completing the coursework mentioned above, there are typically three additional requirements necessary to graduate with your Master of Public Health:

  1. Comprehensive exam: Many MPH programs require you to complete a comprehensive exam, usually after you’ve finished your required core coursework.

  2. Practicum experience: Because an MPH prepares you to begin a specific career, you will likely have to complete a practicum that puts into practice what you’ve learned. Generally, you can expect to search for a placement with a public health organization and complete supervised work.

  3. Capstone project: You will have to conduct original research in order to create a capstone project (usually a written document and a presentation) that addresses some aspect of public health.

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