SPH General Requirements (Non-Academic)

All degree-seeking undergraduate students at the Milken Institute School of Public Health are required to complete the General SPH Requirements, detailed below:

All degree-seeking students in the Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH) are required to complete eight (8) hours of Professional Enhancement (PE) prior to graduation.

Professional Enhancement activities are designed to complement one's academic curriculum by helping them deepen their understanding of public health issues and prepare to actively engage in the professional community. These activities typically include public health-related lectures, workshops, webinars, seminars, and symposia, either in person or virtually.

Events must enhance one’s practical knowledge or professional awareness in public health, either broadly or within their specific field of study/interest. If you're unsure whether a non-GWSPH event qualifies, email your advisor a link to the event details prior to the event and we'll let you know! Please allow 2-3 business days for review.

Documenting PE Hours

To receive credit for your Professional Enhancement hours, please follow the steps below:

Track Your Activities: Log each PE event using the Professional Enhancement Form, available on Blackboard under the Forms & Form Submission tab.
Obtain Approval for Non-Pre-Approved Events: For events that are not pre-approved (e.g., not listed on the GWSPH Event Calendar), you must obtain prior approval from your advisor. If approval is granted via email, save that correspondence as part of your documentation.
Document Attendance: Acceptable forms of documentation include: Photos from in-person events, screenshots from virtual webinars, registration confirmations, conference badges, program schedules, event tickets, etc. We strongly recommend keeping a dedicated folder (either on your computer via GoogleDrive) to store all PE-related materials as you complete them.

PE Form Submission

Once you've completed all 8 hours:

Combine your completed PE Form and all supporting documentation into a single PDF
Upload your PDF to the SPH Undergraduate Box Submission Page

Submitting your documentation in a timely and organized manner ensures that your hours are accurately recorded and that you're cleared for graduation without delays. Failure to submit PE hours timely may result in delayed degree clearance.

Where to Find PE Opportunities

Pre-approved and upcoming PE events are often shared via the Professional Enhancement Opportunities tab in Blackboard. You can also check out the GWSPH Event Calendar for pre-approved GWSPH-wide PE events!

Want to explore other options for PE? Some great resources for finding PE events are listed below. Events hosted by these organizations are not pre-approved, so be sure to check with an advisor prior to the event!

Don’t wait until the last minute to complete this requirement! Completing your PE hours is a meaningful way to grow your public health knowledge, and it's a required step towards your graduation. Stay informed, plan ahead, and take advantage of the various opportunities available to you!

All Milken Institute School of Public Health students are required to complete the GW Academic Integrity Activity. This Activity must be completed within 2 weeks of starting your coursework at Milken Institute School of Public Health. For first-year students, this activity is typically completed as part of PUBH 1010. Internal and external transfer students should aim to complete this activity within the first two weeks of their first semester.

The Code of Academic Integrity at the George Washington University defines the standards of academically ethical behavior that we uphold as a learning community. All Milken Institute School of Public Health students need to be aware of their rights and responsibilities as members of the GW community and as defined by our code. As you will learn in this brief module, all members of the GW and Milken Institute School of Public Health academic community are held to the highest standard in all academic activities.

Read through the Code of Academic Integrity
Complete this short quiz activity, where you will: identify terms and definitions located within the code, identify violations of the code and apply the code to situations you might encounter as a student. (Note: You must be logged into your GW email)

After completing this short activity regarding GW’s Code of Academic Integrity, students will be able to:

Define the terms outlined in GW’s Code of Academic Integrity.
Describe unethical academic behavior(s) that would violate the code.
Apply principles from the code to real world academic scenarios that they might encounter as students.

To pass the quiz and complete this requirement, you must score 80% (12/15). If you fail to correctly answer 80% of the questions, you will be directed to return to the previous page to retake the quiz, which you may take as many times as necessary. Once you have successfully completed the quiz, you will be able to submit the form and an autogenerated email of your successful result will be sent to the Records Office to update the requirement on your DegreeMAP. Please note: Failure to complete the Quiz Activity may result in your inability to register for a future term.

Tips:

Print out or download a copy of the code for easy reference and carefully read it through before beginning the quiz.
Pay special attention to “Article II: Basic Considerations”. It contains the important information you need to understand concerning academic integrity standards and your responsibilities as a GW student. The quiz questions are largely based off of this section of the code.
Have a dictionary or other language reference guide available in case you need to look up unfamiliar words.

All students in the Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH) are required to complete the Basic CITI Training in Social and Behavioral Research. This online module introduces foundational knowledge of the ethical principles and regulatory requirements for protecting human subjects in research–an essential skill for anyone pursuing work in public health.

First-year students will complete this during their PUBH 1010 First-Year Experience course. Internal and external transfer students must complete it by the end of their first semester at GWSPH. Certificates of completion should be emailed to GWSPHrecords

gwu [dot] edu (GWSPHrecords[at]gwu[dot]edu).

About CITI Training

In addition to being a requirement for all GWSPH students, the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) is a web-based training program required for all GW-affiliated researchers who will interact with human subjects or handle identifiable research data. This includes activities like:

Recruiting participants
Obtaining informed consent
Collecting or analyzing identifiable data

GW also requires that you complete the Social and Behavioral Research module for most GW-affiliated lab work!

CITI Training is valid for two years. If you have completed the training module within the last two years, you are not required to retake it for your degree requirements, and should send your certificate of completion to GWSPHrecords

gwu [dot] edu (GWSPHrecords[at]gwu[dot]edu). If you completed the activity more than two years ago, you must complete the CITI Refresher Course and submit your updated certificate to meet this requirement.

Completing CITI Training

Visit the CITI Program website
Click “Register” and create an account
When asked for institutional affiliation, select George Washington University
Choose the Social & Behavioral Research module
Pass each module section with at least 75% to receive your completion certificate

NOTE: If you do not see the Social & Behavioral Research module listed, please see below for getting assistance from the CITI Support Desk.

Help With CITI Training

GW does not own or manage the CITI Training platform. If you need assistance with account access or course issues:

CITI Support Desk: 888-529-5929
Email: supportcitiprogram [dot] org

Do not create a new account if you forget your login. Contact CITI support and they can assist you!

Important Reminders

CITI completion is required to graduate from SPH programs. You must complete it in order to qualify for undergraduate degree conferral.
Save a copy of your CITI Completion Report for your records! In the event that you DegreeMAP is not reflecting your completion status, having your certificate handy makes it easy for us to sort out any issues with the Office of Student Records.

Completing your CITI training is a key milestone in your academic and professional development as a public health student. If you’re unsure whether you’ve met the requirement or need help getting started, contact your advisor for support. For questions, please review the CITI FAQs or contact the CITI Support Desk!