Competencies

MPH Foundational Competencies

°®¶¹´«Ã½'s Master of Public Health program requires students to master 22 foundational competencies categorized into eight domains. Public health students also master five competencies unique to °®¶¹´«Ã½'s MPH program.

  • Evidence-Based Approaches to Public Health
    1. Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice
    2. Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
    3. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate
    4. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
  • Public Health and Healthcare Systems
    1. Compare the organization, structure and function of health systems across national and international settings
    2. Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities, and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity
  • Planning and Management to Promote Health
    1. Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health
    2. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design, implementation or critique of public health policies or programs
    3. Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention
    4. Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management, specifically after funding for a project is secured
    5. Select methods to evaluate public health programs
  • Policy in Public Health
    1. Discuss the policy-making process
    2. Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes
    3. Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations
    4. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity
  • Leadership
    1. Apply leadership and/or management principles to address a relevant issue; such principles may include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision-making
    2. Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges
  • Communication
    1. Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors
    2. Communicate audience-appropriate (i.e., non-academic, non-peer audience) public health content, in writing and through oral presentation
    3. Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content
  • Interprofessional Practice
    1. Integrate perspectives from other sectors and/or professions to promote and advance population health
  • Systems Thinking
    1. Apply a systems thinking tool to visually represent a public health issue in a format other than standard narrative

°®¶¹´«Ã½ MPH Program Competencies

°®¶¹´«Ã½ MPH students acquire five additional competencies in their generalist degree.

  • Program-specific competencies 
    1. Formulate a set of priorities and goals for a rural or vulnerable population.
    2. Synthesize community-based research or other forms of evidence that addresses the health concerns of a rural or vulnerable population.
    3. Develop a grant proposal to address an unmet need of a rural or vulnerable population.
    4. Apply translational science methodologies when planning a health intervention for a rural or vulnerable population.
    5. Employ organizational tools to plan or manage a quality improvement project.