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.