Hybrid Weekends: In-Seat Meetings
New Hybrid Format for Fall 2026
Beginning with the Fall 2026 cohort, hybrid students in both the Grand Rapids and Traverse City cohorts will have one required in-person meeting – a 2-day Summer Public Health Intensive at their respective campus location. This event will occur at the midpoint of the program, during the third semester of the program's timeline (Spring/Summer). Dates will be announced shortly, but are expected to be a Thursday & Friday in mid-July. This Intensive will include lectures, activities, community engagement, and service learning opportunities. Coursework for the fall and winter semesters will be fully online*.
*Primarily asynchronous, but some semesters may require a synchronous online meeting.
MPH Online/Hybrid Program In-Seat Meetings
Classes for students in the hybrid cohort meet only one weekend each semester - typically for a Saturday (between 8:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.). Times may vary by semester, and some semesters may require a Friday evening meeting, either in person or synchronously online.
The Hybrid Weekend in-seat meeting will include class lectures and activities, as well as community engagement and service learning opportunities.
A few weeks prior to an upcoming Hybrid Weekend, the Public Health program will share a tentative agenda for the weekend, which will include class activities and meeting locations, important notes, and recommendations for making the weekend a success. Hybrid students should monitor and watch for any new information up to the actual Hybrid Weekend. Students should plan to bring a laptop to class, unless otherwise noted by the instructor. For the Grand Rapids hybrid cohort, lockers are available in RFH, for securing personal items between and during classes -- students need to provide their own lock. Locks will be cut and removed from lockers during semester breaks, so please don't attempt to leave your items past the weekend.
Please note – in addition to Hybrid Weekend course meetings, the following events are held synchronously (either in person or online) for Hybrid Students:
- MPH Orientation – Attendance is mandatory. This event is typically held on the Saturday before the start of Fall semester classes.
- Practicum Bootcamp – Attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to attend in the first semester it is offered to their cohort.
- MPH Showcase Day – Attendance is mandatory for the culminating semester of an MPH student's Project (PH 693, 2 credit class, or PH 696 Continuation class).
Hybrid students traveling to Grand Rapids (MI) will find several lodging, restaurant, and free or inexpensive transportation options convenient to our GVSU Health Campus location. Grand Rapids is within a few hours drive from several cities, including Detroit, Toledo, Fort Wayne, South Bend, and Chicago. Grand Rapids is also easily accessible via air service to the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Amtrak rail service, and the Greyhound bus. Learn more about traveling to Grand Rapids. Many area hotels offer discounted rates to GVSU students who are commuting.
We suggest you connect with your hybrid classmates early to see about sharing lodging or travel expenses!
Related Pages
Hybrid students travelling to Traverse City (MI) will also find a variety of accommodations and amenities close to the GVSU Traverse City campus on NMC's Front Street Campus. The city also hosts a full-service commercial airport (Cherry Capital Airport) with nonstop flight connections via several major airlines. Travel around the city and region is available via bus lines and ride-hailing services.
Course Sequence & Face-to-Face Meeting Schedule
Fall 2025
|
1st Year † |
2nd Year ^ |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Meeting Date(s) |
October 11 |
October 11 |
|
Total # credits |
9 |
10 |
|
Courses |
PH 500 PH 510 STA 610 |
PH 688 PH 693 (1 credit) Epi students: PH 600 & PH 613 HP students: PH 626 & PH 628 |
Winter 2026
|
1st Year ¹ |
2nd Year |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Meeting Date(s) |
March 21 |
March 21 May 1 -- MPH Showcase Day* |
|
Total # credits |
9 |
11 |
|
Courses |
PH 505 PH 530 Epi students: PH 602 HP students: PH 622 |
PH 693 (2 credits) Epi students: PH 603, PH 604, & PH 610 HP students: PH 629, PH 630, & PH 632 |
Spring/Summer 2026
|
1st Year |
|
|---|---|
|
Meeting Date(s) |
July 10 & 11 |
|
Total # credits |
9 |
|
Courses |
PH 520 PH 525 Epi students: PH 608 HP students: PH 620 |
Fall 2025 Notes:
† While not attached to a specific Fall 2025 course, 1st year students are also expected to attend the MPH Orientation meeting in person - scheduled for Saturday, August 23, 2025.
The mandatory Practicum Bootcamp meeting for 1st year students has been moved to the Winter 2026 semester.
^ Second-year students taking PH 693 (1 credit) will have an online-synchronous meeting on October 10, 2025.
Winter 2026 Notes:
¹ First-year students are also strongly encouraged to attend Practicum Bootcamp in person, rescheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2026. An online synchronous option will be made available for those unable to travel to campus. Attendance for Practicum Bootcamp is mandatory.
* PH 693 (2 credits) does not meet in March. However, those students are required to present their completed capstone project in person, during the MPH Project Showcase event, held on the Friday of graduation weekend.
Future Proposed Hybrid In-Person Meeting Dates:
|
Semester |
1st Year MPH Students |
2nd Year MPH Students |
|---|---|---|
|
Fall 2026 |
Orientation - August 22 (tentative) October 10 |
|
|
Winter 2027 |
March 20 |
March 20 *April 23 |
|
Spr/Sum 2027 |
2 consecutive weekdays in July - date TBD |
N/A |
|
Spr/Sum 2028 |
2 consecutive weekdays in July - date TBD |
N/A |
|
Spr/Sum 2029 |
2 consecutive weekdays in July - date TBD |
N/A |
All schedules listed on this page are offered for tentative planning purposes only -- they are subject to change.
Current MPH Hybrid students should refer to their MPH Student Handbook and official program communications for updated information regarding Hybrid Weekends and other in-seat requirements for hybrid students.