Graduate Programs
Student Learning Outcomes
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
Upon completion of this Master's program, graduates will have acquired the competency to:
- Use biostatistical methods to analyze and report public health data.
- Specify approaches to assess, prevent and control environmental and occupational hazards to human health and safety.
- Use epidemiologic methods to collect, study, analyze and report the patterns of disease in human populations for diverse audiences.
- Identify and analyze the components and issues of leadership, including financing and delivery of public health services and systems.
- Apply policy process, development and analysis methods to address current national, state and local public health issues.
- Identify social and behavioral science factors, theories and models and develop, implement and evaluate interventions designed to positively affect health behaviors in populations.
- Collect and disseminate public health data through the use of technology and media.
- Explain how human biology influences health and public health practice.
- Exhibit high standards of personal and organizational integrity, compassion, honesty and respect for all people.
- Use systems methods to analyze the effects of political, social and economic influences on public health systems at the individual, community, state, national and international levels.
- Demonstrate the impact of diversity and culture on public health across discipline areas.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the basic ethical and legal principles pertaining to the collection, maintenance, use and dissemination of public health data.
Epidemiology Concentration Competencies
- Understand and apply descriptive epidemiology to assess health status and the burden of disease in populations.
- Understand, apply, and interpret epidemiologic research methods and findings to the practice of public health.
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and use existing sources of epidemiologic data at the local, state, national, and international level.
- Understand the key components of public health surveillance and public health screening programs.
- Develop written and oral presentations based on epidemiologic analyses for both public health professionals and lay audiences.
- Demonstrate a basic level of epidemiologic data management and analysis using software such as SAS.
Environmental Health Science Concentration Competencies
- Describe federal and state regulatory programs, guidelines and authorities that control environmental health issues.
- Specify current environmental risk assessment methods.
- Specify approaches for assessing, preventing and controlling environmental hazards that pose risks to human health and safety.
- Explain the general mechanisms of toxicology and eliciting a toxic response to various environmental exposures.
- Discuss various risk management and risk communication approaches in relation to issues of environmental justice and equity.
Health Policy and Management Concentration Competencies
- Discuss the policy process for improving the health status of populations.
- Apply principles of strategic planning and organizational development to public health agencies.
- Demonstrate communication and leadership skills required for building community and organizational capacity.
- Apply the principles of budgeting, management and performance evaluation in organizational and community initiatives.
Social and Behavioral Science Concentration Competencies
- In collaboration with others, prioritize individual, organizational, community, and societal concerns and resources for public health programs, policies and interventions.
- Describe steps and procedures for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, policies and interventions.
- Apply evidence-based approaches in the development, implementation, and evaluation of social and behavioral science interventions in diverse populations.
- Identify basic theories, concepts and models from a range of social and behavioral disciplines that are used in public health research and practice.
- Identify the causes and conditions linked to social and behavioral factors that affect health of individuals and populations.
- Specify multiple targets and levels of intervention for social and behavioral science programs and/or policies.
Biostatistics Concentration Competencies
- Describe basic concepts of probability, random variation and commonly used statistical probability distributions.
- Apply descriptive techniques commonly used to summarize public health data.
- Apply common statistical methods for inference.
- Apply descriptive and inferential methodologies according to the type of study design for answering a particular research question.
- Interpret results of statistical analyses found in public health studies.
- Develop written and oral presentations based on statistical analyses for both public health professionals and educated lay audiences.