The ASPH Education Committee has released the MPH Core Competencies Version 1.3. This most recent set is limited to the discipline-specific competencies in the five basic public health science areas. In this version, the discipline-specific competencies are considered final. The Core Competencies can be viewed at http://www.asph.org/UserFiles/FINAL%20-%20Version%201.3%20for%20DISTRIBUTION1.pdf.
The discipline-specific competencies in Version 1.3 are those considered essential for all MPH students upon graduation, regardless of area of specialization or intended career trajectory.
ASPH has now commenced Phase 2 of the core MPH competency development process. In this phase, experts from schools of public health, public health programs and practitioners will refine and finalize cross-cutting and Public Health Biology competencies. The six cross-cutting domain areas are: Communication, Diversity and Cultural Proficiency, Leadership, Professionalism and Ethics, Program Planning and Assessment, and Systems Thinking.
The final set of MPH core competencies will include:
- Five core discipline areas (biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy management and social and behavioral sciences)
- An integrated interdisciplinary, cross-cutting set of overall competency domains (Communication, Diversity and Cultural Proficiency, Leadership, Professionalism and Ethics, Program Planning and Assessment and Systems thinking)
- Public Health Biology competencies
The competencies are intended to serve as a resource and guide for those interested in improving the quality and accountability of public health education and raining. They were developed with respect for the uniqueness and diversity of the SPH. They are not meant to prescribe the methods or processes for achievement, recognizing that implementation of the competencies may vary as a function of each school’s mission and goals.
In particular, it is anticipated that the competencies could be useful to colleagues at graduate public health programs, employers, practice and agency partners, CEPH, and the board that will credential graduates of schools. Through this process, ASPH aims to fill the void that exists regarding an MPH core curriculum, and thus provide leadership in graduate public health education that will help define contemporary and future education in public health.
For details on the process and background on the project, see http://www.asph.org/document.cfm?page=851. ASPH continues to welcome comments at competency@asph.org. Questions should be directed to Ms. Kalpana Ramiah at kramiah@asph.org.