Public Health Management - MPH

Graduates of this program will be expected to have:

• Managerial skills appropriate to a variety of public heath programs and services (e.g., organization planning, organizing,
• leading/motivating, controlling, budget/resource allocation, quality improvement, decision making/problem solving, and
• ethical analysis);
• An understanding of program/service planning, designing, marketing, and evaluating for purposes of developing business plans
• and grant proposals;
• Basic skills in financial analysis related to management decision-making; and
• Practical management experience gained through a special project conducted under a preceptor and mentor.

Program-Specific Competencies

Upon completion of the MPH Public Health Management Program students should possess the following functional competencies:

• Managerial expertise including the skills necessary to manage in a variety of public health programs and services (e.g., planning, organizing, leading/motivating, controlling, budget/resource allocation, quality improvement, decision making/problem solving, ethical analysis).

  Relevant courses:
  HSML 6203	Intro to Health Management
  HSML 6209	Health Services Finance
  HSML 6212	CommunityHealth Mgt & Advocacy
  HSML 6218	Sem-HlthServicesMgt&Leadership
  PUBH 6006	Mgt & Policy Approaches to PH

• Preventive and community perspective on health care including the ability to view health care systems as a comprehensive, dynamic, community-wide, and prevention-oriented system.

  Relevant courses:
  HSML 6212	CommunityHealth Mgt & Advocacy
  HSML 6213	HealthServicesMrktng&Planning
  PUBH 6003	Prin & Practice/Epidemiology
  PUBH 6004	Env/Occ Hlth-Sustainable World
  PUBH 6007	Social&BehaviorAppr-Pub.Hlth

• Scientific approach to disease control including the epidemiological concepts and biostatistical/computer skills necessary for successfully analyzing and applying the results of epidemiological studies, for effectively undertaking complex administrative decisions, especially in areas of health planning. 

  Relevant courses:
  HSML 6212	CommunityHealth Mgt & Advocacy
  PUBH 6002	Biostatistical Applic for PubH
  PUBH 6003	Prin & Practice/Epidemiology
  PUBH 6502	Practical Data Analysis: PCH

• Program/service planning, design, marketing, and evaluation skills to successfully develop business plans and grant proposals. 

  Relevant courses:
  HSML 6213	HealthServicesMrktng&Planning
  HSML 6238	Ambulatory Care Management
  HSML 6246	Service Line & Project Mgt
  PUBH 6006	Mgt & Policy Approaches to PH

• Organizational development/goal implementation to maximize organizational success in reaching internally and socially approved objectives through socially responsive planning and by avoiding the legal, political, and ethical hazards in the administrative environment, and by enhancing organizational effectiveness.

  Relevant courses:
  HSML 6203	Intro to Health Management
  HSML 6212	CommunityHealth Mgt & Advocacy
  HSML 6216	HumanResourcesMgt&OrgBehavior
  HSML 6218	Sem-HlthServicesMgt&Leadership
  PUBH 6007	Social&BehaviorAppr-Pub.Hlth
  PUBH 6006	Mgt & Policy Approaches to PH
  PUBH 6335	Public Health and Law

• Financial analysis including the concepts and skills necessary to describe, monitor, and manipulate the economic and financial components of the manager’s responsibilities (e.g., understanding funding sources and grants as they affect public health management).

  Relevant courses:
  HSML 6209	Health Services Finance
  PUBH 6006	Mgt & Policy Approaches to PH

• Practical application of knowledge and skills through a practicum conducted under a preceptor or mentor.

  Relevant course:
  PUBH 6014	Practicum

• Individual interests are explored through special topics courses.

  Relevant course:
  HSML 6270	Research-Health Services Admin

1. Graduate credit requirement: 45 graduate credits are required.
2. Course requirements: Successful completion of the core courses and the program-specific courses are required.
3. Grade point requirement: A 3.0 (B average) overall grade point average is required.
4. Time limit requirement: The degree must be completed within four years.
5. Transfer credit policy: Up to 12 graduate credits that have not been applied to a previous graduate degree may be transferred to the Master of Public Health program. Up to 18 credits may be transferred to the Master of Public Health from the SPH graduate certificate. Credits must have been earned from an accredited institution in the last 3 years with a grade point of 3.0 or better.
6. CITI Training requirement: All students are required to complete training regarding human subject protection regulation and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). To fulfill this requirement, you must complete the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI) Course in The Protection of Human Research Subjects. 
7. Integrity Quiz & Plagiarism requirement: All students are required to review the George Washington University Code of Academic Integrity and take the quiz within their first semester of study. The Code of Integrity and step-by-step instructions can be found here:  http://publichealth.gwu.edu/integrity  
8. Professional Enhancement requirement: Students must participate in 8 hours per degree program of advisor pre-approved Public Health-related lectures, seminars, and symposia, related to your field of study. Professional Enhancement activities supplement the academic curriculum and help prepare students to participate actively in the professional community. Opportunities for professional enhancement are regularly publicized via the Milken Institute SPH Listserv and through your department or advisor. Students must submit documentation of Professional Enhancement activities to the Office of Student Records. The documentation consists of the Professional Enhancement Form http://publichealth.gwu.edu/academics/forms (which includes a prior approval signature from the student’s advisor, a description of the program agenda, and proof of attendance. Remember to submit your documentation before you apply to graduate!

This is the current program guide for this program. Students should follow the course requirements from the year in which they entered the program. 

Always see your advisor for course scheduling and sequencing strategies, but remember that proper course selection, fulfilling requirements, and on-time graduation are your responsibilities.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) curriculum consists of four types of courses: 

• Required Core Courses (PubH 6001, 6002, 6003, 6004, 6006, and 6007)
• Required Program-Specific Courses
• Electives
• Required Practicum and Culminating Experience

INFORMATION ABOUT CORE COURSES

The MPH core courses are designed to provide students with a broad public health context as well as a critical foundation for subsequent coursework.  Early completion of these core courses ensures that students will have the base of knowledge to successfully complete the program specific courses and to get as much as possible out of possible from them.  As such, entering students are expected to enroll in MPH core courses in accordance with the following guidelines:

• We expect MPH students to complete the MPH core courses in their first year following their admission into the program (fall/spring/summer). 
• Students may take core courses in any order. 

Part-time students (who generally take 5 to 7 credits per semester) will typically concentrate on taking just core courses in their first year, and then take program-specific courses in their second and third years. 

In order to help assure that all students complete core courses in the first year of study, SPH will offer all core courses during all three semesters (fall, spring, and summer). This will allow students who wish to complete their MPH degree within two years to do so, and will allow every student to make steady progress toward completing the MPH degree. Most of the MPH Health Policy program specific courses are offered three times in each academic year (fall, spring and summer semesters).

NOTE: We recognize that there may be exceptional circumstances that make it difficult for a student to complete the Milken Institute School core courses in the first year as outlined above. If applicable, students should discuss this situation with his or her academic advisor. If the advisor and student agree that an exception is needed, the student should complete a Graduate Petition Form explaining the circumstances, obtain the academic advisor’s signature, and submit the Petition to the Milken Institute SPH Office of Student Records.