University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences August 8, 2012August 7, 2012August 6, 2012August 3, 2012
Response to Criterion Two
2.0 INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS.
2.1 Degree Offerings. The school shall offer instructional programs reflecting its stated mission and goals, leading to the Master of Public Health (MPH) or equivalent professional masters degree in at least the five areas of knowledge basic to public health. The school may offer other degrees, professional and academic, and other areas of specialization, if consistent with its mission and resources.
The areas of knowledge basic to public health include the following:
Biostatistics – collection, storage, retrieval, analysis and interpretation of health data; design and analysis of health-related surveys and experiments; and concepts and practice of statistical data analysis;
Epidemiology – distributions and determinants of disease, disabilities and death in human populations; the characteristics and dynamics of human populations; and the natural history of disease and the biologic basis of health;
Environmental health sciences – environmental factors including biological, physical, and chemical, and social factors that affect the health of a community;
Health services administration – planning, organization, administration, management, evaluation and policy analysis of health and public health programs; and
Social and behavioral sciences – concepts and methods of social and behavioral sciences relevant to the identification and solution of public health problems.
The vision and mission of SPHIS expand the traditional concept of public health and point to similarly expanded concepts of the traditional academic departments in a school of public health and how they represent the five areas of public health knowledge. Table 2.1.1 illustrates the mapping between the traditional areas, the areas of concentration in the MPH degree program and the school’s departments.
Table 2.1.1: Mapping Between Areas of Knowledge, Areas of Concentration and Departments
Area of Knowledge / Area of MPH Concentration / SPHIS Departmentbiostatistics / biostatistics / Bioinformatics and Biostatistics
epidemiology / epidemiology / Epidemiology and Population Health
environmental health sciences / environmental and occupational health / Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
health services administration / health management / Health Management and Systems Sciences
social and behavioral sciences / health promotion, behavior and cognition / Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences
The expansions of the department names reflect the recognition of the expanded idea of public health under which the school was founded, especially the recognition of the important role that health information sciences have in the public’s health.
· Bioinformatics includes activities in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, computational biology and health research informatics, all of which are taking more prominent roles in public health.
· Epidemiology addresses the population studies needed to provide a scientific basis for both clinical and public health interventions and a framework for efforts such as community-based participatory research.
· Health management in today’s social, political and economic environment requires even more powerful tools and approaches for dealing with planning, policy and administration. Systems sciences provide these needs with network science (especially social network theory) and complexity science (in particular, systems thinking and dynamic modeling), where the interdependent structure of an ecosystem drives its behavior over time.
· Health promotion and education are essential interventions in public health. The traditional emphasis is on influencing health-related behavior as well as the economic, environmental, organizational and policy supports necessary for long-term health improvement. In addition, there is increasing interest in new concepts of cognitive science, informatics and decision analysis.
The undergraduate program, scheduled to begin in spring 2013, will incorporate content from the 5 specialty areas in a cutting-edge cross-disciplinary curriculum. The undergraduate program degrees are a BS in Public HealthPH, designed to prepare students for a career as a public health professional, or and a BAPHBA in Public Health, designed as a liberal arts academic degree to prepare students for future study. Detailed differences are presented in Section 2.9.1.c.
a. An instructional matrix presenting all of the school’s degree programs and areas of specialization. If multiple areas of specialization are available within departments or academic units shown on the matrix, these should be included. The matrix should distinguish between public health professional degrees, other professional degrees and academic degrees at the graduate level, and should distinguish baccalaureate public health degrees from other baccalaureate degrees. The matrix must identify any programs that are offered in distance learning or other formats. Non-degree programs, such as certificates or continuing education, should not be included in the matrix. See CEPH Data Template 2.1.1.
The School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS) has five departments that offer eleven professional and academic degree programs, three of which also offer joint degrees (See Table 2.1.2. CEPH Instructional Matrix). Degrees include the undergraduate baccalaureate BS and BA degrees in public health (target Spring 2013), four master’s degrees (including the professional MPH degree and three academic degrees), and two Ph.D. degrees, one in Biostatistics and Decision sciences and the PhD in Public Health Sciences with concentrations specializations in Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Health Management, and Health Behavior.
Table 2.1.2: Instructional Matrix – Degrees & Specializations
Degree Program / Academic / ProfessionalBachelors Degrees
BA in Population Public Health (Spring 2013) / X
BS in Public Health (Spring 2013) / X
Masters Degrees
MPH with a concentration in Biostatistics / X
MPH with a concentration in Epidemiology / X
MPH with a concentration in Environmental and Occupational Health / X
MPH with a concentration in Health Management / X
MPH with a concentration in Health Promotion and Behavior / X
MPH – Individual Trackconcentration[1] / X
MS in Biostatistics-Decision Science / X
MS in Epidemiology / X
MSc in Clinical Investigation Sciences / X
Doctoral Degrees
PhD in Biostatistics with concentrations optional inemphases on Biostatistics Bioinformatics and Decision Science / X
PhD in Public Health Sciences, Concentration with specialization in Environmental Health / X
PhD in Public Health Sciences with specialization, Concentration in Epidemiology / X
PhD in Public Health Sciences with specialization, Concentration in Health Management / X
PhD in Public Health Sciences with specialization, Concentration in Health Promotion / X
Joint Degrees
MD-MPH / X
MD-MSc / X
BS-MPHBachelors-MPH five five-year degree / X
MUP (Masters in Urban Planning)-MPH / X
PhD-MS in Biostatistics-Decision Science / X
b. The school bulletin or other official publication, which describes all degree programs identified in the instructional matrix, including a list of required courses and their course descriptions. The school bulletin or other official publication may be online, with appropriate links noted.
The official school catalog for 2011-12 and a listing of the required courses and descriptions can be found at https://sharepoint.louisville.edu/sites/sphis/do/aa/catalog/pubcat/SPHIS%20Catalog.pdf.[2] The catalog contains descriptions about each degree program in Table 2.1.1, as well as additional information for students, such as important contact information, university schedules and general graduate student information. The current catalog does not include new programs that were approved in 2012; these programs will be included in the 2013-14 catalog. The SPHIS website describes the curriculum (including required courses and their descriptions) for each degree program and areas concentration identified in the instructional matrix. (These publications are available in the electronic resource file).
c. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion.
This criterion is met. The professional and academic degrees offered by the school are presented in matrix form and the school catalog is provided as a website and in the resource file.
Strengths
· The SPHIS offers the MPH in the five core areas of knowledge basic to public health and an individual trackconcentration option
· The SPHIS offers and academic masters in clinical investigation sciences as well as both masters and doctoral degrees in the key areas of public health in a variety of study areas
· Detailed descriptions for each degree are available on the SPHIS website and in the school catalog.
· In addition to the traditional MPH curriculum, SPHIS offers the MUP-MPH and BS-MPHBachelors-MPH; two baccalaureate degrees will be offered beginning Fall 2013.
· Consistent with the school’s emphasis on information sciences, course syllabi and other relevant degree and student- related information are available electronically on SharePoint and the SPHIS website.
· .
ChallengesWeaknesses
· Students and faculty have yet to routinely utilize the full range of Getting students and faculty to electronically accessible degree information, course syllabi, and Ddepartmental and SPHIS information.data.
Future DirectionsPlans
· Work more closely with students, dDepartmental Cchairs, Pprogram Directorsdirectors, Student student Services services and student advisors to enhance accessibility of electronic curricula and course information, and assure that students have the information they need to make informed curricular decisions.
· Implement student recruitment plans for the BS-MPHBachelors-MPH and MUP-MPH degree programs, and develop and initiate a marketing strategy for the baccalaureate degree programs.
· Reconcile the desire to use print media with goal of utilizing digital media to assure that information provided about courses and policies is accurate, accessible, and easy to use
NOTE: Assessments will be written or revised to reflect the comments provided by reviewers, and will include Strengths, Weaknesses and Plans.
2.2 Program Length. An MPH degree program or equivalent professional public health masters degree must be at least 42 semester-credit units in length.
a. Definition of a credit with regard to classroom/contact hours.
Based onConsistent with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools requirements, the UofL and SPHIS definition of a credit hour is a unit of measure representing an hour (50 minutes) of instruction and 150 minutes of non-classwork over a 1514-week period in a semester. This definition applies to each credit hour of the total number of credit hours needed to complete the requirements of all professional and academic degrees offered by the SPHIS.
b. Information about the minimum degree requirements for all professional public health masters degree curricula shown in the instructional matrix. If the school or university uses a unit of academic credit or an academic term different from the standard semester or quarter, this difference should be explained and an equivalency presented in a table or narrative.
The MPH program uses the above definition of a credit hour and requires 47 total credit hours to complete the MPH degree. The five credit hours beyond the 42-hour CEPH requirement are to provide additional training in targeted areas, such as data management and program evaluation, that SPHIS faculty have identified as increasingly important to public health practice. These are more fully described in Section 2.3.a.
The credit hour requirements for the MPH for part-time students, students in the joint MD-MPH program, students admitted to the Individual TrackConcentration, and students in the five year baccalaureate-MPH degree are the same (47 credit hours) as the full-time MPH program. As with the full-time MPH degree, part-time students or students in the MD-MPH and the 5 five-year baccalaureate-MPH may concentrate in one of the five core areas emphasis or if eligible select the individual track to complete their degree.
c. Information about the number of professional public health masters degrees awarded for fewer than 42 semester credit units, or equivalent, over each of the last three years. A summary of the reasons should be included.
All MPH degrees awarded to date have exceeded 42 credit hours. In 2007, the MPH degree credit hour requirement was increased from 45 to 47 credit hours; all subsequent graduates have completed 47 credit hours for the MPH degree.
d. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion.
This criterion is met.
Strengths
· In order to emphasize key areas of program evaluation and data management, Aall MPH degrees meet exceed the CEPH standards for program length..
· No students have graduated with less than 45 credits since the inception of the program
· All degree programs are competency-based and require field-based practice experiences.
· The minimum requirements for the MPH degree are set forth and well publicized in university and SPHIS printed and electronic materials.
·
ChallengesWeaknesses
· The current curriculum does not includeTo provide adequate adequate training in emerging areas of public health, such as international health and all-hazards preparednesswithin the current curriculum.
· To provideThere is a lack of flexibility in the timing of the curriculum offerings for part-time MPH students and joint joint-degree MPH students.
· Lack of Currently, summer courses are not offered for the traditional MPH program.
Future Plans
· The MPH Advisory Committee plans to:
o To cContinually review and update the curriculum to meet the emerging training needs of MPH students;
o To dDevelop and implement a summer curriculum for the MPH Program;
o To eEnable completion of the MPH Program in 18 months with year- round classes; and,.
o CContinue development of on-line courses to meet student’s desires for flexibility.
2.3 Public Health Core Knowledge. All graduate professional degree public health students must complete sufficient coursework to attain depth and breadth in the five core areas of public health knowledge.
a. Identification of the means by which the school assures that all graduate professional degree students have fundamental competence in the areas of knowledge basic to public health. If this means is common across the school, it need be described only once. If it varies by degree or program area, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each program. See CEPH Data Template 2.3.1.
The SPHIS requires that all MPH students develop a broad understanding of the theories and techniques that underlie public health through the satisfactory completion of core courses in the five specialty areas of knowledge basic to public health (biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental/occupational health, health policy/administration and social/behavioral health). Table 2.3.1 identifies the course numbers and titles for the core courses. A complete listing of MPH courses may be found as Appendix 2.1, available at [insert URL].