Graduate Council

Master of Public Health

Full Proposal: Executive Summary

Wright State University seeks to establish a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program to be housed administratively in the School of Medicine. This program is being advanced in partnership with 28 health districts throughout southwestern Ohio and 7 academic divisions within Wright State University, and in cooperation with the University of Cincinnati. The partnership will pull from strengths and excellence across disciplines, utilizing an innovative approach toward the delivery of public health education.

This Master of Public Health degree program will be the first in the nation to incorporate a community-based, interdisciplinary educational program in public health with this particular combination of colleges and schools. While grounded in traditional classroom instruction, the program will be enhanced by web-based learning and video conferencing. The program will be responsive to the educational needs of the regional public health workforce that employs over 2,000 people and serves over 2.8 million residents living in southwestern Ohio.

Leaders from the regional public health and academic community began in June of 2001 to formulate this innovative program. These visionary leaders have had a keen awareness of the need for a stronger public health infrastructure long before the events of September 11th, public concerns related to anthrax, and increased risk awareness associated with bioterrorism. However, these events have dramatically increased the pressure on the national, regional, and local public health workforce to meet extraordinary needs that can only be met by highly skilled public health leadership. Our community-academic partnership is addressing the educational component of the public health problem through a well-constructed graduate program that will provide skills, competencies, and fundamental knowledge for the current public health workforce, affiliated health and human service workers, and health profession students enrolled in established graduate programs within the collaborating colleges and schools.

The program responds to demonstrated educational needs of an undereducated, under prepared, and over taxed public health workforce. Although southwestern Ohio has two large metropolitan areas (Cincinnati and Dayton) and 18 institutions of higher education, including four state universities, currently no Master of Public Health degree program exists to serve the educational needs of the region. About 20 students will be admitted to the program each year, most of whom will be working professionals. They must meet the admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies for regular degree status.

Throughout the program development, a Program Committee consisting of representatives of School of Medicine, the College of Education and Human Services, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Nursing and Health, the College of Science and Mathematics, the Raj Soin College of Business, the School of Professional Psychology, and the University Library has provided guidance and oversight. The curriculum has been developed such that it meets the criteria for accreditation of Master of Public Health degree programs by the Council of Education for Public Health (CEPH) under the designation of Community Health/Preventive Medicine. The core curriculum includes courses in Public Health & Health Policy, Health Systems Management, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Social & Behavioral Sciences, and Health Economics; consisting of 28 quarter hours. Students will select from among three concentrations including: 1) Public Health Management, 2) Public Health Nursing, and 3) Health Promotion Education, completing a minimum of 12 quarter hours within their specified concentration. The third area required for completion of the degree includes a field placement and a culminating project totaling 8 quarter hours. Each student will complete an applied public health project in partnership with a community practice supervisor and a faculty program director. The 48 credit hour curriculum has been developed to deliver education through traditional as well as nontraditional delivery approaches. Competencies will be evaluated throughout the didactic, distance learning, and culminating project program segments.

The School of Medicine in consultation with the Program Committee has carefully assessed capacity to deliver the program. Sufficient faculty, library, and computing and telecommunication resources are available to successfully provide the program. Much of the program's strength is in its ability to dovetail with established programs within the schools and colleges represented on the Program Committee.. In addition to collaborations within WSU, the program will benefit from collaborative relationship with the University of Cincinnati Division of Health Promotion and Education, the Environmental Health Program, and the College of Medicine.

Many programs offered by Wright State University are founded on community-based models of education. The MPH will extend this tradition of programs that are responsive to demonstrated community needs.

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