OMPH Curriculum

The objective of this course is for students to develop the knowledge, skills, and perspectives necessary to use data to make public health decisions. In this course, students learn core principles and methods of biostatistics and data analysis as they apply to public health. Emphasis is on conceptual understanding as well as practical application of methodology. Students will use a standard statistical software package to analyze quantitative data and will learn to interpret the results of this analysis through discussions and the completion of problem sets, quizzes, and exams. This course aims to increase statistical literacy so students are informed consumers and practitioners of basic statistical analyses.

The goal of this course is for students to develop the foundational knowledge and skills of epidemiology that are needed to make public health decisions. In this course, students will learn the core principles and methods of epidemiological investigations and apply this knowledge to case studies of real-world public health issues. Through problem-solving labs, discussions of epidemiological literature, and problem sets, students will use their knowledge of epidemiological methods and study designs to analyze public health data, critique published epidemiological studies, and make informed public health decisions.

The objective of this course is for students to develop knowledge, skills and perspectives necessary to use data to make public health decisions. Students learn and apply the theory of sampling and survey methods and their application to case studies from the first two methods courses. Topics include: survey design and planning; principles of sampling and survey terminology; questionnaire construction; data collection (including interviewing and data coding procedures); and application, presentation, and evaluation of results. The students will also be introduced to qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis. Methods covered include: observation, interviews, and focus groups. Students will learn and develop skills in: qualitative data collection and management, interviewing, transcript analysis using computerized software, triangulation between qualitative and quantitative data, and report preparation for qualitative studies.

There is mounting support for a social determinants of health approach across the world, from global, sociopolitical commitment to within-country action. In this course, students will examine the inequitable conditions in which people are born, live, work and age and how these conditions are propelled by inequities in power, money, and resources. Students will analyze structural, political, economic factors as well as how resource distribution decisions made outside the health sector contribute to health inequities. In the course, students will also explore innovative ways to reduce health disparities and work toward achieving health equity. 

In this course, students will examine the role of health interventions in promoting population health while paying specific attention to factors that facilitate and impede their planning, development, implementation, and evaluation. Using case studies and tangible real-world examples, students will gain an understanding in the theories and models commonly used to guide the development and implementation of health promotion interventions. They will also interrogate the impact of the historical, economic, social, political, and organizational processes of a given context on health and health interventions, while paying close attention to their role as public health professionals in furthering social justice through practice and research. Students will acquire the tools that they need to conceptualize, plan, and develop a health promotion intervention. Students will actualize their learning by engaging in a semester-long project where they will develop a health promotion intervention, strategize around resources and devise plans to sustain, scale, and adapt their intervention, and create an evaluation plan.

In this course, students will examine the role of systematic evaluation in public health programs and policies, including the importance of stakeholder engagement, ethics, and cultural context in conducting evaluations. Using case studies and tangible real-world examples, students will gain an understanding into the theoretical concepts and methodologies of evaluation, including process and outcome evaluation. Students will learn about various evaluation designs, including threats to validity, examine techniques to sample the target population, discuss measurement in evaluation, focusing on methods for assessing the reliability and validity of measures, explore basic quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, probe key issues in organizing and conducting analyses of qualitative and quantitative data collected in evaluations, and consider methods for presenting, disseminating, and promoting the use of evaluation results. In addition to acquiring tools that they need to practically apply evaluation principles and methods, students will also learn how to become critical consumers of evaluation reports.

This course is designed to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of health policy, policy analysis, and health systems—and their role in shaping population health. Students will develop an understanding of the role of policy actors, power, and political advocacy in influencing the policymaking process across different levels of government. Case studies will provide real-world examples of these dynamics. Students will gain skills in policy analysis through the creation of a policy brief that addresses a pressing, health-relevant, policy-amenable problem. Students will also develop fluency in the evaluation of health care systems by considering domains like cost, access, and quality. Throughout the course, relevant policy ethics and controversies will be highlighted.

This course explores the structure, function, and performance of health care systems around the world within the context of the broader field of global health. Students will explore various health care system domains, like access, quality, and financing, along with associated conceptual frameworks. Students will summarize and compare health care systems of their choice. These topics are explored alongside related issues in global health, such international health worker migration, pandemic preparedness, and data governance. By taking this course, students will learn how to measure health care system performance, produce health care system profiles, and discuss pressing issues in global health governance. 

This course will introduce key ethical frameworks and concepts relevant to leadership in public health including servant leadership, authentic leadership and principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Students will learn to apply ethical principles of public health to core concepts of leadership, governance, and management as well as practical skills on how to develop vision and align goals and strategy. Leadership tools and techniques include conducting a SWOT analysis,  strategic planning and decision making, developing, communicating and implementing effective change, harnessing governance, financial and organizational structures, engaging stakeholders and public health thought leadership through application of ethical frameworks in public health policy development and advocacy will be explored.

 This course will help students learn how to become leaders in their own organizations or in those in which they hope to work in the future. In this course, students will learn how to apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational and community challenges.

Effective communication skills are needed by leaders in public health settings. Public Health Communications is designed for students to develop communication skills to prepare them for the breadth of issues related to public health challenges. Students will learn and apply various communication strategies for different audiences and sectors and how to communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation. Students will learn to develop a communications plan for multiple audiences that addresses misinformation and conflicting data. In addition, students will learn the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content to decision makers and will develop a public health campaign that demonstrates the utilization of a cultural competency framework.

As a culminating academic experience, students will conduct a literature review to answer a public health research question. In this project, known as the integrated learning experience (ILE), students will apply the knowledge and skills learned through the MPH program and synthesize MPH competencies. The results of this literature review project will be communicated through a paper, which will be structured as a scientific article that could be submitted to a public health journal, as well as a poster presentation. In the first part of this course students will develop their project by identifying a research question and formulating a methodological plan. The second part, which will encompass most of the course, will focus on conducting the research and writing a scientific paper. The final part of the course will focus on disseminating research, through completing the final paper and a poster presentation. Students’ final products will enable them to contribute to the body of scholarly knowledge on their topic area.

Led by Dr. Craig Spencer, the Clinician focus is dedicated to bridging the gap between public health and clinical medicine. It offers live monthly sessions with clinicians with expertise in public health and an opportunity for you to interact with the guest speaker in a candid and personal way. These sessions will help you sharpen your skills in epidemiology, health-systems science, program implementation and science communication, as applied to health care.

Students may view past speakers and submit reflections here.

Co-led by Dr. Nithya Ramesh and Dr. Scott Rivkees, the Leadership focus is designed to provide additional live monthly webinars where you will interact with industry leaders and professionals for direct mentorship and candid conversations. With an emphasis on real-world understanding, this focus will help you gain insights and skills needed for success in leadership positions in health care or public health.

Students may view past speakers and submit reflections here.