St. Thomas Launches Online Master of Public Health Degree

The newest graduate degree from the University of St. Thomas aims to help combat one of the nation’s most critical shortages of health care professionals. The university’s Morrison Family College of Health is now recruiting for its online Master of Public Health (MPH) program; early application is now open for the first cohort that will start in fall 2026.

The offering represents the first graduate degree from the college’s Health and Exercise Science program and comes in response to a rapidly changing landscape that requires more professionals who can address health care challenges at the macro-level.

“The College of Health recognizes that resilient and purposeful leaders can overcome challenges more easily because of their passion to advance the common good. Each graduate will have a ripple effect as an advocate for prevention and early intervention when equipped with an advanced public health degree,” said Dr. MayKao Y. Hang, the founding dean of the Morrison Family College of Health.

The degree coincides with the college’s five-year anniversary, reflecting a strategic next step for a college established just before a pandemic and successfully growing despite tumultuous times in health care delivery.

The shortage of public health professionals is a serious issue with far-reaching consequences, according to the American Public Health Association. The future of the public health field projects robust growth and opportunity, driven by increasing demand for professionals in healthcare, a growing aging population, and a greater focus on health equity and data-driven approaches.

The Master of Public Health at St. Thomas was designed to help meet the immense societal need to recruit more public health professionals to the field. This is especially critical given Americans face multiple health challenges caused by chronic diseases, extreme weather events, spread of infectious diseases, rising health care costs, digital health challenges, and disparities in health outcomes. Graduates of the program will receive a prevention-focused education, learning to intervene early – at the structural, policy, environmental, and community levels – rather than waiting for illness to emerge.

“Whether you’re a heath care provider, community leader, researcher, or someone with a background in law or business interested in transitioning into public health, this degree opens the door to a wide range of careers in public health leadership, management, policy, and research,” said Dr. Amy Hedman-Robertson, who, in collaboration with other St. Thomas faculty and staff, developed the degree to meet rigorous educational standards.

As the first graduate degree to come out of Morrison College’s Health and Exercise Science program, the MPH aligns with St. Thomas’ commitment to educate morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good.

“The Master of Public Health will equip students to safeguard health at the population level, focusing not just on treating illness, but on preventing illness and ensuring all people have the opportunity to live healthy lives,” Hedman-Robertson said. “St. Thomas aims to strengthen the workforce by empowering the next generation of public health professionals to improve community health, advocate for policy change, and tackle health disparities.”

Hedman-Robertson, who is currently a professor of health and exercise science in the undergraduate public health degree program, is excited to step into the director role for the MPH.

“This program will empower students to gain specialized knowledge and skills, directly impacting their career prospects as well as their communities,” she said.