A UNIVERSITY-WIDE PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE IN COOPERATION WITH THE SCHOOLS OF ARTS AND SCIENCES,
EDUCATION, DENTAL MEDICINE, NURSING, SOCIAL WORK, VETERINARY
MEDICINE, AND THE WHARTON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS.
2005-06
ADVISING MANUAL
1
Graduate Program in Public Health Studies
Advising Manual 2005-2006
Table of Contents
Page
Welcome and Thank You
3
MPH Curriculum Information
Program overview
Degree requirements
Time limitation
Planning for MPH study
Core courses
Capstone experience
Capstone Approval Form
Capstone guidelines
4
4
5
5
6
7
11 and 12
13
Advising Roles and Resources
Guidelines for advisor assignments
Academic advisor
Capstone mentor
Advising process
How and when to register for courses
Whom to contact in the program
Public health resources
Resources at Penn
15
15
16
16
17
18
19
19
Additional Program Information
Administrative structure
Faculty list- core members and members
Accreditation status
Transfer credit policy
Independent study guidelines
MPH electives
Joint-degrees with MPH
Financial information
20
21
23
24
24
25
32
41
Appendix and Forms
Penn Academic Calendar
GPPHS Bylaws
Planned Program of Study Form
Steering Committee
43
45
59 and 60
61
THANK YOU
2
Dear colleagues:
On behalf of the Graduate Program in Public Health Studies (GPPHS), we sincerely thank you for
volunteering to serve as an advisor to MPH students. As you may remember, advisors play a very
important role in every student’s academic life. We are excited that our students will have the opportunity
to work with you and benefit from your expertise and mentorship.
This advising manual is created to provide you with pertinent information about the program, explain the
various advisor roles, and suggest some resources that might facilitate your work with students. We have
designed the advising manual in “loose-leaf” format to make it easier to update program information as
the MPH program evolves. In addition to the advising manual, the MPH website
www.publichealth.med.upenn.edu contains detailed and up-to-date information about the MPH program.
We welcome your comments and suggestions about this advising manual and the MPH program. If you
have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Thanks again, and we look forward to a great year.
Sincerely,
Shiriki Kumanyika, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Program Director
Steering Committee Chair
skumanyi@cceb.med.upenn.edu
215.898.2629
Margaret Cotroneo, Ph.D., R.N.
Program Co-Director
Curriculum Committee Chair
cotroneo@nursing.upenn.edu
215.898.8293
3
MPH CURRICULUM INFORMATION
Program Overview
The Graduate Program in Public Health Studies (GPPHS) was established in 2002 to promote Universitywide synergy among academic disciplines to advance leadership in public health, with a primary focus on
master’s level professional education, offering the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. The program is
a true partnership of eight schools of the University: School of Arts and Sciences, School of Dental
Medicine, Graduate School of Education, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Social Work,
School of Veterinary Medicine, Wharton School of Business. This collaborative model extends to student
advising.
The goal of GPPHS is to enable graduates of the program to embrace and use the public health
paradigm as an essential component of their careers; enhance the impact of the rich variety of healthand health-care-related expertise at Penn on current and future public health problems with a population
level, public service-oriented approach; and strengthen the links between academicians and public health
practitioners, agencies and organizations locally, nationally, and globally. The specific objectives of the
GPPHS are to:
1) Facilitate the articulation of a shared public health/health promotion and disease prevention
paradigm within the School of Medicine and campus wide;
2) Maintain a teaching pool of highly qualified, motivated faculty members at Penn in order to have a
critical mass for implementation of a curriculum in public health studies;
3) Stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration in research planning and implementation as the academic
underpinning of the curriculum;
4) Interact with current and potential Penn graduate students (master's or doctoral level) who have a
well-defined concept of public health and who are considering or have chosen a career path
involving a public health-related profession or practice setting.
Masters of Public Health Degree Requirements
16 course units are required for the Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree. To earn an MPH, you must
complete the following:
Required courses (8 CU)








PUBH 500 Introduction to Public Health
PUBH 501 Introduction to Biostatistics
PUBH 502 Introduction to Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
PUBH 503 Environmental and Occupational Health
PUBH 504 Behavioral and Social Sciences in Public Health
PUBH 505 Health Services Policy
PUBH 506 Methods for Public Health Practice (1.5 CU)
PUBH 507 Ethics, Law and Public Policy (0.5 CU)
Required Capstone Experience (2 CU)
 The Capstone Experience (PUBH 508) will be a research or service project that will
involve field experience in the Philadelphia area. The objective is to afford students the
opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they are acquiring through their academic
course work in a real life setting in an area of personal interest.
Electives (6 CU)
 Selected in consultation with the MPH Program Advisor from the university-wide pool of
public-health-related courses.
4
Time Limitation
The program is designed to be completed either as a two-year full-time program or a three-year
part-time program. The time to complete the degree will be extended for those who complete the
MPH program in combination with another Penn degree.
Planning for MPH study
Sample plan for full time MPH student
Fall 1
PUBH 500
PUBH 501
PUBH 504
Elective 1
Spring 1
PUBH 502
PUBH 503
PUBH 508a
Elective 2
Summer 1
PUBH 508b
Elective 3
Fall 2
Spring 2
PUBH 505
PUBH 506
PUBH 507
PUBH 508c
PUBH 508d
Elective 4
Elective 5
Elective 6
Sample plan for part time MPH student
Fall 1
Spring 1
Summer 1
Fall 2
Spring 2
Summer 2
PUBH 500
PUBH 501
PUBH 502
PUBH 503
Elective 1
Elective 2
PUBH 504
PUBH 506
PUBH 508a
Elective 3
PUBH 508b
Elective 4
Fall 3
Spring 3
PUBH 505
PUBH 507
PUBH 508c
PUBH 508d
Elective 5
Elective 6
5
Core Courses
PUBH 500 Introduction to Public Health. Cotroneo, Morssink. (Fall) This course will provide a
foundational overview of the field of public health and grounding in the public health paradigm. Content
will include the history of public health, an introduction to the basic public health sciences (behavioral and
social sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, policy and management), prevention of
chronic and infectious diseases and injuries, future directions for public health, international health, ethics,
context analysis (specifically concepts of urban health and health disparities), health promotion and
disease prevention. This course is also listed as Nursing 570.
PUBH 501 Introduction to Biostatistics Bilker. (Fall) This course is a series of lectures and laboratory
sessions designed to provide a working knowledge of the fundamental concepts of biostatistics. Topics
covered include probability, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing including nonparametric
techniques, correlation, regression, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance. Emphasis in both
lectures and labs is placed on understanding the proper application and underlying assumptions of the
methods presented. Laboratory sessions focus on the use of statistical software as well as provide time
for review of course material. This course is also listed as Epidemiology 520.
PUBH 502 Introduction to Principles and Methods of Epidemiology. Pinto-Martin. (Spring) This
course provides an introduction to epidemiological methods and an overview of the role of epidemiology
in disease etiology and in the planning, delivery and evaluation of health services. The population-based
approach to collection and analysis of health data will be emphasized throughout the course. Through
textbook reading, class discussion and review of the recent literature, students will become acquainted
with the basic designs of epidemiological studies in theory and in practice. Students will develop the basic
skills necessary to use epidemiological knowledge and methods as the basis for scientific public health
practice. This course is also listed as Nursing 500.
PUBH 503 Environmental & Occupational Health. Emmett. (Spring) This course will provide a broad
introduction to the scientific basis of occupational and environmental health. Content will address issues
in the ambient, occupational and global environments as well as the tools, concepts and methods used in
environmental health.
PUBH 504 Behavioral & Social Sciences in Public Health. Salzer, Blank. (Fall) This introductory
course is intended to provide students with a solid foundation in behavioral and social science theory,
research, and interventions as they pertain to public health. Content will provide exposure to a broad
range of theories, including the theoretical foundations of social science applications for help-seeking,
gender, race, ethnicity and social class. These theories will be discussed using examples of their
applications to numerous public health problems including HIV/AIDS, violence, cancer, cardiovascular
diseases, obesity, and diabetes.
PUBH 505 The Health Services Policy. Pauly. (Fall; MPH students only). This course is designed to
provide an overview of significant forces influencing the shape and evolution of the health services
"system" in this country, to identify the managerial and financial challenges these forces create, and to
assess their impact on the institutions that together comprise the system. The course examines these
forces in three major sectors of the industry: payers (e.g. government, employers, and managed care),
providers (physicians, hospital systems, carve out firms), and suppliers (e.g., pharma, biotech, device
manufacturers).
PUBH 506 Methods for Public Health Practice. Tsou, Holmes. (Spring;). The objective of this survey
course is to provide students with greater familiarity in a range of methods essential to public health
practice. The course will include data collection and evaluation topics that build upon basic knowledge in
epidemiology and biostatistics to include qualitative research, principles and concepts of advocacy, uses
of informatics in public health, among others. The course will pick up on emerging needs in public health.
PUBH 507 Public Health Ethics, Policy, and Law. Rosoff. (Fall) What is best - or, at least, seems best -
6
- for the public's health is not always consistent with society's view of what is legal, ethical, or good policy.
This course introduces key concepts of legal, ethical, and policy analysis and attempts to demonstrate
with current examples how these forces empower, guide, and constrain public health decision-making
and actions. The course will combine lecture, Socratic dialogue, and group discussion in an informal
setting. The course will feature guest lectures by several distinguished experts from Penn and from other
universities.
PUBH 508 a, b, c, d Capstone Experience. Kumanyika. (to be taken as four 0.5 CU segments beginning
in the second term after matriculation) The capstone project will be a research or service project that will
involve field experience in the Philadelphia area. The objective is to afford students the opportunity to
apply the knowledge and skills they have are acquiring through their academic course work in a real life
setting in an area of personal interest.
PUBH 508 Capstone Integrative Experience
Course Outline
Title: Capstone Integrative Experience
Course Units: 2.0 CU taken as four 0.5CU segments or two 1.0CU segments
Total number of Theory Hours: 60 hours. Students in this seminar are engaged in individual
projects. Participation in the seminars is required throughout a student’s enrollment in the capstone.
Seminars, scheduled every third week or a minimum of five times over the course of a semester, bring
students together with a faculty coordinator. Participation in the seminars is required throughout a
student’s enrollment in the capstone. To meet the theory requirement, students also meet individually with
their capstone supervisors.
Total number of Field Hours: 108 hours. The field experience is worked out between the MPH program
advisor, the capstone faculty supervisor and the student. Students may be in the field for a block of time
or they may extend the experience over several episodes. A minimum of 108 hours of supervised field
experience is required to complete the capstone.
The entire capstone experience (individual project plus seminars and field experience) must add up to a
total of 2 CU over the course of their program beginning with the second or third term after matriculation.
Catalog Description: The capstone is an integrating experience required for graduation for students in
the Master’s Program in Public Health. Students will have an opportunity to synthesize the knowledge
and competencies they have acquired through their coursework, apply them to solve a public health
problem in an area of personal interest, and begin to develop a common grounding and identity as public
health professionals. The capstone course combines a seminar with a supervised research or service
project that involves field experience in public health. To meet the requirements of the capstone, the
student must participate in seminars in which MPH students reflect together to learn from each other and
from the relevant literature as they develop and implement their projects, complete an oral presentation of
their project and submit a written project report.
Placement: Any term after the first term of matriculation. The seminar schedule for any term will be
posted on the MPH website during the pre-registration period.
Faculty:
Core MPH faculty
Pre-requisites: Evidence of satisfactory progress in MPH program, identification of a potential capstone
project and approval of MPH Curriculum Committee.
7
Capstone Project: Students select an MPH faculty member who will supervise the capstone
experience. For the capstone, students select a topic of special interest, identify a collaborating public
health agency or organization, develop an implementation plan, implement and evaluate the project,
make an oral presentation of the project and submit a written final report. The capstone emphasizes the
integration of knowledge and competencies through application in a public health setting. The student is
expected to identify a public health problem, find out where to intervene through diagnosis and analysis,
negotiate an opportunity to intervene or further document the need for intervention, and use their own
style and skills to plan, implement and evaluate a program.
Course Format: Over the course of the 2 CU capstone requirement, students will also meet at regularly
scheduled intervals in group seminars led by an MPH faculty coordinator. The seminar is designed as a
forum within which those enrolled learn from each other as well as from those knowledgeable about
public health theory, research and practice. Topics that are foundational to the Capstone are
recommended by the MPH curriculum committee. Specific assignments are made by the faculty
coordinator in collaboration with participating students. The forums are open to enrolled students and
MPH faculty.
Course Objectives: At the end of this course the student will be able to:
1.
Demonstrate synthesis of new and emerging content areas of the field of public health
through oral, written, field and group activities.
2.
Understand what it means to solve a new or existing public health problem including
diagnosis and analysis, negotiating the opportunity to intervene, documenting need for
intervention, planning, implementing and evaluating a program.
3.
Develop an understanding of a new or existing public health problem at multiple points along
its trajectory.
Teaching Methods: Seminar group discussion; case studies; assigned readings; supervised research;
practical immersion and feedback
Meeting Capstone Requirements: Upon completion of the capstone, a written product is to be
submitted to the Capstone Mentor and the Course Coordinator for evaluation. Dates for submission will
be established at the beginning of the academic year and will be posted on the MPH website. The
capstone course coordinator will designate a date for oral presentations in consultation with capstone
supervisors and enrolled students. Students will present their capstone projects to MPH students and
faculty. Faculty and students from schools affiliated with the MPH Program will be invited to attend.
Consideration will be given to other options for meeting the requirements e.g. presentation at a
professional conference. Students should submit such requests in writing to the MPH Curriculum
Committee Chair. A capstone advisory committee will be appointed from the membership (faculty) of
GPPHS and this group will have oversight responsibility for the capstone experience.
Evaluation of the Capstone:
The final evaluation of the capstone will be the joint responsibility of the capstone mentor, the capstone
course coordinator and the student’s academic advisor. A final grade will be assigned upon completion of
all capstone requirements. The evaluation will be based on the student’s progression through seven
overlapping and iterative stages:
1.


2.




3.
Problem identification
Population focus of the problem
Social relevancy of the problem
Problem definition
Data collection and analysis
Diagnosis
Scope (focus, specificity, timing)
Relationship to health determinants
Problem management
8
4.




5.
6.
7.
 Specific aims
 Operationalizing the problem
 Targets of intervention
Plan of action
Choice of method (Research or service)
Choice of evaluation points
Procedure and timeline
Contacts/team approach
Assessment
 Approach and method of evaluation
 Strategy for outcome analysis
 Evaluation of progress
Action
 Immersion plan
 Progression of activities (critical pathway)
 Feedback mechanisms/process
 Self-analysis of progress
Formal evaluation
 Oral Presentation
 Written Presentation
 Field experience
Course Evaluation Methods:
 Group preparation/participation: 25%:
 Field work: 25%
 Oral Presentation: 20%
 Written Project: 30%
Note: the field experience will usually not be paid.
Required text: Assigned readings
Selected References that may be helpful:
American Public Health Association web site: www.apha.org
American Journal of Public Health web site: www.ajph.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov
World Health Organization: www.who.org.int/en/
Office of the Surgeon General: www.surgeongeneral.gov
Brownson, RC, Baker, EA, Leet, TL, Gillespie, KN (Eds.) (2003). Evidence-based Public Health. New
York: Oxford University Press.
Beaglehole, R., Bonita, R. (1997) Public Health at the Crossroads. NY: Cambridge University Press.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). (2000). Healthy People 2010.2nd edition. With
understanding and improving health and objectives for improving health. 2 vols. Washington, DC:
Government Printing Office. Available on www.health.gov/healthypeople
Institute for the Future. (2003). Health and Health Care 2010. The Forecast. The Challenge. 2nd edition.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Institute of Medicine (1997). America’s Vital Interest in Global Health. Washington, DC: National
Academies Press.
9
Institute of Medicine (2001). Crossing the quality chasm: a new health system for the 21 st century.
Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Available on www.nap.edu
Institute of Medicine (2002). Priority Areas for National Action: transforming health care quality.
Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Available on www.nap.edu
Institute of Medicine (2003). The Future of the Public’s Health in the 21st Century. Washington, DC:
National Academies Press. Available on www.nap.edu
Institute of Medicine (2003). Health Professions Education: a bridge to quality. Washington, DC: National
Academies Press. Available on www.nap.edu
Kaye, G., & Wolff, T. (Eds.) (1997). From the ground up: A workbook on coalition building and community
development, 2nd edition. Amherst, MA: AHEC/Community Partners.
Kretzmann, J., & McKnight, J. (1993). Building communities from the inside out: A path toward finding
and mobilizing community assets. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Institute for Policy Research.
LaVeist, T (ed.) (2002). Race, ethnicity and health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Boss.
Merson, MH, Black, RE, Mills, AJ (Editors) (2001). International Public Health: diseases, programs,
systems and policies. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen publications.
Nelson, DE, Brownson, RC, Remington, PL, Par anta, C (Eds.) (2002). Communicating Public Health
Information Effectively. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association.
Rychetnik L, Hawe P, Waters E, Barratt A, Frommer M. A glossary for evidence based public health. J
Epidemiol Community Health. 2004 Jul;58(7):538-45.
Thorogood, M, Coombes, Y. (Editors)(2000) Evaluating Health Promotion: Practice and Methods. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Communicating Health: Priorities and Strategies for
Progress. Washington, DC, July 2003.
U.S. Public Health Service, Report of the Surgeon General’s Conference on Children’s Mental Health: A
national action agenda. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services, 2000. Available on:
www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/cmh/default.htm
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health: a report of the surgeon general.
Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute
of Mental Health, 1999. Available on www.osophs.dhhs.gov/library/mentalhealth
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). Mental health: culture, race and ethnicity-a
supplement to Mental Health: a report of the surgeon general. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services.
10
Master of Public Health
Capstone Experience Plan Approval
STUDENT’S NAME:
DATE:
ACADEMIC ADVISOR:
CAPSTONE MENTOR___________________
STUDENTS: This form is to be completed in consultation with your capstone advisor. Please complete
and return the original to the GPPHS Office prior to registering for PUBH 508 Capstone Integrative
Experience. Any changes to your capstone plan must be documented by completing a new form and resubmitting it to the GPPHS Office.
Capstone Project Title:
Capstone Project Aims:
Learning Objectives for Capstone-related Core Competency outcomes:
Capstone Project Overview: (Description and implications for future study):
Capstone Mentor Name (Print)
Capstone Mentor Approval (Signature)
Date
Academic Advisor Name (Print)
Academic Advisor Approval (Signature)
Date
11
PUBH 508
MPH Capstone Experience Completion Form
Students are responsible for obtaining the signatures indicated below to certify that their
capstone requirements are complete. This form with original signatures must be
submitted to the MPH program office with the written Capstone report and a copy of the
oral presentation slides and handouts.
_______________________________
Capstone Mentor name (print)
_______________________________
Capstone Mentor signature
_________________________
date
_______________________________
Academic Advisor name (print)
_______________________________
Academic Advisor signature
_______________________
date
_______________________________
Student’s name (print)
_______________________________
Student’s signature
________________________
date
12
PUBH 508
CAPSTONE PAPER AND PRESENTATION GUIDELINES
A written project presentation and an oral presentation describing the capstone experience are required
for successful completion of the MPH capstone. Students should arrange a timeline with their capstone
supervisors for draft submissions of their paper and presentation with sufficient time to allow for feedback
and editing prior to the oral presentation. Students incorporate final edits and prepare their final paper for
submission on or before the specified due date.
A. The Written Project Presentation
The written project serves as a scholarly description and analysis of the culminating MPH capstone
experience. Capstone experiences are varied and may take the form of applied research, policy analysis,
program evaluation, or community interventions. Students may consult with their capstone advisor to
elect a format for their written presentation that is best suited to their capstone experience. In general, all
written manuscripts should include an abstract or executive summary, a convincing statement about the
relevance of their topic as a public health issue or problem, a rationale with specific aims, a detailed
literature review summarizing the history of the problem and current research on the topic, a conceptual
framework or hypotheses, methods (including a description of the analytic approach) results, conclusions
and implications for public health practice. The length of the written project should approximate 4,000
words. Some sample formats are appended for a community ‘business case’ approach, a communitybased participatory intervention approach, and a research approach.
All students must end their paper with a section summarizing their capstone learning experience. This
should include a brief description of the placement or practicum setting, the extent to which the student’s
planned learning objectives were met or not met, an assessment of the professional practice
competencies and skills the student acquired through this experience, and a articulation of how the
experience informed their development as a public health professional. This section should approximate
1,000 words [additional to the 4000 words allowed for the project report] and may be included as an
addendum to a journal manuscript.
Students who elect to prepare a manuscript for potential publication should organize the manuscript in
accordance with the targeted journal’s guidelines for the type of article that best fit their project type.
Suggested journals include: the CDC Journal Preventing Chronic Disease, The American Journal of
Public Health, The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, or another journal in their base field with a
public health orientation. The following information must be included as appendices with the submitted
manuscript:
 The journal title
 A description of the type of article
 The guidelines for authors from that journal for the type of article chosen
Note: The manuscript does not have to be accepted for publication as a requirement for graduation but
students with appropriate projects are strongly encouraged to use this approach and to submit for
publication.
B. The Oral Presentation
The oral presentation is a summary of your written presentation and should be limited to a maximum of
20 minutes with an additional 10 minutes allowed for questions and answers. Students may use
PowerPoint or other appropriate professional quality media technologies to deliver their presentation. Oral
presentations should include the following sections: a project title, background and significance, research
question or project goal, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, implications for future work in public
health, and lessons learned. We expect students to be responsible for making handouts to accompany
their presentation. However, if assistance in making copies is requested of the Public Health Studies
Program office, the handout must be submitted to the program office two days prior to the presentation.
13
Audiovisual requests should be made at least two weeks before the presentation to ensure that we will
have the appropriate equipment available.
Students are required to submit one copy of their final paper to their capstone advisor and one copy to
the MPH program office on or before the official due date. The copy presented to the program office must
include an MPH Program face sheet (obtained from the MPH program office) with the capstone mentor’s
signature. A copy of oral presentation slides and handouts are also required at this time as well as copies
of any published or submitted abstracts or papers that are partly or wholly linked to the capstone
experience. Please discuss the options for electronic submissions with the program office.
APPENDIX: THREE SAMPLE OUTLINES FOR CAPSTONE PAPERS
1) A Community “Business Case” Study Approach:
 Introduction and background section to set the stage for a statement about the potential benefit
and the rationale for developing the project.
 An executive summary
 Analysis of the public health associated costs, benefits and risks.
 Situational assessment and problem statement including the proposed benefits from the project.
 Outline of the program development process including the project goals, implementation
strategies, measurable outcome objectives.
 Assumptions, limitations and potential barriers.
 Direct or recurrent costs of the program.
 Projected improvements including cost-benefit analysis or policy-related objectives.
 Process, impact and outcome measures and analysis.
 Results, conclusions and recommendations.
2) A Community Based Participatory Intervention Approach:
 Background including a literature review of the issue, a description of the community issues, and
an articulated conceptual framework or theoretical model.
 Statement of the problem.
 Project description including the rationale and nature of the community involvement and decision
making structure.
 Goals and measurable objectives including implementation strategies.
 Study design and methods.
 Intervention activities including barriers and limitations.
 Process, impact and/or outcome evaluation and analysis.
 Cost benefit analysis.
 Conclusions with respect to relevance, capacity building, sustainability, policy implications and
social change.
3) A Research Approach (Quantitative, Qualitative or Mixed Methods):
 Introduction and background including the rationale and relevance to the public health paradigm.
 Statement of the problem.
 Hypothesis.
 Study design and research methods.
 Limitations
 A description of the data analysis.
 Results, conclusions, and recommendations
14
Program Advising
General Guidelines for Advisor Assignments
The Associate Director will meet with each student to help plan the student’s initial program of study,
assist in selecting courses, provide academic advising and monitor academic progress. The program
staff will work with the available pool of faculty members to match the student with an Academic Advisor
suited to the student’s area of public health interest. Assignment of the Academic Advisor will occur as
early as possible following enrollment in the MPH program and no later than the end of the first semester
after matriculation. The Associate Director, in consultation with the Program Director and Co-Director, will
advise students on the selection of a capstone project and then selection of a Capstone Mentor who will
supervise the project. Students will be expected to meet with the Associate Director at least once per year
to monitor academic progress and complete the requisite student surveys on public health competencies.
Prior to graduation, all students will complete an exit interview with the Associate Director.
Guidelines for the advising assignments will be as follows:








Academic Advisors and Capstone Mentors must be members of the Graduate Program in Public
Health Studies.
Academic Advisors and Capstone Mentors will be expected to attend at least one MPH Faculty
Advisor Meeting per academic year.
Academic Advisors will be provided with a Faculty Advising Manual and kept updated about program
changes.
Capstone Mentors will be provided with Guidelines for the Capstone Experience.
Academic Advisor and Capstone Mentor assignments will be approved by the Student Advising and
Credentialing Committee.
Either the Academic Advisor or the Capstone Mentor will have a public health degree or substantive
public health related work or research involvement.
Academic Advisors will be encouraged to maintain membership in the American Public Health
Association in order to be tied into current developments in the field.
The Academic Advisor is not prohibited from serving as the Capstone Mentor.
Academic Advisor
The Academic Advisor will be the primary advisor for the MPH student. The role of the MPH Academic
Advisor will be to facilitate the translation of the student’s focus area into an integrated set of appropriate
choices of elective coursework. The academic advisor will assist the advisee in brainstorming possible
directions and looking for courses. The approach to selecting electives will consider a student’s stated
learning objectives and the elective choices will be subject to approval by the Curriculum Committee
Chair. Academic Advisors will be expected to meet with the student at least twice per semester. Once
per semester Advisors will be asked to provide to the Student Advising and Credentialing Committee a
brief evaluation and recommendations regarding student progress.
Approaches to the assignment of Academic Advisors include:
a) request by the student based on the student’s knowledge of faculty expertise
b) eligible faculty volunteer to advise a particular student after reviewing the background and
interests of new students.
c) The Program Director, Co-Director and Associate Director review student records to match the
student with an advisor in consultation with both parties.
15
Capstone Mentor
The role of the Capstone Mentor will be to facilitate the development, implementation, and completion of
the capstone project. This role includes helping to identify the community-based site or partner for the
capstone experience and to clarify expectations of the student and the partner. The Capstone Mentor will
work with the Associate Director to develop a contract of agreement between the MPH Program and the
community partners in instances where the Capstone Project involves a student placement within a
community-based setting. The capstone advisor works with the student throughout the entire project and
evaluates the field participation and the final oral and written presentations at the end. Capstone
Advisors might also be asked to participate directly in some aspects of the Capstone course. Once per
semester Capstone Mentors will be asked to provide to the Associate Director an evaluation and
recommendations regarding student progress.
Approaches to the assignment of Capstone Mentors include:
a) request by the student based on the student’s knowledge of faculty expertise
b) eligible faculty volunteer to advise a particular student after reviewing the background and
interests of new students.
c) The Program Director, Co-Director and Associate Director review student records to match the
student with an advisor in consultation with both parties.
The Advising Process
1. When students begin the program, the initial program advising and development of a preliminary
“plan of study” will be completed by appointment with the Associate Director. The official program of
study form is included in this handbook (pages 9 and 10) and is available from the MPH program staff
or can be downloaded from the website. Students should familiarize themselves with the core
competencies in public health to assure integration of specific competencies into their plan
(http://www.trainingfinder.org/competencies/list.htm ).
2. Before the end of the student’s first term, an Academic Advisor is assigned.
3. Students work with the Academic Advisor to further develop the “planned program of study” by
selecting electives tailored to their stated learning objectives. The Academic Advisor will assist the
student in structuring their set of electives to enhance learning in their areas of focus.
4. Changes to the “planned program of study” must be approved by the Academic Advisor and the
Student Advising and Credentialing Committee. All changes to a plan of study must be filed with the
MPH program office.
5. Throughout the program, it is the students’ responsibility to consult with the program staff and their
academic advisors, update their planned program of study, submit current copies to the MPH
program office, and register for courses according to the planned program of study.
6. The Academic Advisors and Associate Director maintain regular communication with the Student
Advising and Credentialing Committee and the Curriculum Committee.
7. Before the end of the students’ first year (at the latest), students work with the program staff and their
academic advisor to select a capstone project and capstone mentor.
8. The Capstone Mentor supervises and evaluates the capstone project and maintains regular
communication with the student and the Student Advising and Credentialing Committee.
How and When to Register for Courses
Students register for courses using the University’s electronic registration systems -- PARIS (573-PENN)
and Penn-in-Touch (https://sentry.isc.upenn.edu/intouch/). New students register for courses at the
beginning of their first term. Continuing students register before the semester starts during the advance
registration period. Students can change their course schedule without penalty up to the end of the
add/drop period. The advanced registration, add, and drop periods are noted on the university academic
16
calendar which is published in the Almanac each year. The calendar is included in this handbook and is
available by contacting the program coordinator.
Information on courses offerings at the University (e.g. timetables, classrooms, and course descriptions)
can be found on the Office of University Registrar’s website at http://www.upenn.edu/registrar. Navigate
the site using the links on the left hand side of the webpage. The most up-to-date information of PUBH
courses can also be found on the MPH website http://www.publichealth.med.upenn.edu/classes.html or
by emailing the program coordinator (pubhlth@mail.med.upenn.edu).
To register, students should:
1. Review the course roster and registration instructions distributed by the program coordinator
before the advance registration period.
2. Meet with their program and content advisors and consult their planned program of study to
determine which courses to take.
3. If applicable, write and submit proposal for independent study or capstone experience
4. If necessary, contact the department or faculty that offers the course to request a registration
permit.
5. Register for courses using Penn-in-Touch or PARIS.
If you have questions about course registration, to request a permit for PUBH courses, or for assistance
in arranging a meeting with your advisors, please contact the MPH Program Coordinator (215.573.0917
or pubhlth@mail.med.upenn.edu).
17
Whom to Contact in the Program
If you have a question about…
Contact:
Registration, administrative and
practical matters; advising,
admissions questions.
Marisa McClellan
MPH Program Coordinator
pubhlth@mail.med.upenn.edu
215.573.0917
414 Anatomy-Chemistry Building/6110 (mail address)
3401 Market Street, Suite 202 (physical location)
Fieldwork and capstone experience
coordination, evaluation,
accreditation, advising issues,
admissions issues, faculty, and
overall program issues.
Jackie McLaughlin, MS, RD, LDN
Associate Director, MPH Program
jmclaugh@mail.med.upenn.edu
215.746.2043
Program/policy, advising, capstone,
faculty
Shiriki Kumanyika, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Program Director
Chair, Steering Committee
skumanyi@cceb.med.upenn.edu
215.898.2629
3401 Market Street, Suite 202
Curriculum, advising, joint-degree,
independent-study, capstone, MSNMPH joint-degree program
Margaret Cotroneo, Ph.D., R.N.
Program Co-Director
Chair, Curriculum Committee
cotroneo@nursing.upenn.edu
215.898.8293
Room 2004 Nursing Education Building
MD-MPH joint-degree program
Marjorie Bowman, M.D., M.P.A.
Chair, MD-MPH Advisory Committee
majorie.bowman@uphs.upenn.edu
215.662.3346
2nd Floor Gates, Hospital of UPenn
Tuition and billing
Nam Narain
Director of Financial Operations
narain@mail.med.upenn.edu
215.573.2234
Your advisee
__________________
18
Public Health Resources
http://www.trainingfinder.org/competencies/background.htm (Core competencies for public health
professionals, from the website of the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health
Practice.)
www.phls.org Principles of the Ethical Practice of Public Health developed by the Public Health
Leadership Society.
www.nchpeg.org National Coalition for Health Professions Education in Genetics has developed core
competencies in areas that represent the minimum knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for health
professionals from all disciplines to provide patient care that involves awareness of genetic issues and
concerns.
www.cdc.gov/genomics/training/competencies/comps.htm The CDC has developed genomic
competencies for public health professionals at all levels of the workforce.
http://www.ceph.org/ (Council on Education for Public Health, an independent agency recognized by the
U. S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and graduate public health programs
outside of schools of public health.)
http://www.apha.org/ (American Public Health Association, the oldest and largest organization of public
health professionals in the world, representing more than 50,000 members from over 50 occupations of
public health.)
http://www.atpm.org/ (Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine, the national association
supporting health promotion and disease prevention educators and researchers.)
Resources at Penn
Office of the University Registrar
221 Franklin Building
http://www.upenn.edu/registrar/
[Publishes the course time table, room roster, and course register (descriptions)]
Academic Rules and Regulations
http://www.upenn.edu/grad/regs.htm
PennBook: The Resources, Policies, and Procedures Handbook
http://www.upenn.edu/osl/pennbook.html
Office of Learning Resources
3820 Locust Walk, Harnwell College House, Suite 110
Phone: 215.573.9235
http://dolphin.upenn.edu/~lrcenter/lr/lr.html
Libraries
http://www.library.upenn.edu
Van Pelt Library
3420 Walnut Street
http://www.library.upenn.edu
19
Biomedical Library
36th and Hamilton Walk
http://www.library.upenn.edu/biomed/
Career Services
McNeil Building, Suite 20
Phone: 215.898.7531
http://www.upenn.edu/careerservices
Office of the Vice Provost for Research
119 College Hall
Phone: 215.898.7236
http://www.upenn.edu/research
Graduate Student Center
3615 Locust Walk
Phone: 215.746.6868
http://www.upenn.edu/gsc/
Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA)
Graduate Student Center 2nd Floor, 3615 Locust Walk
http://www.gapsa.upenn.edu
Student Financial Services
Room 100, Franklin Building
Phone: 215.898.1988
sfsmail@sfs.upenn.edu
http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/home/
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
The Graduate Program in Public Health Studies (GPPHS) is based in the School of Medicine (SOM),
within the Office of the Vice Dean for Research and Research Training and report through the Committee
of Master’s Programs (CMP). GPPHS is governed by the Steering Committee, composed of one
representative from each participating school, and the Program Director. In addition, to oversee specific
program functions, standing committees in admissions and curriculum have been created.
The Participating Schools in GPPHS are the Schools of: Medicine, Nursing, Arts and Sciences, Dental
Medicine, Education, Social Work, Veterinary Medicine, and Wharton.
The Program Director is responsible for administrative oversight and academic leadership of the
program. The Director is also the primary advisor to MPH students and the chairperson of the Steering
Committee. The current Program Director is Dr. Shiriki Kumanyika, Ph.D., M.P.H.
The Steering Committee serves generally to advise the Program Director and co-directors on all matters
related to implementation and evaluation of the MPH program and other related GPPHS activities.
Specific responsibilities of this committee include establishing criteria for membership in the GPPHS,
monitoring the work of the standing committees, recruiting faculty for the program, and developing
liaisons with appropriate Penn centers and institutes. The Steering Committee consists of the Program
Director and at least one member from each participating school, with one vote for the Program Director
and one from each of the participating schools.
20
The Curriculum Committee is responsible for developing and evaluating the MPH program (e.g., setting
requirements and overseeing the development of core courses and reviewing course evaluations),
developing curricular policies (e.g., relating to transfer credits, course substitutions, approval of syllabi for
both required courses and electives to be offered under the Public Health prefix), and developing jointdegree programs with other schools within the University, assigning advisors to students, and providing
guidance on student affairs and services. The Curriculum Committee consists of at least 5 members, with
at least one of these representing each of the five core areas of public health. The Chair of the
Curriculum Committee is also the Program Co-director. The current Chair of the Curriculum Committee is
Dr. Margaret Cotroneo, Ph.D., R.N.
The Admissions and Credentials Committee sets policy for program eligibility and application
requirements, review applications for admission, and make admissions decisions. This committee also
reviews the records of candidates for graduation and approves applicants for graduation. Currently, the
members of the Admissions and Steering Committees are identical.
The MD-MPH Advisory Committee is a subcommittee of the Admissions Committee and is charged
with: 1) providing career guidance to prospective MD-MPH students, including MD students who are
interested in public health issues but are undecided about the MPH program; 2) providing advice and
counseling to students enrolled in the MD-MPH joint-degree program; and 3) screening applications to
the MD-MPH program and make recommendations to the MPH admissions committee. The current Chair
of the MD-MPH Advisory Committee is Dr. Marjorie Bowman, M.D., M.P.A.
The External Advisory Committee is charged with review and comment on the development and
implementation program from the perspectives of mission and vision, quality of implementation, aligning
the curriculum with accreditation standards, and advising on the accreditation process.
FACULTY LIST
Core Members
Andrea J. Apter, M.D., M.Sc., Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care,
Department of Medicine
David Barnes, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Ian Moore Bennett, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Peter Berthold, D.D.S, D.M.D, Ph.D., Professor, Community Oral Health, School of Dental Medicine
Michael Blank, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology in Psychiatry, School of Medicine
Marjorie Bowman, M.D., M.P.A., Professor and Department Chair, Family Practice and Community
Medicine, School of Medicine
Charles Branas, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine
Susan Coffin, MD, MPH, Attending Physician and Director, Infectious Disease Fellowship Program
Margaret M. Cotroneo, Ph.D., R.N., Associate Professor, Family and Community Health, School of
Nursing
Edward Emmett, M.D., M.S., Professor, Emergency Medicine; Occupational Medicine, School of
Medicine
Robert Giegengack PhD, Professor of Geology, School of Arts and Sciences, Chair, Department of
Earth and Environmental Studies, School of Arts and Sciences
Joan I. Gluch, R.D.H., Ph.D., Adjunct Associate Professor, Community Oral Health, School of Dental
Medicine
21
John Holmes, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medical Informatics in Epidemiology, Department of
Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine
Chanita Hughes Halbert, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Thomas O. Kelly, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics,
School of Medicine
Martin G. Keane, M.D., Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Department of Medicine
Shiriki K. Kumanyika, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School
of Medicine
Steve Larson, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania
David S. Mandell, Sc.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Department of Pediatrics,
School of Medicine
Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Linda McCauley, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Nightingale Professor in Nursing
Christiaan Morssink, M.P.H, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
Deborah Nelson, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Biostatistics and
Epidemiology`
Paul Offit, MD, Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Professor
Mark V. Pauly, Ph.D., Professor, Health Care Systems, Wharton School
Arnold Rosoff, J.D., Professor, Legal Studies and Health Care Systems, Wharton School
Mark Salzer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology in Psychiatry, School of Medicine
Gary Smith, M.A.(Oxon), M.A.(Cantab), D.Phil., Professor, Population Biology and Epidemiology, School
of Veterinary Medicine
Phyllis L. Solomon, Ph.D., Professor, Social Work Mental Health Research Center, School of Social
Work
Thomas R. Ten Have, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor, Dept. of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of
Medicine
Janet Tighe, Ph.D., Associate Professor, History and Sociology of Science, School of Arts and Sciences
Flaura K. Winston, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Director of Traumalink, Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia
Members
Daniel Albert, M.D., Associate Professor of Rheumatology, School of Medicine
Susan Coffin, MD, MPH, Attending physician, Director, Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program, The
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Charlene W. Compher, PhD, RD, FADA, CNSD, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science, School of
Nursing
Dennis Culhane, Ph.D., Professor of Social Welfare Policy, School of Social Work
Harold I. Feldman, M.D., M.S.C.E., Associate Professor of Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology; CoDirector, Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program
22
Judith A. Fisher, M.D., FAAFP, Director of Community Programs, Department of Family Practice and
Community Medicine
Ira Harkavy, Ph.D., Director, Center for Community Partnerships
Chanita Hughes, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Community and Minority
Cancer Control Program
Mary Katherine Hutchinson, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Co-Director of the Center for
Urban Health Research
Wei-Ting Hwang, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, FAAN, RN, van Ameringen Professor in Psychiatric Mental Health
Nursing, and Director of the Center for Urban Health Research
Glenn McGee, Ph.D., Associate Director of The Center for Bioethics
Daniel Polsky, Ph.D., MPP, Research Associate Professor of Medicine
Timothy R. Rebbeck, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Biostatistics and
Epidemiology
Pamela Sankar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Engineering, and Center for
Bioethics
Y. Ann Slaughter, DDS, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Oral Health
Brian Strom, Professor and Chair of Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Director of Center for
Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Lucy Tuton, Ph.D., Adjunct Associate Professor, Medicine; Adjunct Associate Professor of Prevention
and Population Health; Director, Program Development in Community Health, CCEB; Executive Director,
Bridging the Gaps
Stella L. Volpe, Ph.D., RD, LDN, FACSM, Associate Professor and Miriam Stirl Endowed Chair in
Nutrition, Division of Biobehavioral and Health Sciences, School of Nursing
Elaine Wright, Visiting Scholar, School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Earth & Environmental
Science
Cynthia Zubritsky, Ph.D., Senior Research Faculty, Center for Mental Health Policy and Services
Research
Please refer to the Program’s web site (http://www.publichealth.med.upenn.edu) for biographical sketches
and contact information of Public Health faculty.
Accreditation Status
In October 2003, the governing body of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), formally
approved the request of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine to begin the accreditation
process for the MPH Program. The accreditation on-site visit will take place in the Spring of 2006 and a
decision about accreditation is expected in Fall 2006.
CEPH is an independent accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit
schools of public health and graduate public health programs outside of schools of public health that
prepare students for entry into careers in public health.
For more information on CEPH, refer to its website http://www.ceph.org or contact
Council on Education for Public Health
800 Eye Street, NW, Suite 202
23
Washington, DC 20001
215.789.1050
202.789.1895
Transfer Credit Policy
Sixteen course units are required for the MPH degree. Fourteen course units must be taken at the
University of Pennsylvania, with 10 course units taken in the public health program (PUBH). MPH
students may request to transfer up to two graduate level credits from an accredited program outside the
University. Transfer credit may not be applied to the 10 MPH required courses but may be applied to the
electives with the approval of the MPH Program Advisor. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis and courses
taken more than three years ago will not be considered for transfer credit. Only courses in which the
student received a grade of "B" (3.0) or better will be considered for transfer credit.
Requests for transfer credit should be submitted to the MPH Program Advisor together with a course
syllabus for the course under consideration. The advisor will request a review of the course by an MPH
faculty member in that content area for its appropriateness for MPH transfer credit. Students may request
substitution of a core course with a more advanced course in that content area. The process for
substitution is the same as that for transfer credit.
Guidelines for Independent Study (PUBH 599)
Independent study opportunities to meet the elective requirements of the MPH program are available to
the self-directed, motivated student who wants to expand her/his knowledge in an area of particular
interest. Independent study must meet the elective requirements for the MPH Program and must be
approved by the MPH Program advisor before the study begins.
The following process is recommended:
1.
2.
3.
The student must be concurrently enrolled in PubH500 or must have successfully completed
PubH500 before entering into an independent study.
The independent study credit allotment is generally one credit unit for the 14 week semester
however other credit options may be discussed with the MPH Program advisor
Planning for independent study must begin with the MPH Program advisor to ensure that it is
consistent with the student’s overall plan of study.
Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
After selecting and conferring with an independent study faculty supervisor, the student will
complete an Independent Study Proposal.
The proposal will include the following information (email is acceptable):
 Student’s Name
 Semester/date
 MPH Program advisor
 Independent Study faculty supervisor
 Title of Independent Study
 Statement of learning objectives
 Student plan for meeting objectives
 Approval with date of : faculty supervisor, student, MPH program advisor
The student will present the proposed independent study to the MPH program advisor who
must approve it
Copies of the approved proposal will be kept in the student’s file.
24
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The student and the independent study faculty supervisor will schedule regular meetings
throughout the semester. The faculty supervisor will oversee and evaluate the project
A bibliography must accompany all independent study projects. A paper or project is required
At the end of the semester of independent study, a student evaluation and a faculty
supervisor evaluation will be completed and returned to the MPH Program Office.
The student evaluation will include the following:
 Summary statement of the time invested and accomplishments during the semester of
independent study
 Evaluation of the fulfillment of predetermined independent study learning objectives
 Indication that the student and faculty supervisor have reviewed the evaluation
The Independent Study faculty supervisor evaluation will include the following:
 Evaluation of student fulfillment of learning objectives
 Evaluation of written work
 A final grade
 Indication that the student and faculty supervisor have reviewed the evaluation
Electives
Guiding Principles
The following guiding principles apply to any consideration of electives:
 Students work in collaboration with their advisors to request specific courses
 Course content must be linked to the public health paradigm
 Students specify a program of study that includes a coherent, integrated package of courses
of sufficient breadth, depth and cohesiveness
 Program of study must be approved by the advisor
The following are some possible elective courses previously identified by the MPH faculty:
(all courses are 1 CU unless otherwise noted)
Public Health
PUBH 509 Injury and the Public’s Health. Branas. (Spring) This course offers students an
introduction to the relatively new field of injury and violence prevention, a major cause of death
and disability throughout the world. Prominent types of injury to be discussed include those
relating to motor vehicles, falls, and firearms. Biological, behavioral, economic and social issues
concerning the implementation of injury reduction policies will be emphasized through case
studies of specific injury scenarios and interventions. Students will complete the course with a
basic understanding of injuries and the many issues involved in preventing injuries. Potential
opportunities for student internships will also be identified.
PUBH 512 Injury Mechanisms: Incorporating Injury Mechanics into Injury Control.
Winston. (Spring, 0.5 CU) An integrated approach to injury control research will be discussed.
Basic biomechanical engineering principles important in trauma research will be presented by
lecture, demonstration, video, and references. Methods for incorporating these concepts into
injury epidemiological studies will be discussed. References will be provided.
PUBH 513 Sociology and Public Health: Using Social Theory in Public Health Practice.
Morssink. (Summer, 0.5 CU) This exploratory course will give graduate students, particularly
students of the health and human services professions, an exposure to the use of sociology for
25
framing public health problems and activate their sociological imagination. After an introductory
session on some major theoretical models for explaining social phenomena and ways of knowing,
the class will address in the remaining sessions five major topics of interest at the interface of
sociology and public health. We will discuss culture and cultural relativism; lifestyles and habitus;
power and structural violence; social movements, organized social change, and activism; and
professionalization/bureaucratization in the domain of public health. Throughout the discussions
we will maintain a historical perspective, trying to understand the dialectics of change as they
pertain to public health and the ever-changing social views on body, disease, illness and health.
New! PUBH 516 Introduction to Public Health Genetics. Hughes-Halbert. (Spring)
This course will provide a topical overview of issues in public health genetics. Through a series
of lectures students will learn about the history of public health genetics, the role of genetics in
public health, and application of genetic technology in clinical and research settings. Lectures will
also address the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic testing in populations and
research designed to identify susceptibility genes in diverse groups.
New! PUBH 517 Introduction to GIS and Public Health. Hillier. (Spring).
Nutrition
NURS 513 Obesity and Society. Compher. (Fall) This course will examine obesity from
scientific, cultural, psychological, and economic perspectives. The complex matrix of factors that
contribute to obesity and established treatment options will be explored. Through a varied and
interdisciplinary format, including lectures from obesity researchers across campus, the course
will covers epidemiology, sociological, psychological, biological, nutritional, treatment, prevention,
adult and pediatric obesity issues.
NURS 516 International Nutrition: World Hunger. Compher. (Spring) A detailed consideration
of the nature, consequences, and causes of hunger and under nutrition internationally.
Approaches are explored to bringing about change, and to formulating and implementing policies
and programs at international, national, and local levels, designed to alleviate hunger and under
nutrition. This course will be run as an interdisciplinary course, with lectures from investigators
across the campus whose research includes nutritional issues touching on world hunger.
Genetics and Genetic Epidemiology
NURS 561 Human Genetics. Spinner. (Fall)This course teaches basic principles of molecular
and human genetics to provide a framework within which to understand the use and impact of
continuing advances in human genetics.
EPI 575 Introduction to Genetic Epidemiology. Kanetsky, Mitchell, Rebbeck, Spielman,
Stopfer. Recent advances have made it feasible to incorporate data on potential genetic risk
factors into traditional epidemiologic studies. Hence, there is an increasing need for
epidemiologists to understand the genetic basis of disease, and incorporate the collection and
analysis of genetic information into studies of disease etiology. The objectives of this course are
to provide epidemiologists with an understanding of: 1) basic genetics, 2) the tools used by
molecular and genetic epidemiologists, and 3) the integration of genetic data into traditional
epidemiologic study designs. This course consists of a series of lectures and discussions
focused on the critical appraisal of genetic epidemiological literature. After completing this
course, students will be able to read and interpret molecular and genetic epidemiologic studies,
and design epidemiologic studies that incorporate genetic data collection and analysis.
26
Epidemiology/Biostatistics/Demography/Research Methods
New! EPI 632 Introduction to Medical Informatics. Holmes. (Summer) This course is designed
to provide a survey of the major topic areas in medical informatics, especially as they apply to
clinical research. Through a series of lectures and demonstrations, students will learn about
topics such as databases, natural language, clinical information systems, networks, artificial
intelligence and machine learning applications, decision support, imaging and graphics, and the
use of computers in medical education.
EPI 521 Statistical Methods for Epidemiological Research. Berlin. (Spring) This seminar
focuses on statistical methods for analyzing case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort studies, and
clinical trials. Topics include simple analysis of epidemiologic measures of effect; stratified
analysis; logistic regression; power and sample size; confounding; interaction; and the use of
matching. All methods are practiced on existing data sets. Occasional laboratory sessions focus
on the use of statistical software in epidemiologic research.
EPI 542 Measurement of Health in Epidemiology. W. Holmes. (Fall) This course is a series of
lectures and discussion sessions designed to introduce the student to the concepts of health
measurement as applied to epidemiologic studies. Topics covered include: the basics of health
measurement theory; critical evaluation of the current status of health measurement in a chosen
field; and techniques for developing and using measurement scales, including item analysis,
validity and reliability testing, and qualitative methods.
VMED 607 Veterinary Public Health. Smith. (Spring) This course examines the nature and
scope of animal-human interactions with emphasis on the consequences of this relationship from
an epidemiologic viewpoint. Included are the zoonotic diseases, those naturally transmitted from
animals to man, and the role of pets in society. The traditional involvement of veterinarians in
prevention and control of food borne diseases and in public health practice will also be discussed.
VCSN 631 Ecological Epidemiology. Smith. (2 CU) This course is concerned with the
epidemiology of infectious diseases of domestic and feral animal species. The techniques of
ecological epidemiology will be used to illustrate and explain the population biology of the
causative organisms and how this is relevant to the control of infectious disease. The course will
consider the dynamics of epidemic and endemic infections, the relevance of herd immunity and
other characteristics of the host population, and methods for assessing the likely impact of control
strategies. The illustrative examples will be drawn from a wide variety of animal species: from
domestic ruminants to exotic species such as fish and grouse. All the mathematical techniques
required will be taught as an integral part of the material.
SOCI 607-401 Introduction to Demography. A non-technical introduction to fertility, mortality,
migration, and urbanization, and the interrelations of population with other social and economic
factors.
PUBH 512 Injury Mechanisms: Incorporating Injury Mechanics into Injury Control. Winston.
(Spring, 0.5 CU) An integrated approach to injury control research will be discussed. Basic
biomechanical engineering principles important in trauma research will be presented by lecture,
demonstration, video and references. Methods for incorporating these concepts into injury
epidemiological studies will be discussed. References will be provided.
Environmental/Occupational Health
VPTH 633 Ecotoxicology. Poppenga. (Fall, 2 CU) The major objective of this course is to
introduce veterinary students to ecotoxicology, defined as the ecological effects of pollutants, and
the concept of ecosystem health. These are emerging disciplines within which veterinarians can
play an important role. The course will be composed of both lectures, designed to provide
27
knowledge of basic principles of ecotoxicology, and student group presentations and discussions
of relevant topics. Specific lectures will focus on measuring the effects of pollutants on
ecosystems, wildlife serving as monitors of environmental quality, important environmental
pollutants such as insecticides, petroleum hydrocarbons and metals, and approaches to
rehabilitating damaged ecosystems. The course grade will be based on the presentation of
cases and student participation in case discussions.
NURS 679 Issues in Occupational Environmental Health. Arendasky. (Fall) Designed as an
exploration of concepts, issues, and content relevant to occupational environmental health, this
course is presented as a series of lectures, seminars, readings and field experiences. Students
can expect to gain an understanding and appreciation for the specialty of occupational
environmental health and the health professional roles in this area of specialization.
NURS 680 Advanced Practice in Occupational Environmental Health. Arendasky. (Fall) This
course is to be taken during the last semester of the Occupational Environmental Health Program
or as permitted. It is meant to provide an opportunity for the student to focus on more complex
issues and practice in the occupational health setting, integrate course work and to experience
the role of the provider in occupational health in collaboration with an experienced preceptor.
Behavior, Psychology, Community Health
NURS 532 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cotterell. (Summer I) This course comprehensively
presents a time-sensitive, goal-oriented psychotherapy, which has been demonstrated to be
effective in over 75 controlled outcome studies. The course covers the cognitive formulation for a
number of disorders, cognitive conceptualizations, treatment planning and a variety of cognitive
and behavioral interventions. Adaptations for depression, anxiety, personality disorders,
substance abuse, eating disorders, chronic pain, and relationships problems will be discussed.
NURS 550 Home Health Care Concepts: Management and Delivery of Community-Based
Care. Buhler-Wilkerson. (Fall) This course examines the major aspects of home-based care
across patients’ life spans from acute to long term care. New trends, advances and issues in
home management of complex conditions, innovative delivery systems and legal, ethical and
policy consideration will be explored.
COMM 637 Public Health Communication. Hornik. Theories of health behavior change and the
potential role for public health communication; international experience with programs addressing
AIDS, smoking, cardiovascular disease, illegal drug use, child mortality and other problems,
including evidence about their influence on health behavior; the design of public health
communication programs.
COMM 577 (also PSYCH 774) Attitude and Behavior Prediction. Fishbein. An introduction to
the concept of attitude and its role in behavioral prediction. The course will cover standardized
attitude measurement instruments, expectancy-value models, and psychological or individual
level theories of behavioral prediction and change (e.g., Health Belief Model, Theory of Reasoned
Action, Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Cognitive Theory, Theory of Interpersonal Relations
and Subjective Culture, and the Transtheoretical Stage of Change Model). Emphasis will be
placed upon how an understanding of theory and measurement is necessary for developing
effective behavior change interventions.
NURS 505 Culture and the “Isms” in Health Care. Dobal. (Fall) This course provides a forum
for examining the multidimensional issues of culture and the “isms” related to delivery of health
care. It utilizes selected conceptual/theoretical formulations about culture, cultural sensitivity,
cultural competency, health beliefs, and health behaviors as a basis for discussions. The course
focuses on disparities in health care with specific emphasis on diverse cultural issues related to
ethnicity, race, gender and sexuality, age, body habitus, class, spirituality, professional practice,
and workforce issues. The specific aims of the course are to provide the opportunity for students
28
to explore the concerns of the individual as a member of a cultural group or groups and apply
principles for the provision of culturally competent health care.
Policy and Health Care Management
SSW 808 Mental Health Policy (Currently offered as Indep. Study). Solomon and Hadley.
(Spring) The focus of this course is on policy and policy issues that define and influence the care
and treatment of persons with mental illness from colonial times to the present. The course will
examine the primary social, political, economic, legal and philosophical forces that have
influenced mental health delivery in the US over different historical time periods and the resulting
organizational, financial, administrative, and management structures of mental health service
delivery systems. The interface with other major service delivery systems, including welfare,
criminal justice, primary health care, and social security will be addressed.
SOC 640/N640: Health Care and Social Policy. Aiken & Sochalski. (Spring) An interdisciplinary
course designed for grad students. The course content includes an analysis of strengths and
weaknesses of present U.S. health care arrangements, the impact of health care expenditures on
the national economy, various proposals to extend health insurance to those without coverage,
strategies and policies to contain medical expenditures and an analysis of public policy options
concerning the present and future health car workforce. The Leonard Davis Institute for Health
Economics holds a health policy seminar series that is a highly recommended adjunct to this
course.
HCMG 850 Health Policy Analysis. Pauly & DeParle. (Fall) This course will examine how public
policy actions affect costs, quality, access, and profits in the health care sector. Because the
public sector arguably dominates much of the health care marketplace--Medicare spending alone
accounts for roughly a third of the revenues of every health care provider--public policy decisions
necessarily affect virtually every aspect of the business of health care. The course will analyze
how policy analysts, Executive branch officials, legislators and their staffs, and private sector
organizations determine whether policy interventions are efficient or equitable. It will also
examine the political process that produces legislation and government actions, including the role
of provider and business trade associations and the challenges they face in effectively navigating
the policy making process. It will apply these general ideas to a set of crucial policy issues.
Medicare reform, coverage of the uninsured, prescription drug coverage for the elderly, privacy
and patient protection rules, managed care and the Patients' Bill of Rights, reimbursement issues
will all be discussed.
HCMG 854/211 (Legal Studies 811/211) Legal Aspects of Health Care. (Fall) This course
offers a current and historical overview of legal regulation of the health care enterprise. By
tracing developments from past to present, one can better understand what is happening now
and project what the future will bring. Attention is paid to legal and regulatory elements that affect
operational decisions of health care providers and managers and that impact development of
markets for new products (e.g., pharmaceuticals) and services. Also considered are the social,
moral, and ethical issues the law addresses in trying to balance the interests, needs and rights of
the individual against those of society.
HCMG 855-002 Management of Health Care for The Elderly. (Wharton Health Care, An MBA
Mini-Course) (Fall)This course is designed to provide students with an appreciation of long-term
care, its past, present and future roles within the overall health care system in our country. Major
issues in long-term care facing the present and future elderly population, such as
institutionalization, financing, access, managed care, quality and case management will be
discussed in detail.
HCMG 859/204 Comparative Health Care Systems. Danzon. (Fall)This course examines the
structure of health care systems in different countries, focusing on financing, pricing and
29
reimbursement, delivery systems and adoption of new technologies. We study the relative roles
of private sector and public sector insurance and providers, and the effect of system design on
cost, quality, efficiency and equity of medical services. Some issues we address are normative:
Which systems and which public/private sector mixes are better at achieving efficiency and
equity? Other issues are positive: How do these different systems deal with the tough choices,
such as decisions about new technologies? Our main focus is on the systems in four large OECD
countries--Germany, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom--but we also look at other
countries with interesting systems –including Italy, Chile and Singapore. We will draw lessons for
the US from foreign experience and vice versa.
HCMG 901/301 Cost-Benefit And Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. (Fall) This seminar-style
course provides an introduction to the use of cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis in
health care. We examine both the underlying theory and the practical application of these
techniques, using studies from the literature and issues discussed by students in class. The
focus is on applications in health care, which differ from those used in contexts of public decisionmaking.
SSW 701 Health and Mental Health Policy. Culhane. (Fall) This course is designed to provide
students with an overview of the multi-dimensional aspects of the health and mental health care
delivery systems. The following questions are explored: How are these health care systems
organized, financed and delivered? What are the current issues and problems? How do federal
and state policy proposals address these? What are the consequences of these proposals for
different population groups?
Ethics
BIOE Introduction to Research Design and Methods. Sankar. This course provides an
introduction to social science research design and methods for students interested in conducting
research on issues in bioethics. The course is appropriate for students who plan to become
researchers as well as those who will use research findings to make or challenge arguments in
policy statements or other writings. Emphasis is placed on the logic of research design as the
way to relate topic of inquiry with method so that evidence produced is pertinent and useful to the
researcher’s audience. Students will design research projects and explore a variety of methods
available to conduct research. Emphasis is on qualitative research. Students will also learn to
integrate research ethics into the formulation and design of their inquiries.
The following are some elective courses previously taken by MPH students:
COMM 637 Public Health Communication. Hornik. (Spring) Theories of health behavior change
and the potential role for public health communication; international experience with programs
addressing behaviors related to cancer, AIDS, obesity, cardiovascular disease, child mortality,
drug use and other problems, including evidence about their influence on health behavior; the
design of public health communication programs; approaches to research and evaluation for
these programs.
EDUC 513 Development of the Young Child. Goodman. This course will blend an explanatory
and descriptive account of behavioral evolution over the yearly years of life. After a review of
"grand" developmental theory and the major themes of child change (from images to
representation; from dependence to independence; from instinctual to social beings), this course
will survey the child's passage from infancy through the early school years. While the emphasis
will be on the nature of the child--what she/he sees, feels, thinks, fantasizes, wants and loves-these realities will be understood in terms of developmental theory. At each stage, the course will
review the development of cognition, personal identity, socialization, and morality in pluralistic
contexts.
30
EDUC 522 (AFAM522, PSYC706) Psychology of the African-American. .Stevenson.
Using an Afrocentric philosophical understanding of the world, this course will focus on
psychological issues related to African Americans, including the history of African American
psychology, its application across the life span, and contemporary community issues.
EPID 532 Database Management for Clinical Epidemiology. Holmes. (0.5 CU, Spring) This course
provides students with an introduction to the techniques of database management as they apply
to clinical research. Students learn how to design and implement computerized databases,
perform basic query and reporting operations, migrate data between various file formats, prepare
databases for statistical analysis, and perform quality assurance procedures. This course focuses
on the practical issues of database management and is intended to support each student's
planned research enterprise.
SSWK 706 Policies for Children and Families. This course examines policies for children and
their families with a specific focus on child welfare policy. The course examines the
interrelationship between: the knowledge base on child abuse and neglect; evaluations of
interventions; programs and policies designed to protect maltreated children; and child welfare
policy at the state and national level. The course also examines federal and state laws that
govern the funding and operation of child welfare systems; the history of child welfare policies;
the operation of child welfare systems; and the legal, political and social forces that influence the
structure and function of child welfare systems in the United States.
NURS 533 Victimology. Brown, K. (Fall, Spring & Summer I) This course examines the wide
range of victimization experiences from the perspective of the victim, their families and society.
Crimes to be studied include workplace violence, corporate crime, robbery, burglary, assault,
rape, stalking, domestic violence, homicide, suicide, elderly abuse and child sexual abuse and
exploitation. The role of the medical examiner, health care providers and the FBI as they relate to
victims of crime will be discussed. Emphasis will be given to exploring the elements of each crime
and response patterns to victimizations. Services available to victims of crime will be discussed.
NURS 626 Family Systems Theory I. Gillis-Donovan. This course focuses on the process of
human development in the context of the family relationship system. A theoretical framework for
understanding this process and the therapeutic methods that derive from it are presented.
EPID 521 Statistical Methods for Epidemiologic Research. Localio. (Spring) This seminar
focuses on statistical methods for analyzing case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort studies, and
clinical trials. Topics include simple analysis of epidemiologic measures of effect; stratified
analysis; ordinary linear, logistic, and Poisson regression methods; simple survival analyses
including Cox regression; power and sample size calculations; confounding interaction; and the
use of matching. All methods are practiced on existing data sets. Six laboratory sessions focus
on the use of statistical software in epidemiologic research.
EPID 646 Reproductive Epidemiology. Barnhart. (Spring) This course addresses
epidemiological research issues as they apply to important clinical topics in obstetrics and
gynecology and related clinical disciplines. Lectures and workshops are designed to acquaint
students with seminal issues in the field of reproductive epidemiology, to use a body of literature
to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiological research designs as they have
been applied to obstetrics and gynecology and related clinical disciplines, to expose students to
the range of topics studied, to teach advanced epidemiologic principles using a problem-based
approach, and to stimulate students interested in reproductive epidemiology to develop
independent research questions.
SWRK 774 Program Evaluation. The purpose and methodology of accountability research in
human service agencies are explored with emphasis on strategies at various stages of program
evaluation in relation to the social, political, and fiscal process of the agency and its community.
31
Utilization of research findings to modify agency programming and the variety of roles available to
the evaluator are also stressed.
SWRK 775 Intimate Violence. The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the
definition, theories, causes, processes, consequences, and social interventions in intimate
violence. The course will attempt to provide insight on the phenomenon of intimate violence by
examining the ways in which it affects survivors, perpetrators, and their children. This will be
accomplished by reviewing the current research as well as by exploring how intimate violence is
constructed by the participants on the personal, interpersonal, and social structural level.
JOINT DEGREE PROGRAMS
Penn offers a rich, comprehensive, and intellectually stimulating academic environment with respect to
content areas of relevance to population health. One of the primary goals of the Penn MPH program is to
educate individuals who have or are developing an in-depth base in a specific profession or disciplinary
content area that is related to public health. Therefore, considerable emphasis is placed on the
development of joint programs in which MPH study is done concurrently or partly overlapping with
completion of another Penn graduate degree.
Currently, five joint-degree programs are offered in conjunction with MPH:
(1) MD-MPH
(2) MSN-MPH
(3) MSW-MPH
(4) JD-MPH
(5) PhD-MPH
Further joint degree possibilities will be explored and developed in response to expressed student and
faculty interest. Students interested in pursuing a joint degree program are encouraged to discuss their
interests with the faculty member(s) on the MPH Steering Committee from the relevant participating
School.
MD-MPH Joint Degree Program
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
The MD-MPH program is designed for students interested in studying medicine with a special focus on
population health problems. The goal of the program is to provide strong interdisciplinary training to
individuals interested in clinical practice, prevention, hygiene, education and policy making.
Admissions Information
The admissions process for the MD-MPH program is competitive and requires admission to both the MD
and MPH programs. Typically, students will apply to join the MD-MPH program after matriculation into the
MD program. A Penn Med student may apply during his/her first, second or third year.
Medical students who are interested in applying for the MD-MPH program should contact Dr. Marjorie
Bowman, Chair of the MD-MPH Advisory Committee. The committee exists to 1) provide career guidance
to students who are interested in public health issues but are undecided about the MPH program, 2)
provide advice and counseling to students enrolled in the program and 3) to screen applications to the
program and make recommendations to the MPH admissions committee.
32
In addition to submitting an MPH application, students must also submit a Registration for Application to
Joint Masters Program form to the Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs Office. The form is
brief and can be obtained in the office or by contacting Gwyn Wert (wertg@mail.med.upenn.edu)
Curriculum
Students can complete the MD-MPH in five years, as long as they apply for admission to the joint
program by June 30th at the end of their third year of the MD program, and gain acceptance to the
program. They will be enrolled in the MD program full time for the first three years and in MPH course
work full time during year 4 and the fall of year 5. The final semester of the five year program is spent
primarily in the MD program. The grid below briefly summarizes the typical structure for an MD-MPH
student. The grid is meant to provide details about the timing of MPH course work for those who are
already familiar with the Penn Med curriculum (http://www.med.upenn.edu/admiss/curriculum.html).
The MPH curriculum consists of 16 course units: 10 required courses and 6 electives. (All MPH courses
in the grid are 1 course unit (CU), unless otherwise indicated). The Healthcare Systems course taken as
part of the MD curriculum will count as 1 CU of transfer credit toward the MPH, leaving 15 additional
credits to be earned.
Students may benefit from taking Intro to Public Health (PubH500) in the first or second year and/or by
participating in Bridging the Gaps Community Health Internship Program. (More information about
Bridging the Gaps is available at http://cceb.med.upenn.edu/btg/ ) Students will be assisted in course
selection by the MD-MPH Advisory Committee.
Year
FALL Curriculum
SPRING Curriculum
SUMMER Curriculum
1
MD curriculum (Modules
1, 3, 6)
Optional PUBH 500:
Intro to PH*
MD curriculum (Modules 2,
3, 6)
Optional - Bridging the
Gaps**
2
MD curriculum (Modules
2, 3, 6)
Optional PUBH 500:
Intro to PH*
MD curriculum (Modules 4,
6)
MD curriculum (Modules 4,
6)
3
MD curriculum (Modules
4, 6)
MD curriculum (Modules 5)
MD curriculum (Modules 5)
4
4.5 units of MPH +
transfer
PUBH 500: Intro to PH
PUBH 501: Intro Biostats
PUBH 505: Health Serv
Adm (transfer credit)
PUBH 504: Behavioral
and Social Sciences in
PH
PUBH 507: PH Law,
Ethics, Policy (0.5)
MPH Elective I
4 units of MPH
PUBH 502: Intro
Epidemiology
PUBH 503: Environ/Occup
Health
MPH Elective II
MPH Elective III
2 units of MPH
PUBH 508: Capstone (0.5)
PUBH 508: Capstone (0.5)
MPH Elective IV
Note: an elective may be
taken if approved elective is
available.
5
4 units of MPH
PUBH 506: Adv.
MD curriculum (Mod 5) and
residency interviewing***
33
Methods and Lab (1.5)
MPH Elective V
MPH Elective VI
PUBH 508: Capstone
(0.5)
PUBH 508: Capstone (0.5)
*PUBH 500: Intro to PH may be taken in the fall of year 1, year 2 or year 3. The course may be helpful to
those undecided about the MPH or who are confident of their interest and eager to begin.
**The Bridging the Gaps Community Internship may qualify as an MPH elective. Medical students should
discuss this option with a member of the MD-MPH advisory committee in advance.
***For students applying to early match residency programs, some interviewing may take place in the fall
and another curriculum plan – such as taking the final MPH semester in the spring - may be more
appropriate.
For more information contact:
Marjorie Bowman, M.D., M.P.A.
Chair, MD-MPH Advisory Committee
Professor and Founding Chair, Department of Family Medicine
bowmanm@uphs.upenn.edu
MPH Coordinator
Graduate Program in Public Health Studies
215.573.0917
pubhlth@mail.med.upenn.edu
Jackie McLaughlin, MS, RD, LDN
Associate Director, Graduate Program in Public Health Studies
215.746.2043
jmclaugh@mail.med.upenn.edu
Shiriki Kumanyika, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Program Director, Graduate Program in Public Health Studies
215.898.2629
skumanyi@cceb.med.upenn.edu
Andrea Allmayer
Coordinator, MD-Masters and elective research programs
Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs Office
215.898.8025
allmayer@mail.med.upenn.edu
MSN-MPH Joint Degree Program
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Graduate students are offered the opportunity to enroll in a joint MPH/MSN degree program. These
students will complete the core requirements of both the MPH (10 CUs) and MSN in Health Leadership
34
(6.5 CUs) Programs for a total of 16.5 CUs for the joint degree program for nursing students in the Health
Leadership Program
The curriculum of the Health Leadership program was designed with maximum flexibility (6 core courses,
6.5 CUs), 5 selected theoretical foundations courses that can be selected from any Penn graduate
school, and 1 elective as of Spring 2002). One of the reasons for such flexibility was the anticipation of
promoting leadership in health through a variety of interdisciplinary joint degree programs, such as with
the Masters in Bioethics, and now the Masters in Public Health.
Explanation of Courses
Masters in Public Health: 10** courses required core (10 CUs)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
N570/PubH 500: Introduction to Public Health
N500/PubH Introduction to Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
EPI 520/PubH501: Introductory Biostatistics
PubH 503: Environmental & Occupational Health
PubH505:Health Services Administration
PubH 504: Social & Behavioral Sciences in Public Health
PubH 507: Public Health Ethics, Law and Policy (0.5 CUs)
PubH 506: Methods for Public Health Practice (1.5 CUs)
PubH 508: Capstone Integrative Experience (2.0 CUS)
Masters of Science in Nursing, Health Leadership: 6.5** course units required core
Please note that N500: Introduction to Principles of Epidemiology is required in both programs, making
the actual number of combined core course units of 16.5 CUs)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
N748: Leadership Development for Health
N749: Historical and Theoretical Foundations of the Nation’s Health
N500: Introduction to Principles of Epidemiology**
N650: Health Systems Analysis
N540: Current Issues in Health and Social Policy
NXXX: Negotiation for Change Agents
Please note the following general guidelines for other MSN program offerings considering a joint degree
proposal in the future:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Must have minimum of 16 course units for MPH
MPH program includes 6 elective courses that could be used to create a plan of study within
other of the MSN program offerings or options.
MSN program offering must determine minimum number of nursing courses required for MSN;
i.e., if your current clinical program has 8 required courses, then all of those courses must be
taken along with the 10 required MPH courses.
If you are considering a plan of study for joint MSN/MPH degree, all of the required nursing
courses must be approved as electives by the MPH curriculum committee.
For more information contact:
Margaret Cotroneo, Ph.D., R.N.
Nursing School Representative to MPH Steering Committee
Program Co-Director and Chair of MPH Curriculum Committee
cotroneo@nursing.upenn.edu
35
MSW-MPH Joint Degree Program
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Master of Public Health (MPH)
The dual degree program, Master’s of Social Work/ Master’s in Public Health, is a “natural.” Both
disciplines are vitally concerned about human and social well-being, whether at micro (clinical practice) or
macro (societal and policy) levels. The urban dilemmas of substance use and abuse, mental and
behavioral health policy and practice, violence incidence and interventions, and access to health care are
particularly vital areas of mutual focus. Research-based strategies in both disciplines address differential
access and treatment in these and other health domains stemming from such categories as race,
ethnicity, socioeconomic position, and gender. The Penn School of Social Work has been actively
involved in the development of the Master’s in Public Health degree at Penn since its inception in 2002
and remains a partner through advisory committee participation, shared faculty, and shared students.
The faculty of the Penn School of Social Work approved the MSW/MPH joint degree at its meeting on
October 29, 2004. The MSW/MPH is a three-year program. Predicated on the approval of the Public
Health faculty, the following template may be used as a guide for the construction of individual student
schedules. Course descriptions for social work can be found at www.ssw.upenn.edu. Course descriptions
for public health can be found at www.publichealth.med.upenn.edu.
MSW/MPH Curriculum: General Template
YEAR
FALL
SPRING
1
SW601: History/Philos.
SW 611: Contemporary
Soc. Work & Soc. Welfare
Social Policy
SW 602: Indiv. & Families
SW 612: Group, Org. &
in Social Environment
Community Behavior in the
SW 603: American Racism Social Environment
SW 604+Field: Foundation SW 613: Understanding
of S.W. Practice
Social Change: Issues of
Race & Gender
SW 614+Field: Social Work
Practice
2
PubH500: Intro to PH
PubH502: Intro to Princ/
PubH501: Intro to Biostats
Methods of Epidemiology
(= SW Research Option)
(could be SW practice
PubH504: Behavioral and
elective: clinical or macro)
Social Sciences in PubH
PubH503: Environ/Occup
*MPH Elective 1 (= SW
Health
course)
*PubH 508a: Capstone
0.5cu
MPH Elective 2 (= SW
course)
3
SW704+Field: Advanced
SW714+Field: Advanced
Clinical SW Practice I
Clinical SW Practice II
OR
OR
SW 708+Field: Advanced
SW 718+Field: Advanced
Macro SW Practice I
Macro SW Practice II
PubH505: Health Services PubH508d: Capstone 0.5
System
cu
3cont. *PubH506: Methods for PH SW 7xx: Practice Elective
Practice (1.5cu) (= SW
(e.g. Substance Abuse; AtPractice Elective: Clinical
Risk Youth; Health
SUMMER
715 Intro to Research
2 units MPH
PubH 508b & c: Capstone
0.5 cu each. (Students can
take up to 2 units or 1 cu)
36
or Macro)
PubH507: PH Ethics,
Policy & Law
Settings; Aging; Loss) (=
MPH elective)
SW 7xx: Free Elective (e.g.
Intimate Violence; Policies
for Ch & Families) (= PH
elective)
Although the MPH is not a clinical degree, the MSW/MPH is open to social work students in both
advanced clinical and advanced macro social work practice tracks, as both tracks also address how
research and policy are implicated in practice needs and implementation/intervention strategies.
*The MPH curriculum consists of 10 required courses and 6 electives. Six social work courses will be
applied as electives toward the MPH degree. Social Work courses eligible for application will be identified
by the MPH faculty during its deliberation of the dual degree program, but will likely include SW611, SW
603, SW 602, SW 757, SW 742, SW 704/708, SW 714/718, SW 706, SW 774, SW 781, SW722, as well
as other health-related and population-based courses in the social work curriculum.
*Four MPH courses will be applied toward the MSW degree: for example, PubH 506 (could count as a
SW practice elective—clinical or macro); PubH 502 (could count as a SW practice elective—clinical or
macro); PubH 501 (could count as a SW Research Option); and virtually any two other public health
courses could count as SW Free Electives. The Bridging the Gaps Clinical Internship may qualify as a
MPH elective. Social work students should discuss this option with their MPH program advisor in
advance.
** The MPH Capstone Project involves 108 hours of field experience in a public health (i.e. populationfocused) setting. Students in the dual degree program will consult with their Capstone Supervisor and the
Social Work Field Director when planning the advanced social work field internship such that the hours
required by the Capstone Project can be included in the social work internship. This planning process will
generally take place in year 2 of the three-year dual degree program.
The fiscal directors and the admissions directors of both programs will be working during AY04-05 to
develop a joint admissions process.
Roberta Iversen, Ph.D., M.S.S., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, is the advisor of record in the
School of Social Work for dual degree students. Margaret Cotroneo, Ph.D., Co-Director of the Graduate
Program in Public Health Studies, is the advisor of record in the Master of Public Health Studies for dual
degree students.
JD-MPH Joint Degree Program
Juris Doctorate (JD)
Master of Public Health (MPH)
The JD/Masters in Public Health (MPH) is a joint degree program sponsored by the University of
Pennsylvania Law School and the Graduate Program in Public Health Studies (GPPHS) at the University
of Pennsylvania. The aim of the joint degree program is to train leaders in the field of public health law.
Students will have the opportunity to earn both degrees in four years.
Students in this program will gain the credentials and experience to:
 Provide valuable tools for state and local health departments and state, local,
national and international policy makers.
 Expand the range of frameworks applicable to public health policy, health law,
practice in law, public health or a related field.
37

Develop new tools and strategies applicable to emerging areas of prevention and
disease control.
Stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration in research planning and implementation


Application Procedure
Students will apply independently to each department through each program’s specified admission
process. The Law School and the Penn MPH Program will make independent judgments about each
candidate. While the Law School and the Penn MPH Program will make independent admissions
decisions, each application will invite the student to indicate that they have applied, or been admitted, to
the other program.
Applicants will have three options as to applying for the joint degree program:
They may make contemporaneous applications to both programs prior to being accepted at either; they
may apply to the MPH program in the first or second year of the Law program; or they may apply to the
Law program in the first year of the MPH program.
Degree Completion Requirements
In order for a student to receive both degrees, he or she must complete the independent degree
requirements of each program. In order to earn their JD, Law students must complete a minimum of 89
credits, 55 hours of which must be advanced credit completed in the second and third years of Law study.
Students in the joint program may apply twelve semester hours (four courses) 1 taken in the MPH program
while in their 2L and 3L years of the Law program toward that requirement, reducing their upper level
credit requirement to 43 credits. Students must also satisfy the Law School’s pro bono requirement via
the Public Service Program and fulfill senior writing and professional responsibility requirements (more on
these requirements can be found in the Law Student Guide to Policy and Procedures).
In order to earn the Master of Public Health degree (MPH), students must complete 16 course units. Of
these, 8 cu are core requirements and must be taken in the MPH Program; 6 cu are electives and may be
taken from the university-wide pool of public health related courses. Students are also required to
complete a 2 cu Capstone experience. The Capstone experience is an integrating experience required for
graduation for students in the Master’s Program in Public Health. The capstone course combines a
seminar with a supervised research or service project that involves 108 hours of field experience in public
health. To meet the requirements of the capstone, the student must participate in seminars, complete an
oral presentation of their project and submit a written project report. Students may satisfy the elective
requirements via public health related courses offered in the Law School. Electives must be approved in
advance by the MPH Program Advisor.
Students may combine the Law School’s senior writing requirement and public service requirement with
the Public Health Capstone requirement, with prior written approval of and ongoing supervision by a Law
faculty member (for senior writing) and the Assistant Dean for Public Interest (for the public service
requirement) and the Program Advisor and the Capstone Supervisor from the MPH Program. It is
anticipated that this approval will be granted by the Law School if the proposed project is at least in part
an examination of legal issues and of the requisite quality and nature to satisfy Law School expectations
and requirements.
Program Sequencing
The joint degree can be earned in one of three sequences: Year 1 spent at the Law School, completing
the standard and required 1L curriculum, Year 2 spent at MPH Program, completing the standard first
year MPH curriculum, Years 3 and 4 spent in residence2 at the Law School but taking courses in both
1
A note on classes and credits: the Law School operates, in order to comply with accreditation standards, on a
semester hour basis, while courses in the MES program are typically worth 1.0 course units (some ½ semester
courses may be worth 0.5 course units). In converting between the two programs, a Law course will count as 1.0
course units (or CUs) in the MES program, and a 1 CU course in MES will be worth three semester hours at the Law
School.
2 Law School accreditation requirements require that JD recipients are “in residence” at the Law School for six
semesters.
38
Law and in MPH; or Year 1 spent at MPH Program, completing the standard first year MPH curriculum,
Year 2 at the Law School, completing the standard and required 1L curriculum, Years 3 and 4 spent in
residence at the Law School but taking courses in both Law and in MPH; or Year 1 spent at the Law
School, completing the standard and required 1L curriculum, Year 2 spent at the Law School, taking
upper level JD courses, Year 3 spent at MPH Program, completing the standard first year MPH
curriculum, and Year 4 spent in residence at the Law School but taking courses in both Law and MPH.
Option (iii) is the least desirable, as it leaves only one year for students to take joint programming in both
departments.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Law School tuition is paid when the student is enrolled and in residence at the Law School and MPH
tuition is paid in the year when the student is enrolled at in residence at MPH. While the student is in
residence at the Law School, the Law School transfers tuition to MPH for up to four courses taken at MPH
toward the completion of the joint degree. The Law School will not be responsible for courses taken in
MPH over and above the four courses that are counted toward the JD degree. Nor will the Law School be
responsible for any tuition or fees incurred for courses taken during the summer months. Financial aid
decisions are made independently by each school. Financial aid decisions are typically made by the
school in which the student is in residence for that year.
Scheduling Courses
Students register for courses in one program in that program’s registration period and according to that
program’s registration rules and procedures. Students must be aware of the differences in these
procedures. For the fall semester, the two programs pre-register at different times and using different
systems: the MPH course schedule is published and students pre-register in the spring, while the Law
course schedule is published and students pre-register in the summer. Accordingly, students taking
courses in both departments in a fall semester will have to pre-register for MPH courses without
knowledge of the Law courses being offered. Oftentimes, students are able to resolve any issues which
arise due to the registration differences during the drop/add period.
The timing and location of course scheduling must also be considered so that students are best able to
attend all classes.
Communication
Students with questions about the JD/MPH program can address them to the following persons:
Prospective students with questions about the JD program: Brian Walter, Assistant Director of
Admissions, bwalter@law.upenn.edu
Currently enrolled JD/MPH students with questions about Law course selection, scheduling, tuition
concerns, etc.: Gary Clinton, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, gclinton@law.upenn.edu
Currently enrolled JD/MPH students with questions about financial aid: Anthony Henry, Director of
Financial Aid, henry2@law.upenn.edu and Nam Narain of the MPH Program Finance Office,
narain@mail.med.upenn.edu
Prospective students with question about the MPH Program: Helen Cheung, MPH Program Coordinator,
pubhlth@mail.med.upenn.edu
Currently enrolled JD/MPH students with questions about MPH course selection, scheduling, tuition
concerns, etc: Helen Cheung, MPH Program Coordinator, pubhlth@mail.med.upenn.edu or Margaret
Cotroneo, Co-director of MPH Program, cotroneo@nursing.upenn.edu
Each year, this document will be reviewed and re-approved by representatives of both departments.
Currently, that review will be handled by:
For the Law School: Jo-Ann Verrier, Vice Dean for Administrative Services
For MPH: Margaret Cotroneo, Co-director, MPH Program, School of Medicine
39
Issues Particular to the Program
Students in the joint degree program may have particular career interests and goals. They are
encouraged to meet individually with a counselor in the Career Planning & Placement Office at the Law
School and with their assigned program advisor in the MPH Program or with Dr. Shiriki Kumanyika,
Director of the MPH Program.
PhD-MPH Joint Degree Programs
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Admission Process
Prospective students who are matriculating into any School in the University have the option of applying
to the MPH Program for Joint Degree status. Students apply separately to each program and each
program makes an independent admission’s evaluation. One of the admissions requirements for the
MPH program is two years or more of post baccalaureate experience in a health-related field or
concurrent enrollment in another graduate program at Penn. If a joint-degree applicant lacks sufficient
relevant experience, admission to MPH will be partially contingent on acceptance into the other graduate
program. Joint-degree applicants are advised to apply to the MPH program as early in the Spring as
possible, and to indicate on each application that they have applied, or have been admitted, to another
program. Please note: students may have exploratory conversations with faculty/advisors/staff of each
program before they apply; however, any curriculum planning prior to admission is considered tentative
and will be re-evaluated after admission.
Approvals
Before or upon admission to the MPH program, the student will obtain approval from their home school
(primary program) chair/director to pursue a joint-degree program with the MPH. The program
chair/director will sign the Joint Degree Approval Form to indicate his/her approval. This form will be kept
in the students’ file in the GPPHS program office.
Program planning
The student will develop a proposed plan of study indicating fulfillment of both degree program’s
requirements. This proposal will be submitted to the MPH Program Co-director and the program
chair/director or the student’s advisor in the home school (primary program). Both parties will review the
proposal, make necessary revisions, and agree upon and approve a final plan of study. The MPH
financial office will also review the plan of study and discuss tuition-related issues with the student and, if
applicable, with the financial office of the student’s primary program of study. The financial office(s) will
make the student aware of the financial implications of pursuing the joint-degree and the student’s
responsibilities. The agreed-upon plan of study will be filed in the MPH office and can be updated
whenever plans change.
Joint Degree Completion Requirements
In order for a student to receive an MPH degree in a joint-degree program, the student must complete 16
CUs towards the MPH degree broken down into 10 CUs required + 6 CUs electives.
 The 16 CUs required for the MPH program must include at least 10 CUs taken under the
PUBH prefix (the MPH core). To facilitate completion of the MPH as a joint degree option, the
GPPHS will allow PhD applicants to apply for a waiver for up to two equivalent courses in the
10 CU core. The student must submit a written request to the program director with a course
syllabus. The waiver does not apply to the capstone requirement.
 The curriculum plan for each PhD/MPH applicant must be reviewed and approved by the MPH
curriculum committee.
 Required Courses: Equivalent courses can be accepted to meet MPH core requirements if the
student has already taken an equivalent course or is required to take an equivalent course
40
(e.g. NURS 500, NURS 570, EPID 520) as part of their primary program of study. This relates
to the equivalent courses taken at Penn and does not apply to the capstone requirement.
 Up to six (6) courses from the primary program of study can be accepted as electives for the
MPH. Students who substitute equivalent courses for core requirements would have fewer
than 6 CUs available to use in meeting the MPH elective requirements. The number of
acceptable electives will depend on the number of CU’s exchanged for MPH core courses and
on the relevance of the courses to the student’s program of study in public health.
 Students may overlap the capstone integrative experience with their
dissertation/thesis/practicum/fieldwork, but they must satisfy all requirements of the capstone,
including registration in and attendance at PUBH 508 seminars, a minimum of 108 hours of
field experience, a written report, and an oral presentation.
 Students must satisfy the degree requirements of both the primary program of study and the
MPH program of study.
Financial Information
Academic Year 2005-2006 & Summer 2006
Gross tuition and fee costs are determined by the number of course units (CU’s) students take per term.
Courses taken in other schools of the University through the Master of Public Health degree program are
billed at MPH rates. Tuition bills are mailed by the University’s Office of Student Financial Services prior
to the start of the academic term. Tuition is due upon receipt of bill. An unpaid balance of $500 or more
will prevent students from registering for the next semester. The current year’s tuition schedule is as
follows:
# CUs
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
Tuition
$3,849
$7,699
$11,548
$15,397
General Fee
$190
$380
$763
$763
Technical
Fee
$181
$362
$541
$541
Total
$4,220
$8,441
$12,852
$16,701
Description of Fees
General Fee: The amount of the general fee is based on the number of course units taken. The
general fee enables the University to maintain essential facilities such as the library system,
museums and institutes, special laboratories, the Student Health Service, Athletics, and Career
Services, all of which provide benefits to students both before and after graduation.
Technical Fee: Students may be charged a technical fee for computing services such as access
to computer labs and use of email accounts.
Clinical Fee: Full-time students are required either to pay a separate Clinical Fee for access to
the Student Health Service or to enroll in a health insurance plan that provides a capitated
payment to the Student Health Service (i.e., the Penn Student Insurance Plan or a private plan
that provides and equivalent capitated payment).
Note: Tuition and fees information for joint-degree programs is different from the above and is posted on
the joint-degree programs’ website.
41
Faculty Advising Manual 2005-06
Appendix and Forms
42
PENN ACADEMIC CALENDAR
Fall
Move-in and registration for Transfer
Students
2004 Fall Term
Wednesday September 1
Move-in for first-year students
Thursday September 2
ThursdaySeptember 2-7
Tuesday
New Student Orientation
2005 Fall Term
2006 Fall Term
August 31
August 30
September 1
August 31
September 1-6
August 31-September 5
Labor Day
Monday September 6
September 5
September 4
New Student Convocation and
Opening Exercises
Tuesday September 7
September 6
September 5
Wednesday September 8
September 7
September 6
Friday September 24
September 23
September 22
Friday October 15
First Day of Classes
Add Period Ends
Drop Period Ends*
October 14
October 13
SaturdayOctober 23-26
Tuesday
October 15-18
October 21-23
Friday-Sunday October 29-31
October 21-23
October 13-15
November 5 (Princeton)
October 28 (Brown)
October 31-November
13
October 30-November
12
Wednesday November 24
November 23
November 22
Monday November 29
November 28
November 27
Fall Term Break
Family Weekend
Homecoming
Saturday October 16 (Columbia)
Advance Registration, Spring Term
Thanksgiving Break Begins at close of
classes
Monday-Sunday November 1-14
Thanksgiving Break Ends 8 a.m.
Fall Term Classes End
December 9 (Fri)
December 8
SaturdayDecember 11-14
Tuesday
Friday December 10 (Fri)
December 10-13
December 9-12
Wednesday December 15-22
Wednesday
December 14-21
December 13-20
December 21
December 20
Reading Days
Final Examinations
Fall Semester Ends
Wednesday December 22
Spring
2006 Spring Term
2007 Spring Term
Spring Semester classes begin
Monday January 10
2005 Spring Term
January 9
January 8
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
(observed; no classes)
Monday January 17
January 16
January 15
Add Period Ends
Friday January 21
January 20
January 19
Drop Period Ends*
Friday February 11
February 10
February 9
Spring Break Begins at Close of
Classes
Friday March 4
March 3
March 2
Monday March 14
March 13
March 12
March 20-April 2
March 19-April 1
April 21
April 20
April 24-26
April 23-25
April 27-May 5
April 26-May 4
Classes Resume at 8 a.m.
Advance Registration for Fall and
Summer Sessions
Monday-Sunday March 21-April 3
Spring Term Classes End
Reading Days
Final Examinations
Friday April 22
MondayApril 25-27
Wednesday
Thursday-Friday April 28-May 6
Alumni Day
Saturday May 14
May 13
May 12
Baccalaureate
Sunday May 15
May 14
May 13
Commencement
Monday May 16
May 15
May 14
Continued on next page
43
Summer
2005 Summer
2006 Summer
2007 Summer
12-Week Evening Session classes
begin
Monday May 16
May 15
May 14
First Session classes begin
Tuesday May 17
May 16
May 15
Memorial Day (no classes)
Monday May 30
May 29
May 28
Friday June 24
June 23
June 22
Monday June 27
June 26
June 25
July 4 (Tues)
July 4 (Wed)
August 4
August 3
First Session classes end
Second Session classes begin
Independence Day (no classes)
July 4 (Mon)
Second Session; 12-Week Evening
Session classes end
Friday August 5
Note: The University's Three-Year Academic Calendar is subject to change. In the event that changes are made, the latest, most up-to-date
version will be posted to Almanac's web site, www.upenn.edu/almanac/ .
44
GPPHS Bylaws
Graduate Program in Public Health Studies
(GPPHS): Program Bylaws
Table of Contents
1.0 Preamble
2.0 Governing Structure
2.1 Overview
2.2 Definitions
2.3 Program Structure
2.3.1. Director
2.3.1.1 Term
2.3.1.2 Election
2.3.2 Co-Director(s)
2.3.3 Committees
2.3.3.1 Steering Committee
2.3.3.1.1 Charge
2.3.3.1.2 Members
2.3.3.1.2.1 Founding Members
2.3.3.1.3 Committee Process
2.3.3.2 Admissions/Credential Committee
2.3.3.2.1 Charge
2.3.3.2.2 Members
2.3.3.2.3 Committee Process
2.3.3.3 Curriculum/Student Affairs Committee
2.3.3.3.1 Charge
2.3.3.3.2 Members
2.3.3.3.3 Committee Process
2.3.3.4 External Advisory Committee
2.3.3.4.1 Charge
2.3.3.4.2 Members
2.3.3.4.3 Committee Process
2.4 University-wide Academic Structure
2.4.1 Provost
2.4.2 Dean and Vice Dean for Research and Research Training
2.4.3 Master’s Program Advisory Committee
3.0 Program Faculty
3.1 Overview
3.2 Faculty
3.2.1 General Criteria
3.2.2 Core Faculty
3.2.2.1 Eligibility
3.2.2.2 Term
3.2.2.3 Selection Procedures
3.2.3 Associate Faculty
3.2.3.1 Eligibility
3.2.3.2 Term
3.2.3.3 Selection Procedures
3.3 Recommendation and confirmation of appointment
3.4 Activities of the GPPHS Faculty
4.0 Financial Policies
4.1 Types of Income
4.2 Types of Expenditures
4.3 Faculty Compensation
45
4.4 Interschool Exchange of Funds
4.4.1 Cross-listed courses
4.4.2 Joint Programs
5.0 Academic Requirements
5.1 Mission
5.2 Program Duration
5.3 Curriculum
5.4 Joint Degrees
6.0 Attachments
6.1 Listing of Steering Committee Members
6.2 Admissions Policies
6.3 Curricular Policies
46
Bylaws of the Graduate Program in Public Health Studies
1.0 Preamble
In June of 2002, the University of Pennsylvania Trustees approved a Graduate Program in Public
Health Studies (GPPHS) to offer the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree under the auspices of the
School of Medicine. The GPPHS was formed as a collaboration among several Penn Schools.
Interest of a school in participating formally in the development and implementation of the program
was expressed in the form of a letter from the Dean appointing a representative to the MPH Planning
Committee (up to June 2002) or Steering Committee (after June 2002).
The Graduate Program in Public Health Studies is an organization of faculty members of the
University of Pennsylvania situated within the School of Medicine of the University. Its goal is to
enable graduates of the program to embrace and use the public health paradigm as an essential
component of their careers; enhance the impact of the rich variety of health- and health-care-related
expertise at Penn on current and future public health problems with a population level, public serviceoriented approach; and strengthen links between academicians and public health practitioners and
practice agencies, locally, nationally, as well as globally. Its specific objectives are to:
5) Foster the articulation of a shared public health/health promotion and disease prevention
paradigm within the School of Medicine and campus wide;
6) Identify a teaching pool of highly qualified, motivated faculty members at Penn in order to have a
critical mass for implementation of a curriculum in public health studies;
7) Stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration in research planning and implementation as the academic
underpinning of the curriculum;
8) Interact with current and potential Penn graduate students (master's or doctoral level) who have a
well-defined concept of public health and who are considering or have chosen a career path
involving a public health-related profession or practice setting.
This document delineates the policies and laws by which GPPHS shall be governed. The bylaws can
be amended through a two-thirds vote of the GPPHS Steering Committee.
2.0 Governing Structure
2.1 Overview. GPPHS is based in the School of Medicine (SOM), within the Office of the Vice Dean
for Research and Research Training and report through the Committee of Master’s Programs (CMP).
Governance of the program follows the principle of equal representation of participating schools.
2.2 Definitions.
GPPHS. GPPHS refers to the university-wide academic entity that offers the Master of Public
Health Program and that convenes interested faculty and public health professionals to meet
broader aims related to the public health related endeavors at the University. Activities of the
GPPHS are broader than the MPH program as such.
MPH Degree. The MPH Degree refers to the professional master’s degree in public health that
will be conferred by the School of Medicine.
Accreditation. Programs of public study are accredited by the Commission on Education in
Public Health (CEPH), an arm of the Association of Schools of Public Health. The Penn MPH
program will seek CEPH accreditation.
Participating Schools. Participating Schools are those Penn schools who send an official
representative to the Steering Committee. Participation is open to all Penn schools to the extent
that they identify an interest in the public health studies program and appoint a representative.
47
Currently participating schools are Medicine (the program home), Nursing, Arts and Sciences,
Dental Medicine, Education, Social Work, and Veterinary Medicine.
Standing Faculty. Standing faculty is a group of faculty members composed of Professors,
Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors appointed by a School at Penn as defined in the
Faculty and Academic Administrators Handbook of the University of Pennsylvania.
Associated Faculty. Associated Faculty is a group of faculty members composed of Research,
Clinical, Adjunct, Visiting, Visiting Executive, Practice, and Wistar Institute Faculty/Professors
appointed by a School or Institute at Penn as defined in the Faculty and Academic Administrators
Handbook of the University of Pennsylvania.
2.3 Program Structure. GPPHS shall be governed by a Steering Committee and a Program Director
who may, at his or her discretion, appoint one or more Program Co-Directors. There shall be
standing committees to oversee specific program functions such as admissions and curriculum. The
general membership shall provide a mechanism for broader, university-wide and practitioner
involvement in the program.
2.3.1. Director. The Director of GPPHS shall be a Standing Faculty at the University at the rank
of Associate or Full Professor. The Director shall have responsibility for administrative oversight
and academic leadership of the program. The Director shall be the primary advisor to MPH
students and the chairperson of the Steering Committee. The Program Director does not have to
be a member of the SOM faculty and also does not have to be one of the appointed
representatives from the participating schools. If the Program Director is the School
Representative, that School will name an additional voting representative to the Steering
Committee.
2.3.1.1 Term. The Director shall serve for a period of 5 years. The Director may serve
successive terms if re-elected by the faculty who constitute the Core Membership of the
GPPHS. [See Section 3.0 for definition of Core Membership.]
2.3.1.2 Election. The Founding Director of the program is the former Chair of the Master
of Public Health Program Planning Committee, having been approved by the former MPH
Program Steering Committee to serve in this role. The GPPHS membership shall be
petitioned for nominations for Director during the fourth year of the current Director's
term. The new Director shall be selected by a simple majority of vote of the Core
Membership. [See Section 3.0 for definition of Core Membership.] The Vice Dean for
Research will convene a special meeting of the Core Members early in the last year of
the current Director’s term, to allow for a smooth transition to the new Director, at which
time nominees will be discussed. The Secretary to the CMP shall collect votes from all
Core Members using a closed ballot, including those not in attendance at the meeting,
count the votes, and transmit the result to the Vice Dean for Research and Research
Training to be announced as soon as possible after the meeting.
2.3.2 Co-Director(s). Co-Director(s) can be appointed by the Director at his or her discretion.
The role of the Co-Director will be associated with chairing one or more of the Program’s standing
committees and also serving in the Director’s stead on official program business. The Co-Director
shall be a full-time faculty member at the University at the rank of Associate or Full Professor and
also one of the voting representatives to the Steering Committee. With the founding of the
program, the Vice-Chair of the former MPH Planning Committee and Chair of the Curriculum
Subcommittee was appointed as Co-Director of the GPPHS for Curriculum. The director has the
discretion to determine the length of the appointment.
2.3.3 Committees. The standing committees of the Graduate Program shall be: Steering,
Admissions and Credentials, Curriculum and Student Affairs, and External Advisory. New
48
standing committees can be created through a revision to the Bylaws. Subcommittees of any
standing committee can be created by a majority vote of the Steering Committee.
2.3.3.1 Steering Committee.
2.3.3.1.1 Charge. The Steering Committee shall serve generally to advise the Program
Director and co-directors on all matters related to implementation and evaluation of the
MPH program and other related GPPHS activities. Specific responsibilities of this
committee will include establishing criteria for membership in the GPPHS, monitoring the
work of the standing committees, recruiting faculty for the program, and developing
liaisons with appropriate Penn centers and institutes.
2.3.3.1.2 Members. The Steering Committee shall consist of the Program Director and a
number of members equal to the number of schools participating in the MPH Program
(currently 8), with one vote for the Program Director and one from each of the
participating schools. Each school should also name an alternate representative to the
Steering Committee. Alternates will attend meetings when the primary voting member
cannot attend. At the discretion of the Director, the Steering Committee can invite faculty
and staff with relevant expertise or to provide liaison with related programs, to serve as
non-voting members. Members will serve a term of 3 years, subject to reappointment or
replacement by the respective Deans. Steering Committee members are expected to: 1)
seek input from and report back to their respective Dean’s and faculties about the
progress and content of the GPPHS and the MPH degree; 2) serve as liaisons from their
respective schools to the GPPHS and the MPH degree, e.g., facilitating communications
with the Curriculum Committee about joint program possibilities.
2.3.3.1.2.1 Founding Members. When the GPPHS began in September 2002, the seven
members of the MPH Program Planning Committee, each of whom had been appointed
to the planning committee by their respective Deans became the charter members of the
GPPHS Steering Committee. Other members of the planning committee were added as
non-voting members. An 8th voting member was subsequently added when the School of
Dental Medicine formally joined the MPH program.
2.3.3.1.3 Committee Process. The Steering Committee shall meet face-to-face at least
quarterly each year. The chair of the Steering Committee shall be the Director of
GPPHS. Policy decisions and membership votes will be made by a simple majority vote
of all participating Schools. The Steering Committee can, by majority vote, create
subcommittees of any GPPHS standing committee to address specific tasks such as
faculty recruitment, accreditation, bylaws. Subcommittees must be chaired by a Steering
Committee member but may involved GPPHS faculty who are not Steering Committee
members or Core members. Written minutes will be kept of all meetings.
2.3.3.2 Admissions/Credentials Committee.
2.3.3.2.1 Charge. The admissions and credentials committee will set policy for program
eligibility and application requirements, review applications for admission, and make
admissions decisions. This committee will also review the records of candidates for
graduation and approve applicants for graduation.
2.3.3.2.2 Members. The Admissions Committee shall consist of one voting
representative from each of the eight participating schools (initially, until accreditation, the
same representative who serves on the Steering Committee). The process for
reappointing or replacing committee members after the MPH Degree program gains
accreditation will be determined by the Steering Committee. Additional, non-voting
faculty who are members of the Steering committee may participate in the admissions
deliberations. It shall review all student applications to the MPH Degree Program and
49
identify the most promising applicants who shall be offered a place in the program.
Admissions decisions will be made by a simple majority vote of all participating Schools,
one vote per school. Votes by email will be accepted from schools who cannot send a
representative to the meetings when admissions decisions are made.
2.3.3.2.3 Committee Process. The committee shall meet at least quarterly to consider
applications and decide admissions policies and procedures. All policies and procedures
are subject to approval by the Steering Committee when the members of the Admissions
Committee and the Steering Committee are not identical. Voting will be by simple
majority, with one vote per school. For joint programs, participating schools are
encouraged to form subcommittees that can guide curriculum and admissions for
students from those schools. The liaison between any such subcommittees and the
Steering or Admissions Committees will be the voting representative from that school.
Written minutes will be kept of all meetings.
2.3.3.3 Curriculum/Student Affairs Committee.
2.3.3.3.1 Charge. The curriculum committee is responsible for developing and
evaluating the MPH program (e.g., setting requirements and overseeing the development
of core courses and reviewing course evaluations), developing curricular policies (e.g.,
relating to transfer credits, course substitutions, approval of syllabi for both required
courses and electives to be offered under the Public Health prefix), and developing jointdegree programs with other schools within the University, assigning advisors to students,
and providing guidance on student affairs and services.
2.3.3.3.2 Members. The Curriculum Committee shall consist of a minimum of 5
members, with at least one of these representing each of the five core areas of public
health. Initial committee members were appointed by the Director and will serve until the
MPH Degree program gains accreditation. The process for reappointing or replacing
committee members after accreditation will be determined by the Steering Committee.
2.3.3.3.3 Committee Process. The Curriculum Committee shall meet at least quarterly
to discuss development of new courses, review course evaluations and to consider
revisions to the curriculum. All new courses must be approved by a simple majority vote
of the Curriculum Committee. Minor actions such as suggestions to individual course
directors may proceed at the discretion of the Committee Chair. Major curriculum
revisions should be discussed and presented to the Steering Committee for further
discussion and possible ratification, before implementation. Written minutes will be kept
of all meetings.
2.3.3.4 External Advisory Committee.
2.3.3.4.1 Charge: The External Advisory Committee shall be charged with review and
comment on the development and implementation program from the perspectives of
mission and vision, quality of implementation, aligning the curriculum with accreditation
standards, and advising on the accreditation process.
2.3.3.4.2 Members. The Dean of Medicine will invite, on behalf of the GPPHS Steering
Committee, five distinguished public health scholars and academicians who are not
members of the University faculty to serve as external advisors to the program. Terms of
service will be 3 years, subject to reappointment. Nominees for External Advisory
Committee Members will be solicited from the GPPHS Membership and the broader
University and public health communities and screened by the Steering Committee.
2.3.3.4.3 Committee Process. The External Advisory Committee will meet at least once
a year on University campus and provide supplemental consultation through
50
teleconferences as needed. The Director of the GPPHS will serve as administrator for
this committee. Written minutes will be kept of all meetings.
2.4 University-wide Academic Structure. The University-wide structure for graduate public health
education is as follows:
2.4.1 Provost. The Provost is the officer responsible for the conduct, coordination, and quality of
the University's academic programs and for the planning of their future development. Hence the
Provost is crucially involved in the recruitment and maintenance of a faculty of the highest
distinction in research and in teaching. He or she is also concerned to maintain a student body of
superior quality and thus exercises oversight of academic program standards and of the
admission process. All Deans report to the Provost, and under the President, the Provost has
ultimate authority for all academic budgets.
2.4.2 Dean of the School of Medicine. The Director of the GPPHS reports on administrative
matters to the Dean of the School of Medicine through the Vice Dean for Research and Research
Training. The GPPHS is formally administered through the School of Medicine, which provides
the program with office space, technical support, and an administrative budget, and confers the
degree.
2.4.3 School of Medicine Committee of Masters Programs. The GPPHS Director participates
in the CMP, which comprises directors of all SOM Master’s degree programs. Each SOM
Master’s program has an autonomous governing body. However, the CMP structure will provide
for some standardization and common oversight with respect to operational and quality control
issues such as program structure (e.g., a template for bylaws) and financing (e.g., arrangements
within the SOM and between the SOM and other schools), standards for admission, credentialing,
and graduation.
3.0 Program Membership
3.1 Overview. Given that the intent is to bring together and foster synergies among public-healthrelated endeavors throughout the Penn campus, membership in the GPPHS Membership shall be
open to the Standing Faculty and Associated Faculty of the University at large based on their
expressions of interest and evidence of relevant expertise. Two categories of membership will be
included in GPPHS Membership: Core Members and Members.
3.2 Membership.
3.2.1 General Criteria. The general criteria for new and continued membership appointments in
the GPPHS shall be the extent to which each candidate is actively involved in research or
teaching in areas related to public health.
3.2.2 Core Members.
3.2.2.1 Eligibility. Core Members of GPPHS must be on the Standing or Associated
Faculty of the University. Associated Faculty appointments will be through a specific
department within a Penn School. GPPHS Core Member status will be designated for
those individuals who are: 1) current members of one of the GPPHS Standing
Committees; 2) Course Directors or Co-Directors of courses in the Public Health
Program; 3) Appointed advisers to matriculated MPH Degree students; 4) Principal
51
investigators of training grants obtained to support the GPPHS and 5) Members of the
GPPHS.
3.2.2.2 Term. Core members shall be so eligible as long as they are serving in the
qualifying roles or capacities.
3.2.2.3 Selection Procedures. There will be no selection process for core members
other than those related to the roles or capacities that confer eligibility. Members who
transition out of core member roles will be automatically designated as “members”.
3.2.3 Members
3.2.3.1 Eligibility. Members of the GPPHS must be on the Standing or Associated
Faculty of the University. Eligibility will be based on academic and/or practice credentials
and on evidence of participation in GPPHS affairs (e.g., teaching, advising, service on
committees, preparation of training grants, other training activities).
3.2.3.2 Term. Members shall be appointed for a term of three years. Membership may
be renewed at the end of each three year term pending approval of the Steering
Committee. Such renewal shall be considered by the Steering Committee on the basis of
a review of each Member's level of participation in Program affairs, e.g. the expectation
will be that Members contribute an average of 50 service hours per year over the three
year period to the Program.
3.2.3.3 Selection Procedure. During the first call for general GPPHS Membership, Core
Members will select the additional members. Subsequently, candidates for membership
may be nominated at any time for consideration by the Steering Committee, with
recommendations for membership put forward to the GPPHS Membership at its next
meeting or by written ballot. Candidates shall become members upon approval of a
simple majority vote of the Membership.
3.3 Recommendation and confirmation of appointment. Appointment to GPPHS begins with
recommendation by the GPPHS Membership. The Program Director/Steering Committee
Chairperson sends his/her recommendation to the CMP Director, along with a copy of the individual’s
CV and a short narrative Biographical Sketch. Twice a year (May 15 and November 15), the Director
of CMP transmits his/her recommendations regarding the appointment of new members to the dean
of the School of Medicine for confirmation.
3.4 Activities of the GPPHS Membership. The GPPHS Membership body will provide a platform
for building cohesiveness in the public health vision and enhancing public health endeavors in the
overall University community, streamlining the interface between faculty commitment to the public
health program and their primary appointments, facilitation of interschool public health research
projects, facilitation of cross-fertilization among those teaching public health related subject matter,
and stimulating interactions with the local and national public health academic and professional
communities. The GPPHS Membership will meet at least twice a year and maintain regular, ongoing
communication through other means.
4.0 Financial Policies
4.1 Types of Income: The program will be supported by tuition from the required courses. This
includes tuition paid by MPH degree candidates and non-matriculants who register for courses
under a PUBH prefix. By agreement with the participating schools or departments, this also
52
includes tuition from students who register for a cross-listed course under a PUBH course
number. Currently participating schools are Medicine (the program’s administrative home),
Nursing, Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Education, Social Work, and Veterinary Medicine.
To the extent that the program offers its own elective courses under the PUBH prefix, the
program also generates tuition from these courses.
No other sources of revenue have been identified to date. The School of Medicine provides
funds to support current expenses, including any shortfall not covered by tuition.
4.2 Types of Expenditures: Program expenditures include administrative personnel, faculty
teaching, and operational and programmatic expenses.
4.3 Faculty Compensation:




We are currently operating with an interim approach that views the GPPHS as a program with
University-wide participation and benefit, which is just getting under way, is not yet selfsupporting, and for which the School of Medicine is supporting the start-up costs. While the
program is not self-supporting, interested schools are sometimes asked to make concessions
to facilitate. Along the same lines the level of compensation offered for faculty teaching
PUBH courses has been set at a relatively modest level. Once the program comes closer to
a break-even level, priorities for use of resources will evolve, e.g., to convert the half-time
coordinator position into a full time position, to increase compensation levels for faculty
teaching courses in the program, to support other initiatives, as determined through
discussions with the Steering Committee.
The program sets a pre-determined amount of compensation per course unit for faculty who
teach PUBH courses. This level of compensation is somewhat arbitrary, is based on the
current start-up status of the program, and will be applied uniformly, e.g., higher or lower
compensation levels will not apply. Where course coordination is shared by several faculty,
the pre-determined level would apply to the set of involved faculty, to be proportioned
according to responsibility. This amount assumes that the course has at least 5 students;
however, that minimum number may be waived the first time the course is offered,
particularly if there are fewer than 5 public health matriculants requiring the course.
Since the program is housed within the SOM, compensation arrangements for SOM faculty
involved in PUBH courses need to be worked out by Glen Gaulton and the relevant SOM
Department heads consistent with overall SOM policy and how the PUBH course
responsibilities fit with other SOM responsibilities. For courses developed for the PUBH
program and not cross listed as a course for another School, the pre-determined level of
compensation will be paid. In general, courses developed especially for the PUBH program
(required or elective) will not be cross-listed under any other prefix unless prior arrangements
for this are approved by Glen.
An administrative stipend is provided to Director and any Co-Directors to be applied to salary
or personal support staff consistent with the policy of the relevant home School. Participation
of a school provides an in-kind contribution of faculty effort to serve on the Steering
Committee. There are no other agreements or requirements. Faculty involved in the
program are not otherwise compensated, e.g., outside of directing or co-directing courses.
4.4 Interschool Exchange of Funds
4.4.1 Cross-listed courses
Where courses newly developed for the PUBH are cross-listed with another School, such a
cross-listing arrangement allows the other School to directly generate revenue from the course.
The concept is that the direct generation of revenue by the other school would provide the faculty
compensation; the pre-determined level of compensation would not be paid by the Public Health
Studies program. Students taking the course under the other prefix should be advised that those
courses cannot be later counted towards the MPH degree should they enroll in the program.
53
Possibly at issue is the circumstance in which no students or only a few students register under
the alternate number (e.g., all register as PUBH).
4.4.2 Joint Programs
The development of Joint Programs requires that some double counting of courses in order to
render the total cost of the two degrees less than the cost of the degrees if taken separately.
5.0 Academic Requirements
5.1 Mission. Public health carries out its mission through organized, interdisciplinary efforts that
address the physical, mental, and environmental health concerns of communities and populations at
risk for disease and injury. This mission is achieved through the application of health promotion and
disease prevention technologies and interventions designed to improve and enhance quality of life.
All public health curricula focus on the five core knowledge areas of public health: Biostatistics,
Epidemiology, Environmental/Occupational Health, Behavioral Sciences, and Health Care Policy and
Management, with electives and internship experiences in line with the student's interest. Penn offers
specialized programs within most of these knowledge areas. The uniqueness of the public health
program is attention to breadth, depth, and integration across these areas using a public health
paradigm. Our program is generalist oriented, offering the public health core supplemented by
breadth and depth in the student's areas of interest.
5.2 Program Duration. The program is designed to be a completed either as a two-year full-time
program or as a part-time program in which classroom courses are completed within two years.
However, the time to complete the degree will be extended for those who complete the MPH program
part time or in combination with another Penn degree.
5.3 Curriculum. The MPH program consists of 16 course units of which 10 are required.
Topic Area
Course
Units
Required
Introduction to Public Health
Introductory Biostatistics
Introductory Epidemiology
Environmental and Occupational Health
Health Services Administration
Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health
Ethics, Policy and Public Health
Methods for Public Health Practice
Individual Internship/Project Experience (capstone)
Electives
University-wide course selection to meet student interests,
with prior approval of advisor and curriculum committee.
Total
10
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
0.5
1.5
2.0
6
6.0
16.0
5.4 Joint Degrees. Considerable emphasis shall be placed on the development of joint programs in
which MPH study is done concurrently or partly overlapping with completion of another Penn graduate
degree. An MD/MPH will be one such joint degree, to be completed as an overall five-year program.
54
6.0 Attachments
6.1 Listing of Steering Committee Members
Steering Committee Member
Shiriki K. Kumanyika, Ph.D.,
M.P.H., Chair
David Barnes, Ph.D.
Department
Clinical Epidemiology and
Biostatistics
History and Sociology of Science
School
School of Medicine
Edward Emmett, M.D., M.S.*
Emergency Medicine
School of Medicine
Joan I. Gluch, R.D.H., Ph.D
Community Oral Health
School of Dental Medicine
Arnold Rosoff, J.D*
Health Care Systems
Wharton School
Marjorie Bowman, M.D., M.P.A.
Family Medicine
School of Medicine
Thomas O. Kelly, Ph.D.
Clinical Epidemiology and
Biostatistics
School of Medicine
Margaret M. Cotroneo, Ph.D.,
R.N.
Phyllis L. Solomon, Ph.D.
Family and Community Health
School of Nursing
Social Work Mental Health Research
Center
Population Biology and Epidemiology
School of Social Work
Gary Smith, M.A.(Oxon),
M.A.(Cantab), D.Phil.
Mark V. Pauly, Ph.D.
Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Ph.D*
* Steering Committee alternate
School of Arts and Sciences
Health Care Systems
School of Veterinary
Medicine
Wharton School
Family and Community Health
School of Nursing
6.2 Admissions Policies
Applicants. The MPH program shall seek students who have leadership potential and outstanding
academic credentials. The ideal Penn MPH student shall have a well-defined concept of public health
and shall have already chosen a career path involving a profession that is related to public health, as
defined above. Priority shall be given to mid-career professionals and potential joint degree
candidates from other Penn professional programs.
Deadlines. The MPH program shall accept applications on a rolling basis. The Admissions
Committee shall review all complete applications and make admissions decisions. Accepted new
students must matriculate in the fall semester.
Application Procedures. Applicants to the MPH Program must submit the following documentation:
 Completed Penn MPH application form
 Recent (within the past 5 years) scores on one of the following standardized tests:
o Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
o Medical College Admissions Tests (MCAT)
o Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
o Law College Admissions Test (LCAT)
o Dental School Admissions Test (DSAT)
Note: Consideration will be given to waiving the standardized test requirement for applicants with
at least a master’s degree in a relevant field. When standardized test scores are waived,
evidence of quantitative ability will be evaluated based on grades earned in graduate-level
quantitative and science courses, in combination with standardized test scores that are older than
55
5 years if they are available. Official standardized test scores are required for applicants who do
not have a masters degree or higher AND for applicants who are currently enrolled in a masters
or Ph.D. degree program.
 English Language Proficiency (e.g. TOEFL score or degree from an English-language
institution)
 Official transcripts of previous completed undergraduate and graduate course work.
 Evidence of quantitative ability (usually demonstrated by scores on the quantitative section of
the GRE or successful (i.e. B or better) completion of graduate-level quantitative and science
courses such as biostatistics and epidemiology)
 Up-to-date resume or curriculum vitae
 Three recommendations from individuals who can attest to suitability for graduate study and
to interest in public health (see application packet for standard forms)
 Evidence of sufficient work or volunteer experience related to public health (e.g., two years or
more of post baccalaureate experience in a health-related field)
 A personal statement (short essay) demonstrating an understanding of public health and
explaining the nature of interest in public health studies, the perceived advantages of public
health studies from an overall personal career perspective, and the specific plan of study
proposed (e.g. types of electives envisioned; timeframe for completion of program).
Re-application Policy. Applicants to the Master of Public Health program who were not accepted by
the program cannot appeal the decision of the Admissions Committee. However, they can elect to
reapply to the program no sooner than the following academic year. The application fee is waived for
re-applicants who re-apply within five years of the previous application date. Re-applicants are not
required to submit transcripts or standardized test scores if the transcripts or scores have not
changed.
6.3 Curricular Policies
Core Competencies. The program is designed to meet CEPH competencies and additional
competencies outlined as key for public health professionals. These competencies will be met by the
core courses at the basic level. Electives will be used to enhance selected competencies and to broaden
and enhance the base of general knowledge relevant to public health. Policies related to articulation of
joint degree programs will be driven by the need to meet core competencies as well as the need to
ensure that students develop a clear understanding of the public health paradigm and its applications.
Students enrolled in the MPH program must maintain a 3.0 average to remain enrolled.
Master of Public Health Degree Program.
a. Time to complete program:
- Students will take all required courses in a span of two years, starting with the
course: Introduction to Public Health. (May require offering this course in the
summer)
- Full time students should plan to complete the entire program within two years.
b. Electives:
- A list of pre-approved electives, or a timely process for ad hoc approval of
electives needs to be ready for the summer of 2003.
- The selection of the set of elective courses for each student needs to be preapproved by the advisor.
- All programs should include exposure to courses outside of the clinical schools.
c. Capstone:
- For full time students the formulation of the capstone activity/experience needs
to be completed in the first year. Upon approval by the advisor, the student will
execute the capstone in the second year. Students must fulfill all requirements
56
for the MPH degree prior to the Capstone project oral presentation and
submission of the final paper.
- Part time students may complete the capstone in the third year
d. Other policies are indicated or implied on the revised draft of "Program Information"
Joint programs with the MPH.
(Policies for joint programs with residencies, when applicable, will be similar but will have
some key differences)
1. Joint degree programs can be allowed and actually encouraged on the following basis:
a. Students must start their MPH course work with the Introduction to PH course.
Eventually, efforts will be made to teach this course in the Summer, Fall and Spring
of every academic year, in order to accommodate the curriculum plans of the primary
program.
b. Students must take all core (required) courses of the MPH program. Where there are
courses in the curriculum of the primary program that are the same as core courses
in the MPH program the requirement will be accepted for the MPH degree. [the
feasibility of this will have to be discussed with Glen Gaulton from a tuition capture
perspective, if these courses have not been taken under the PUBH number, see e.
below]
c. Where there are similar courses, in terms of level, intensity and scope, the
sponsoring program should make a case for equivalencies that will save the student
time. NOTE: there are certain "paradigm" courses (i.e., courses that have been
specifically developed for and framed within the context of the public health
paradigm) for which this equivalency-aspect will not be acceptable. These courses
are the
i. PUBH 500 Introduction to Public Health
ii. PUBH 503 Environmental and Occupational Health
iii. PUBH 504 Behavioral and Social Sciences in Public Health
iv. PUBH 507 Ethics, Public Policy and Health.
d. Decisions about equivalencies will be made by the curriculum committee of the MPH,
after review of the course syllabus and consultation with the appropriate staff of the
primary program with an appropriate MPH program content area representative on
the curriculum committee.
e. It will not be possible to waive more than two core courses of the MPH program.
2. The choice of elective courses (six course units) must fit the MPH requirement, meaning,
approval by the MPH advisor, strongly related to the core disciplines or paradigm of the
Public Health education, and coherent enough that the student obtains depth of specialized
knowledge in Public Health areas. Insofar that these requirements can also be met by the
electives choices for the primary program, these electives can be integrated.
3. For joint programs in clinical schools the selection of some electives outside of clinical
schools will be required.
4. The capstone of the MPH must be executed as described in the general MPH program. The
focus must be on Public Health, and the experience must be a rounding of that what is
learned in the MPH courses. Insofar that the capstone program of the MPH can be integrated
with similar requirements in a primary program (master’s thesis, etc), students may do so.
Approval needs to be gotten from both the MPH advisor and the primary advisor.
5. Joint degree programs will be first considered and approved by the MPH curriculum
committee and subsequently by the full MPH steering committee.
57
6. The sponsoring school or program will initiate the request to articulate a joint degree
arrangement, usually after discussion with program faculty and staff.
7. Joint degree programs are assumed to be cost-effective and time saving when an overlap
can be created between the two degree programs regarding course work, academic
experience and service components.
8. Accommodations with respect to tuition and billing will be decided between programs or
schools by the appropriate administrators on a case-by-case basis. This step is needed
before final approval to make sure that the program will be feasible.
Transfer Credit Policy.
Sixteen course units are required for the MPH degree. Fourteen course units must be taken at
the University of Pennsylvania, with 10 course units taken in the public health program (PUBH).
MPH students may request to transfer up to two graduate level credits from an accredited
program outside the University. Transfer credit may not be applied to the 10 MPH required
courses but may be applied to the electives with the approval of the MPH advisor. Courses taken
on a pass/fail basis and courses taken more than three years ago will not be considered for
transfer credit. Only courses in which the student received a grade of "B" (3.0) or better will be
considered for transfer credit.
Requests for transfer credit should be submitted to the MPH advisor together with a course
syllabus for the course under consideration. The advisor will request a review of the course by an
MPH faculty member in that content area for its appropriateness for MPH transfer credit. Students
may request substitution of a core course with a more advanced course in that content area. The
process for substitution is the same as that for transfer credit.
58
Master of Public Health
Planned Program of Study Form
STUDENT’S NAME:
DATE:
ACADEMIC ADVISOR:
STUDENTS: This form is to be completed in consultation with the MPH program staff. When complete,
please submit to the GPPH Program Office and make a copy for yourself and for yourself and review with
your academic advisor at your first meeting. Any changes to your program must be documented by
completing a new form and re-submitting it to the GPPHS Office.
Biographical Sketch of Student
MPH Study/Competency Objectives
Primary MPH study/public health core competency objective
Secondary MPH study/public health core competency objective:
59
Program of Study
YEAR
1
YEAR
2
YEAR
3
Fall 20_____
Spring 20_____
Summer 20_____
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
CUs this semester:
_______
CUs this semester: _______
CUs this semester:
_______
Fall 20___
Spring 20___
Summer 20___
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
CUs this semester:
_______
CUs this semester: _______
CUs this semester:
_______
Fall 20___
Spring 20___
Summer 20___
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
CUs this semester:
_______
CUs this semester: _______
CU b s this semester:
_______
Proposed Capstone Plan:
60
Graduate Program in Public Health Studies
Steering Committee
Shiriki K. Kumanyika, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Program Director
Chair, Steering and Admissions Committee
Professor, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine
Professor of Epidemiology in Pediatrics, Section on Nutrition, Children’s Hospital
of Philadelphia
Margaret Cotroneo, Ph.D., R.N.
Program Co-Director
Chair, Curriculum and Advising Committee
Associate Professor, Family and Community Health
School of Nursing
David Barnes, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Arts and Sciences
Janet Tighe, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, History and Sociology of Science
School of Arts and Sciences
Joan Gluch, R.D.H., Ph.D.
Adjunct Associate Professor and Director of Community Health
School of Dental Medicine
Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Nursing
Marjorie Bowman, M.D., M.P.A.
Chair, MD-MPH Advisory Committee
Professor, Family Practice and Community Medicine
School of Medicine
Thomas O. Kelly, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
School of Medicine
Phyllis L. Solomon, Ph.D.
Professor, Social Work Mental Health Research Center
School of Social Work
Gary Smith, M.A.(Oxon), M.A.(Cantab), D.Phil.
Professor, Population Biology and Epidemiology
School of Veterinary Medicine
Mark V. Pauly, Ph.D.
Professor, Health Care Systems
Wharton School
61
Arnold Rosoff, J.D.
Professor
Wharton School
Graduate Program in Public Health Studies ■ pubhlth@mail.med.upenn.edu ■ 215.573.0917
www.publichealth.med.upenn.edu
62