Competencies for the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Epidemiology (72 credits)
Each Department identifies competencies for each degree offered. These competencies reflect the full range of knowledge, skills, and other attributes that a student will acquire as a result of completing the requirements for a particular degree.
**UPDATE** Please note we are not accepting applications to the DrPH degree program for the 2017-2018 academic year as we revise the DrPH curriculum. The PhD degree program is accepting applications.
Upon graduation, a student completing the DrPH curriculum in Epidemiology will be able to:
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DrPH Common Competencies
- Apply qualitative and quantitative research approaches to address issues at the community and population level
- Integrate knowledge, approaches, methods, values and potential contributions from multiple professions and systems in addressing public health problems
- Deliver training or educational experiences that promote learning in academic, organizational and community settings
- Design system-level interventions that influence population health outcomes in multi-disciplinary team approaches that promote health equity and disease prevention
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Epidemiology Concentration Competencies
- Conduct independent epidemiologic literature reviews and summarize studies using qualitative and quantitative techniques
- Utilize epidemiologic skills for the design, development and implementation of research studies or programs with direct public health application
- Formulate specific hypotheses and determine an appropriate study design and analysis plan using quantitative data analysis techniques
- Design and implement studies to conduct outbreak investigations
- Develop expertise in evaluation of public health programs and conduct of public health surveillance
- Design reliable and valid measurement instruments
- Design, implement and assess ordinary data collection systems for public health research, including quality control for data entry
- Apply principles of intervention and prevention in public health settings
- Demonstrate sufficient skills in cultural competence
- Develop skills to effectively work on multidisciplinary teams, including scientists and community and other stakeholders
- Integrate principles of community-based participatory research in the design of public health programs
- Develop skills in translating epidemiologic research findings for public policy
- Demonstrate knowledge of public health law, jurisdiction and public health ethics, including anticipating and following Institutional Review Board expectations and requirements
- Develop proficiency in communicating with public media and policy makers, especially in regards to risk assessment
- Demonstrate skills in budgeting a major public health program
- Demonstrate competency in teaching epidemiologic research methods at the graduate level
