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MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Information Session
Caroline Golab, PhD
Associate Dean,
Academic and Student Affairs
Rob Simmons, DrPH, MPH,
MCHES, CPH
• MPH Program Director
• Associate Professor
• 40+ Years of Public Health
experience in government,
foundations, healthcare, academia,
and global health
Today’s Agenda
• Introducing Thomas Jefferson University and the Jefferson School of
Population Health
• The Calling for Public Health
• Redefining Public Health
• Public Health Practice
• Career Paths and Professional Preparation in Public Health
• Jefferson’s MPH Program Overview
• Admissions and Application process
• Q & A
Thomas Jefferson University
Downtown Philadelphia
Thomas Jefferson University
• Six Schools and One College with more than 3,000
students
– Jefferson Medical College
– Jefferson Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
– Jefferson School of Health Professions
– Jefferson School of Nursing
– Jefferson School of Pharmacy
– Jefferson School of Population Health
The Jefferson School of Population Health
David B. Nash, M.D., M.B.A.
Founding Dean
Mission of Jefferson School of
Population Health
To prepare leaders with global vision to
develop, implement and evaluate health policies
and systems that improve the health of
populations and thereby enhance the quality of
life.
JSPH Programs
• PhD in Population Health Sciences
• Master of Public Health (MPH)
– MD/MPH, DO/MPH, JD/MPH, MSS/MPH, PharmD/MPH,
MSN/MPH
• Master of Science in Health Policy (MS-HP)
• Master of Science in Healthcare Quality & Safety (MS-HQS)
• Master of Science in Healthcare Quality & Safety Management (MS-HQM)
• Master of Science in Applied Health Economics & Outcomes Research (MS-
AHEOR)
• Certificates: Public Health, Health Policy, Healthcare Quality & Safety,
Applied Health Economics & Outcomes Research
The Calling for Public Health:
Challenging Solutions for 21st
Century Issues
21st Century Public Health Issues
Global Health
Environmental Health Issues
21st Century Public Health Issues
Infectious Disease Prevention and Control
HIV/AIDS, Avian Flu, H1N1, etc.
Chronic Disease Prevention, Risk Factors, Obesity
21st Century Public Health Issues
Maternal and Child Health
Health of our Aging Population
21st Century Public Health Issues
Quality and Safety, Access to Health Care
Disaster Planning, Bioterrorism and Risk Communication
21st Century Public Health Issues
Health Communication, Social Marketing, Health Literacy
Health Inequities and Disparities
Key Public Health Goal:
Eliminating Health Inequities and Disparities
• Health inequities and disparities poor health
outcomes
• Social determinants of health increasing emphasis
on root causes of poor health and disease
– Initiatives and policies to address
health inequities and health outcomes:
Education Recreation Mortality
Employment Transportation Morbidity
Environment Neighborhood Safety Behavioral Risk Factors
Health Care Access, etc.
Health Disparities and Inequalities Report, US, 2011, MMWR, Supplement, Vol. 60
WHO Conference on Social Determinants of Health, Rio, Oct. 2011
Redefining Public Health for the
21st Century
The Core Functions of Public Health
Where is Public Health Practiced?
• Federal, state and local public health agencies
• Health centers and hospitals, private practice
• Non-governmental health organizations (NGOs) including
voluntary health organizations and private foundations
• Schools and universities
Where is Public Health Practiced?
• Private industry including health insurance and
pharmaceutical companies
• Professional health organizations
• Health policy and advocacy organizations
• Global health organizations
Public Health Practice Attitudes
• Passion to improve the health of the public and to
make a difference
• Interest in working with diverse populations in a
variety of environments
• Sensitivity to community needs, both social and
cultural
• Humility in working with diverse
populations/communities
• “Asset focused” – seeing assets, not just deficits,
when assessing communities
Public Health Practice Skills
• Interdisciplinary Teamwork
• Strong analytical skills – epidemiology, statistics,
GIS mapping
• Qualitative methodologies as well as quantitative
research/evaluation
• Strong writing skills – policies, grants, reports
Career Paths in Public Health
Biostatistics and Epidemiology
• Use of statistical methodology for analyzing health related data
• Research study of the distribution and determinants of disease and
disability in populations
Career Opportunities
• Database Manager, CDC
• Epidemiologist, American Cancer Society
• Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist, Philadelphia Department of Public
Health
Environmental Health • Research of issues associated with the adverse chemical, physical
and biological agents the environment on human health
Career Opportunities
• Risk Assessment Analyst, US Department of Agriculture
• Research Analyst, 1199 SEIU Fund Healthcare Union
• Occupational Health Consultant, NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Health Education/ Behavioral Sciences
• Process of selecting, applying and monitoring appropriate
behavioral, social and political change strategies to enhance the
health of populations
Career Opportunities
• Project Manager, Eli Lilly & Co.
• Bilingual Outreach and Training Provider, National Nursing Centers
Consortium
• Nutrition Educator, The Food Trust
Health Policy Advocacy, and Management
• Study of health care systems, reform, law, financial management,
clinic management and policy analysis
• Research and practice of public health
policy and advocacy at the national,
state, and local levels
Career Opportunities
• Public Health Analyst, US Department of Health and Human Services
• Community Health Program Coordinator, Lehigh Valley Health Network
• Policy Director with the Maternity Care Coalition
• Patient Safety Specialist, Department of Veteran’s Affairs
Cross-Cutting Public Health Domains
• Analytic/Assessment Skills
• Policy Development/ Program Planning
• Communication Skills
• Cultural Competency
• Community Dimensions of Practice
• Public Health Sciences
• Financial Planning and Management
• Leadership and Systems Thinking
Career Opportunities
• Community Health Assessment Specialist, non-profit hospital
• Community Organizer, Camden Coalition for Healthcare
• Health Communication Specialist, local health department
Professional Preparation and Training
in Public Health
“For me public health has
really informed my medical
education in terms of
framing the education….”
Growth of Graduate Degrees and
Certificates in Public Health – MPH,
PhD/DrPH
• Expanding role of health professions – medicine,
nursing, pharmacy, OT, PT, public health
• Expanding role of other professions – social work,
law, public and healthcare administration
• Cross-disciplinary work (teams)
• Inter-Professional training (JCIPE at TJU)
• Synergy of health, social, policy professions – Social justice, social welfare, human rights, population
health
“ Jefferson’s one-year
program for students going
on to medical school was a
perfect fit….”
MPH Curriculum (45 credits)
Core Courses
• Introduction to Public Health
• Behavioral and Social Theories
• Public Health Statistics
• Fundamentals of Epidemiology
• U.S. Healthcare Org. & Delivery
• Health Research Methods
• Environmental Health
• Public Health Policy/Advocacy
• Program Planning and Evaluation
• Clerkship Experience
• Capstone Seminar
• Capstone Project
Elective Courses
• Advanced Statistics
• Advanced Epidemiology
• Cultural Humility & Competence
• Dimensions of Global Health
• GIS Mapping
• Health Communication/Soc. Mkt.
• Environmental Health: Special Pops.
• Qualitative Research Methods
• History of Public Health
MPH Capstone Research Project Examples
• Attitudes, Behavior, and Barriers to Eating Healthy Across Race in Four Philadelphia Neighborhoods
• The Green Pursuit: Seeking Grants to Fund the Urban Farming and Environmental Health Education Program
• The Role of African-American Churches in Addressing HIV/AIDS in Philadelphia
• Functional Health Literacy and Diabetes Self-Care Adherence
• Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Maximize Volunteerism in Youth Shelters
“ The results of my capstone
project will be used by the hospital
for trending the reduction of
healthcare acquired infections….”
What’s Special About Our MPH Program?
• Trimester calendar - students can complete all courses in a single
ten month academic year
• Core courses and some elective courses offered in 2 of the 3 terms
- allowing students great flexibility in scheduling courses
• Most courses offered during weekend early evenings - allowing
students to work full-time or part-time
• Small class sizes ideal for graduate education - providing ease of
access to faculty and enhanced communication and collaboration
with fellow students
• Comprehensive generalist program - broad focus on public health;
students select elective course options based on interest
“ It’s really nice that people
who work can go to school at
night and finish their Masters
programs….”
“ I didn’t want to be pigeon-
holed into choosing a track I
might not like down the
road….”
What’s Special About Our MPH Program?
•Emphasis on experiential learning - where appropriate in
courses such as Introduction to Public Health,
Environmental Health, Public Health Policy and Advocacy,
and Qualitative Research Methods
•MPH faculty has extensive community-based practice
and research experience
•Program is well connected to the community -
Philadelphia Dept. of Public Health, the USDHHS Region
III office, various community health and social service
organizations, facilitating a range of options for the
practicum experience (MPH Clerkship)
“ My Program Planning and
Evaluation class gave me
practical experience with grants,
budgeting, and evaluation…..”
Key MPH Program Information
• Nationally accredited through the Council of Education
for Public Health (CEPH)
• Trimester system (14 weeks fall/spring, 11 weeks
summer):
– Fall or Spring admission
• One year “plus” program:
– Complete all coursework and clerkship in one academic year
– Complete Capstone Research project the following year.
• Dual degree students receive MPH transfer credits
Flexible Scheduling and a Personal
Approach to Education
• Students can begin in fall or spring terms
• Students progress at their own pace and graduate in any
of the three terms
• Core courses and many electives offered in two terms
• Small class sizes (10-20)
• Individual faculty advising and mentoring in a variety of
disciplines
MPH Prerequisites & Admissions
Requirements
• Keen interest in public health and becoming a future leader in health
• Earned baccalaureate degree with minimum GPA of 3.0 (3.3
preferred) with coursework in both the natural and social sciences
• Evidence of ability to perform graduate-level work:
– Competitive score on the GRE or other graduate entrance
examination (MCAT, LSAT, etc.) or
– Graduate degree or
– at least 9 graduate credits with grade of B or higher earned at
another accredited institution
• Two years of paid or volunteer work in a public health-related role
preferred
Application Process
Online application form - SOPHAS
• Visit https://portal.sophas.org/ to complete the online application for admission through
SOPHAS
• Follow the instructions on the SOPHAS site regarding the submission of documentation.
• Submit all:
– Official transcripts (including international transcripts) to SOPHAS.
– Two letters of recommendation to SOPHAS. Please be sure that the letters are
from different sources (i.e., a faculty member and a place you have volunteered or an
employer and a faculty member). Please do not submit letters of recommendation
that refer to your interest in another program.
– Personal Statement to SOPHAS.
– GRE scores or other graduate entrance examination, such as GMAT, LSAT,
MCAT, DAT to SOPHAS.
Rolling Admissions
• You may apply anytime throughout the year, but deadline
for fall admissions is July 1 and deadline for spring
admissions is November l.
• In-person or telephone interviews are conducted for eligible
applicants with a completed application packet.
• Notifications are sent within two weeks following the
application interview.
Financial Aid
• The majority of our MPH students are eligible for federal
financial aid.
• There are a few merit-based partial scholarships for
exceptional applicants.
University Office for Financial Aid
http://www.jefferson.edu/financialaid/
(215) 955-2867
Questions/Key Contacts – MPH Program
• Program specific content
– Rob Simmons, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, CPH
Phone: (215) 955-7312
Email: [email protected]
– Jennifer Ravelli, MPH
Phone: (215) 503-0174
Email: [email protected]
• Application Process and Documents
– April Smith
Phone: (215) 503-5305
Email: [email protected]
Jefferson School
of Population Health:
Putting public/community health
and health care together
Questions/Key Contacts – MPH Program
• Program specific content
– Rob Simmons, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, CPH
Phone: (215) 955-7312
Email: [email protected]
– Jennifer Ravelli, MPH
Phone: (215) 503-0174
Email: [email protected]
• Application Process and Documents
– April Smith
Phone: (215) 503-5305
Email: [email protected]
