School of Public Health and Health Services Master of Public Health Master of Public Health: MPH@GWU 2012-2013

Note: All curriculum revisions will be updated immediately on the website www.sphhs.gwu.edu.

Proposed Track: Master of Public Health: MPH@GWU Program Director: W. Douglas Evans, PhD, MA Program Description: This new distance education track for our Master of Public Health degree will emphasize local, national and global health practice. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary teaching, and will focus on core competencies/skills, and use cases/other materials from both the U.S. and abroad. The pedagogy will allow students to tailor their education to community level, national, or global interests in the U.S. and countries around the world, emphasizing interdisciplinary public health competencies, including biostatistics and epidemiology; cultural competency; health communication; leadership; professionalism; planning, implementation and evaluation methods; public health biology; and systems thinking. Mission: Provide a practice-oriented MPH curriculum that enables our graduates to be leaders in the design of population and community health programs in the US and globally. The new distance education track includes 9 to 11 elective credits, depending on other course selections. Students can use electives to gain depth in a specific area of public health, or can spread across topic areas as they choose. Students who choose to concentrate their electives could, for example, emphasize areas such as health communication, health policy, program planning and evaluation, or other areas within the distance education curriculum. Again, students have the option to concentrate in one area or cover a range of domains within public health practice. Course Requirements: All GW School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) MPH students who select the distance education track enroll in Core Courses (15 credits), Program-Specific Courses (15-17 credits), and Electives (9-11 credits). The total 45 credit degree program also includes a Practicum (2 credits) and a Culminating Experience (2 credits) where students apply their didactic education in a real world setting. Note that the MPH@GW track will be taught in 10 week quarters across the calendar year (4 quarters per year). Each course will be designed to deliver the required credit hours within the 10 week quarter format, with existing courses being formatted to meet this requirement. Core curriculum, practicum & CE (19 credits)

Students will begin by taking the core MPH courses, which will have been converted from their inperson format to a distance education format. This plan assumes the integration of 6005 & 6008, currently underway and reflected in Table 1 below. Students should plan to take 6001 and 6007 in their first quarter and complete all core courses within the first three quarters. Table 1. Core Courses Biological Concepts for Public Health Biostatistical Applications for Public Health Principles and Practice of Epidemiology Environmental and Occupational Health in a Sustainable World Social and Behavioral Approaches to Public Health Policy and Management Approaches to Public Health Culminating Experience Practicum Experience (*professionals already working in public health may substitute an elective)

PubH PubH PubH PubH PubH PubH PubH

6001 6002 6003 6004 6007 6005/8 6015

2 3 3 2 2 3 2

*PubH

6014

*2

Courses for the MPH@GWU Track: (15 to 17 units) Table 2. Overall track courses (Optional courses denoted by or) Planning & Administration of Health PubH 6500 Promotion/Disease Prevention Programs 2 HSML 6202 Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System 2 PubH 6442 Comparative Global Health Systems 2 6437 Global Health Program Evaluation or or Evaluation of Health Promotion and Disease PubH 6501 Prevention Programs 2 or 3 Theories of Global Health Communication 6430 Interventions or or Introduction to Public Health PubH 6503 Communications and Marketing 2 or 3 Community Organization, Development, PubH 6532 and Advocacy 3 PubH 6412 Global Health Data Analysis 2

Electives (9 to 11* credits) *Students who waive the practicum experience will take an additional 2 credits of electives. Students may use their elective credits to concentrate in a domain or cover multiple domains to complete their program of study.

The following are examples of electives that may be offered in specific concentrations. Additional examples are available in the annually-updated program curriculum guide. Health Communication: PubH 6432, Global Health Communication Interventions (2 credits) PubH 6570, Advanced Public Health Communication: Theory and Practice (3 credits) PubH 6574, Public Health Branding: Theory and Practice (2 credits)

Health Policy: PubH 6305, Fundamentals for Health Policy: Public Health and Health Care (2 credits) PubH 6315, Introduction to Health Policy Analysis (2 credits) PubH 6335, Public Health and Law (3 credits) PubH 6376, Primary Health Care Policy (2 credits) PubH 6413, Global Health Policy and Analysis (2 credits)

Program Planning and Evaluation: PubH 6572, Marketing Research for Public Health (3 credits) PubH 6435, Global Health Program Development and Implementation (2 credits) PubH 6530, Qualitative Methods in Health Promotion (2 credits) PubH 6411, Global Health Data Collection (2 credits)
PubH 6533, Design of Health Surveys (2 credits)

Program-Specific Competencies: Upon completion of the program, students should possess the following functional competencies. Describe biological mechanisms of major diseases causing death and disability in the US and globally from a public health perspective (e.g., PubH 6001) Define communities and identify and assess relevant population health needs (e.g., PubH 6007, 6500) Assess the functions, capacities, management and governance of governmental, international and non-state organizations that comprise health systems. Translate scientific and program evidence to inform the development of public health programs and policies within the context of health systems (e.g., PubH 6005/08, 6442). Apply public health theory and experiential evidence to develop and manage project, program and institutional strategies to reduce community and individual health risks to mitigate the impact of disease (e.g., PubH 6007, 6503). Conduct core program evaluations and complete an assessment of program outcomes, achievements, impacts and shortcomings. Communicate findings to stakeholders (e.g., PubH

6501, 6437). Apply relevant qualitative and quantitative tools and concepts to inform policy analyses for different audiences and topics (e.g., PubH 6002, 6003, 6502). Develop concise written and oral policy analyses for different audiences; identify the key strategies required to protect and advance health (e.g., PubH 6005/08). Describe how health systems performance is affected by various approaches to health care organization, health law, health workforce development and health care financing (e.g., PubH 6202, 6442). Develop knowledge and skills in fundamentals of environmental health including the connection between population health and exposures to chemical, physical, and biological agents in the environment (e.g., PubH 6004). Develop communication campaigns and strategies to disseminate health promotion information through media channels (e.g., PubH 6570, 6503).

School of Public Health and Health Services Master of Public Health MPH@GW Note: All curriculum revisions will be updated immediately on the website http://www.sphhs.gwu.edu Core Courses Provides an overview of current knowledge about biological mechanisms of major diseases causing death and disability in the US and globally; understanding and interpreting the reciprocal relationships of genetic, environmental, and behavioral determinants of health and disease in an ecologic context; analyzing, discussing, and communicating biologic principles of disease from a public health perspective. Application of biostatistical principles to critical analysis of retrospective studies, prospective studies, and controlled clinical trials, as well as studies in the health services literature. Selection, basic calculations, and interpretation of statistical methods for detection of significant associations and differences. General principles, methods, and applications of epidemiology. Outbreak investigations, measures of disease frequency, standardization of disease rates, study design, measures of association, hypothesis testing, bias, effect modification, causal inference, disease screening, and surveillance. Case studies apply these concepts to a variety of infectious, acute, and chronic health conditions affecting the population. Examines the connection between population health and exposures to chemical, physical, and biological agents in the environment. Through the use of problem-solving frameworks, students will become familiar with data sources, methodologies and policy approaches being used to address the public health impacts of environmental and occupational health hazards, including the consequences of climate change, natural resource degradation, and industrial chemicals. The course will integrate key concepts of environmental health with principles of sustainability

PubH

6001

Biological Concepts for Public Health

PubH

6002

Biostatistical Applications for Public Health

PubH

6003

Principles and Practice of Epidemiology

PubH

Environmental and 6004 Occupational Health in a Sustainable World

to illustrate how public policies and practices on the local, national and global level affect population health. Emphasizes social and behavioral science theories, models, and concepts that can be applied to public health problems and interventions. This course will describe the role of social and community factors, including race/ethnicity and culture, in both the onset and solution of public health problems and describe the inter-relationship between the social and behavioral science. This course will provide an overview of core principles of health policy and management for MPH students.

PubH

Social and Behavioral 6007 Approaches to Public Health

PubH

Policy & Management 6005 Approaches to Public /08 Health

PubH

6014 Practicum (not required for 1-3 MSPH or midcareer MPH)

This course provides the opportunity for MPH students to apply the knowledge and skills acquired through their programs of study. A planned, supervised and evaluated practice experience that is relevant to the student's program is an essential component of a public health professional degree program. These opportunities can take place in a variety of agencies or organizations. Each program customizes Practicum requirements to meet students needs. (Credit/No Credit) A culminating experience is one that requires a student to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences and to apply theory and principles in a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice. It is through this course that faculty evaluates the extent to which the student has mastered the body of knowledge and can demonstrate proficiency in the required competencies. Each program customizes Culminating Experience requirements to meet students needs.

PubH

6015 Culminating Experience

2-3

Program Specific Courses

Continues the series of Global Health Methods courses. The course examines the fundamental concepts of empirical analysis and qualitative analysis. Topics covered include open and axial coding, the basis of "Grounded Theory", and regression analysis. Prerequisites: PubH 6002, 6003, 6410.

PubH

6412 Global Health Data Analysis 2

PubH

Theories for Global Health 6430 Communication 2 Interventions

Use of communication theory and methods in health promotion. Integration of multidisciplinary approaches to public health communication. Prerequisites: PubH 6007, 6400.

PubH

6437

Global Health Program Evaluation

Students will gain skills in the fundamentals of program evaluation and monitoring methods. Students will also understand the evaluation aspects of major international health programs such as the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Presidents Malaria Initiative. Country-specific case studies will be used as synthesizing tools to review major concepts and assess student knowledge of key concepts. Prerequisite: PubH 6400, 6411, 6412, 6435. Examines what national health systems are, how they differ, and how they are performing. Health systems will be analyzed through four different lenses: Health Care Organization; Health Workforce Development; Health Care Financing and Health Policy Development. The course compares health systems and health reforms in seven regions of the world and draws lessons on how health system performance might be improved. PubH 6400; Co-requisite PubH 6401 In this course students will develop skills to effectively plan, implement, and manage programs that address public health problems for defined populations in a variety of settings. Prerequisite(s): PubH 6007, Combined 6005/8 course.

PubH

6442

Comparative Health Systems

PubH

Planning and Administration of Health 6500 Promotion/Disease Prevention Programs Evaluation of Health 6501 Promotion/Disease Prevention Programs

PubH

Provides students with the knowledge, competencies and skills to plan and implement and evaluation of health promotion-disease prevention programs for a defined population at risk. Prerequisite: PubH 6002, 6003, 6007, 6500. Communication theories and methods used in promoting health and preventing disease. Theoretical background in communication and behavior science and practical communication development methods. Prerequisite: PubH 6007. Educates health promotion practitioners in how to organize community groups to promote health. The focus is on learning how to use resources available in the community to advocate change. Prerequisite: PubH 6007.

PubH

6503 Introduction to Public 3 Health Communication and Marketing 6532 Community Organization, Development, and Advocacy 3

PubH

HSML 6202 Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System

Introduction to the systems that define and shape delivery of health services in the United States. Case studies and presentations on major issues develop an appreciation of dilemmas confronting policymakers, providers, and patients: balancing cost, quality and access. Access and disparity, health care professions, facilities, managed care organizations and government health care programs. Policy changes that have had major impact on American health care in the past century.