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 master’s 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 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. 


. Interpretation. The school shall offer, at a minimum, the Master of Public Health (MPH), the

primary professional public health degree, as well as doctoral training in public health. 
 All degree programs, at all levels and all areas of specialization, offered by a school of public health, including those offered in a format other than regular, on-site course sessions (eg, distance learning, executive), must be presented for accreditation review. The school is the unit of CEPH accreditation and all degree programs are expected to respond to appropriate CEPH criteria. CEPH categorizes graduate degree programs as professional or academic. A professional degree is one that, based on its learning objectives and types of positions its graduates pursue, prepares students with a broad mastery of the subject matter and methods necessary in a field of practice; it typically requires students to develop the capacity to organize, analyze, interpret and

communicate knowledge in an applied manner. A research or academic degree program is one that, based on its learning objectives and the paths its graduates follow, prepares students for scholarly careers, particularly in academia and other research settings; it typically prepares students to investigate, acquire, organize, analyze and disseminate new knowledge in a discipline or field of study.

CEPH further categorizes professional degrees into two categories: “professional public health,” which are degrees in public health or related fields and “other professional” degrees in non- public health fields such as health care administration, audiology or physical therapy. Professional public health degrees include the Master of Public Health (MPH), equivalent master’s degrees (eg, MS in industrial hygiene) and the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree. All equivalent professional public health master’s degrees are expected to meet the same curricular requirements as the MPH. Examples of “other professional” degrees tend to be field- 59 |

specific and would include MHA, MHSA, AuD and DPT degrees.

At a minimum, all schools of public health must offer professional public health master’s degrees in each of the five core public health areas and doctoral degrees (which may be professional public health degrees or academic degrees) in three of the five core public health areas. Schools may offer additional professional public health, other professional and academic degrees in keeping with the school’s mission.

A program, sometimes referred to as a program of study, course of study or curriculum, is a series of planned and evaluated learning experiences that constitute the total requirements for the award of a degree. The program of study for each concentration, specialization or track within each degree, including those designated as “generalist,” shall provide sufficient depth of training in the designated area through required coursework and other experiences.

The five areas of knowledge considered basic to public health include biostatistics,

epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health services administration and the social and behavioral sciences. A school of public health must provide depth of training in each of these areas, sufficient for a student to pursue a professional public health master’s degree with a concentration, specialty, or major, depending on the terminology used by the institution, in each of the five areas. Depth of training requires sufficient advanced-level courses to support the program. Other public health specialties may be offered when the school has the critical mass of faculty to assure depth of training in those specialties.

Required Documentation

2.1.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.

All degree programs are listed in table 2.1.1.

GSPH offers nine master of public health (MPH) concentrations. We have degrees in the five core areas; in addition, we offer the MPH in public health genetics and with two different concentrations in infectious diseases and microbiology (IDM). One of these concentrations combines pathogen biology, immunology, and epidemiology within the broader framework of public health, while the other fosters competencies for designing assessments, interventions, approaches, best practices, and policies that address the infectious disease threats to public health. In addition, we offer a multidisciplinary MPH (MMPH) aimed at professionals with a clinical degree or other previous doctorate. The MMPH allows advanced professional students to work with the program director to develop competencies and a plan of study targeting their interests and career goals.

Three of our MPH concentrations (Epidemiology, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences [BCHS], and Infectious Diseases and Microbiology[IDM]-MIC) are also offered as a part of the Peace Corps Masters International program. The Peace Corps Master’s International Program (PCMI) was initiated in 2008, with the first cohort enrolling in the fall of 2009. Course requirements for the PCMI track are the same as the regular MPH requirements for each concentration. However, PCMI students complete an intense academic year (two terms), from August through the end of April, during which they take a sequence of required MPH courses to provide them with the critical competencies necessary for a Peace Corps volunteer assignment in public health. Students also take Global Health and Peace Corps seminars and work closely with the PCMI director and program coordinator to prepare for their Peace Corps assignment. At the end of their second term, students depart for their assignment, which begins with three months of training followed by 24 months of field experience at a Peace Corps site. Before departure, PCMI students are paired with a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), who serves as a mentor throughout their field placement. RPCVs may be from the University of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh region, or public health alumni. After completion of Peace Corps service, students return to GSPH to complete a final year of study and write their thesis or essay. The PCMI director also serves as the school’s assistant dean for global health programs, director of the Center for Global Health at the University, and holds an appointment as assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences.

GSPH offers doctor of public health (DrPH) degrees in BCHS, Epidemiology, and Environmental and Occupational Health. After an extensive review of the DrPH program in 2011-2012, two programs (Biostatistics and IDM) were eliminated and the Epidemiology program was significantly revised. These developments, which were described in a substantive change notice to CEPH dated April 2012, produced three programs that are well-grounded in high-level, general public health professional competencies yet remain strongly discipline-focused. All three are clearly distinct from the research-focused PhD degrees in the corresponding departments. By University policy, all DrPH students complete a dissertation, but DrPH dissertations are typically more applied than PhD dissertations, and may take the form of policy analysis, white paper, or other translational research product.

In addition to the degrees described above, GSPH offers a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in seven fields, and a master of science (MS) in six. There are two other professional programs: the master of health

administration (MHA) and the MS in genetic counseling. A variety of joint degrees are listed in Table 2.1.1. The MPH is offered jointly with degrees in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. These include the master of international development (MID), master of public administration (MPA), and master of public and international affairs (MPIA). The MPH is also offered with anthropology, with social work (master of social work [MSW]), with law (juris doctor [JD]), and with our own genetic counseling degree. In addition, our Human Genetics and Epidemiology departments participate in the medical doctor (MD)/PhD program jointly run by the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

GSPH also offers nine certificate programs. These are described more fully under Criterion 3, but, in fact, very few non-degree students complete them. Certificates primarily serve degree-seeking students who are interested in a broader experience and/or additional credentials.

Data Template 2.1.1. Instructional Matrix - Degrees and Specializations Department Program

Abbreviation Academic Professional Professional Other

Masters Degrees

Behavioral and Community Health

Sciences BCHS BCHS-MPH X

Biostatistics BIOST BIOST-MPH X

Environmental and Occupational Health EOH EOH-MPH X

Epidemiology EPIDEM EPIDEM-MPH X

Health Policy and Management HPM HPM-MPH X

Public Health Genetics PHGEN PHGEN-MPH X

Infectious Diseases and Microbiology with concentration in Infectious Disease Pathogenesis, Eradication, and Laboratory Practice

IDM IDM-MPH PEL X

Infectious Diseases and Microbiology with concentration in Infectious Disease Management, Intervention, and Community Practice

IDM IDM-MPH MIC

X

Multidisciplinary Master of Public Health

(MMPH) MMPH MMPH-MPH X

Biostatistics BIOST BIOST-MS X

Environmental and Occupational Health EOH EOH-MS X

Epidemiology EPIDEM EPIDEM-MS X

Health Services Research and Policy HPM HSRP-MS X

Human Genetics HUGEN HUGEN-MS X

Infectious Diseases and Microbiology IDM IDM-MS X

Genetic Counseling HUGEN GNCSLG-MS X

Health Policy and Management HPM HPM-MHA X Doctoral Degrees

Behavioral and Community Health

Sciences BCHS BCHS-PhD X Biostatistics BIOST BIOST-PhD X

Environmental and Occupational Health EOH EOH-PhD X

Epidemiology EPIDEM EPIDEM-PhD X

Health Services Research and Policy HPM HSRP-PhD X

Human Genetics HUGEN HUGEN-PhD X

Infectious Diseases and Microbiology IDM IDM-PhD X

Behavioral and Community Health

Sciences BCHS BCHS-DrPH X

Environmental and Occupational Health EOH EOH-DrPH X

Epidemiology EPIDEM EPIDEM-DrPH X

Joint Degrees

Behavioral and Community Health Sciences with Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

BCHS BCHS- MPH/MID/MPIA/ MPH

X

Behavioral and Community Health Sciences with the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Department of Anthropology

BCHS BCHS-

MPH/PhD X

Behavioral and Community Health

Sciences with School of Social Work BCHS BCHS-MPH/PhD X Behavioral and Community Health

Sciences with School of Social Work BCHS BCHS-MPH/MSW X Human Genetics with School of Medicine HUGEN HUGEN-

MD/PhD X Epidemiology with School of Medicine EPIDEM EPIDEM-

MD/PhD X Public Health Genetics with Genetic

Counseling HUGEN HUGEN-MPH/MS X X Health Policy and Management with

School of Law HPM HPM-MPH/JD X

2.1.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 University of Pittsburgh maintains an online bulletin for all degree programs. The Graduate School of Public Health’s section is accessible at:

www.bulletins.pitt.edu/graduate/publichealth.htm. The bulletin also contains a section on general academic regulations, including specific details governing masters and doctoral degrees, publication of theses and dissertations, and statutes of limitation. This bulletin section is accessible at: www.bulletins.pitt.edu/graduate/regulations.htm. The University website lists detailed Regulations Governing Graduate Study.

Program handbooks, maintained at the department level, contain complete requirements for each program. Individual handbooks are available on the departmental sections of the website. There is also an academic manual that describes overall academic regulations. Other school-level resources include an orientation handbook and admissions catalog, which are not primarily concerned with requirements or regulations but which include some description thereof. Course descriptions are maintained centrally through the University’s student information system, PeopleSoft. They are made available to students through the student-services portal of PeopleSoft and on the school’s website at http://mypublichealth.pitt.edu/students/academics-and- student-services/classes. A list of courses offered over the past three years is available in the electronic resource file.

2.1.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.

Strengths | GSPH offers students a wide variety of degree options, including nine MPH concentrations and 10 doctoral degrees.

Weaknesses | None identified.

Commented [E22]: Add links throughout this section.

Plans | GSPH continually evaluates degree offerings to ensure that programs meet the needs most suitable to students and employers. In particular, we anticipate re-evaluating our menu of MPH concentrations once accreditation criteria are revised in response to the Framing the Future MPH roadmap.