APACPH Undergraduate Curriculum Development Project Survey

Introduction

This survey has been sent to you as part of the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health’s (APACPH) Curriculum Development Project. The Working Group includes the following individuals:

Institution / Country
Professor Ellie Nezami / University of Southern California / USA
Assoc. Professor Michael Dunne / Queensland University of Technology / Australia
Ms. Melinda Service / Queensland University of Technology / Australia
Professor Alistair Woodward / University of Auckland / New Zealand
Dr. Joao Soares Martins / Universidade da Paz / Timor-Leste
Assoc. Prof. Oranut Pacheun / Mahidol University / Thailand

This survey is being undertaken to:

  • identify the current status of undergraduate education in public health at both APACPH member institutions and other universities in the region, including the structure, mission, and curricula of these programs.
  • determine which APACPH member institutions might be interested in offering undergraduate programs in the near future and how a network coordinated by APACPH might be able to provide support and assistance.

The Undergraduate Curriculum Project aims to:

  • define the competencies for undergraduate education in public health
  • explore the relationship between graduate and undergraduate curricula in public health
  • develop strategies to improve undergraduate curricula in public health

We would request that you nominate a contact person that is involved in your undergraduate (public health) curriculum and their contact details at the beginning of this survey, so that we can make any follow-up on any survey responses and also for the future establishment of a network to improve and discuss undergraduate curriculum in public health education.

We would also appreciate any feedback or comments on this survey at the conclusion of the questions. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further questions or require further information on this important APACPH initiative.

We thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

Instructions

This survey has been designed so that you can complete it as an electronic copy, save and return by email or print and return by mail/fax.

1. Type your answers into the designated grey areas or click in the check boxes

2. Once completed save onto your computer and print or send as an attached file by email.

Contact Information

All surveys can be returned by email, fax or mail to the following:

Email: Fax: 61+7 3864 9693

Mailing address: APACPHUndergraduate Curriculum Survey

Attention: Rebecca Watson

School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology

Victoria Park Road

Kelvin Grove QLD 4059, Australia

For more information on APACPH Initiatives/Projects

Please fill out the following information before commencing this survey:

Institution Name:
Contact Name:
Contact Details: / Email:
Phone: (Please include dialling codes)
Mailing address:

For your guide, the term public health is defined as a social and political concept aimed at improving health, prolonging life and improving the quality of life among whole populations through health promotion, disease prevention and other forms of health intervention.[1] Any education, courses, or subjects that you offer within your organisation that fall under this broad term can be included in your answers to this survey.

  1. Does your institution offer a public health program or courses?

Yes /  / 1a. If Yes, which option(s) are available to students (please check all that apply)
Undergraduate public health major
Undergraduate degree with some public health component
Individual undergraduate courses in public health
Postgraduate programs in public health
Individual postgraduate courses in public health
Other (please specify)
No /  / 1b. If No, is your organisation planning to offer any public healthrelated programs or courses in the near future?
Yes
No
If Yes, please explain what you are planning to offer.
  1. In what year(s) were the following introduced at the undergraduate level?

Public health major
Public health component in any program
Individual courses
Not applicable
  1. If you offer a public health major (i.e. Bachelor of Public Health or equivalent) who does most of the teaching and grants the degree?

School of Public Health
Another School/Faculty in the Institution / Please specify
Jointly offered with a School of Public Health
Other (Please specify)
Not applicable
  1. Do you consider your undergraduate program:

Primarily pre-professional
Primarily entry level career
A mix of both
Other (Please specify)
  1. Do you offer areas of specialisation to undergraduates?

Yes /  / 5a. If Yes, please indicate which area (s) of specialisation are offered
  1. How many students are currently enrolled in your undergraduate public health-related programs

Public health major
Programs with a public health component (individual courses)
Information not available
  1. What proportion of all students enrolled in majors at your school are studying at the undergraduate/bachelors degree level?

None
1-20%
21-40%
41-60%
61-80%
81-100%
  1. Do you allow students who are not enrolled in your public health related program to take your undergraduate public health courses?

Yes
No
  1. If you offer a undergraduate major or a program with a component of public health, how many students graduated from it in each of the following years?

2002
2003
2004
Not applicable
  1. Please estimate the percentage of graduates that do each of the following upon graduation (please indicate if this information is not available (n/a)):

Go on to a health professional school – medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing etc.
Go on to postgraduate education in public health
Go on to postgraduate education in another field
Enter the work force with an organisation in the health sector
Enter the work force with an organisation not involved in the health sector
  1. If you offer a public health major, please check the curriculum areas that are required of all undergraduate majors

Introductory/Survey course / Biostatistics
Epidemiology / Health Policy
Management / Infectious Disease
Environmental Health / Social & Behavioural Sciences
Global Health / Internship/Practicum Experience
Other
  1. Do any of the above core/required courses:

Mix undergraduate andpostgraduate students?
Permit enrolment by undergraduates other than those specifically enrolled in your public health related program?
  1. Can undergraduates use any of the credits/courses earned in their undergraduate program towards completion of a postgraduate degree?

Yes /  / 13a. If Yes, please explain
No
  1. How many full-time academic staff (or full-time equivalent positions) do you have in your institution that have a primary role teaching students in the public health-related curriculum?
  1. How many teaching staff have the following academic qualifications?

Bachelors degree only (including Bachelor of Medicine, BSc, BA, BPH etc)
Masters degree (including MPH, MSc etc)
Doctoral degree (including PhD, DrPH, DHSc etc)

Do you have any further comments?

Thank- you for completing this survey

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[1] WHO, 1998 Health Promotion Glossary (available online )