Table 3 Relationship between Master of Public Health (MPH) students’ satisfaction scores on different aspects of the MPH programme and responses to the question of whether they would apply again for the MPH degree, given the opportunity (n = 702)

Component 1-admission & lecture courses

3.53

3.81

0.51

3.61

0.54

0.38

<0.001

Admissions

3.44

3.88

0.76

3.49

0.93

0.46

<0.001

 Course goals

3.55

3.69

0.80

3.28

0.86

0.50

<0.001

 Rationality of course schedule

3.52

3.60

0.92

3.23

0.88

0.41

<0.001

 Advancement of course contents

3.41

3.66

0.81

3.24

0.85

0.51

<0.001

 Professionalism of course contents

3.50

3.56

0.90

3.14

0.86

0.48

<0.001

 Comprehensiveness of course contents

3.47

3.64

0.83

3.24

0.81

0.49

<0.001

 Diversity of teaching methods

3.52

3.65

0.89

3.28

0.83

0.43

<0.001

 Rationality of course evaluation system

3.71

3.85

0.75

3.44

0.84

0.52

<0.001

 Courses can meet student needs

3.51

3.65

0.83

3.26

0.84

0.47

<0.001

 Connection between course and practical training

3.42

3.56

0.93

3.14

0.91

0.46

<0.001

 Connection between course and research activities

3.62

3.76

0.78

3.36

0.87

0.48

<0.001

 Graduation thesis with practice

3.70

3.86

0.80

3.40

0.93

0.53

<0.001

 Component 2-Research activities & mentorship

3.84

3.98

0.66

3.59

0.74

0.56

<0.001

 Goals can be effectively reached through research activities

3.75

3.88

0.76

3.50

0.89

0.46

<0.001

 Research activities can help with regard to the students’ jobs in the future

3.67

3.85

0.83

3.34

0.93

0.59

<0.001

 Evaluation of graduation theses

3.82

3.94

0.70

3.59

0.79

0.47

<0.001

 In-campus mentors’ guidance

4.10

4.21

0.70

3.89

0.91

0.39

<0.001

 Occupational-orientation

3.88

4.02

0.80

3.63

1.00

0.43

<0.001

 Interaction between mentors and students

3.90

4.09

0.78

3.81

0.94

0.32

<0.001

 Off-campus mentors’ guidance

3.99

4.00

0.74

3.79

0.84

0.27

0.013

 Joint guidance of on- and off-campus mentors on the students’ graduation theses

3.76

3.91

0.89

3.49

1.02

0.44

<0.001

Component 3-Practical training (n = 422)^a

3.74

3.81

0.51

3.61

0.54

0.38

<0.001

 Practical training goals

3.85

3.96

0.70

3.63

0.78

0.45

<0.001

 Conditions of practical bases

3.89

3.97

0.68

3.73

0.80

0.32

0.002

 Internship subsidy

3.28

3.43

1.08

2.99

1.18

0.39

<0.001

 Selected practical bases

3.86

3.95

0.72

3.69

0.84

0.33

0.002

 Goals can be effectively reached through practical training

3.83

3.93

0.73

3.65

0.80

0.37

0.001

 Practice can meet student needs

3.75

3.87

0.78

3.51

0.90

0.43

<0.001

 Practice can help with graduation thesis

3.74

3.88

0.76

3.49

0.93

0.46

<0.001

Component 4-Training goals

3.52

3.68

0.74

3.21

0.74

0.64

<0.001

 Goals can guide lecture courses

3.53

3.69

0.79

3.24

0.87

0.54

<0.001

 Goals can guide practical training

3.38

3.56

0.91

3.04

0.87

0.58

<0.001

 Goals can guide research activities

3.65

3.81

0.79

3.34

0.89

0.56

<0.001