Academics

Advancing Public Health at Norfolk State University

CPHI anchors NSU’s growing academic public health ecosystem — from the MPH program launched in Fall 2024 to a full roadmap of graduate degrees, certificates, and collaborative degrees in development.

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Masters of Public Health

NSU’s MPH program equips graduates with the knowledge, skills, and equity-centered lens needed to address the most pressing public health challenges facing Hampton Roads and Virginia. With a Health Equity concentration, the program prepares public health leaders to advance policy, practice, and community health — with an explicit focus on Black, Latino, low-income, and underserved communities.

Offered in Partnership with: Old Dominion University (ODU) / Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences

Concentration: Health Equity

Accreditation: CEPH site visit completed November 2025; accreditation decision anticipated mid-2026

Joint School of Public Health

The Joint School of Public Health (JSPH) represents a first-of-its-kind partnership between Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University — making NSU only the second HBCU in the nation to be part of a school of public health.

Grounded in a shared commitment to health equity, the JSPH brings together the strengths of both institutions to expand public health education, research, and community engagement across Hampton Roads and beyond. The school is dedicated to transforming public health practice, addressing health disparities, and improving health outcomes — especially in underserved communities.

High-Impact Practices (HIPs)

CPHI coordinates applied learning experiences that connect students to real-world public health practice — fulfilling NSU’s High-Impact Practice (HIP) commitments across internships, service-learning, and career readiness.

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Internships & Applied Practice Experiences (APEs)

CPHI supports all public health internship and experiential learning opportunities connected to the NSU MPH program, including Applied Practice Experiences (APEs) and community-engaged academic projects.

Annual Target: 10 student placements per semester

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Service-Learning

CPHI maintains an ecosystem of community partners providing service-learning opportunities for students. Placements span community-based organizations, faith institutions, and civic organizations throughout Hampton Roads.

Annual Target: 5 service-learning placements per semester.

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Career Readiness

CPHI coordinates career readiness skill-building for students and community members through workshops and online modules.

Annual Target: 6 workshops per semester + 10 asynchronous modules annually

Supporting the

NSU Public Health Ecosystem

CEPH Accreditation Support
Institute for Public Health Equity (IPHE) activation
NSU Public Health Collaborative coordination

ODU School of Public Health collaboration activities
Faculty partnership facilitation across public health and health sciences disciplines
NSU Reclamation Program — supporting re-enrollment of students who left prior to earning their degree

Academic Pipeline Development

MSPH — Biostatistics/Informatics, Population Health, Health Equity

DrPH (Doctor of Public Health)

Joint MPH/MSW (with EVMS)

Certificate in Health Equity

Certificate in Public Health Leadership

PhD in Public Health (ODU)

Our First MPH Graduates

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Announcements

Announcement, News

Advancing Health and Learning Outcomes

We are proud to announce that NSU faculty and students have published a research article in the 2025 National Society of Allied Health (NSAH) Journal — Social Determinants of Health and Chronic Disease: A U.S. Data Analysis. This important study examines how income...

Apr 22, 2026

Announcement

Advancing Health and Learning Outcomes

NSU Faculty & Students Earn Second Publication in 2025 NSAH Journal April 2025 | Norfolk State University Norfolk State University faculty and students have earned a second publication in the 2025 National Society of Allied Health (NSAH) Journal with their...

Apr 22, 2026