Public Health
At a Glance
Accelerated Format
Earn an MPH in One Year
Jefferson's accelerated Master of Public Health (MPH) LEAP Pathway is designed specifically for future healthcare professionals and is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
MPH LEAP students are trained to be Leaders in Evidence, Application & Prevention and they graduate ready to make a difference at the patient's side and in the community.
The LEAP Pathway is an accelerated course of public health study designed to increase the number of healthcare professionals who have advanced public health training with the goal of promoting wellness, assuring quality, and addressing the social determinants of health in the healthcare setting and in the community.
The LEAP Pathway at the Jefferson College of Population Health is designed to complement the College's existing efforts to train healthcare practitioners. This Pathway provides pre-healthcare students with an opportunity to use their "gap year" to pursue an accelerated MPH degree. The LEAP Pathway provides training in leadership, epidemiology, biostatistics, health behavior, healthcare delivery, policy, wellness, and prevention. The MPH LEAP pathway prepares students to address pressing and emerging threats to health and well-being.
Jefferson supports students on the LEAP Pathway by providing a host of structured activities that are designed to augment classroom learning. These activities focus on the intersection of public health and health care, and include a journal club, a lecture series, and an enhanced field experience with a community organization and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that focuses on prevention and health care for underserved and marginalized members of our community. In the field, students on the LEAP Pathway participate in interdisciplinary working group sessions with a variety of healthcare professionals, including social workers, dentists, nurses, and physicians. Additionally, students on the LEAP Pathway work closely with faculty to design and complete an independent Capstone Project that focuses on a topic of their choice.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the LEAP Pathway, applicants must:
- Have a competitive undergraduate GPA
- Plan to apply to a healthcare professional program within two years of graduation from JCPH. Programs include, but are not limited to, allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, psychology, dentistry, physician assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, midwifery or advanced nursing practice programs.
Benefits
Students on the LEAP Pathway will receive:
- A GPA-based scholarship
- Intensive faculty mentoring and support during the medical school or other advanced training application process
- Online admission to the Population Health Colloquium, a large national meeting hosted by the College and held each year in Philadelphia
- Financial support, up to $1,000, toward an MCAT, PCAT, DAT, or similar clinical program entrance exam preparation course
Expectations
Students on the LEAP Pathway must be prepared to manage the workload of a traditional 18 month program in one academic year. LEAP students are required to:
- Maintain active status in the MPH program on the LEAP Pathway (three trimesters of full-time study, including 15 courses and a series of structured supplemental learning activities)
- Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Complete the 120 hour required applied practice field experience (Clerkship)
- Complete an independent Capstone Project of publishable quality
- Attend Population Health Forums
- Participate in Journal Club
- Attend LEAP Pathway meetings to address emerging issues
- Attend the annual Population Health Colloquium
Application Process
To apply to the LEAP Pathway, please view the application instructions and click the SOPHAS online application link below.
