Required Competencies For each degree program and area of specialization within each program identified in the instructional matrix, there shall be

clearly stated competencies that guide the development of educational programs.

Required Documentation. The self-study document should include the following: 2.6.a. Identification of core public health competencies that all MPH or equivalent

professional master’s degree students are expected to achieve through their courses of study.

• Define problems in a transdisciplinary way and develop shared conceptual frameworks from discipline-specific theories and models.

• Apply transdisciplinary solutions to public health problems using appropriate analytical tools drawn from public health or other disciplines.

• Explain how genetics and genomics affect disease processes and their role in public health policy and practice.

Evidence-Based Public Health

Evidence-based public health is the process of integrating science-based interventions with community preferences to improve the health of populations.

Competencies: Upon graduation, a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Identify sources of evidence-based information related to public health research, policy and practice.

• Evaluate the quality of evidenced-based public health information.

• Identify the various types of evidence that influence decisions in public health practice.

• Understand the barriers encountered when translating scientific evidence to practice in public health settings.

• Recognize effective methods for translating evidence-based interventions in practice and policy settings.

• Understand the importance of obtaining community input before planning and implementing evidence-based interventions.

• Explain the importance of leadership from public health professionals regarding the need for and relevance of evidence-based interventions.

Biostatistics

Biostatistics is the development and application of statistical reasoning and methods in addressing, analyzing and solving problems in public health; health care; and biomedical, clinical and population-based research.

Competencies: Upon graduation, a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Describe how biostatistics is used in public health.

• Understand the basic concepts of probability, variation and inference.

• Apply descriptive and inferential techniques according to the type of study design for answering a particular research or practice question.

• Conduct clear and effective graphical and tabular summaries of basic statistical analysis.

Epidemiology

Epidemiology seeks to: (1) discover the agent, host and environmental factors that affect health, in order to provide the scientific basis for the prevention of disease and injury and the promotion of health; (2) determine the relative importance of causes of illness, disability and death, in order to establish priorities for research and action; (3) identify those sections of the population that have the greatest risk from specific causes of ill health, in order that the indicated action may be directed appropriately; and (4) contribute to developing and then evaluating the effectiveness of public health programs and services in improving the health of the population.

Competencies: Upon graduation, a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Apply the basic terminology and definitions of epidemiology, and identify key sources of data for epidemiologic purposes.

• Identify the principles and limitations of public health screening programs.

• Define and interpret a public health problem in terms of magnitude, person, time and place.

• Explain the importance of epidemiological data for informing scientific, ethical, economic and political discussion of health issues.

• Calculate basic epidemiology measures and draw appropriate inferences from data.

• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of epidemiologic reports.

• Describe the purpose, types and methods of surveillance systems.

• Explain the main study designs and measures of association used in epidemiological, clinical and population research.

Health Policy and Management

Health policy and management is a multidisciplinary field of inquiry and practice concerned with the delivery, quality and costs of health care for individuals and populations. This area considers policy as well as management issues dealing with the structure, process and outcomes of health services as they relate to costs, financing, access, organization and quality of care.

Competencies: Upon graduation, a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Identify the main components and issues of the organization, financing and delivery of health services and public health services in the United States.

• Understand the process for implementing policy to improve the health status of populations.

• Apply the principles of program planning, development, strategic planning, budgeting and evaluation in the organization of public health initiatives.

• Understand how to translate and disseminate public health research to policy makers and other stakeholders using health information technology.

• Analyze the potential impacts of legal and regulatory environments on the conduct of ethical public health research and practice.

Social and Behavioral Sciences

The social and behavioral sciences in public health address the behavioral, social and cultural factors related to individual and population health and health disparities over the life course. Research and practice in this area contributes to the development,

administration and evaluation of programs and policies in public health and health services to promote and sustain healthy environments and healthy lives for individuals and

populations.

Competencies: Upon graduation, a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Identify basic theories, concepts and models from a range of social and behavioral disciplines that are used in public health practice and research.

• Analyze determinants of health and disease using an ecological framework.

• Apply evidence-based approaches in the development and evaluation of social and behavioral science interventions.

• Identify critical stakeholders and describe steps and procedures for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, policies and

interventions.

Environmental Health Sciences

Environmental health sciences represent the study of environmental factors, including biological, physical, chemical and psychosocial factors that affect the health of a community. Competencies: Upon graduation, a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Specify approaches to identifying, assessing, mitigating and preventing

environmental hazards that pose risks to human health and safety, including the use of current environmental risk assessment methods.

• Explain the biological and molecular pathogenesis basis of public health, and the general mechanisms of toxicity and insult in eliciting pathogenic and salutogenic responses to chemical, biological, physical and psychosocial environmental exposures.

• Discuss various risk management and risk communication approaches in relation to issues of vulnerable populations, environmental justice and equity.

• Interpret health effects of contemporary environmental issues, including global climate change, bioterrorism, food security, urbanization, transportation and energy production.

Diversity, Culture and Health Disparities

The ability to interact with diverse individuals or communities to produce or impact an intended public health outcome is essential to success in the MPH program.

Competencies: Upon graduation, a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Describe the contribution that cultural competence makes in addressing health disparities.

• Develop public health programs and strategies responsive to the diverse cultural values and traditions of the communities being served.

• Apply social justice and human rights principles when addressing public health needs.

• Understand the impact of contexts such as gender, race, poverty, history, migration and culture in public health policy and practice.

Leadership, Professionalism and Ethics

Students must develop the ability to create and communicate a shared vision for a changing future; champion solutions to organizational and community challenges; energize

commitment to goals; demonstrate ethical choices, values and professional practices implicit in public health decisions; consider the effect of choices on community stewardship, equity, social justice and accountability; and to commit to personal and institutional development. Competencies: Upon graduation, a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Promote high standards of personal and organizational integrity, compassion, honesty and respect for all people.

• Demonstrate team building, negotiation and conflict management skills.

• Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance and communication.

• Develop effective and innovative leadership for collaboration and partnership among communities and organizations focused on public health goals.

• Describe, comprehend and adhere to the basic principles of ethical analysis (e.g., the Public Health Code of Ethics) pertaining to the collection, maintenance and use of public health information.

Communication and Informatics

Communication and informatics success is defined by the ability to collect, manage and organize data to produce information and meaning that is exchanged by use of signs and symbols; to gather, process and present information to different audiences in person, through information technologies or through media channels; and to strategically design the information and knowledge exchange process to achieve specific objectives.

Competencies: Upon graduation a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Understand how public health information infrastructure collects, processes, maintains and disseminates data.

• Apply theory and strategy-based communication principles across different settings and audiences.

• Understand how to communicate transdisciplinary research evidence to key stakeholders to influence policy and practice.

• Understand how to communicate basic statistical results and epidemiologic information to diverse audiences.

Program Planning

Students will gain the ability to plan, implement and evaluate program strategies and interventions to improve individual and community health.

Competencies: Upon graduation a student with an MPH should be able to:

• Use the evidence-base to develop and explain planning models and participatory approaches applied in the design of public health programs.

• Develop and articulate the necessary components of a strategy to implement a public health program, including target population, catchment area, organizational capacities, activities, partners and stakeholders, and work plan.

• Differentiate among the purposes and methods used in formative, process, impact and outcome evaluations.

• Design a monitoring and evaluation scheme to capture the outcomes and impacts of a public health program. Analyze the effects of political, social and economic policies on public health systems at different administrative levels.

• Analyze the impact of global and regional trends and interdependencies on public health–related problems and systems.

To ensure that all aspects of the program of study are building to competency within the area of specialization, learning objectives for all required and elective courses, including the practicum requirement and the culminating experience, are linked to all competencies. Appendix Table 2.6.b.1 presents a matrix of core competencies for each of the core MPH courses, the research sequence courses, the transdisciplinary problem-solving courses and the practicum and culminating examination. The table shows that each course in the curriculum is carefully constructed so that across the curriculum the students will obtain sufficient depth in all the competencies.

Since the MPH program at Washington University is a generalist program, all competencies for the program are discussed in response to Criterion 2.6.a.

The Brown School competencies were developed through a comprehensive process that included all constituencies involved in the program. The process followed these steps and this chronology:

• The program started by drawing on the competencies developed by the Associations of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) and put those in place for the program in its initial semester (Fall 2009).

• The faculty began a process of revising and revamping these competencies to adapt them to the specific mission and goals of the Brown School’s MPH program in Fall 2009, using the Brown Public Health Committee for this process, initially. In particular, competencies were developed for transdisciplinary public health, the unique aspect of the Brown School’s program.

• A revised set of competencies was in place by Spring 2010, and was discussed at a faculty retreat. These competencies were used in course syllabi in courses in Spring 2010.

• Further revisions to the competencies were considered during Spring 2010 and Summer 2010, with input from additional sets of constituencies: students,

community leaders and staff. Revisions were adopted at the fall retreat, 2010, and by the Brown Public Health Committee in Fall 2010. This version was considered at a focus group meeting by students in Fall 2010 and a Community Advisory

2.6.b. A matrix that identifies the learning experiences by which the core public