MPH Foundational Competencies

Evidence-based Approaches to Public Health

Apply epidemiological methods to settings and situations in public health practice.
Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.
Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming, and software, as appropriate.
Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice.

Compare the organization, structure, and function of health care, public health, and regulatory systems across national and international settings.
Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities, and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and systemic levels.

Assess population needs, assets, and capacities that affect communities’ health.
Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design, implementation, or critique of public health policies or programs.
Design a population-based policy, program, project, or intervention.
Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.
Select methods to evaluate public health programs

Discuss the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.
Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.
Advocate for political, social, or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.
Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.

Apply leadership and/or management principles to address a relevant issue.
Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.

Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
Communicate audience-appropriate (i.e., non-academic, non-peer audience) public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.

Integrate perspectives from other sectors and/or professions to promote and advance population health.

Apply a systems-thinking tool to visually represent a public health issue in a format other than standard narrative.

Apply statistical inference methods to evaluate public health research hypotheses.
Critically appraise public health research literature using knowledge of study design, statistical methods, and subject matter context.
Construct and manage datasets for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies using statistical software.
Analyze continuous and categorical data using advanced statistical methods.
Create data displays to communicate biostatistical analysis findings to diverse stakeholders.

Synthesize the role of social and community factors in both the onset and solution of public health problems.
Analyze historical, social and community factors in the onset and persistence of contemporary health inequities in immigrant and/or urban populations.
Explain the language, legal, economic, cultural and access barriers that must be considered in the development and design of research and interventions to improve the health of immigrant and urban populations.
Assess the methods for conducting a community health assessment.
Apply social and behavioral science concepts, theories, and models to understand and modify health behavior.

Identify environmental and occupational hazards or social contextual factors that influence working conditions and contribute to injury, illness and health.
Describe complex environmental systems, including climate change, and identify methods for measuring their impacts on human health.
Describe regulations and the role of agencies in preventing and controlling environmental and occupational health hazards.
Develop strategies for exposure reduction in accordance with federal and state regulations to reduce injuries, illnesses, and promote health equity.
Apply strategies for assessment, prevention and control of environmental and occupational health hazards

Describe patterns in the incidence and prevalence of diseases affecting the health of immigrant and urban populations, including etiologic and prognostic factors.
Design an epidemiologic study to test a research hypothesis.
Evaluate the effect of potential sources of bias in epidemiologic studies, and identify ways of minimizing them.
Using a large public access health dataset, conduct and interpret secondary data analyses.
Assess strengths and limitations of epidemiologic studies in terms of how they affect causal inference

Apply theories and strategies of healthcare management to the routine operations and emerging issues in the healthcare environment.
Assess policy alternatives in response to key public health issues.
Appraise the determinants of healthcare that impact individuals, systems, organizations, or communities.
Communicate online, orally, and in writing health policy and management issues using appropriate channels and technologies.
Assemble and utilize reliable and valid information sources and data to support evidence-informed decision-making.
Apply relevant social justice frameworks to analyze and advocate for health policy and management policies.

Apply theories and strategies of healthcare management to the routine operations and emerging issues in the health care environment.
Create and differentiate a mission statement, vision, values statement, and action plan.
Investigate the changing context of healthcare systems and identify stakeholder-generated solutions.
Apply funding and payment principles and strategies to healthcare systems.
Identify ethical issues in healthcare administration and analyze and resolve those issues using appropriate frameworks and principles.
Demonstrate leadership and management skills that promote equity and inclusion in a healthcare organization.