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Online Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice Degree

Current Students

Welcome

Welcome to the online MPH in Public Health Practice current students page! This page is designed to help you navigate life as a graduate student. I have tried to include answers to the myriad questions you may have, as well as include links to websites you will use on a daily basis. If you have not yet completed the new students’ orientation, feel free to do so at your leisure. If you have questions not found here or need immediate assistance, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to working with each of you and wish you the best of luck!

Lori Peterson, MS
Academic Director for Continuing Education Programs

Student Life

Welcome to student life page! Here you will have one stop access to managing your degree. If you have not yet completed the new student orientation; you are encouraged to complete it now. Please contact the department to request the orientation modules link.

Blackboard Learn: To access your courses for the current semester.
amherstsupport@umassonline.net –or– 1-888-300-6407: If you are experiencing technical problems with Blackboard Learn please call or email. Both contacts are available 24 hours a day.
Advisor: Contact and set up an appointment to speak with your advisor.
Academic Calendar: To view the current academic calendar.
UMail: To access your University Email.
Spire: To access Spire to register for courses, check grades, or track your progress.
UMass Library Home Page: To access the UMass Amherst Library System; also see the Research Databases and Student library Account log in pages.
OIT: To access the UMass Office of Information Technology. For technical problems with Spire or UMail, please call 413-545-9400. The OIT Help Desk is open Mon-Fri, 8:30 am-5:00 pm. **NOTE: You will need a Spire ID number in order to receive help from the OIT Help Desk.
Discounted software program: To learn about discounted computer software.
UMass UCard website: To request an UMass student ID card.

Important Tips for Online Courses:

If the semester has not yet begun you will not be able to log into your courses! Courses become viewable 1 week prior to the semester start date.
Upon signing up for classes you will receive an email from the ELearning office. ELearning manages the technical aspects of the online program. Please do not disregard this email, as it contains the username and password you will use for the duration of your time in the program.
If this is your first time logging into Blackboard, you will have to change your password when prompted. Also, you have been signed up for the self-paced orientation class entitled “Getting Started in Blackboard Learn.” The course is designed to help you navigate the Blackboard setting and you are highly encouraged to complete it.

Graduate Student Forms

Below is a listing of many useful forms available for download. If you need a form that is not on this list, please email phonline@schoolph.umass.edu.

Graduate Bulletin

All students enrolled within the University of Massachusetts Amherst are required to abide by the rules and regulations outlined in the official Graduate Student Bulletin. As an online student, some rules will apply to you and some will not. For instance: on-campus students must carry health insurance and provide proof of this or enroll in the insurance program offered through the University. Online students are exempt from this rule.

The most important section is the policies and regulations section. This includes procedures for taking a semester off, withdrawing from the University, grading, transferring credits, and privacy issues. I invite you to read through the bulletin and, if you have questions, feel free to contact us.

Here are a few things to remember as an online student:

You are a non-thesis graduate student.
You do not pay the same tuition or fees that on-campus students pay.
You do not have a foreign language requirement.
You may take time off, as long as you contact the department prior to leaving.
You must abide by the University’s Academic Honesty policy. Violation of these rules will result in action on the part of the faculty, department and the University. In the online environment this is especially important. Trust in your commitment to be honest in all academic areas is automatically given.

The current Academic Calendar can also be found on the Graduate Student Bulletin website.

Advisor

Contact Your Advisor:

The advisor for the online MPH-PHP program is:

Lori Peterson
Office hours: Mon-Fri 9:30 am-3:30 pm EST
Phone: 413-545-4530 or 413-545-4550
Email: phonline@schoolph.umass.edu.

Email is the best way to contact the advisor. All emails are normally answered the same or next day.