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Executive Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Degree Requirements

The program requires a minimum of 42 semester credits. All degree requirements must be completed within five years of the date of matriculation.

A minimum of five academic semesters, divided into blocks of residency, is required for the degree. Blocks of enrollment must be continuous unless academic leaves are granted. A minimum of a “Satisfactory” evaluation is required in all curricular blocks for graduation.

Block Course Descriptions

BLOCK I Introduction to Public Health

DEPARTMENT: Interdepartmental
CREDIT HOURS: 2

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Introduction to Public Health introduces the mission, roles, issues, and context of public health, community health, public health, and health systems. Topics include the history and mission of public health as well as a comprehensive exploration of the definition of public health including the essential services and core functions of public health. In addition, the relationships between public health, social justice and human rights are examined. Block I introduces and explores the five disciplines of public health: Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Community Health and Prevention, Environmental and Occupational Health, and Health Management and Policy.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block 1, students should be able to:

1. Identify and describe core functions and essential services of public health.
2. Achieve familiarity with the various components of the public health system.
3. Understand interrelationships among the system’s components.
4. Define important components of the public health system, including participants, inputs, and organizational practices.
5. Describe the organization, provision, and financing of public health services and programs.
6. Understand the historical development, statutory basis, functions and structure of state, local and federal public health agencies.

BLOCK II Biostatistics and Epidemiology I

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
CREDIT HOURS: 4

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Biostatistics and Epidemiology I focuses on biostatistics and epidemiology concepts and methods needed to conduct public health research and practice. This block will cover epidemiology as a methodology for thinking about and designing research to address basic questions of interest in health and medicine and to address specific hypotheses regarding risk factors. Specifically, students will understand the science concerned with the occurrence, distribution, and causality of diseases and other health-related conditions in the world. Biostatistics concepts and methods to be covered include techniques for describing and summarizing observations, for assessing associations among variables, and for determining the extent to which chance may be explaining and/or influencing the observed results.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block II, students should be able to:

1. Define, explain, choose among, calculate, and interpret the basic epidemiological rates and ratios.
2. State and explain the logic or research and basic research designs, including their defining features, strengths and weaknesses, and when each is most useful.
3. Describe biases that may affect studies Apply the logic of causal analysis
4. Describe and explain the key human rights/ethical/race-gender issues in research.
5. Define, explain, calculate, choose among, and interpret key descriptive statistics and graphical methods.
6. Explain how the form of a distribution is assessed, including normality and the presence of outliers.
7. Explain and interpret key methods of assessing relationships between variables, such as 2 and 3-way tables, and regression/correlation methods.
8. Explain and interpret the basic logic of statistical hypothesis testing.
   Define, explain, choose among, and interpret basic statistical methods.
9. Interpret and apply confidence intervals and standard errors.
10. Calculate selected confidence intervals.
11. Define and explain statistical power.

BLOCK III Biostatistics and Epidemiology II

DEPARTMENT: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
CREDIT HOURS: 4

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics II continues students’ introduction to the basic methods and skills of two core disciplines of public health; Biostatistics and Epidemiology, which were begun in Block II. This block provides opportunities to apply statistical and epidemiological methods in a more advanced and integrated way, to further understand causes of and possible solutions for public health problems. Key biostatistics methods and epidemiologic concepts covered during Block III include types of rates, rate calculations, rate adjustments, data display and interpretation, two-way ANOVA and Kaplan Meier survival curves. In addition, survey methodology, questionnaire design, data collection, sampling methods and sample size are critical areas of focus.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block III, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of data sources on morbidity, mortality, fatality, population characteristics, and how to apply such information to characterize health status of populations.
2. Formulate hypotheses select an appropriate statistical method to test hypotheses.
3. Use visual methods for exploring the independent and combined effects of several risk factors on public health outcomes.
4. Understand how multivariate methods can be used to simultaneously study the effects of two or more risk factors on an outcome.
5. Use two-way analysis of variance as an example of a multivariate method to statistically test for main effects of risk factors.
6. Critique research articles in terms of their experimental design, methods of analysis, and the validity of their conclusions.
7. Calculate sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values to determine the value of diagnostic or screening test in a population.
8. Understand issues of reliability, validity, and sensitivity in designing and conducting surveys to assess health status and risk factors in a population.
9. Formulate the basic design of a randomized trial.

BLOCK IV Health Behavior and Health Promotion

DEPARTMENT: Community Health and Prevention
CREDIT HOURS: 4

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Health Behavior and Health Promotion introduces principles of health behavior in context of the human life cycle and covers their application to prevention and health promotion programs in a community context. This interdisciplinary block focuses on how individuals and groups approach issues of health behavior, health communication, and health promotion. The goal is to acquire basic knowledge of social and behavioral science theories, models, and research methods. The human rights framework will be introduced to analyze and create public health interventions and policies. Block IV addresses ways in which class, culture, gender and age factors influence an individual’s encounter with health-related issues throughout the life course. Students will be expected to critically analyze the theories and models as they explore the experiences of individuals in different developmental stages, groups, and communities in a variety of settings. Students will also have the opportunity to create a behavioral intervention with a team of peers, and to simulate the experience of presenting at a professional conference.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block IV, students should be able to:

1. Distinguish between behaviors that foster and those that hinder well-being.
2. Infer needs for health education on the basis of obtained data.
3. Select methods and media best suited to implement programs and plans.
4. Interpret concepts, purposes and theories of health education.
5. Predict the impact of societal value systems on individual health behaviors.
6. Exhibit an understanding of developmental stages.
7. Exhibit an understanding of cultural influences on health behavior.
8. Exhibit an understanding of the principles of community organizing to promote healthy communities

BLOCK V Community Health Assessment

DEPARTMENT: Community Health and Prevention
CREDIT HOURS: 4

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Community Health Assessment consists of 4 cases and a 4-week Service-Learning workshop. Block V has an interdisciplinary foundation focused on strategies designed to provide students with the competencies needed to enhance the health of the community. During the first four weeks of Block V, concepts and theories regarding planned change and models of community organization for health promotion are critically examined. Critical in this Block is the role of empowerment in the context of community health, and the central role of community residents in the identification of local issues, goals, and priorities affecting their lives and neighborhoods. The final four weeks of Block V are devoted to exploring and experiencing Service-Learning concepts in the context of public health.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block V, student should be able to:

1. Obtain health-related data about social and cultural environments, growth and development factors, needs and interests
2. Infer needs for health education on the basis of obtained data.
3. Infer enabling objectives as needed to implement instructional programs in specific settings.
4. Select methods and media best suited to implement program plans for specific learners.
5. Utilize computerized health information retrieval systems effectively.
   Interpret concepts, purposes and theories of health education.
6. Select a variety of communication methods and techniques in providing health information.

BLOCK VI Management, Leadership, Assurance, and Health Services

DEPARTMENT: Health Management and Policy
CREDIT HOURS: 4

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Management, Leadership, Assurance, and Health Services is a block that explores the critical elements of the assurance role of public health. Block VI is based on the premise that effectiveness of program delivery and the public health assurance require an understanding of organizations, leadership, and change in the context of economics, strategy & systems. The goal of Block VI is to learn, integrate and apply fundamental theoretical concepts of Economics, Organizational Theory, Law, Communications and Strategy within an integrated management paradigm. In addition, different organization and management styles within the community health system are explored. This is accomplished through presentations and reinforcement of an integrated management paradigm with cases and supporting reports, symposia, and examinations designed to identify, integrate and reinforce basic principles of management.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block VI, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an ability to use an integrated conceptual paradigm for organizational management and accountability.
2. Demonstrate a working knowledge of health economics – integrating concepts and principles underlying consumer market and demand.
3. Demonstrate a working knowledge of health economics – integrating concepts and principles underlying supply-side and market-based economic analysis.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of organizational behavior and the bases for employee motivation, organizational leadership, and the management of organizational change to achieve defined objectives.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of complex organizational environments and associated management challenges.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of strategic management, within the overall context of Porter’s theory of strategic management.

BLOCK VII Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation

DEPARTMENT: Community Health and Prevention
CREDIT HOURS: 4

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation emphasizes program development in the context of community-identified needs. The block content is built on the premise that the health-assurance role of public health begins with program planning, development, implementation and evidence-based practice. Block VII critically examines models of program planning, implementation and evaluation and introduces students to the theoretical and practical aspects of planning and evaluating programs. Thus it includes direct service, surveillance, communication campaigns, policy development initiatives, research initiatives and administrative activities. The multidisciplinary perspectives presented in this series of cases demonstrate the importance of individuals, communities, corporations, agencies and institutions to intentionally and thoughtfully work together. These cases highlight the importance of integrating all aspects of a community to make for a holistic society. It is in this holistic integration that citizens will have the capacity to achieve their full potential.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block VII, students should be able to:

1. Understand the role of advocacy in program planning & program evaluation
2. Formulate appropriate and measurable program objectives
3. Design educational programs consistent with specified program objectives.
4. Develop plans to assess achievement of program objectives
5. Formulate appropriate evaluation plans
6. Interpret results of program evaluation
7. Infer implications from findings for future program planning
8. Select effective educational resource materials for dissemination
9. Interpret concepts, purposes and theories of health education
10. Understand the importance of community involvement during each phase of a program.
11. Understand that evaluation is a critical consideration in the planning and implementation phases of a program.
12. Understand that evaluation is an on-going process.
13. Understand the steps in program evaluation.
14. Evaluate models for conducting effective evaluations.
15. Conceptualize the purpose and framework for conducting an evaluation.
16. Define the components of evaluation including selection of proper design, appropriate measures, collection, analysis, and reporting of data.
17. Utilize evaluation findings to refine and maintain programs and in policy analysis and development.

BLOCK VIIIA Public Health Research Paper I

DEPARTMENT: Interdepartmental
CREDIT HOURS: 1

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
The Public Health Research Paper is an opportunity for students to work on an independent research paper in a topic area that is decided upon by the student in conjunction with a faculty advisor. This paper is expected to reflect the students’ year long effort in critically analyzing the relevant literature, and carefully crafting an educated and realistic response to an identified public health issue. The paper is the culmination of the students’ experience in the Executive Program.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block VIIIA--Public Health Research Paper I, students should be able to:

1. Identify and define a problem and formulate a testable hypothesis
2. Select, develop, and conduct an appropriate literature review.

BLOCK VIIIB Public Health Research Paper II

DEPARTMENT: Interdepartmental
CREDIT HOURS: 1

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
The Public Health Research Paper II allows students to continue making significant progress on their final Research Paper as described above.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block VIIIB--Public Health Research Paper II, students should be able to:

1. Provide their faculty Advisor with a detailed outline of their report and a completed literature review.
2. Produce a timeline that reflects the strategy being used for the completion of their Research
   

BLOCK VIIIC Public Health Research Paper III

DEPARTMENT: Interdepartmental
CREDIT HOURS: 2

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Public Health Research Paper III provides students with the time required to complete their major research paper and to receive critical feedback from faculty before its final presentation.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block VIIIC--Public Health Research Paper III, students should be able to:

1. Produce a report that reflects the following:
   a. Appropriate use of data and statistical methods for problem identification and resolution and program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
   b. An understanding of how data illuminate ethical, political, scientific, economic, and overall public health issues.
   c. Relevant inferences from data.
   d. A significant advance in a field of public health.

BLOCK IX Environmental & Occupational Health

DEPARTMENT: Environmental & Occupational Health
CREDIT HOURS: 4

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Environmental & Occupational Health introduces concepts, theories, and programmatic applications within the fields of environmental and occupational health. The goal of Block IX is to understand basic concepts and principles of environmental and occupational health and their application to public health practice from individual, organizational, political, legal, and community perspectives. The cases provide students with the opportunity to link environmental and occupational health issues with health promotion strategies through a systems approach.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block IX, students should be able to:

Environmental Health

Describe the framework for and major pieces of legislation behind regulations in environmental and occupational health;

1. Discuss the potential and actual impacts of the environment on the health of individuals and communities;
2. Propose the role of advocacy and justice in environmental health;
   Explain the principles of how and why environmental risk is perceived;
3. Discuss factors of risk communication in program planning;
4. Describe the basic mechanism of exposure to environmental hazards;
5. Propose basic control strategies for common environmental hazards; and
6. Describe the components of an exposure history

Occupational Health

1. Discuss the laws and regulations protecting worker health and safety;
2. Examine occupational hazards and their impact on health;
3. Describe interventions used to eliminate or reduce workplace hazards;
4. Discuss the extent of work-related injuries and illnesses;
5. Discuss the economic impact on health status; and
6. Describe approaches to promote occupational health & safety programs.

BLOCK X Health Policy and Advocacy: Integration

DEPARTMENT: Health Management and Policy
CREDIT HOURS: 4

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
Health Policy and Advocacy: Integration introduces the fundamentals of public health law and the concepts and theories of health policy development, adoption, and evaluation. Block X covers the advocacy process and its importance to the development of sound public health policy. Systemic integration and understanding of the assessment, assurance and policy development roles are emphasized in the community and political context. Throughout the block, students will learn about the process of policy analysis and formulation and how to influence the policy process to accomplish their objectives for policy intervention.

BLOCK LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of Block X, students should be able to:

1. Discuss public policy goals/solutions within the political context of equity, efficiency, security, and liberty.
2. Discuss public policy goals/solutions utilizing economic concepts of Pareto optimality, Utilitarian and Rawisian perspectives.
3. Discuss public policy goals/solutions within the legal framework of
4. Constitutional, Statutory, and Case law as well as federal and federal-state levels.
5. Perform a policy analysis by identifying (1) policy goals, (2) policy problems and (3) potential solutions.
6. Perform a decision-making process for public policy interventions within the constraints of market failures and social welfare functions.
7. Discuss intervention strategies, tactics and communications in the context of policy process.
8. Apply the iron triangle principle regarding advocates.
9. Describe and analyze the policy process from the perspective of the “Garbage Can Model.”
10. Describe and analyze the limits and constraints of policy solutions to public health goals.

 BLOCK XI Integrated Public Health Case Analysis

DEPARTMENT: Environmental & Occupational Health
CREDIT HOURS: 4

BLOCK DESCRIPTION:
This is the capstone course of the Executive MPH. Students will work in small groups to conduct a case analysis and a case development assignment focusing on current public health issues which are multidisciplinary. All core disciplines will be examined as influences for the problem and possible solutions.