FAQs about the MPH Program Offered by Fatima Memorial System (FMS)

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FAQs about the MPH Program Offered by Fatima Memorial System (FMS)

Under the Auspices of the University of Louisville (KY, USA) School of

Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS)

Why are the NUR Foundation, Fatima Memorial System (FMS), and University of Louisville (KY, USA) School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS) working together on

establishing a public health degree program in FMS?

Worldwide, public health is being increasingly realized as an essential aspect of health and wellness, not just of populations but also of the individuals that comprise the population. The NUR Foundation and FMS have a shared commitment to health, healthcare, and education and have been exploring the possibility of establishing a public health program in Lahore. The exploration led them to Dr. Craig Blakely, then-Dean of the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health, who together with NUR Foundation and FMS pursued establishing a public health degree program in Lahore. When Dr. Blakely became Dean of SPHIS in 2013, he brought with him the opportunity in Lahore. The SPHIS faculty quickly embraced the idea given their interest in worldwide population health. This enthusiasm spread rapidly throughout the University of Louisville, culminating in endorsement by University President Jim Ramsey, University Provost Shirley Willihnganz, and the University Board of Trustees.

What degrees will be offered and by which institutions?

The FMS program is termed “a remote academic program” of the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences. It offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) that is awarded by the University of Louisville. As part of its accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), SPHIS is committed to providing an approved and consistent curriculum regardless of where the program is offered. If it’s an MPH from SPHIS, it has the same coursework and requirements regardless of

location.

Does the MPH program offered through FMS differ from MPH programs offered by other institutions?

Yes, in two important ways. First, the FMS/SPHIS MPH program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), one of a very small number of public health accrediting agencies around the globe. (See FAQ on CEPH-accreditation for details.) Second, the FMA/SPHIS MPH program has a major emphasis on applications of information technology in public health.

In general, an MPH degree program is multi-faceted, having concentrations at CEPH-accredited schools and programs of public that can range from biostatistics to environmental health to maternal and child health. At present, the SPHIS MPH program has six concentrations: biostatistics, epidemiology,

environmental and occupational health, health promotion and behavior, and health management. True to its name, which includes “information sciences,” the MPH offered by SPHIS includes the practical applications of information technologies to public health. The two-semester core course in biostatistics includes developing skills using SPSS, a statistical analysis and data management software package used extensively in public health practice. The curriculum also includes an entire course on learning the use and application of a geographic information system in public health, which is proving to be an essential tool for mapping events, statuses, and other data to understand what’s happening where.

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What does CEPH-accreditation mean and why is it important?

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), established in 1974, is an independent organization that is the accrediting agency for public health education recognized by the US Department of Education. There are CEPH-accredited schools and programs in the US (including Puerto Rico), Mexico, Canada, and Lebanon. Internationally, most MPH programs are accredited by agencies in the governments of their home countries. In 2011, five European public health organizations founded an independent accrediting body, Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA), for countries in the European region. APHEA is similar in scope and purpose as CEPH, with which APHEA has been working to develop their own set of criteria, procedures, and processes, which at present are essential the same as and borrowed from CEPH.

CEPH-accreditation represents a level of excellence in public health education that is recognized

worldwide. This recognition is based on the rigorous process required in gaining CEPH accreditation. For a public health school or program to become accredited requires a year-long self-study using the extensive criteria established by CEPH. After the self-study is submitted, a CEPH review team visits the site for an intensive four-day examination of the school or program both to validate the self-study and to interview faculty, staff, students, and employers of the site’s graduates. The review team’s draft report is commented on by the site, and both the draft report and site comments are submitted to the Council. The accreditation decision and final report are developed and issued by the Council and, if accreditation is granted or provisionally granted, often includes items that require additional work by the site and a follow-up report. Accreditation is for two to seven years, before the end of which the school or program formally launches its next self-study to begin the accreditation process once more.

The intention is to capitalize on the formal accreditation of the SPHIS program by offering it through FMS in Lahore. Over the next eight to ten years, the intent is to build the infrastructure in Lahore to the point where FMS is in position as a school or program offering its own degrees and independent from SPHIS. At that point, FMS may choose to seek its own CEPH accreditation or choose to consider an alternative accrediting body.

What is the relationship between the MPH program in FMS and the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS)?

They are the same program. Both follow the same curriculum, utilize the same learning management system (Blackboard), have students register for the same courses, and award the same degree. There are only two differences: one is in Lahore, the other is in Louisville; and, while all instructors are SPHIS faculty, they are not the same instructors for the FMS courses as for the same courses in Louisville. However, the faculties at both locations will work closely together in constructing specific course content, retaining identical competencies but altering content to reflect the cultural and political milieu of the local community.

Where does my tuition go?

All tuition stays with FMS in Lahore. The support for the required SPHIS faculty supervision of the instruction in Lahore is handled separately.

How will instruction be done – online, classroom, both – and by whom?

Instruction is based in the classroom at both FMS and SPHIS. Courses delivered at both locations use the Blackboard learning management system, some to a greater extent than others. A few courses are

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Are the SPHIS Louisville faculty involved in instruction and, if so, how?

In order to meet accreditation standards, the SPHIS faculty is responsible for the content and delivery of coursework for its degree programs. The FMS faculty teaching in the MPH program will be appointed as adjunct faculty in SPHIS and as such will participate in program decisions. However, the final

determinations are required to be made by the permanent executive faculty of SPHIS in Louisville. Each course delivered in the FMS/SPHIS MPH program will have a Louisville-based faculty member assigned to work with the FMS faculty member on the management and content of the course. Their communication will be facilitated by a faculty-only Blackboard site designed set up specifically for this purpose.

In addition, on-site visits to review ongoing activities and issues will be made by SPHIS administration faculty.

What are the admission requirements and procedures? Information needed for your application:

• Three current letters of recommendation (within the past 12 months) • Official and original academic transcripts in English

• Resume or curriculum vitae

• A one-page personal statement that is a clear, substantive description of your goals in public health, noting any relevant professional or research experience

• Official score from one standardized examination: GRE, MCAT, DAT, GMAT or LSAT

Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or its equivalent and a recommended minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Admissions will be handled cooperatively by FMS and UofL SPHIS.

Step 1. Admission materials are submitted to FMS for screening and review.

Step 2. FMS recommends applicants to UofL SPHIS. These applicants will be asked to complete the UofL Graduate Admissions Application at graduate.louisville.edu/sigs/apply. An applicant who received a degree from a non-U.S. institution must also submit a foreign credential evaluation.

Step 3. UofL SPHIS admissions committee reviews the applicants’ materials and notifies applicants about the decision to approve or deny admission.

Is the FMS/SPHIS MPH program just for physicians?

No. While the proportion of physicians in early MPH cohort classes may be significant, the MPH is a professional degree for practitioners of public health, most of whom are not physicians but, as with physicians, are dedicated to the health and wellness of people. The educational backgrounds of MPH graduates are as diverse as the areas of public health practice, from data management and statistical analysis to field epidemiology to environment health and policy to health promotion and management. When will the FMS/SPHIS MPH program begin in Lahore?

FMS, SPHIS, and the NUR Foundation are hard at work getting the remote MPH program offered by FMS to matriculate its first class to start in August 2014 in parallel with the program in Louisville.

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What is in the curriculum of the FMS/SPHIS MPH program?

The SPHIS MPH curriculum is a two-year program for full-time students. Part-time students are advised to complete the required coursework within four years with the maximum allowed duration is six years. The first-year coursework is listed in the following table:

SPHIS and FMS/SPHIS MPH Curriculum, Year 1

Semester Course # Course Title (and Area, as needed) Credit _Hours

Year 1 Semester 1 (August to December)

PHEH-500 Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences (core) 3

PHMS-501 Introduction to Public Health Practice and Administration _(core) 3

PHPB-501 Introduction to Health Behavior (core) 3

PHST-500 Introduction to Biostatistics for Public Health I (core) 3

Year 1 Semester 2 (January to April)

PHEP-501 Introduction to Epidemiology (core) 3

PHPH-614 Critical Thinking and Program Evaluation (core) 3

PHPH-630 Geographic Information Systems in Public Health (core) 3

PHST-501 Introduction to Biostatistics for Public Health II (core) 3

Year 1 Credit Hours 24 In the last month of their first year, students select their concentrations. Initially the FMS/SPHIS MPH program will be offering concentrations in biostatistics and in epidemiology. In subsequent years soon after the first class graduates, other concentrations will be added, primarily based on demand, both by students and by Pakistan’s public health needs.

The second year curriculum for the biostatistics concentration is given in the following table.

SPHIS and FMS/SPHIS MPH Curriculum, Biostatistics Concentration, Year 2

Year 2 Semester 3

(May to August) PHPH-679 Public Health Practicum Experience 1

PHST-620 Introduction to Statistical Computing 3

PHST-680 Biostatistical Methods I 3

PHEP-602 Epidemiological Methods 3

PHPH-679 Public Health Practicum Experience 2

PHST-681 Biostatistical Methods II 3

PHST-640 Statistical Methods for Research Design in Health Studies 3

PHPH-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health 3

Year 2 Credit Hours 24 Degree Program Credit Hours 48

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For the epidemiology concentration, the second-year curriculum is in the table below.

SPHIS and FMS/SPHIS MPH Curriculum, Epidemiology Concentration, Year 2

Year 2 Semester 3

(May to August) PHPH-679 Public Health Practicum Experience 1

PHEP-602 Epidemiological Methods 3

PHEP-616 Disease Surveillance and Health Statistics 3

PHEP-655 Emerging Issues in Epidemiology 3

PHST-640 Statistical Methods for Research Design in Health Studies 3

PHEP-617 Field Epidemiology 3

PHPH-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health 3

Year 2 Credit Hours 24 Degree Program Credit Hours 48 How can I find out more about the FMS/SPHIS MPH program?

Please contact:

Dr. Noreen Farooq Head of Student Affairs Fatima Memorial System (FMS)

Telephone: +92-42-111-555-600 Extension: 560

Fax: +92-42-3-757-0586