MPH FOUNDATIONAL COMPETENCIES
The Georgia State School of Public Health prepares its students for meaningful, impactful careers that promote health at a population level and advance health equity. All of our MPH graduates demonstrate foundational competencies in the areas listed below.
- Evidence-based Approaches to Public Health
- Public Health and Health Care Systems
- Planning and Management to Promote Health
- Policy in Public Health
- Leadership
- Communication
- Interprofessional Practice
- Systems Thinking
- Diversity in Public Health
MPH Competency Areas
All graduates of the Georgia State University Master of Public Health program demonstrate competency in the areas listed below.
- MPH 1. Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice.
- MPH 2. Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
- MPH 3. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate.
- MPH 4. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice.
- MPH 5. Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
- MPH 6. Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels.
- MPH 7. Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health.
- MPH 8. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs.
- MPH 9. Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention.
- MPH 10. Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
- MPH 11. Select methods to evaluate public health programs.
- MPH 12. Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
- MPH 13. Propose strategies to identify relevant communities and individuals and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
- MPH 14. Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
- MPH 15. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.
- MPH 16. Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making.
- MPH 17. Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.
- MPH 18. Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
- MPH 19. Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation to a non-academic, non-peer audience with attention to factors such as literacy and health literacy.
- MPH 20. Describe the importance of cultural humility in communicating public health content.
- MPH 21. Perform effectively on interprofessional teams.
- MPH 22. Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue.
- MPH 23. Recognize the ways diversity influences public health education and training, policies, programs, services, and the health of the nearby community.
Concentration-Specific Competency Areas
In addition to the MPH competency areas listed above, the competency areas listed below apply to each of the specific concentrations in which students can earn their degree.
- MPH BSTP 1. Describe basic concepts of probability, random variation and commonly used statistical probability distributions.
- MPH BSTP 2. Apply basic (univariate and bivariate) descriptive and inferential techniques commonly used with public health data.
- MPH BSTP 3. Apply advanced (multivariate) descriptive and inferential techniques used with public health data.
- MPH BSTP 4. Describe preferred methodological alternatives to commonly used statistical methods when assumptions are not met.
- MPH BSTP 5. Distinguish among the different measurement scales and the implications for selection of statistical methods to be used based on these distinctions.
- MPH BSTP 6. Apply basic informatics techniques (storage, access, management, organization, visualization, and evaluation of public health data) in public health research.
- MPH BSTP 7. Describe different public health study designs, measures, and the appropriate statistical analyses for answering particular research questions.
- MPH BSTP 8. Interpret results of statistical analyses found in public health studies.
- MPH BSTP 9. Develop written and oral presentations based on statistical analyses for both public health professionals and educated lay audiences.
- MPH ENEP 1. Interpret the implications of regulations, laws, standards, and various types of policy on activities aimed at protecting environmental health.
- MPH ENEP 2. Evaluate how human health is impacted by exposure to environmental and occupational contaminants that interact with the environment.
- MPH ENEP 3. Evaluate key sources of data for epidemiologic purposes and their strengths and limitations.
- MPH ENEP 4. Assess risk factors and their relationship to health outcomes.
- MPH ENEP 5. Demonstrate the application of advanced epidemiologic methods to the design of epidemiologic studies of both infectious and noninfectious disease.
- MPH ENEP 6. Assess, synthesize and critically evaluate epidemiologic literature for strengths and weaknesses.
- MPH ENEP 7. Evaluate interventions to reduce prevalence of major public health problems.
- MPH ENEP 8. Identify and weigh ethical dilemmas in epidemiologic research.
- MPH ENEP 9. Examine policy implications of epidemiologic research findings.
- MPH EVHT 1. Interpret the implications of regulations, laws, standards, and various types of policy on activities aimed at protecting environmental health.
- MPH EVHT 2. Describe approaches to risk assessment for a wide variety of environmental hazards.
- MPH EVHT 3. Evaluate how human health is impacted by exposure to environmental and occupational contaminants that interact with the environment.
- MPH EVHT 4. Apply biological, chemical, physical and public health principles to develop approaches for designing and maintaining health-promoting physical environments, and for assessing, preventing and controlling environmental hazards that pose risks to human health.
- MPH EVHT 5. Identify important susceptible human sub-populations with respect to environmental exposures and the sources of variability.
- MPH EPID 1. Assess risk factors and their relationship to health outcomes.
- MPH EPID 2. Demonstrate the application of advanced epidemiologic methods to the design of epidemiologic studies of both infectious and noninfectious disease.
- MPH EPID 3. Assess, synthesize and critically evaluate epidemiologic literature for strengths and weaknesses.
- MPH EPID 4. Evaluate key sources of data for epidemiologic purposes and their strengths and limitations.
- MPH EPID 5. Demonstrate the application of data analysis techniques and appropriate interpretation of results.
- MPH EPID 6. Design, analyze, and evaluate an epidemiologic study.
- MPH EPID 7. Evaluate interventions to reduce prevalence of major public health problems.
- MPH EPID 8. Identify and weigh ethical dilemmas in epidemiologic research.
- MPH EPID 9. Examine policy implications of epidemiologic research findings.
- MPH HMGP 1. Demonstrate application of economic principles to analyze public health issues.
- MPH HMGP 2. Understand the market structure and the underlying sources of market power in the context of interlocking market segments in the health care system.
- MPH HMGP 3. Apply the principles of program and financial management across the health care and public health systems.
- MPH HMGP 4. Use strategic and business planning principles to develop and align the mission, vision, goals, and objectives for operating a public health or health care organization, and assure that plans align with evidenced-based approaches to improve population health.
- MPH HMGP 5. Explain key elements of human resource management in the public health and health care contexts.
- MPH HMGP 6. Describe public health and health care financing in the U.S., including revenue sources and reimbursement methods, historical origins and current policy, and their impact on health service delivery and population health.
- MPH HMGP 7. Describe and demonstrate the attributes of effective leadership and the skills of effective leadership including decision making, vision setting, team building, conflict management, and strategic collaboration.
- MPH HMGP 8. Evaluate the challenges and opportunities for health policy leadership to improve population health and advance health equity.
- MPH HMGP 9. Utilize commonly used frameworks and theories of policymaking to develop policy proposals that address public health challenges, health equity, and improve population health.
- MPH HMGP 10. Apply strategies for analyzing, evaluating, and advocating for public health and health care policies and programs.
- MPH HPMB 1. Identify basic theories, concepts and models from a range of social and behavioral disciplines that are used in public health research and practice.
- MPH HPMB 2. Describe how social and behavioral risk factors contribute to health outcomes.
- MPH HPMB 3. Describe steps and procedures for the developing, planning, implementing and evaluating public health programs, policies and interventions.
- MPH HPMB 4. Apply evidence-based principles and the scientific knowledge base to critical evaluation and decision making in public health.
- MPH HPMB 5. Develop a logic model for use in program development, implementation, and evaluation.
- MPH HPMB 6. Differentiate among goals, measurable objectives, related activities, and expected outcomes for a public health program.
- MPH HPMB 7. Differentiate the purposes of formative, process, and outcome evaluation, and explain how findings from each are used.
- MPH HPMB 8. Collaboratively assess individual, organizational, and community concerns and resources for public health programs.
- MPH HPMB 9. Assess evaluation reports in relation to their quality, utility, and impact on public health.
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140 Decatur St.
Atlanta, GA 30303
Mailing Address
School of Public Health
Office of Academic Assistance
P.O. Box 3995
Atlanta, GA 30302-3995