UIC School of Public Health Student Handbook 2008-2009

The Master of Public Health

MPH Learning Objectives

The MPH program is designed so that an MPH student will achieve the 47 learning objectives listed below by the time he or she graduates. These objectives cover ten different domains: basic health science skills, analytic skills, cultural skills, information and technology, communication skills, policy development, leadership and systems thinking, financial planning and management, community dimensions of practice, and ethics. These objectives are limited in their focus to learning that is expected to occur as a result of completing core courses, field and capstone experiences, and other activities that are required of all MPH students. Learning objectives for the MPH degree within each academic division provide further objectives appropriate to students in each division.

Basic Health Science Skills

Graduates should be able to:

1. Define, assess and understand the health status of populations, determinants of health and illness, factors contributing to health promotion and disease prevention, and factors influencing the use of health services.
2. Identify the research methods used in all basic public health sciences.
3. Apply the basic public health sciences, including epidemiology, health and policy administration, behavioral and social sciences, biostatistics, and environmental and occupational public health, to the prevention of illness and injury.
4. Describe the potential linkages and interactions among multiple determinants of health at intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and societal levels (i.e., ecological model).
5. Communicate an understanding of theoretical explanations of racial and ethnic disparities in forces influencing health.
6. Describe the role of molecular determinants in health and illness within an ecological model of public health.

Analytic Skills

Graduates should be able to:

1. Define a problem in public health.
2. Use appropriate data and statistical methods for problem identification and resolutions and for program planning, implementation and evaluation.
3. Select and define variables relevant to defined public health problems.
4. Use data to illuminate ethical, political, scientific, economic and overall public health issues.
5. Synthesize core public health knowledge using analytic tools.
6. Integrate theory into public health practice.
7. Apply empirical knowledge to public health practice.
8. Apply rigorous critical thinking to the analysis of public health problems.

Cultural Skills

Graduates should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the dynamic forces of cultural diversity and their implications for public health both within the United States and internationally.
2. Interact sensitively, effectively and professionally with people from diverse ethnic, socioeconomic, educational and professional backgrounds, and with persons of all ages and lifestyle preferences.
3. Identify the role of cultural factors in determining disease, disease prevention, health promoting behavior, and health care services organization and delivery.
4. Develop and adapt approaches to public health that take into account cultural differences.

Information and Technology

Graduates should be able to:

1. Define a public health problem for purposes of literature research process.
2. Demonstrate library skills, including the ability to conduct computerized literature searches, for researching problems in public health.
3. Use one of several statistical packages (e.g., EPI Info, SAS) to analyze data to address public health problems.
4. Use basic data management software in public health.
5. Use one of several graphics software packages (e.g., POWERPOINT) to develop presentations for public health problems.
6. Describe the role of information systems in improving the effectiveness of public health activities.

Communication Skills

Graduates should be able to:

1. Communicate effectively both in writing and orally to diverse professional and lay audiences regarding public health issues.
2. Present accurately and effectively demographic, statistical, programmatic and scientific public health information for professionals and lay audiences.
3. Lead and participate in groups to address specific public health issues.
4. Use the media to communicate important public health information.

Policy Development

Graduates should be able to:

1. Understand the historical development and structure of state, local and federal public health-related agencies.
2. Describe the U.S. institutions and processes of policy-making in public health and recognize that these differ in different societies.
3. Communicate an understanding of the impact of public policies and policy-making on one's work in public health.
4. Recognize relevant theories of social policy and how they explain policy-making in public health.
5. Describe the use of evidence-based decision-making in policy-making in public health.
6. Describe processes and strategies used to inform and influence policy makers as they develop policies, laws, and regulations that impact on the public's health.

Leadership and Systems Thinking

Graduates should be able to:

1. Know what is required to assess a public health organization's structure and performance.
2. Participate in and contribute to strategic planning in public health.
3. Describe public health and health care delivery systems.
4. Describe the elements of organizational leadership including strategies for knowing how to coordinating teams, managing conflicts, motivating staff and continuous quality improvement.

Financial Planning and Management

Graduates should be able to:

1. Develop and justify a budget.
2. Manage public health programs within budget constraints.
3. Monitor performance of public health programs.
4. Understand the role of cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, and cost utility analyses in the management of public health resources.

Community Dimensions of Practice

Graduates should be able to:

1. Establish and maintain linkages with key stakeholders in community-based initiatives to address public health issues.
2. Describe the process for developing, implementing, and evaluating a community public health assessment.
3. Describe the scientific, ethical, and practice dimensions of community-based participatory research.

Ethics

Graduates should be able to:

1. Use and apply ethical analysis to inform decision-making in public health.
2. Apply ethical principles to the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of data and information.

Program Requirements

Master of Public Health

The Master of Public Health (MPH) is the basic professional degree offered by the School of Public Health (SPH). It is designed to ensure that upon graduation the student has a general understanding of the broad field of public health and a specific competence in a particular public health area. It is intended to prepare students for public health practice or to continue specialized education through matriculation for a doctoral degree.

Programs of study leading to the MPH degree are offered by each of the following four SPH Divisions:

1. Community Health Sciences
2. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
3. Epidemiology and Biostatistics
4. Health Policy and Administration

Requirements for Admission

Please see the Admissions section of the SPH website for information.

Deadline for Completing Degree Requirements

MPH students must complete all degree requirements within five calendar years after their initial registration as a degree student within the SPH. In extraordinary circumstances an extension of time may be granted if the petition for an extension is filed before meeting the 5-year deadline. Time spent on an approved leave of absence is not counted toward the degree time limit (see Leave of Absence).

Conditional Admission Policy Statement

Under special circumstances, an applicant may be recommended by a Division for admission on a conditional basis (e.g., completion of preparatory course work). The conditions under which a student is admitted to the School are to be stipulated in writing by the director of the Division recommending admission of the student. Conditionally admitted students must satisfy the conditions prior to graduation (or earlier if so specified by the Division).

Change in Division

If a student's interests change after admission or the student determines that professional goals would be better achieved in a division different from the one originally assigned, the student should submit a Request for Change of Degree form with consenting signatures of the current and the proposed Division Directors to the Office of Student Affairs.

Independent Study Hours (IPHS 596)

Students may use Independent Study (IPHS 596) to satisfy elective hours. Up to 5 semester credit ours (SH) of independent study may be credited for graduation for programs of study requiring 42 SH. For degree programs requiring greater than 42 SH, 1 SH of independent study may be credited toward graduation for each additional 5 SH of formal course work taken, to a maximum of 9 SH.

Culminating Experience Policies and Guidance

IPHS 650 Field Experience in Public Health (3-5 SH)

IPHS 698 MPH Capstone Experience (1 SH)

 

Field Experience in Public Health (IPHS 650) – (MPH Practicum)

Except where explicitly waived, a field experience/practicum (IPHS650) is required of all MPH students in the School of Public Health.

Field Experience Guidelines and Procedures

Overall Objective

Students will acquire experience and develop skills in the application of basic public health concepts and of specialty knowledge to the solution of public health problems.

Field Experience Learning Objectives

Through the Field Experience, MPH students will be able to:

1. Apply public health theory, knowledge and skills in a practice setting.
2. Complete a defined project(s) in an area of public health practice including core public health functions such as needs assessment, program planning, program evaluation, policy development, educational campaign or applied research.
3. Relate the "realities" of public health practice -- organizational structure, local and organizational politics, program administration, community relationships, program coordination -- to their defined project(s).
4. Demonstrate skills and knowledge in an area of interest not covered in depth elsewhere in their educational plan.
5. Demonstrate competence in a public health practice area(s).
6. Demonstrate leadership, teamwork, communication skills and creativity in the development of a public health practice activity.

Credit Hours

The field experience may be taken in a single semester or over several semesters for a total of 3-5 sh. The number of hours is decided in consultation with your faculty advisor. One semester hour of credit is awarded for every 64 contact hours. Five semester hours of credit would require a total of 320 hours in the field. You may register for three to five semester hours of credit.

Waiver

For information on waiving the field practicum, visit the academic policies and standard section in the student handbook http://www.uic.edu/sph/shandbook_sphpolicies. The field practicum waiver.

Guidelines for the Field Experience (MPH Practicum) Process

NOTE: International Students must receive authorization from the Office of International Services to begin their practicum. Visit the OIS webpage at www.ois.uic.edu to receive information on eligibility factors, application procedures and receive the appropriate application materials.

The semester before a student will begin his/her Field Experience, the student must accomplish the following:

1. Meet with their academic advisor to determine appropriate practicum learning objectives.* The student should contact sites, visit selected sites if possible, and make a final choice with assistance from the academic advisor.
   
   * If you need to discuss and clarify your ideas and interests for the field practicum prior to meeting with your faculty advisor, contact Adela Peña, Coordinator for SPH Career Services at UICSPH at 312-996-3447.
2. Confirm if the Field Practicum site is Active by checking the listing on the SPH website,  Practicum Sites with Existing UIC Agreements. An Active site indicates that there is an existing Agreement for Student Placement in a Practice Setting. If the Field Experience site is not on the website, you must contact Adela Peña at 312-996-3447as soon as possible. Ms. Peña will assist you with obtaining the Agreement for a Student Placement. (Important: It can take up to 120 days to process the Agreement.) Please note: If you are engaged in a paid practicum where you are paid a stipend directly from the organization or if you are conducting the practicum at the place of your employment, then you do not need to complete the Agreement for Student Placement in a Practice Setting Form.
3. Complete the Field Practicum Learning Agreement form with assistance and input from your site preceptor and academic advisor.
4. Submit a copy of the completed Field Practicum Learning Agreement form, IPHS 650 Registration Form and Preceptor Resume to your Academic Coordinator.
   * Important: You may not register for IPHS 650 unless all required forms have been filled out completely and submitted with approval of the preceptor and academic advisor.
5. File for IRB review of human subjects research if required.
6. Perform assignments and activities identified in the agreement, seeking assistance from your preceptor and academic advisor when needed.

Two weeks before the end of the Semester, the student must accomplish the following:

1. Download and complete the Student Evaluation of Field Practicum form.
2. Prepare your Summary Report. The Summary Report must cover the following items:
• A description of activities performed during placement, noting any deviations from the Field Practicum Learning Agreement.
• How well the field practicum integrated what you learned in your formal MPH course work.
• What you gained from the experience, identifying problems if they occurred.
• A discussion of the extent to which your educational objectives identified in the Field Learning Agreement were achieved.
• A discussion of the extent to which MPH Field Practicum learning objectives were achieved.
3. Download the Preceptor Evaluation form and request that your preceptor complete the form. You may elect to email the preceptor the Evaluation form with instructions to email a completed evaluation form to your Academic Coordinator.
4. Return all of the completed documents in hard copy or by email to your Academic Coordinator.

Field Practicum Forms Checklist

The following forms must be used when registering and completing your practicum:

1. International Students Only: Request for Departmental Approval form (obtain from OIS)
2. Field Practicum Learning Agreement
3. Agreement for Student Placement in a Practice Setting
4. IPHS 650 Registration Form
5. IRB Approval, if necessary (www.uic.edu/sph/research_guides.htm)
6. Preceptor’s Evaluation Form
7. Preceptor’s Resume

The Role of the Academic Advisor and Practicum Site Preceptor

Faculty Advisor’s Responsibilities

1. Assist the student in clarifying his/her educational goals for the field experience.
2. Interpret the purpose and requirements of the field practicum; approve requests for its registration or waiver.
3. Assist the student in selecting potential field practicum sites.
4. Approve the Field Practicum Learning Agreement form, which describes the mutual expectations of the student and preceptor.
5. Ensure that two original Agreement for Student Placement in a Practice Setting Forms are completed, if needed.
6. Assist the student with IRB forms, where required.
7. Respond to the student’s needs during the practicum and provide consultation periodically.
8. Review the student’s Summary Report.
9. Assess the student’s performance with input from the preceptor, and determine the final grade (Pass/Fail).

Preceptor’s Responsibilities

1. Assist the student in completing the Field Practicum Learning Agreement.
2. Provide the student with general guidance and training during the field experience as identified in the agreement.
3. Evaluate the student’s performance during the field practicum by completing the Preceptor’s Evaluation of Student Performance and returning it to the student’s Academic Coordinator.

MPH Capstone Experience (IPHS 698)

Every student must register for IPHS 698 in his/her last semester. The capstone can be based on a variety of activities (e.g. field practicum, independent study, research project) that culminate into a public health experience. The requirement for the capstone experience differs by division, but whatever the activity, all students are required to produce a capstone product which is a report of the capstone experience or activity. The culminating capstone experience enables MPH students to achieve the following learning objectives:

1. Apply key public health concepts (e.g., prevention, risk assessment) to a specific public health area (e.g., gerontology, infectious disease epidemiology).
2. Apply knowledge of the core areas of public health to a specific health problem.
3. Integrate skills and knowledge gained through core and division-required courses toward resolving a public health problem either through practice in a public health setting or through investigation and analysis.

More than one faculty member will evaluate each student’s capstone product. The evaluation should be based on whether the student has met the above objectives.

For capstone experience and capstone product requirements by division, please refer to specific division sections under the MPH degree program in this handbook. (Jump back to previous section – Master of Public Health Curricular Charts)

 

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