As an integral part of our educational programs, the school wide core curriculum enables students to gain a broad understanding of the areas of knowledge that are central to public health practice.
About the Core Curriculum
Goals of the Core Curriculum
Policies (advising and registration, grading)
Degree Specific Information
- MPH
- MHA
- MS
- DrPH
- PhD
Classes and Descriptions
Class Sequence for Fall 2013, Spring 2014, and Summer 2014
About the Core Curriculum
The core curriculum provides the foundational knowledge and competencies that all public health professionals need. Based on the ASPH Core Competencies, it covers the following broad areas:
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Environmental and occupational health
- Behavioral and community health sciences
- Health policy and management
- Public health biology
- Public health professionalism
- Systems thinking
- Program planning
- Communication and informatics
- Diversity and culture in public health practice
- Leadership
Goals
The core curriculum enables graduates to:
- Command the essential competencies of public health’s core content areas, and apply those competencies to complex public health issues.
- Explain how their chosen public health concentration contributes uniquely to the study of population health, and how it intersects with other public health disciplines.
- Articulate and advocate the values and ethics that distinguish public health as an historic, contemporary, and cohesive field of practice and inquiry.
- Successfully plan and execute programs and/or research intended to advance the public's health and health awareness, nationally and globally.
- Communicate effectively and appropriately with diverse groups of professional colleagues and public constituents.
- Locate, assemble, and critically analyze data, information, and knowledge resources.
- Develop a sense of identity, authority, and service in public health, and within their elected area of specialization.
- Assume key management roles in health organizations, and provide leadership in creating, implementing, and interpreting policy that promotes the ideals of public health.
Policies
Required Courses
Students pursuing an MPH and DrPH students without an MPH must take all of the school-wide core courses unless their program has been granted a waiver of certain courses. Students in MS and PhD programs take selected core courses, as described below.
Capstone Course Policy
Policy Updated | Summer 2011
All new students are to complete the Pitt Public Health core courses in a sequence that will prepare them to meet the prerequisites of the Capstone (PUBHLT 2016) course. Students should enroll in the Capstone course once they have completed all of the Pitt Public Health core courses (prerequisites for PUBHLT 2016) or if they are simultaneously enrolled in one other core course and the Capstone course. For full-time students Overview of Public Health and Public Health Biology should be completed in the first term of enrollment. See the core course sequence matrix below.
Biostatistics Core Course Policy
Policy instituted | March 2012
Policy and Introductory BIOST course information
Grading Policy
All Pitt Public Health students must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better. A grade of B or better is the desired grade for all required school-wide core courses. The rationale is that students who earn a B or better will be able to demonstrated competencies in the subject matter and thus be better prepared to enter public health practice.
If a student earns a C, the student and his/her advisor should meet to discuss the grade and the student is strongly encouraged to re-take the course. However, the final decision will be left to the advisor and the student.
If a student receives a grade below a C, that student must repeat the course. This policy is effective for all students beginning in August, 2009 for courses taken in the fall term 2009 and thereafter.
Degree Specific Information
What's the difference between degrees?
Master in Public Health (MPH)
| PUBHLT 2014 | Public Health Overview (1 credit) |
| PUBHLT 2015 | Public Health Biology (2 credits) not required for MMPH students |
| BIOST 2011* | Principles of Statistical Reasoning (3 credits) |
| BIOST 2041* | Introduction to Statistical Methods I (3 credits) |
| BIOST 2042* | Introduction to Statistical Methods II (3 credits) |
| EPIDEM 2110 | Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits) |
| BCHS 2509 | Social and Behavioral Sciences and Public Health (3 credits) not required for BCHS students |
| EOH 2013 | Environmental Health and Disease (3 credits) not required for EOH students |
| HPM 2001 | Health Policy and Management in Public Health (3 credits) |
PUBHLT 2016 | Capstone: Problem Solving in Public Health (2 credits) |
| PUBHLT 2022 | The Dean's Public Health Grand Rounds (0 credits) - two terms required; Completed during first and second terms. Offered fall and spring. |
*Students are required to take either:
-BIOST 2011
-BIOST 2041 and BIOST 2042
Selection of BIOST course should be done in consultation with your advisor.
Master of Health Administration (MHA)
| HPM 2141 | Managerial Epidemiology (3 credits) |
| PUBHLT 2011 | Essentials of Public Health (3 credits) |
| PUBHLT 2022 | The Dean's Public Health Grand Rounds (0 credits) - two terms required; Completed during first and second terms. Offered fall and spring. |
Master of Science (MS)
| PUBHLT 2011 | Essentials of Public Health (3 credits) |
| EPIDEM 2110 | Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits) |
| PUBHLT 2022 | The Dean's Public Health Grand Rounds (0 credits) - two terms required; Completed during the first and second terms. Offered fall and spring. |
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Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
Students seeking a DrPH take the same school-wide core as MPH students, unless they enter with an MPH degree, in which case they are only required to take:
| PUBHLT 2022 | The Dean's Public Health Grand Rounds (0 credits) - two terms required; Completed during first and second terms. Offered fall and spring. |
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| EPIDEM 2110 | Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits) |
| PUBHLT 2011 | Essentials of Public Health (3 credits) |
| PUBHLT 2022 | The Dean's Public Health Grand Rounds (0 credits) - two terms required. Completed during first and second terms. Offered fall and spring. |
Class Sequence
This is the typical sequence for core courses. Students can plan for future terms to be similar.
| Course | Fall 2013 | Spring 2014 | Summer 2014 |
| BCHS 2509 Social and Behavioral Sciences and Public Health | Mondays | Mondays | |
| BIOST 2011 Principles of Statistical Reasoning | Mondays |
| |
| BIOST 2041 Introduction to Statistical Methods I | Mondays and Wednesdays | ||
| BIOST 2042 Introduction to Statistical Methods II | Mondays and Wednesdays | ||
| EOH 2013 Environmental Health and Disease | Tuesdays | ||
| EPIDEM 2110 Principles of Epidemiology | Tuesdays and Thursdays | Tuesdays and Thursdays | |
| HPM 2001 Health Policy and Management in Public Health | Fridays | Summer 2013 will be the | |
| PUBHLT 2011 Essentials of Public Health | Wednesdays and Thursdays | ||
| PUBHLT 2014 Public Health Overview (Two sessions per term: students select one session) | Session 1 | ||
| PUBHLT 2015 Public Health Biology | Mondays | Mondays | |
| PUBHLT 2016 Capstone: Problem Solving in Public Health | Mondays | Mondays | Tuesdays and Thursdays |
| PUBHLT 2022 The Dean's Public Health Grand Rounds | Various | Various |