MPH Programs: Advancing Undergraduate Public Health Education

Graduate Programs in public health, which grant more than 20% of the country's MPH degrees, are increasingly involved in defining the direction of undergraduate education for the nation. A 2011 survey conducted by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (funded by CDC), demonstrates that 66% of Programs that responded to the survey (overall response rate was 90%) offer undergraduate public health majors, minors, certificates or courses on campus, or collaborate with other schools in their state/area that do. The survey offers the first nation-wide estimate of enrollment numbers, areas of specialization, institutional histories (when undergraduate education was first offered) and the institutions' focus: creating educated citizens, or preparing students for careers in the public health workforce. The 25 Programs offering majors graduated at total of 1,449 students in 2009-10. Of note, 54% consider their undergraduate program to be primarily entry-level career (terminal degree), with only 16% regarding it as pre-MPH preparation. This presentation will include a description and comparison of prominent models of undergraduate education delivered by MPH Programs. Models include undergraduate minors, majors, dual majors, and joint undergrad-MPH degree programs. The dramatic growth of both MPH programs outside of schools of public health and of undergraduate public health programs have dramatic implications for the future of public health education and, by extension, for the public health workforce. The session will include discussion of these issues and how public health practitioners and educators might address them.