Christina Krueger

"My favorite aspect of the program would have to be how flexible the classes are with working full time. At the beginning of the program, our classes were at night, so I was able to attend after work. The last two semesters have been online, which is very convenient."

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Being a student in this program has given me the confidence to succeed. Our class projects are always based on actual events that are happening. We have written grants for real non-profits in our community. By guiding me, I have been able to write a grant in my current job and feel confident in myself. The professors are always there to help and offer office hours to meet with them one on one. What made me decide to go to graduate school was that I wanted to further my career in the Public Health field. I currently work in the field, and I know with this MPH degree, I will be able to accomplish more and grow in my career that will hopefully lead to a state-level position. Some tips to make the best of the program: Never be afraid to ask questions, the professors in this program are very supportive. Make the most of the resources that you have, make connections with your classmates. Many of your classmates are in the same field as you and could help you potentially get a job. Make sure that the program is something that you are passionate about and live and breathe what the goals are of your program. Remember that your advisor is always there for you and utilize their office hours. Be sure to keep a planner so that you can manage your time well. Always remember that your hard work will pay off because nothing worth having comes easy but its always worth it.

Ashley Brenner

'My favorite aspect of the MPH program is equally both the flexibility of the program and the course topics. Since graduating in 2014 with my Bachelor of Science, I have been drawn to Public Health. I have found the topics covered in the MPH program to be extremely interesting and educational. Because of the options of both hybrid and online courses, this program was built to be extremely flexible around students’ work and family schedules, which is a huge bonus for me."

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This program allows me to juggle work, family and school all at once. I am able to complete assignments at my own pace, which has made scheduling a lot easier for me. The topics of the program include a lot of different aspects of public health, so you are almost always guaranteed to be learning something new that can be used in your day-to-day career path. I chose to go to graduate school because I have a strong passion for public health, and I felt that getting my MPH would allow me to grow in both my knowledge and experience. I loved my undergrad experience at SVSU, so I knew that SVSU would be a perfect choice for completing my graduate degree. You can make the best of the program by really diving into the studies and dedicating the appropriate time and energy to the materials. Scheduling my weeks ahead of time to incorporate my studies has been the backbone to my success in the program. Additionally, having open communication with both your classmates and professors will not only help you succeed in the program but will also help you to gain a ton of knowledge and insight into public health professions.

Shadarryl Hardnett

"My favorite aspect of the program is the HS 660 Public Health Field Experience course. I really like that the program offers us, students, an opportunity to obtain hands-on experience in the field/area we are most interested in through this course. The knowledge and skills that will be gained through this course can open up more doors of opportunities for us to advance in our future careers."

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Being in this program helps open my eyes to the many opportunities that are available in the field of Public Health. As a student, I feel very supported not only by my classmates but by all of the instructors as well. I can really sense the staff who are apart of this program really cares about making our learning experience through this program valuable to our future careers. I decided to go to Graduate School to expand my knowledge on the needs of Public Health not just in our local communities but as well as at the state and federal levels. After receiving my Bachelor's Degree, I realized there was still more that I wanted to learn in hopes of advancing both personally and professionally. Utilize your resources, Graduate school is a little different than undergraduate because in Graduate school, you get to focus on the one specific subject you are most interested in instead of taking various different classes such as gen. ed. classes in undergrad. Take advantage of the many skills you will be learning and try to reflect on every assignment/project as to how it relates or can relate to your future professional role. We took a theory class as well as a professional grant writing class and I was able to use the knowledge and skills learned from both of these classes to assist in writing a professional grant for my current place of employment.