1 credit hour

Understand the history, philosophy, and values of public health, including the structure and functions of organizing governmental public health.

3 credit hours

Becoming aware of current conditions through a community assessment is the first step to evidence-based public health. This course will introduce students to the various community assessments methods used to identify and prioritize community needs, concerns, and preferences, as well as to identify community assets, and inform the development of public health interventions. Students will be able to utilize a breadth of data sources commonly used to assess population health needs, assets, and capacities that affect community health.

Topics to be covered include the introduction to planning models, stakeholder identification, coalition building, quantitative data sources, quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, analysis of qualitative data, interpreting data, and framing community issues.

3 credit hours

To appropriately address the needs of communities, we must be able to prioritize their leading health concerns. Quantitative methods allow us to examine the associations between various social, ecological, biological, and environmental factors and health outcomes, to identify populations at elevated risk for poor health outcomes, and to assess the effect of programs or policies implanted to improve health outcomes.

This course introduces students to the broad range of epidemiologic and biostatistical methods used in public health, with particular attention to how quantitative results can be communicated clearly to scientific and non-scientific audiences.

3 credit hours

This course covers how to collect and apply evidence of community needs in order to identify and prioritize programs and policies for implementation. Public health programs and policies should improve the quality of life of persons and communities through the reduction or elimination in the incidence, prevalence, and rates of disease and disability as well as the promotion of human flourishing via the preservation and improvement of community health. In doing so, programs and policies should strive to improve conditions and access to resources for healthy living for all persons.

Given the breadth and complexity of factors that influence health, public health has developed a rich toolkit to guide our efforts to improve community health. This course reviews key elements of that toolkit, including:

1. methods and theoretical tools used to collaboratively and inclusively determine community priorities for promoting health;
2. planning models and theories used to guide the development of public health programs and influence health policy; and
3. strategies to frame public health issues with the ultimate goal of informing and successfully advocating for public health policies.

From prioritizing goals and objectives to planning for successful implementation, this course explores the multiple dimensions of the successful adoption of public health policies and programs.

3 credit hours

Applying effective management methods and principles and evaluating the impact of programs and policies to determine community cost and impact are essential components of evidence-based public health. This course includes an exploration of key management, governance, and leadership principles necessary for the successful implementation, and evaluation of public health programs and policies. Managers and organizations often operate with limited resources, thus learning how to be good stewards of financial and human resources is essential. This requires the ability to develop budgets and evaluation plans, operate within and foster interprofessional collaboration, manage conflict, and ethical decision-making. A cornerstone of good management is the continuous and rigorous determination of the consequences of one’s choices and actions; did the program or policy have the desired effect? Did it have unintended consequences?

This course introduces students to methods of process, formative, summative, and outcome evaluation, including experimental designs and participatory models of evaluation.

1 credit hour

Developing competencies to provide effective leadership for evidence-based public health. Effective leadership for evidence-based public health requires competencies in advocacy, negotiation, communication, and collaboration, all within a “systems thinking” framework. This course includes an exploration of theoretical constructs and concepts in leadership, balanced with a series of case studies, presentations, and interviews with leaders that provide examples of the application of these leadership competencies in public health practice.

Students will learn to advocate for programs and policies, apply negotiation skills, communicate using appropriate strategies for specific audiences, collaborate through interprofessional learning experiences, and apply systems thinking to a public health issue. Students will be assessed through papers, group projects, and participation.

The UAB MPH Core changed in response to the evolving needs of the public health workforce. Based on years of research with key public health stakeholders conducted by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH, the accrediting body for schools and programs of Public Health), a new set of foundational competencies/knowledge was released in 2016. These new competencies are focused on the concrete skills that graduates need to be effective in the public health workforce.

The previous MPH Core included stand-alone courses in each of the five major disciplines in Public Health (i.e., Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Health Behavior, and Health Care Organization & Policy). While that coursework provided a comprehensive introduction to academic public health, the approach of separating knowledge and skills into distinct disciplines does not match well with the interdisciplinary practice of public health in the real world.

The new Core includes six interdisciplinary courses designed around the Evidence-Based Public Health (EBPH) model (see ASTHO's Evidence-Based Public Health Issues and Concepts for a brief introduction). This model reflects the cyclical approach used by public health practitioners to identify and address key health issues in their communities.

The first semester covers the first phases of the EBPH with courses on “Community Assessment” in the first seven-week session and “Quantitative Methods in Public Health” in the second seven-week session. Students also enroll in an overview course called “This is Public Health” that is offered online and lasts throughout the first semester of the Core sequence.

The second semester of the Core reflects the later phases of the EBPH model, with courses on “Programs and Policies” in the first seven-week session and “Public Health Management and Evaluation” in the second seven-week session. Students also enroll in “Leadership for Evidence-Based Public Health,” offered online throughout the second semester of the Core.

Course Offerings for Fall 2020

Course Offerings for Spring 2021

Course Offerings for Summer 2021

The new core includes 14 credit hours (two 1-credit courses and four 3-credit courses). A 3-credit Applied Practice Experience (Internship) and a 3-credit Integrative Learning Experience (Capstone) are also required for all MPH students, with the remaining credits reserved for concentration core and elective courses. All CEPH-accredited MPH concentrations require a minimum of 42 credit hours; some concentrations require additional hours to meet all concentration-specific competencies.

The new core is designed to be completed over two semesters — Fall and Spring for on-campus students and Spring and Summer for students taking courses online.

The new core provides the foundational skills for the concentration coursework through a focus on:

1. the qualitative and quantitative methods used for assessment and evaluation in public health; and
2. the design, implementation, and management of programs and policies in public health.

The concentrations provide exposure to the theoretical underpinnings of each discipline and deepen students’ concentration-specific skills (e.g., environmental sampling, epidemiologic analysis, behavioral intervention design, policy analysis, etc.).

Yes! The new core includes 7 credit hours in the first and second semesters of enrollment (for full-time students). This leaves room for students to begin their concentration course work or electives concurrently, based on course availability.

Generally, no. Since the core provides the foundational skills necessary to be successful in public health practice, students should complete all core courses prior to beginning their internship.

The new core will launch in Fall 2020 for on-campus students and in Spring 2021 for fully online students.

Students enrolled in all MPH concentrations will be required to complete the new core at UAB. Students admitted prior to Fall 2020 could choose between completing the previous five course core or the new core. Note that courses from the previous and new cores cannot be combined, as the new core is interdisciplinary.

The in-person cohorts begin in the Fall of each year. The core courses are scheduled to meet for 2.5 hours once per week. The courses are currently offered from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the Fall and Spring semesters. For students planning to take the Core online, courses will be offered in Spring and Summer. Students in dual-degree programs may take the Core online in the Summer. All online courses in the School of Public Health are primarily asynchronous with some required team meetings arranged according to students’ schedules.

Faculty from all departments in the School of Public Health will teach the new core. The courses will also feature significant contributions from our community partners, many of whom are alumni of our School. Appointed as Public Health Practitioner Affiliates, these individuals bring a critical real-world perspective and range of experiences to the core.

The new core is designed to provide an optimal experience for online students. All core courses are designed using the Quality Matters approach, which draws on best practices in online education to ensure that courses share a consistent, easy to navigate style.

In Quality Matters courses, all expectations, policies, and learning objectives are clearly described so that students understand how to be successful in the course. All instructional materials, activities, and assessments are carefully chosen and intentionally aligned. Students are provided multiple opportunities to assess their own learning, receive feedback, and demonstrate their mastery through a variety of assessments. Quality Matters courses are highly accessible to diverse learners, including students who have never taken online coursework before.

Because the core reflects the cyclical Evidence-Based Public Health model, the courses should be taken in numeric order. Ideally, part-time students will complete 7 credit hours during the first two semesters of their enrollment during which the core is offered. Once the Core is completed, students will begin or resume working on their concentration coursework, Applied Practice Experience (internship), and Integrative Learning Experience (capstone). Part-time students will work closely with their department’s program coordinator to develop a course completion plan that works for them.

Because the new core is unique to the UAB School of Public Health, it is unlikely that courses from another MPH program would match the competencies covered by each of the six core courses. Therefore, courses from other Schools cannot be transferred to substitute for our core.

All students earning a CEPH-accredited MPH degree are required to demonstrate the foundational knowledge and competencies included in the UAB MPH Core. As such, all UAB MPH students are required to complete all of the core courses; no exemptions can be made.

The Professional Passport is a co-curricular requirement designed to prepare students to be successful in the public health workforce. Starting in their first semester of enrollment, students will participate in a series of experiences that will expose them to the broad range of professional opportunities available in the field of public health. Students will learn to develop a compelling resume, cover letter, and social media presence, to work effectively in interprofessional teams, and to find professional and volunteer opportunities in their communities.

The Professional Passport is administered through Canvas (UAB’s learning management system). Though primarily self-paced, deadlines for completing didactic modules/assessments and participating in required events help students to stay on track.