MBA MPH joint degree programs allow students to achieve their master of business administration as well as their master of public health degrees in a joint course track that allows them to obtain their degree in a fraction of the time. Graduates holding both of these degrees will be able to take their career into health care management, biotechnology, medical devices, and a myriad of other professional industries combining business with overall general health.
Having an MBA along with an MPH degree opens many doors for professionals in the health related fields, and choosing to take a joint degree program track is one way to obtain both degrees faster and get started in your professional career.
Featured Online MPH Programs
If you are looking to enroll in a MBA MPH joint degree program, the top 5 programs of today are:
#1 Yale School of Management
MBA/MPH Dual Degree Program
Summary
Yale School of Management offers 2 tracks of study when it comes to their dual degree MPH and MBA programs. One track of study is an intensive 2 year program that allows students to obtain their dual degree in a fraction of the time offered by other schools. This track of study involves course work as well as field work in a 22 month program that prepares graduates for work in both fields upon completion.
The traditional 3 year MBA MPH dual degree program involves a more relaxed study track that allows students to graduate with both degrees after the course of 3 years. This track involves required coursework as well as chosen electives that allow students to explore other facets of their field.
Tuition
Students can expect to pay around $57,950 per year in tuition while completing this dual degree program.
#2 University of Virginia Darden School of Business
MPH/MBA Dual Degree Program
Summary
Students completing this program will be able to work with staff members from University of Virginia’s Darden Business School as well as the Department of Public Health Sciences and School of Medicine to gain a well-rounded education in both business and health care practices. Graduates are prepared to work in healthcare management settings from hospitals to global community centers, and the professional careers of these graduating students are never limited. This dual degree program will typically take 3 years to complete including 2 summers of study.
Tuition
Residents of Virginia can expect to pay around $50,900 per year in tuition with out of state students paying $55,900.
#3 Boston University School of Public Health
MBA/MPH Dual Degree Program
Summary
Boston University’s School of Public Health offers a 2 year 80 credit dual degree program that allows students to obtain their MBA and MPH degrees simultaneously. This graduate program is available at a full-time rate only and requires 46 credits from the School of Management as well as 34 credits from the School of Public Health to obtain both master’s degrees. Upon completion of the program, graduates are prepared to work in any healthcare related business setting, and the short duration of the program allows graduates to continue on with their professional careers at a quicker pace.
Tuition
Both in state and out of state residents can expect to pay around $1,374 per credit in tuition during the completion of the MBA/MPH dual degree program.
#4 University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
MBA/MPH Dual Degree Program
Summary
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health offers both full and part time study programs to allow students to obtain their MBA and MPH degrees simultaneously at a pace that works for them. The full-time course program takes students an average of 2.5 years to complete, while the part-time course program will take an average of 3.5 years. There are 44 course credits required to complete this dual degree program, and these courses combine both classroom work as well as field experience to create a strong foundation of business and public health knowledge.
Tuition
Students can expect to pay around $770 per credit hour for tuition while completing this MBA/MPH dual degree program.
#5 Rutgers Business School
Master of Public Health/MBA Dual Degree Program
Summary
This dual degree program is geared towards preparing students for careers in administrative positions within the healthcare field, and both the full-time and part-time programs require the completion of up to 84 credits. The flexible part-time study program is ideal for working professionals who wish to advance their education and career to an administrative level.
Tuition
Tuition at the school costs around $21,876 for in-state residents and $30,375 for out of state students.
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Selection Criteria for MBA-MPH Joint Degree Programs
Accreditation
The quality of any advanced degree rests on the academic standards of the department that offers it. The qualifications of the faculty, the research and reference resources available, the subjects covered in the curriculum, the standards for administrative support and evaluation… these are all aspects of your degree program that you really want to know are nailed down.
That’s why accreditation from the is a crucial criteria behind the schools on this list. In joint degree programs, that can involve multiple specialty accreditors. In public health, that means an accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Accreditation is so important that it is a requirement in order to sit for the major professional certification exam, the CPH (Certified in Public Health) from NBPHE (National Board of Public Health Examiners).
In the MBA world, there are three specialty accreditors to consider:
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business(AACSB)
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs(ACBSP)
- International Accreditation Council for Business Education(IACBE)
Each has pluses and minuses; all offer credible evaluations of serious MBA programs.
Concentrations
Behind accreditation, finding a school that delivers the right concentration may be the most critical criteria for selecting the right MBA/MPH program to meet your goals. Alignment with the school’s business program is key, and not all colleges put together the kind of public health concentration options you want to see as an MBA student. We’ve worked hard to find schools for this list that have not only an excellent selection of interesting and applicable concentration options, but also that offer them with the depth and consideration they deserve.
Faculty
Although the CEPH accreditation process covers the basic skills and qualifications that a public health program must require of faculty, there’s plenty of room above that baseline for schools to distinguish themselves. There’s no question that it’s a field that has rock stars… professors like Minnesota’s Ancel Keys, who launched the revolutionary Seven Countries Study, or James Harlan Steele of UT, widely considered to be the father of veterinary public health.
And while not every school has a faculty that reaches those heights, there are many that have instructors who are highly respected in the field. We sought out programs who have faculty with genuine on-the-ground experience and expertise in the field who are active in making important contributions in both research and practice.
Cost
Although cost was not our primary consideration in developing this top picks list, it’s always something to look at when considering what school to pick for a dual MBA/MPH degree. So while we chose only schools that are the very best in the field, we let you know what the costs will look like so you can choose something that is not only excellent, but affordable.
Reputation
The top schools in public health or business don’t hide their light under a bushel; usually we’re not the only ones who have figured out they belong on lists like this. We consider the opinions of other popular third-party rankings, such as those from The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, or the Economist. Chances are good that a school we’ve found at the top of the spectrum has also been well-reviewed by one or more of them.
Balance
Anytime you’re earning a joint degree, you want to make sure you’re not leaning too far toward one degree and not getting enough exposure to the other. We looked for schools that develop tight partnerships between the schools offering each degree, who have experience in building degree paths that don’t lock you too deeply into one perspective or the other. Every program on this list has courses in both business and public health that are complementary rather than competitive.
All schools shown here have been contacted and informed of their inclusion on this list. Schools that do not wish to be featured are immediately removed. School names are the registered trademarks of their original owners. The use of any trade name or trademark does not imply any association with the school.
