Online Master of Science in Community Health & Prevention Science
Take an active role in preventing and promoting social, physical, and mental health of your local community with the University of Cincinnati’s online MS Community Health and Prevention Science program.
Master of Science in Community Health and Prevention Science Program Overview
Prevention science is an emerging, interdisciplinary field of public health that focuses on preventing negative health outcomes by introducing behavior changes.
In this program, students will develop skills to plan, implement, and evaluate community health behavior change programs using a prevention science framework.
Students will be eligible to pursue three highly recognized credentials following graduation:
- Prevention Specialist from the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium.
- State-level Prevention Specialist credentialing from the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium state level boards in the United States.
- Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam through the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing.
Master of Science in Community Health and Prevention Science Program Highlights
High Quality Education
This degree is designed to provide students with the fundamentals of Prevention Science and Community Health. Students will focus on measuring risk and protective factors that modify health behavior and will learn to take those factors to potentially develop and implement prevention programs and interventions. Graduates of this degree program will possess skills needed to positively impact communities through evidence-based prevention practices. Bringing research and practical applications together, graduates will be highly prepared to initiate health behavior change at the family, school, and community settings.
- Instruction from award-winning faculty including cutting-edge prevention science experts, scholars, and highly experienced prevention science professionals.
- Develop strategic leadership and professional decision-making skills, including critically analyzing data and applying those concepts to effective programs and health behavior change.
- A culminating portfolio project, reviewed and approved by your instructors to prepare you for credentialing exams.
- Elective course offerings such as drugs and society, suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, vulnerable population health, community organization and grant writing.
Flexibility
- 100% online instruction
- Financial aid available
- Easy to transfer credits
- Enroll in the spring, summer, or fall semesters
- Part-time flexibility
Support from Application through Graduation
At UC, you’ll have a full support team behind you:
Enrollment Services Advisor: Your go-to resource during the application process
Student Success Coordinator: Helping you prepare for classes and stay on track
Access to Resources: Access to university resources that will support you through your program including online learning expectations and resources, health and wellness resources, and academic support
Applications to the MS Community Health and Prevention Science online program are reviewed on an ongoing basis by an admissions committee comprised of program faculty.
Competitive applicants should have at least a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (or equivalent). Applicants with relevant work experience or nationally-accredited health certifications are also encouraged to apply, and should list this information in their Resume.
Fast Track Admission
Automatic admission into the MS CHPS-DL program for undergraduate students who graduate from UC (Begins Fall 2024)
- Cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above (for courses completed at UC)
- Earned 4-year undergraduate degree from UC
- Graduated from UC within the past 5 years (15 academic semesters)
- Any major applies
- The Fast Track application process removes the Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement, CV/Resume, and Letter of Recommendation requirements from the application for qualified applicants
- Submission of transcripts as part of the application process is still required and need to be sent by the end of their first semester
Complete the online application and submit the application fee.
Standard Application Fees:
- $65.00 for domestic applicants to most degree programs
- $70.00 for international applicants to most degree programs
- $20.00 for domestic applicants to Graduate Certificates
- $25.00 for international applicants to Graduate Certificates
- Application fees for UC Online programs are waived through Fall 2026 for all applicants who apply by July 1, 2026
- Fee waivers are automatically applied for applicants who: are currently serving in the US armed forces, or are veterans of the US armed forces.
Applications are accepted continuously throughout the year. Please review and submit the following materials:
All applicants are required to upload unofficial transcripts during the application process, showing all undergraduate and graduate course work completed, including degrees granted and dates of conferral.
Official transcripts are not required until the student has received and accepted an offer of admission from the university. Once the offer has been confirmed, the student must submit official transcripts.
Students who have received degrees from the University of Cincinnati do not need to submit official paper copies of their UC transcripts.
For questions regarding international students, contact an Enrollment Services Advisor.
Transcripts can be submitted electronically or by mail. To see if your transcript(s) can be ordered electronically, visit the links below and search for your previous school(s).
- Parchment
- Please select “University of Cincinnati – Main Campus” as the recipient of your transcript.
- National Student Clearinghouse
- Please have your transcript sent directly to admissions@uc.edu.
If you do not see your past school(s) listed on either site, please contact the school(s) directly. Then, mail your sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:
Please mail sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:
University of Cincinnati
Office of Admissions
PO Box 210091
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0091
One letter of recommendation from a professional or academic contact.
- Please note that the name and email address of each recommender is required.
Please provide a current resume or curriculum vitae.
Please prepare a statement-of-purpose essay explaining in less than 500 words how the MS Community Health & Prevention Science program will further your career goals.
An official TOEFL/IELTS is required for all international applicants.
International applicants must also submit foreign transcripts for evaluation to an agency recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluating Services (NACES; www.naces.org).
| Term | Application Deadline | Classes Start |
|---|---|---|
Summer 2026 Fall 2026 |
April 28, 2026 August 15, 2026 |
May 11, 2026 August 24, 2026 |
The University of Cincinnati's online course fees differ depending on the program. On average, students will accrue fewer fees than students attending on-campus classes.
The one fee applied across all UC Online programs is the distance learning fee. Students living outside the state of Ohio must also pay an additional “non-resident” fee to enroll in courses at UC Online. This fee is lower than the out-of-state fee for traditional on-campus programs.
To view tuition information and program costs, visit the Online Program Fees page.
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