ACADEMIC DEGREES

If the school also offers curricula for graduate academic degrees, students pursuing them shall obtain a broad introduction to public health, as well as an understanding about how their discipline-based specialization contributes to achieving the goals of public health. 


Interpretation. Because schools of public health must provide an interdisciplinary learning

environment, students pursuing academic health degrees should acquire a broad public health orientation, as well as depth of education in a specific discipline. Given that these degree programs prepare students who may become public health faculty, as well as prepare researchers who will be expected to work in multidisciplinary settings, the curricula should facilitate a broad public health perspective. Opportunities for cross-disciplinary work should be afforded to all academic students.

Students in academic curricula should be familiar with the basic principles and application of epidemiology and should develop competence in other areas of public health knowledge that are particularly relevant to their own disciplines. Ensuring that students are familiar with and competent in public health areas outside the concentration will require at least the equivalent of three semester-credit hours of instruction that introduce students to the breadth of public health and at least the equivalent of three semester-credit hours of instruction in epidemiology. If the school can document that an academic degree student has completed these two requirements for a previous graduate degree, then the school may waive the requirement for the student. While opportunities to engage in research activities are important for all students, they are essential for students in academic or research curricula. Such opportunities are possible only when faculty themselves are actively engaged in research.

All academic degrees, at the master’s or doctoral level, should culminate in an integrative activity that permits the student to demonstrate the ability to successfully undertake research or to demonstrate analytical skills appropriate for the pursuit of further education or scholarship.

Required Documentation

2.11.A. Identification of all academic degree programs, by degree and area of specialization. The instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1.a may be referenced for this purpose.

GSPH offers the PhD in each of our seven departments, and the MS in every department except Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (see Data Template 2.1.1). The MS in Health Services Research and Policy is new; the first students entered in fall 2014.

2.11.B. Identification of the means by which the school assures that students in academic curricula acquire a public health orientation. 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.

All students in GSPH take introductory courses in biostatistics and epidemiology, and a three- credit integrated course that covers environmental health, behavioral health, and health policy and management. In addition, all students participate in our “Grand Rounds” course, which involves attendance at public health oriented seminars and events throughout the year. Specific course numbers and titles are listed below.

1. The Dean’s Public Health Grand Rounds (PUBHLT 2022, zero credits)* 2. Essentials of Public Health (PUBHLT 2011, three credits)^

3. Principles of Epidemiology (EPIDEM 2110, three credits)

4. Introduction to Biostatistics for Biomedical Scientist (BIOST 2014, three credits) or Principles of Statistical Reasoning (BIOST 2011, three credits) or Introduction to Statistical Methods I (BIOST 2041, three credits) and Introduction to Statistical Methods II (BIOST 2042, three credits)

^ Essentials of Public Health combines core public health areas of environmental health sciences, social and behavioral science, and health policy and management into one course.

* Two semesters are required.

2.11.C. Identification of the culminating experience required for each academic degree program. If this is common across the school’s academic degree programs, it need be described only once. If it varies by degree or program area, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each.

The culminating experience for all academic degree students is the thesis (MS) or dissertation (PhD). The thesis or dissertation is the primary written report on the student’s research, and is an opportunity to demonstrate technical skills, scientific perspective and interpretation, and communication skills. It is supervised by a committee of at least three (MS) or four (PhD) faculty from at least two departments, and often includes up to six faculty representing a broad range of fields and perspectives. The PhD dissertation is always expected to be original publication-quality research. The MS thesis is also original research, but can take a slightly broader range of forms, including an in-depth literature review (several departments) or a report on applied research conducted during an internship (Biostatistics).

In addition to the thesis or dissertation, MS students must complete a comprehensive exam. This exam takes different forms in different departments, but the goal is to assess whether students

Commented [EF46]: Update this later.

have achieved overall knowledge-based and/or integrative competencies expected in the

program. PhD students must complete a qualifying exam, a comprehensive exam and dissertation proposal (which may be separate or integrated), and a dissertation defense.

2.11.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.

Strengths |

• Each academic department has clear regulations and procedures governing its students’ progress in completing the culminating experience, either the master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation.

• All academic degree students take a three-credit course that integrates three of the core areas: environmental health, social and behavioral sciences, and health policy and management. In addition, all students in these two programs take three credits of epidemiology, three credits of biostatistics, and two semesters of the zero-credit Grand Rounds course.

Weaknesses | Plans |