The Foundational Curriculum (15 credits) addresses the knowledge and competencies defined by CEPH in the 2016 accreditation criteria for professional degrees in public health. Students complete the Foundational Curriculum in the first year of their degree program.
Students matriculating to the professional degree programs (MPH, MSPH*, MPH&TM) in Fall 2018 and thereafter will be required to take the foundational courses.
*The MSPH in Tropical Medicine is an academic degree that does not require the Foundational Curriculum.
Students matriculating Fall 2018 and thereafter:
All SPHTM degree programs now require SPHL 6020 Foundations in Public Health. This course provides an overview and grounding in public health per CEPH D1 competencies.
All professional master’s-level degree programs (MPH, MSPH, and MPH&TM) require the five foundational courses: SPHL 6020 (D1) and the other four foundational courses that provide the CEPH D2 competencies.
These courses (15 credits) make up the foundational curriculum:
SPHL 6020 Foundations in Public Health (3)
SPHL 6050 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
SPHL 6060 Epidemiology for Public Health (3)
SPHL 6070 Health Systems, Policy and Management (3)
SPHL 6080 Design Strategies for Public Health Programs (3)
What is the Foundational Curriculum?
The Foundational Curriculum provides cross-cutting knowledge and skills relevant to public health practice. Disciplinary study is provided in the programmatic courses, practicum, and Integrated Learning Experience (ILE).
The Foundational Curriculum is a series of five integrated courses that provide fundamental knowledge and skills for all public health disciplines. The Foundational Curriculum is coordinated and designed to be rigorous, engaging, and collaborative. The framework of the curriculum allows students to apply the knowledge and skills to their areas of professional public health practice.
The foundational courses differ from the prior core courses in that they:
- Are school-wide courses rather than department-based.
- Are integrated and interdisciplinary.
- Emphasize application in professional practice.
- Feature collaborative learning methods to simulate professional practice.
- Contain interactive assignments linked to foundational competencies.
- Offer assignments for students to apply concepts and approaches to their own fields of study.
SPHL 6020 Foundations in Public Health (3)
SPHL 6020 is one of five interdisciplinary courses that contribute to the foundational competencies required of graduates with professional degrees in public health. SPHL 6020 is composed of a series of online lessons that provide an overview of public health principles, concepts, and evidence-based approaches to global public health and the biological, environmental, behavioral, socioeconomic, and political determinants of health. Students will integrate these influences through case study and scenario analyses. SPHL 6020 is a requirement for all graduate students pursuing any degree in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
SPHL 6020 – Foundations of Public Health will be taught in a blended learning format. The course is divided into five segments that cover: Introduction to Public Health; Biological Determinants of Health; Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health; Environmental Determinants of Health; and, Public Health Issues. Instead of traditional in-class lectures, students listen to a series of online lessons with a short knowledge check after each. Students attend an in-class session at the end of each segment to discuss the topic and analyze a scenario applying the topics covered.
Required for all degrees: SPHL 6020 fulfills the CEPH D1 competencies that all students have basic knowledge of public health. Students with a prior public health degree or background may take a challenge exam to waive this course. Tulane BSPH students are waived from this course.
| Instructor | |
|---|---|
| Mark Wiser, PhD Biological Determinants of Health | wiser@tulane.edu |
| Maya Begalieva, MD, MPH | mbegali@tulane.edu |
| Lina Moses, PhD OneHealth | lmoses2@tulane.edu |
Office hours with faculty by appointment. E-mail instructors for time to meet.
SPHL 6020 Competencies:
In accordance with CEPH D1 public health competencies, students completing SPHL 6020 will be able to:
- Explain public health history, philosophy and values
- Identify the core functions of public health and the 10 Essential Services
- Explain the role of quantitative and qualitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population’s health
- List major causes and trends of morbidity and mortality in the US or other community relevant to the school or program
- Discuss the science of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in population health, including health promotion, screening, etc.
- Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge
- Explain effects of environmental factors on a population’s health
- Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population’s health
- Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population’s health
- Explain the social, political and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities
- Explain how globalization affects global burdens of disease
- Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health and ecosystem health (i.e. One Health)
SPHL 6050 Biostatistics for Public Health (3)
SPHL 6050 Biostatistics for Public Health (3) is one of five interdisciplinary courses that contribute to the foundational competencies required of graduates with professional degrees in public health. Strong analytical skills in evidence-based practices are essential across all public health disciplines. In SPHL 6050, students learn how to collect, manage, and visualize a wide variety of data and appropriate biostatistical methods, including probability distributions, estimations, power and sample size, and regression. Interdisciplinary exercises, homework assignments, and data sets are drawn from real-world scenarios. The course also prepares those students who move on to advanced biostatistics courses. Biostatistics for Public Health is a requirement for all students in the MPH, MSPH*, and MPH&TM professional degree programs.
Syllabus: [Link to syllabus:]
Required for all professional degrees: MPH, MSPH*, and MPH&TM Students with a background in biostatistics may take a challenge exam to waive this course.
*The MSPH in Tropical Medicine is an academic degree that does not require the Foundational Curriculum.
SPHL 6050 Competencies
In accordance with CEPH D2 public health competencies, students completing SPHL 6050 will be able to:
- Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
- Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming, and software, as appropriate
- Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice
SPHL 6050 Learning Objectives
| Learning Objectives | Signature Activity/Assessment | Foundational Public Health Competency Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| 1.Use appropriate methods to summarize and visualize public health data | Homework assignments/Exam 1 on graphical and numerical summarization methods | Select quantitative and qualitative* data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context |
| 2. Select and perform one and two sample hypothesis tests and confidence intervals for outcomes in environmental, behavioral and epidemiological studies | Homework assignments/Exam 2 on constructing confidence intervals, interpretation of confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing and interpretation. | Analyze quantitative and qualitative* data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice |
| 3. Compute appropriate sample size and power for designing population based studies | Homework assignments/Exam 2 on computing sample size and power. | Analyze quantitative and qualitative* data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate’ Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice |
| 4. Apply appropriate methods to assess associations between variables in public health datasets | Homework assignments/Exam 3 on statistical methods to assess association. | Analyze quantitative and qualitative* data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice |
| 5. Analyze public health data using statistical computer packages and interpret output | Homework assignments/Exam 3 on statistical methods to assess association. | Analyze quantitative and qualitative* data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice |
*Qualitative data collection methods, analysis, and interpretation are developed and assessed in SPHL 6080
How SPHL 6050 Biostatistics for Public Health is different from the previous BIOS 6030 Introduction to Biostatistics:
- The course is oriented toward practice skills for data analysis.
- Statistical packages are incorporated into course.
- The course Includes data visualization and data collection principles.
SPHL 6060 Epidemiology for Public Health (3)
Epidemiology for Public Health is one of five interdisciplinary courses that contribute to the foundational competencies required of graduates with professional degrees in public health. SPHL 6060 introduces students to epidemiological methods and approaches for use across all public health domains. This includes measuring the occurrence of disease, outbreak investigations, incidence and prevalence, natural history of disease, study designs, and estimating risk. The course also addresses the interpretation of data analyses for research, policy, and practice. Epidemiology for Public Health is a requirement for all students in the MPH, MSPH*, and MPH&TM professional degree programs.
Required for all Professional degrees: MPH, MSPH*, and MPH&TM
*The MSPH in Tropical Medicine is an academic degree that does not require the Foundational Curriculum.
SPHL 6060 Competencies
In accordance with CEPH D2 public health competencies, students completing SPHL 6060 will be able to:
- Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice
- Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
- Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
SPHL 6060 Learning Objectives
| Learning Objectives | Signature Activity/Assessment | Foundational Public Health Competency Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Quantify health outcome distributions and measures of association | Homework assignments 1, 2, 3, 4 include calculation and interpretation of outcomes and measures of association Exercises 1, 2, 3 – students will practice calculating and interpreting various measures in a variety of situations in epidemiology Exams 1 and 2 will test students’ ability to quantify and interpret outcome distributions and measures of association, basic definitions used in epidemiology will also be assessed Quizzes 1, 2, 3 are opportunities for students to briefly check their ability to identify and calculate various definitions and measures used in epidemiology | Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice |
| 2. Describe the characteristics of the major epidemiologic study designs, including the strengths and weaknesses associated with each. | Quiz 3 will check students’ ability to identify different study designs and their features and characteristics Exams 2 and 3 will test students on definitions and characteristics of major study designs Exercises 4, 5, 6 will give students the opportunity to practice going through results of different study design and making calculations Homework 4 – will include reading peer reviewed literature and describing study designs including strengths and limitations | Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice |
| 3. Describe the major threats to study validity and how they might influence conclusions regarding causal inference. | Homework 3 and 4 will include identification and calculation of threats to validity (where appropriate) including bias and confounding. Exercises 3, 4, 5, 6 – students will practice identifying and considering issues that interfere with causal inference Exam 2 and 3 will test identification of study designs, strengths and limitations, biases associated with each and considerations needed when making causal inference. Quizzes 4 and 5 will review factors that influence making causal inference | Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context |
How SPHL 6060 Epidemiology for Public Health is different from the previous EPID 6030 Epidemiologic Methods 1
- Course provides greater focus on professional practice skills.
- Examples from across the public health disciplines have been incorporated throughout the course.
- Exercises provide more applications of epidemiology methods.
SPHL 6070 – Health Systems, Policy and Management (3)
SPHL 6070 Health Systems, Policy and Management is one of five interdisciplinary courses that contribute to the foundational competencies required of graduates with professional degrees in public health. SPHL 6070 exposes students to the complexities, scope, and impact of decisions affecting public health. It provides a survey of public health and health care systems, policy and management principles used in public health settings. Class discussion and exercises provide opportunities for students to apply principles and skills to their own areas and career interests. This course is a requirement for all students in the MPH, MSPH*, and MPH&TM degree programs.
Required for all Professional degrees: MPH, MSPH*, and MPH&TM
*The MSPH in Tropical Medicine is an academic degree that does not require the Foundational Curriculum.
| Instructor | |
|---|---|
| Mark Diana, PhD | mdiana@tulane.edu |
SPHL 6070 Competencies
In accordance with CEPH D2 public health competencies, students completing SPHL 6070 will be able to:
- Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international setting
- Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels
- Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs
- Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management
- Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations
- Evaluate policies for impact on public health and health equity
- Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making
- Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation
- Perform effectively on interprofessional team
- Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue
SPHL 6070 Learning Objectives
| Learning Objectives | Signature Activity/Assessment | Foundational Public Health Competency Addressed |
|---|---|---|
1. Explain the difference between health care and health systems 2. Find credible information about regulatory systems | Written Analysis Assignment #2 -- Comparative Health Systems Individual student assignment in which they choose countries to explore, using systems thinking principles to compare the structure and function of health systems. Part of this assignment involves comparing the 2 countries' systems with that of the US, identifying stakeholders, comparing common metrics such as financing, outcomes, and access, analyzing health disparities, describing benefits and drawbacks, and considering barriers to implementation. | Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings. |
| 3. Analyze the health disparities impacting and resulting from a public health issue | Written Analysis Assignment #3 -- Policy Proposal & Advocacy Plan Students will select a bill or policy related to public health and conduct an external stakeholder analysis, outline issues of health equity and structural bias, assess ethical issues, and develop a short advocacy plan to pass this policy at the state or federal level. Group Assignment #3 -- (TBD) Communication and Advocacy | Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities, and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels |
| 4. Explain the development of an existing public health policy and the health outcomes that have resulted | Written Analysis Assignment #1 -- Today’s Public Health Challenges and Public Health Efforts Written Analysis Assignment #3 -- Policy Proposal and Advocacy Plan | Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity |
| 5. Present an argument to stakeholders for a program or policy that would address a public health issue A | Written Analysis Assignment #3 -- Policy Proposal & Advocacy Plan Students will select a bill or policy related to public health and conduct an external stakeholder analysis, outline issues of health equity and structural bias, assess ethical issues, and develop a short advocacy plan to pass this policy at the state or federal level. Group Assignment #3 -- (TBD) Communication and Advocacy | Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations |
| 6. Critique several budgets presented for grant proposals, identifying omissions and resource streams | Applied Assignment #5 -- Creating a Budget and Project Plan Students will define a small project of professional interest to them and apply quantitative tools/project management software (i.e. ProjectLibre) to develop a Gantt Chart, PERT Diagram, critically evaluate the anticipated timeline to desired deadlines, assess risk, and stakeholder communication. This project will directly address issues related to resource management (e.g. human resources, procurement, etc.) Students are expected to apply systems thinking concepts related to connections, downstream (and unanticipated) consequences, multi-causal relationships and other systems thinking principles. | Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management |
| 7. Analyze leadership styles and evaluate the responses of leaders in real-world scenarios/situations | Written Analysis Assignment #4 -- Organizational Direction Individual student assignment in which students choose an actual non-governmental health organization and use learned principles of leadership and management in analyzing the vision, structure, culture, strategies, financing, stakeholders and evidence of mission for the organization as determined by web presence, the student's personal experience with the organization, and primary sources. Part of the assignment involves determining key decisions and strategic planning efforts based on a thoroughly researched SWOT analysis. | Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making |
| 8. Propose a strategy for engaging the community | Written Analysis Assignment #3 -- Policy Proposal and Advocacy Plan Students will select a bill or policy related to public health and conduct an external stakeholder analysis, outline issues of health equity and structural bias, assess ethical issues, and develop a short advocacy plan to pass this policy at the state or federal level. | Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges |
How SPHL 6070 Health Systems, Policy and Management is different from the previous GHSD 6030 Health Systems, Management and Policy
- Health systems component has been streamlined to provide an overview.
- An additional section on public health policy has been added.
- An additional section on management skills and applications has been added.
- The course incorporates examples from across the public health disciplines.
- Assignments include applied exercises and activities.
SPHL 6080 – Design Strategies for Public Health Programs (3)
SPHL 6080 Design Strategies for Public Health Programs is one of five interdisciplinary courses that contribute to the foundational competencies required of graduates with professional degrees in public health. SPHL 6080 equips students with the knowledge and skills to design, implement, and evaluate public health programs for diverse public health issues, populations, and settings. This course features active and collaborative learning and real-world application of course concepts. Ultimately, the course will illustrate that the effective design of public health programs is critical to improving community health. This course is a requirement for all students in the MPH, MSPH*, and MPH&TM degree programs.
Required for all Professional degrees: MPH, MSPH*, and MPH&TM
*The MSPH in Tropical Medicine is an academic degree that does not require the Foundational Curriculum.
| Instructor | |
|---|---|
| Alyssa Lederer, PhD | alederer@tulane.edu |
SPHL 6080 Competencies
In accordance with CEPH D2 public health competencies, students completing SPHL 6080 will be able to:
- Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
- Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
- Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health
- Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs
- Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention
- Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management
- Select methods to evaluate public health programs
- Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes
- Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making
- Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors
- Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation
- Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content
SPHL 6080 Learning Objectives
Through the following learning objectives, students will integrate the cross-cutting themes of culture and community engagement, evidence-based practices, and application of the social ecological model throughout the course. Corresponding assessments and CEPH competencies are also listed.
How SPHL 6080 Design Strategies for Public Health Programs is different from the previous GCHB 6030 Social and Behavioral Aspects of Global Health
- Course provides a greater focus on professional skills for program planning and evaluation.
- Examples from across the public health disciplines have been incorporated.
- Exercises provide more applications of methods.
- Course provides an emphasis on community-oriented skills and stakeholders.
- Health disparities and cultural competence have been incorporated throughout the course.
SPHL 6080 Learning Objectives
| Learning Objectives | Signature Activity/Assessment | Foundational Public Health Competency Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Discuss strategies for engaging the community and other stakeholders to improve population health | Proposal |
|
| 2. Use existing data to describe a public health problem and the populations most at risk | Proposal |
|
| 3. Determine quantitative/qualitative methods to assess community needs and assets | Proposal |
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| 4. Apply the socioecological model to identify distal and proximal social and behavioral determinants of health for a target population | Proposal |
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| 5. Apply key health behavior theories used in public health programs | Proposal |
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| 6. Select activities to meet program objectives | Proposal |
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| 7. Develop a logic model to communicate program inputs, outputs, and outcomes | Proposal |
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| 8. Identify the budgetary items needed to implement a specific public health program | Proposal |
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| 9. Examine designs and methodologies used to evaluate public health programs | Proposal |
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| 10. Communicate findings using a range of dissemination methods appropriate for different stakeholders | Proposal, presentation |
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| 11. Collaborate effectively in a team environment | Mini steps, proposal, presentation |
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