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New Online Master’s Degree Programs – May 2020

Five accredited, non-profit colleges and universities have recently introduced new online master’s programs in health and healthcare fields. These programs include Master of Public Health (MPH) programs, as well as Master of Science (MS) programs in Healthcare Quality and Safety, Health Information Management, and Food Science and Human Nutrition. The schools offering these programs are located in Massachusetts, Florida, New York, Missouri, and Maine. They include Boston University (BU), Jacksonville University, The State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo), Stephens College, and the University of Maine.

Boston University (BU) – Online Executive Master of Public Health (EMPH) Program

BU’s School of Public Health recently launched an online Executive Master of Public Health (EMPH) program that is designed for mid-career healthcare professionals. It consists of ten courses that are offered in seven-week blocks, allowing students to complete the program’s 42 credits in one year of full-time enrollment or two-years of part-time enrollment. To be eligible for the program, applicants must have a minimum of five years of relevant work experience in healthcare or a health-related field. BU’s online EMPH program is currently accepting applicants for the fall of 2020 and will begin accepting applications for a spring of 2021 start date in August of this year.

Jacksonville University – Online Master of Science (MS) in Healthcare Quality and Safety (HQS) Program

Florida’s Jacksonville University recently introduced a new online Master of Science (MS) in Healthcare Quality and Safety (HQS) program and is now accepting applications on a rolling basis for several start dates in 2020. The online MS in HQS program is designed for working professionals and consists of 33 credits of graduate coursework in health law, regulatory issues, improvement science, biostatistics, epidemiology, information technology management, and other topics integral to healthcare quality and safety management. In addition, students in the program must complete a three-credit applied capstone project in order to fulfill the 36 credits that are required to graduate. Applicants to the program are not required to have prior professional experience, although a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale is preferred.

The State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) – Online Master of Public Health (MPH) Program

The School of Public Health and Health Professions at The State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) is offering a new online Master of Public Health (MPH) program that is accepting applicants for the fall of 2020. The SUNY Buffalo program is an Online Individualized MPH program that focuses on the theories and principles of population health and their application in disease prevention and wellness promotion through advocacy, planning, and the implementation of public health policies and initiatives. Students in the program must complete 44 credits of coursework to graduate, which can be done is as few as four or as many as eight semesters, depending upon how many credits a student earns per semester. The program does not require applicants to have prior professional experience in healthcare, but it does require students to engage in field training at a public health site approved by the program.

Stephens College – Online Master of Science in Health Information Management (MS-HIM) Program

Stephens College in Columbia, MO has launched a new online Master of Science in Health Informatics Management (MS-HIM) program with a curriculum that focuses on the tools, technologies, and processes used to collect, maintain, access, and protect healthcare data and patient information. The program, which has start dates in June and August of 2020, as well as in January of 2021, has an enrollment structure that allows students to complete the 36 required credits in five semesters of full-time enrollment or seven semesters of part-time enrollment. While applicants are not required to have prior professional experience, they are expected to have completed undergraduate coursework in medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology, computer concepts and algorithms, pharmacology, and statistics. Stephens College’s online MS-HIM program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

The University of Maine – Online Master of Science (MS) in Food Science and Human Nutrition Program

The School of Food and Agriculture at the University of Maine has begun offering a new online Master of Science (MS) in Food Science and Human Nutrition program through UMaineOnline. The 30-credit program, which has rolling admissions, requires applicants to have successfully completed undergraduate coursework in biology, chemistry, and nutrition. The program consists of ten courses in topics that include nutritional assessment, food safety and quality control, organic and natural foods, nutritional research, and food preservation. While the program does not include a thesis or capstone project, it does provide students with training in research methodologies, professional writing and communication skills as preparation for careers in the food, beverage, and brewing industries.