Download Master of Science (MS)

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
PUBLIC HEALTH COMPETENCIES
Competency-based education focuses on what students need to know and be able to do in varying and
complex situations. These competencies are based on faculty’s field experience, expectations of
employers, and the established Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) competencies.
The competencies are specific to each degree program and concentration.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Master of Science (MS)
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Please submit an electronic copy of all materials in a Word document and any questions to:
Vanessa Edouard
Director of Educational Programs
715 Albany Street, T206C
Boston, MA 02118
617-638-5288
[email protected]
COURSE PROPOSAL DEADLINES
Semester
Course Proposal
Part I Due
Course Proposal
Part II Due
Deadline to submit any
requested revisions
University Schedule
Update Deadline
Fall
September 1
November 1
December 1
February 1
Spring
April 1
June 1
July 1
September 1
Summer
July 1
October 1
November 1
January 2
Boston University School of Public Health
Public Health Competencies
MASTERS OF PUBLIC HEALTH (MPH)
BUSPH graduates bring a well-rounded, evidence-based approach to addressing public health problems.
They are aware of the interplay of the biological, social, economic, cultural, political, behavioral, and
environmental factors that affect health, and are prepared to work in a wide array of settings to address
public health problems. They critically analyze public health literature, create innovative solutions to
problems in collaboration with others, evaluate program effectiveness, and present their views clearly in
both spoken and written communications. Upon completion of the MPH degree requirements,
graduates are able to:
Identify the determinants of health and disease;
Estimate the burden and patterns of disease in communities in order to prioritize health
needs;
Use systematic approaches to develop, implement, and evaluate public health policies,
programs, or services;
Communicate effectively to promote the health of all members of our communities,
especially the disadvantaged, underserved, and vulnerable;
Demonstrate the ability to access and use data to identify and solve public health problems;
Demonstrate the ability to work independently and as part of a team, and identify effective
leadership qualities and practices;
Make decisions that reflect ethical frameworks and respect for the values, beliefs, and
practices within diverse communities and cultures; and
Demonstrate professional knowledge and skills for effective practice in a selected field of
study.
Additional Competencies for Biostatistics Concentrators:
Analyze data from observational studies, clinical trials, epidemiological studies, medical
surveys and evaluations of health care programs using statistical programming software;
Identify potential sources of bias and confounding in study design, and develop analytic and
design strategies to minimize these effects; and
Interpret and communicate the results and limitations of statistical analyses of public health
data in both technical and non-technical terms.
Additional Competencies for Environmental Health Concentrators:
Explain the scientific characteristics, including exposure and mode of action, of major
biological, chemical, physical hazards that result in human health risk;
Manipulate environmental data, calculate dose and exposure, and present analyses; and
Critically read and describe the hypothesis, experimental design, methods and results and
conclusions presented in papers from technical journal articles in environmental health.
Additional Competencies for Epidemiology Concentrators:
Design valid epidemiological studies;
Use statistical software to analyze and interpret health-related data; and
Critically evaluate published research with regard to internal and external validity as well as
public health importance.
Additional Competencies for Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights Concentrators:
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Boston University School of Public Health
Public Health Competencies
Conduct research using public health, legal, ethics and/or human rights literature on public
health problems;
Apply critical reasoning in a paper that integrates public health skills with policy, regulatory
and legislative goals; and
Create and deliver a clear and effective oral presentation on a public health topic that
presents ethical or legal issues.
Additional Competencies for Health Policy & Management Concentrators:
Analyze how the structures, processes and outcomes observed in the organization, delivery,
and financing of health services in the U.S. are related both to one another and to historical
and contextual influences, and compare these aspects of the U.S. system to those in other
developed nations;
Analyze the current healthcare policy issues that face U.S., state, and local communities;
evaluate policies in terms of their effectiveness, efficiency and equity; and identify the factors
influencing successful policy implementation;
Assess how political, organizational and occupational structures, cultures, and norms
influence the ways in which health care is allocated and provided, analyze how these factors
affect changes in health policy and/or systems, and develop strategies to promote an
organizations or constituency’s position; and
Critically appraise health care quality data and measurement methods for pursuing quality
improvement, identify strategies for quality improvement and apply structured approaches
to implementing change.
Additional Competencies for International Health Concentrators:
Demonstrate skills in program and budget management that can be used to design and
Implement health programs in low and middle-income country settings;
Apply a multidisciplinary approach to analyze health systems and institutions involved in
financing and providing preventative and curative health services at the multilateral,
bilateral, national and community levels in low and middle-income countries: and
Integrate information and apply models from epidemiologic, economic, behavioral, and
cultural perspectives to promote social changes required to improve the health of
populations.
Additional Competencies for Maternal and Child Health Concentrators:
Describe the historic, socio-cultural, economic, and political contexts that shape the health of
women, children and families, focusing on the U.S. with a global perspective;
Apply a life course perspective, combining theories of human development and the
cumulative effects of social determinants, to understand and solve maternal and child health
challenges of the 21st century; and
Demonstrate the ability to integrate theoretical perspectives, empirical evidence, and
practice in at least one area of MCH importance.
Additional Competencies for Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentrators:
Access and analyze archival and other data to assess a public health problem for a specific
place and population;
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Boston University School of Public Health
Public Health Competencies
Apply social and behavioral theories and quantitative and qualitative methods to the
development of innovative and effective public health intervention programs;
Develop rigorous evaluation trials to assess the efficacy of public health interventions;
Communicate findings to the public and to policy makers; and
Advocate for the institutionalization of evidence-based public health programs.
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Boston University School of Public Health
Public Health Competencies
MASTER OF SCIENCE (MS)
Master of Science in Environmental Health
Upon completing the requirements for the MS in Environmental Health graduates are able to:
Communicate the basic characteristics of major chemical, physical, and biological hazards
and the properties that govern the hazards’ behavior in the environment;
Explain the scientific characteristics (e.g. route of exposure, dose response, mode of action)
of major biological, chemical, and physical hazards that result in human health risk;
Explain and analyze genetic, physiologic, and social factors that affect the susceptibility to
adverse health outcomes following exposure to environmental hazards;
Critically evaluate and interpret the hypothesis, experimental design, methods and results
presented in a paper from a technical journal article in an environmental health discipline
(toxicology, epidemiology, exposure assessment);
Analyze and interpret environmental health data;
Identify appropriate intervention strategies for specific environmental health problems; and
Communicate the results of a scientific study in a written and oral format.
Master of Science in Epidemiology
Upon completing the requirements for the MS in Epidemiology graduates are able to:
Develop a scientific hypothesis, beginning with a review of existing literature, and design an
epidemiologic study to assess the hypothesis validly and efficiently;
Develop competence in a chosen substantive area of epidemiology for which competence
requires a proficient understanding of risk factors for the disease(s), the impact of the
disease(s) on populations, and an awareness of methodologic issues specific to the
substantive area;
Analyze a complex epidemiologic data set using at least one computer-aided tool, such as
Excel or SAS;
Communicate the results of research both orally and in writing, with the written presentation
meeting the current standards of publication in refereed journals; and
Critically evaluate in writing a published epidemiologic investigation, with respect to:
the choice of study population and design,
measurement of the exposure, disease, and covariates,
the data description and analytic method, and
the investigator’s interpretation of the study’s findings.
Master of Science in Health Services Research
Upon completing the requirements for the MS in Health Services Research graduates are able to:
Evaluate current trends in health care spending, finance, utilization of services, changes in
organization, health care status and incidence of disease;
Choose appropriate solutions to issues in the measurement of health care outcomes and
quality;
Describe contributions (and limitations) of perspectives derived from the fields of sociology,
political science, law, economics, epidemiology and medicine;
Locate, obtain and apply appropriate publicly available data to solve health services research
problems;
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Boston University School of Public Health
Public Health Competencies
Formulate testable hypotheses and choose the appropriate research methods to test that
hypothesis;
Apply methods and data analysis using both qualitative and quantitative techniques;
Conduct a critical and analytical review of the health services literature;
Identify design options that might compromise the efficiency of a study;
Apply advanced statistical concepts including confidence intervals and hypothesis testing,
sample size and power considerations, analysis of variance and multiple comparisons,
correlation and regression, logistic regression, and survival analysis;
Locate and utilize a broad range of databases and other resources for conducting health
services and health policy research;
Develop and conduct a peer review publishable research study in a topic area of interest; and
Communicate research findings to managers and policy makers.
DOCTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH (DRPH)
Advocacy:
Analyze the impact of legislation, judicial opinions, regulations, and policies on population
health
Develop evidence-based strategies for changing health law and policy
Utilize consensus-building, negotiation, and conflict avoidance and resolution techniques
Communication:
Develop informational and persuasive communications
Employ evidence-based communication program models for disseminating research and
evaluation outcomes
Explain program proposals and evaluations to lay, professional, and policy audiences
Community/Cultural Orientation:
Apply research from anthropology, psychology, history, demography, sociology, and social
epidemiology in national and international contexts
Develop collaborative partnerships with communities, policy makers, and other relevant
groups
Assess cultural, environmental, and social justice influences on the health of communities
Critical Analysis:
Interpret quantitative and qualitative data following current scientific standards and apply
theoretical and evidence-based perspectives from multiple disciplines in the design and
implementation of programs, policies, and systems
Synthesize information from multiple sources for research and practice and evaluate the
performance and impact of health programs, policies, and systems
Identify and navigate the secondary data sources available for use at the regional and
community levels internationally and in the U.S. and understand and apply meta-analysis to
evaluate policies, especially in situations involving inconsistent or limited data
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Boston University School of Public Health
Public Health Competencies
Leadership:
Create a shared vision and articulate this vision to diverse groups, stakeholders, and other
professional collaborators to achieve high standards of performance and accountability
Develop skilled teams and capacity-building strategies at the individual, organizational, and
community level
Guide organizational decision-making and planning based on internal and external
environmental research
Management:
Implement strategic planning processes;
Evaluate organizational performance in relation to strategic and defined goals;
Organize the work environment with defined lines of responsibility, authority,
communication and governance and develop financial and business plans for health
programs and services;
Professionalism and Ethics:
Apply relevant ethical, legal, and human rights principles to difficult and controversial public
health policy decisions while demonstrating a commitment to personal and professional
values
Articulate the major ethical, legal and human rights principles relevant to public health policy
making, both in the US and internationally
Design strategies for resolving ethical concerns in research, law, and regulations
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHD)
Environmental Health
Upon completing the requirements for the PhD in Environmental Health graduates are able to:
Communicate the basic characteristics of major chemical, physical, and biological hazards
and the properties that govern the hazards’ behavior in the environment;
Explain the scientific characteristics (e.g. route of exposure, dose response, mode of action)
of major chemical, physical, and biological hazards that result in human health risk;
Explain and analyze genetic, physiologic, and social factors that affect the susceptibility to
adverse health outcomes following exposure to environmental hazards;
Critically evaluate and interpret the hypothesis, experimental design, methods and results
presented in a paper from a technical journal article in an environmental health discipline
(toxicology, epidemiology, exposure assessment, environmental policy);
Identify data gaps and formulate testable hypotheses about critical questions in
environmental health (epidemiology, toxicology, exposure assessment, environmental
policy);
Design and implement data collection strategies and rigorous evaluations to test hypotheses
using novel or current techniques;
Analyze and interpret environmental health data;
Identify appropriate intervention strategies for specific environmental health problems; and
Prepare scientific manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed journals in the field of
environmental health; and
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Boston University School of Public Health
Public Health Competencies
Communicate scientific results at national and/or international conferences in the field of
environmental health.
Epidemiology
In addition to meeting the MS in Epidemiology competencies, upon completing the requirements for the
PhD in Epidemiology graduates are able to:
Formulate research hypotheses that can be evaluated through empirical epidemiologic
investigation;
Critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of epidemiologic study designs applied
to particular etiologic associations;
Analyze and interpret epidemiologic studies using appropriate methods;
Explain the theoretical underpinnings of epidemiology, including new and traditional study
designs;
Demonstrate understanding of sources of bias and approaches to evaluating and controlling
bias;
Demonstrate proficiency in data collection, data analysis, and written summaries of statistical
analyses;
Demonstrate expertise in at least one substantive area of epidemiology and apply that
expertise to preparation of the dissertation proposal; and,
Perform all the steps of conducting a hypothesis-driven epidemiologic study, from developing
hypotheses, to designing, analyzing, and interpreting results, to writing up findings in the
form of a publication-quality manuscript; as demonstrated by the PhD dissertation, which
requires three manuscripts judged to be suitable for publication.
Health Services Research
In addition to the MS in Health Services Research competencies, upon completion of the PhD in Health
Services Research, the graduate is able to:
Acquire knowledge of the context of health and health care systems, institutions, and actors,
and environment;
Apply or develop theoretical and conceptual models relevant to health services research;
Pose relevant and important research questions, evaluate them, and formulate solutions to
health problems, practice, and policy;
Use or develop a conceptual model to specify study constructs for a health services research
question and develop variables that reliably and validly measure these constructs;
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of study designs to appropriately address specific
health services research questions;
Sample and collect primary health and health care data and/or assemble and manage
existing data from public and private sources;
Execute and document procedures that ensure the reproducibility of the science, the
responsible use of resources, and the ethical treatment of research subjects;
Demonstrate proficiency in the appropriate application of analytical techniques to evaluate
health services research questions;
Work collaboratively in teams within disciplines, across disciplines, and/or with stakeholders;
Effectively communicate the process, findings, and implications of health services research
through multiple modalities with stakeholders; and
Effectively translate knowledge to policy and practice.
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