Master of Public Health - Dental Emphasis degree online
A.T. Still University’s (ATSU) Master of Public Health – Dental Emphasis (MPH-D) online degree prepares students for advanced positions in dental public health services with an evidence-based, rigorous curriculum available completely online. Offered as a program in the College of Graduate Health Studies (CGHS), the program is designed for dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and other dental professional who aspire to be an oral health advocate in their communities. It is also suitable for individuals interested in pursuing a career in dental public health. This program equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to advance their careers and make a positive impact in oral health.
MPH-D students prepare to address society’s dental public health issues through relevant, applied curriculum taught by esteemed faculty. With courses taught by industry leaders dedicated to their success, graduates complete their public health dental degree confident that they have the evidence-based best practices needed to impact oral healthcare and create more access opportunities.
ATSU’s unique MPH Dental program empowers graduates with the expertise needed to tackle oral health disparities in underserved communities. The fully online curriculum includes specialized courses in dental public health that address key topics such as professionalism and ethics, healthcare policy and management, and the financing of dental care for underserved populations.
Graduates of ATSU-CGHS’ MPH Dental program are leaders in the field of comprehensive dental public health. They excel in their advanced positions within community health centers, institutes of higher education, non-profit organizations, and local, state, and national government agencies.
The Master of Public Health – Dental Emphasis program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), meeting the profession’s established standards and covering essential skills and knowledge needed for today’s jobs. View ATSU’s CEPH self-study for additional information.
![online flexibility](/images/uploads/icons-MS_online.png)
100% Online
Flexibility
![curriculum](/images/uploads/icons-MS_certs-licensing.png)
ABDPH-Based
Curriculum
![graduate](/images/uploads/icons-MS_graduate.png)
Graduate in
25 months
![advanced standing](/images/uploads/icons-MS_multimodal.png)
multimodal
course content
![faculty](/images/uploads/icons-MS_research-dental.png)
contribute to
dental research
![start dates](/images/uploads/icons-MS_public-health-dental.png)
improve dental
public health
Program essentials
Master of Public Health - Dental Emphasis curriculum overview
ATSU-CGHS’s Master of Public Health – Dental Emphasis curriculum sets the standard for comprehensive dental public health training using evidence-based dentistry and best practices to develop leaders who are fully prepared to address society’s dental public health issues.Career advancement
According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, overall employment of public health professionals from 2019-29 is predicted to grow much faster than the average for all occupations. Graduates with a master's degree in public health with a dental emphasis have a variety of career opportunities:
- Dental director in a community health center
- Dental director for a local or state health department
- Dental manager in a professional dental organization
- Dental personnel in a federal health agency
- Dental faculty in dental or dental hygiene school
- Dental personnel for an insurance company
- Epidemiologist
- Manager in a community-based nonprofit
- Public health administrator
- Researcher
Requirements
- Application:
- Completed and signed admissions application along with a nonrefundable application fee.
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Academic:
- An accredited bachelor’s degree from a university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Applicants who received their qualifying degree from a university outside the United States will have to provide a degree equivalency evaluation.*
- Official transcript from the qualifying degree-granting institution. For students using VA benefits transcripts for all institutions attended are required.
- Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) at the qualifying degree institution.
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Elements of Success:
- A current resume
- Completion of an essay
- English Proficiency **
- Meet technology requirements***
*Applicants who have graduated from a foreign college or university should submit acceptable evidence of U.S. degree/course equivalency. All course work taken at the foreign institution must be evaluated for American institution equivalence by one of the following services:
- World Education Services P.O. Box 5087 Bowling Green Station New York, NY 10274-5087 p: (212) 966-6311 f: (212) 739-6139 info@wes.org
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. P.O. Box 514070 Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470 (414) 289-3400
- American Assn. of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 520 Washington, DC 20036-1135 (202) 293-9161
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. International Education Consultants 7101 SW 102 Avenue Miami FL 33173 p: (305) 273 -1616 f: (305) 273 -1338 info@jsilny.com
- Intl. Education Research Foundation, Inc. PO Box 3665 Culver City, CA 90231-3665 (310) 258-9451
**Applicants are required to demonstrate proficiency in English when applying to A.T. Still University’s College of Graduate Studies. Written and spoken proficiency in the English language may be demonstrated by one of the following options:
- Option 1 - English is your first language.
- Option 2 - Graduated from a regionally accredited four year college/university in the United States with a BA/BS or graduate degree.
- Option 3 - You are demonstrating your English proficiency by submitting acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Accepted test types for CGHS are:
The Computer Based Test (CBT), Internet Based Test (iBT), or the Paper Based Test (PBT) are accepted. The following are the minimum required score based on test type:
- CBT - minimum total score of 213
- iBT - minimum total score of 80
- PBT - minimum total score of 550
The TOEFL is administered by TOEFL/TSE Services, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ, 08541-6151, USA 609. 771.7100. A.T. Still University’s institutional code is 0339. Please be sure to include this information when you submit your application packet. TOEFL Educational Testing Services P.O. Box 6151 Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, 609.771.7100
***ATSU technology requirements
Year 1
Year 2
Tuition
Review tuition and fees for the Master of Public Health - Dental Emphasis program. Please note tuition and fees are subject to change.
Financial Aid
Federal financial aid is available for qualifying students. For more information visit Enrollment Services or contact them at 660.626.2019 ext. 2019 or by email at enrollmentservices@atsu.edu.
Jeff Chaffin, DDS, MPH, MBA, MHA, is an assistant professor in the Master of Public Health – Dental Emphasis program at A.T. Still University. Dr. Chaffin graduated from the University of Tampa in 1988, and received a doctor of dental surgery from the University of Nebraska in 1992, a master’s in public health from the University of Michigan in 2000, a master’s in business administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2006, and a master’s in healthcare administration from Baylor University in 2006. Dr. Chaffin is a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health, currently serves as the immediate past president of the American Board of Dental Public Health, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Fellow of the International College of Dentistry, a member of the Official Order of Military Medical Merit (O2M3), and he holds the Surgeon General’s “A” designator for excellence in Dental Public Health.
Dr. Chaffin spent 21 years on active duty in the US Army serving as the chief of dental for TRICARE. His research interests focused on dental patient satisfaction and military dental readiness. Current research work is focused on dental sealants and factors associated with dental care utilization.
Jaana Gold, DDS, PhD, MPH, CPH, is a professor at A.T. Still University College of Graduate MPH program, and an adjunct clinical associate professor at the University of Florida College of Dentistry, in the Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Gold received her DDS degree from the University of Oulu, Finland in 1992; a doctorate degree in preventive dentistry in 2005; and completed advanced education program in dental public health at NYU Langone Hospitals in NYU in 2019. She brings over 25 years of experience in teaching, research, and practice in dentistry.
Dr. Gold’s research interests include caries management and prevention, oral health promotion, dental education, and dental public health. She has published original research in peer-reviewed journals and presented in several international and national conferences. She is teaching dental epidemiology, evidence-based dentistry, dental research, global health issues, and dental public health, and she serves as an advisor for MPH students and dental public health residents. Dr. Gold is a member of several national and international professional organizations; serves in several national and institutional leadership roles and continue to conduct research and promote and advocate for oral health in underserved populations.
![Mary-Katherine McNatt, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, CPH, COI](/images/uploads/smith-mary-katherine.jpg)
Chair and Associate Professor
Mary-Katherine McNatt, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, CPH, COI, is department chair and associate professor of the Master of Public Health program at A.T. Still University-College of Graduate Health Studies.
Dr. McNatt holds a doctorate of public health with an emphasis in social and behavioral sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, a master’s in rural public health from Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, and a bachelor’s in biology from Texas A&M University with a minor in chemistry. She is a master certified health education specialist, is certified in public health, and is a certified online instructor.
Dr. McNatt has extensive experience in epidemiology, program planning, community health, and public health preparedness; with experience working in the non-profit sector, government sector as well as in academia. She has been teaching online since 2007, and has completed and obtained her online teaching certificate from Sloan-C, COI from LERN, and is currently taking courses from Quality Matters.
Prior to becoming a full time academic, Dr. McNatt was the first full time pandemic program planner in the state of Texas at Dallas County Health and Human Services. Key activities included enhancing existing surveillance systems for seasonal influenza, educating community leaders through created lectureships and programs, and provide consulting services for agencies in developing their own business continuity and continuity of operations plans. Prior to her employment for Dallas County she worked as a community health facilitator for Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Fort Worth, focusing on community health education and outreach.
Dr. McNatt has published multiple research articles on pandemic planning and emergency preparedness, and on social media in educating diverse populations; she also presents regularly at national conferences on rural border health issues, health equity, social media and water scarcity as a public health issue, this includes presentations at American Public Health Association and National Rural Health Association. She has served as a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association as well as former chairman of the American Heart Association Cultural Health Initiatives Tarrant County Task Force. She is a member of the National Rural Health Associations Government Advisory Council, National Rural Health Association’s Health Equity Board, and serves on the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health Education Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Best Practices in Pedagogy subcommittee. She is also a CPH question writer.
Dr. McNatt’s research interests include cultural health disparities, rural /border health issues, maternal and child health, public health preparedness, and special medical needs populations.
In her spare time she enjoys riding horses and traveling. Dr. McNattlives in Texas with family.
Gregory Loeben, PhD, MA, is an associate professor and the MPH practicum coordinator in A.T. Still University’s College of Graduate Health Studies. Previously, Dr. Loeben served as an associate professor and coordinator of bioethics at Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz., where he created and ran a master’s degree program in medical ethics. Prior to Midwestern, he was coordinator of the Outreach Program at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics. He received a bachelor’s in both philosophy and environmental studies from the University of Vermont, and a master’s and doctorate in philosophy from the University of Arizona.
Dr. Loeben has served as a consultant or advisor on medical ethics issues to numerous healthcare institutions. He is on the board of the Arizona Bioethics Network and serves as a consultant He has an extensive experience in clinical ethics consultations, working with healthcare ethics committees, and research institutional review boards. His current research interests include a variety of issues in public health ethics, clinical ethics consultation, and online ethics education. More specifically, Dr. Loeben is interested in how professional and conscience based refusals to participate in an apparent medical activity should be understood. He is also interested in developing tools to measure the effectiveness of animal therapy programs for special needs populations.
![Josefine Ortiz Wolfe, Ph.D., RDH, CHES](/images/uploads/wolfe.png)
Assistant Professor
Josefine Ortiz Wolfe, Ph.D., RDH, CHES, is an assistant professor in the Master of Public Health program at A.T. Still University within the College of Graduate Health Studies. Dr. Wolfe is a Registered Dental Hygienist, Certified Health Education Specialist, and a National Health Service Corps Scholar Alumni. She earned an undergraduate degree in dental hygiene from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2005, a Master of Science in public health from Walden University in 2008, and a doctoral degree from Walden University in 2017. Previously, Dr. Wolfe served as the director of the Oral Health Program at Texas Health Institute and the project coordinator of a school-based dental sealant program at the City of San Antonio’s Health Department. Dr. Wolfe serves as Chairperson for the American Public Health Association’s Oral Health Section and is also a member of the Speakers Bureau for the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. She has over a decade of oral health leadership experience, and she is a national dental health educator and speaker. Her research interests include oral health equity, social and structural determinants of health in Latino and immigrant populations, care coordination in community health centers, and health systems research.
![Anneta Bitouni, DDS, MS, MPH](/images/uploads/anneta-bitouni.png)
Assistant Professor
Anneta Bitouni DDS, MS, MPH is an assistant professor at ATSU College of Graduate Health Studies Public Health department also affiliated with Texas A&M University School of Dentistry in Dallas, TX. Dr.Bitouni obtained a DDS from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Dentistry in 2003, a Masters in Biomedical Sciences from TAMU School of Dentistry -then called Baylor, College of Dentistry- in 2006, a MPH with Dental emphasis and a certificate in Dental Public Health from ATSU CGHS in 2016. Dr. Bitouni is a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health and a member of several national professional organizations.She has also served in leadership positions in the American Association of Dental Research -Dallas section. Dr. Bitouni has been involved in academia teaching and mentoring both undergraduate dental students and public health residents for the last 15 years.
Dr. Bitouni's research interests include developing and sustaining a public health workforce in the state of Texas as well as social determinants of health and their impact on populations' health.
Marisa Hastie, EdD, MS, ACSM-EP, PN-1, FACSM is the Dean of the College of Graduate Health Studies at AT Still University. Dr. Hastie received her doctor of education from George Fox University (2013), her master of science in exercise and sport science with an emphasis in biomechanics from the University of Oregon (2003), and her bachelor of science in exercise science from Gonzaga University (2001). She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is a certified Exercise Physiologist.
Prior to joining ATSU, she was a Professor of Exercise Science and Program Chair for the Exercise Science Program at Lasell University (Newton, MA). Dr. Hastie also served as the Faculty Fellow for the Fuss Center for Research on Intergenerational Education and Aging and received the deWitt Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from Lasell University. Dr. Hastie served as Faculty Chair of the University’s governance system.
Dr. Hastie has served in several leadership roles at the regional and national level of the ACSM, which include her current roles on the Professional Education Committee at the national level and as the President-Elect for the New England chapter. Her research interests have included exploring the connection between lifelong physical activity and long-term health outcomes, the relationship between exercise training and cognition, and the effects of discrimination experiences on health-related coping behaviors.
Dr. Hastie has extensive experience in online program development, teaching, and assessment. She developed an online Master of Science in Nutrition for Human Performance program and has 18 years of experience in both synchronous and asynchronous teaching formats. She became an educator because she strongly believes in the development of the whole student as a crucial responsibility of higher education institutions.
Mary-Katherine McNatt, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, CPH, COI, is department chair and associate professor of the Master of Public Health program at A.T. Still University-College of Graduate Health Studies.
Dr. McNatt holds a doctorate of public health with an emphasis in social and behavioral sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, a master’s in rural public health from Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, and a bachelor’s in biology from Texas A&M University with a minor in chemistry. She is a master certified health education specialist, is certified in public health, and is a certified online instructor.
Dr. McNatt has extensive experience in epidemiology, program planning, community health, and public health preparedness; with experience working in the non-profit sector, government sector as well as in academia. She has been teaching online since 2007, and has completed and obtained her online teaching certificate from Sloan-C, COI from LERN, and is currently taking courses from Quality Matters.
Prior to becoming a full time academic, Dr. McNatt was the first full time pandemic program planner in the state of Texas at Dallas County Health and Human Services. Key activities included enhancing existing surveillance systems for seasonal influenza, educating community leaders through created lectureships and programs, and provide consulting services for agencies in developing their own business continuity and continuity of operations plans. Prior to her employment for Dallas County she worked as a community health facilitator for Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Fort Worth, focusing on community health education and outreach.
Dr. McNatt has published multiple research articles on pandemic planning and emergency preparedness, and on social media in educating diverse populations; she also presents regularly at national conferences on rural border health issues, health equity, social media and water scarcity as a public health issue, this includes presentations at American Public Health Association and National Rural Health Association. She has served as a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association as well as former chairman of the American Heart Association Cultural Health Initiatives Tarrant County Task Force. She is a member of the National Rural Health Associations Government Advisory Council, National Rural Health Association’s Health Equity Board, and serves on the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health Education Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Best Practices in Pedagogy subcommittee. She is also a CPH question writer.
Dr. McNatt’s research interests include cultural health disparities, rural /border health issues, maternal and child health, public health preparedness, and special medical needs populations.
In her spare time she enjoys riding horses and traveling. Dr. McNattlives in Texas with family.
University Catalog
![University Catalog Program guide](/images/uploads/atsu-university-catalog.png)
Review the University Catalog to learn more about the Master of Public Health – Dental Emphasis program and university. Read detailed course descriptions and obtain answers to many of your questions regarding application information and tuition.
Accreditation
A.T. Still University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
230 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500,
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: 800.621.7440 | Fax: 312.263.7462
Email: info@hlcommission.org
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The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) has accredited the Master of Public Health - Dental Emphasis program at ATSU-CGHS for a seven-year term extending to July 1, 2028.
The Public Health Program at A.T. Still University College of Graduate Health Studies is undergoing the re-accreditation process with the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The CEPH re-accreditation site review is scheduled for April 30 and May 1, 2028. As part of the accreditation process, CEPH encourages interested parties, including students, alumni, faculty and the practice community, to provide written input that will inform the deliberations of a site visit team. CEPH is accepting written comments about the public health program and its practices, procedures and policies until March 30, 2028.
You may send your written comments to CEPH at:
Zeinab Bazzi, MPH
Council on Education for Public Health
1010 Wayne Ave, Suite 220
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Or via email: zbazzi@ceph.org
Thank you
Master of Public Health - Dental Emphasis Degree Faculty
The ATSU-College of Graduate Health Studies faculty and staff are dedicated to helping each student succeed along their Master of Public Health – Dental Emphasis career path. They comprise an elite team of leaders in their respective fields, with all faculty members holding doctorate degrees. The public health dental degree program offers an exclusive opportunity to learn from the finest educators in the public health field. All coursework is taught by industry leaders, academic innovators, and former top public servants. No teaching assistants are used in any of the courses. Faculty provides support to students in various ways. Communication with online public health degree students includes email, chat, forum postings, and phone. They serve as facilitators and mentors, helping students to meet course objectives, apply key concepts to real-world situations, and develop the skills needed for success in the healthcare industry. Additional support is provided to students through comprehensive student services such as advising and technical support.
Faculty Forums
Application
Review application deadline dates
For additional information contact an Enrollment Counselor:
877.626.5577 or cghsonlineadmissions@atsu.edu
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Submit an inquiry for more information on your program of interest.
Missouri Campus
800 W. Jefferson Street Kirksville, MO 63501
877.626.5577
cghsonlineadmissions@atsu.edu
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Wondering if the MPH-D is the perfect fit for you?
ATSU-CGHS offers a variety of master's programs that meet your professional needs and career goals.