1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 220 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: (202) 789-1050 Fax: (202) 789-1895 Web: www.ceph.org August 0, 2012 Richard D. Clover, MD Dean University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences 485 East Gray Street Louisville, KY 40202 Dear Dean Clover: This acknowledges your communication of June 27, 2012, advising the Council on Education for Public Health of a substantive change relating to the programs of study associated with the accredited School of Public Health and Information Sciences at the University of Louisville. We understand that the school has added a new joint degree, which combines the MPH with the master of urban planning degree (MUP). The CEPH Board of Councilors Administrative Committee met August 22, 2012, at which time we reviewed and acted to accept your letter. We will review this new degree program in greater depth to determine compliance with the accreditation criteria during your upcoming accreditation review. As you know, in order to maintain accredited status, you must complete your next accreditation review as scheduled with a site visit on January 16-18, 201. Sincerely, Stephen W. Wyatt, DMD, MPH President cc: CEPH Councilors
Directors: MUP components: David M. Simpson, Ph.D., AICP MPH components: Robert R. Jacobs, Ph.D. Coordinators: MUP components: Yani Vozos, MUP MPH components: Tammi A. Thomas Websites: http://supa.louisville.edu/mup.htm http://louisville.edu/sphis/academics/master-of-public-health.html Introduction The Dual Master of Urban Planning-Master of Public Health Program (MUP-MPH program) is designed to graduate students with core competencies in both urban planning and public health. Graduates of the program receive two degrees: Master of Urban Planning and Master of Public Health. Graduates of the MUP-MPH program are prepared for positions relating to public health and the built environment, including urban form/design and health, urban public health planning and development, and urban green sustainability and health planning and policy. The MUP-MPH program is a collaboration of the MUP program in the Department of Urban and Public Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences and the MPH program in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences. Competencies The MUP components of the MUP-MPH program develop essential skills through required coursework in the following areas: research methods, economics, economic development, planning and public health theory, geographic information systems, and program management and evaluation. Depending on the student s program of study, additional skills are developed in a wide range of areas from urban environmental quality and policy to land use planning and policy. Student competency expectations are determined through a national accreditation board (Planning Accreditation Board) and reviewed each time the MUP degree program is reaccredited. The MPH program has adopted the competencies published by the Association of Schools of Public Health. (ASPH Education Committee. Master s Degree in Public Health Core Competency Development Project, Version 2.. http://www.asph.org/userfiles/version2..pdf.) The learning objectives for each course in the MPH curriculum are mapped to these ASPH competencies, both of which are reviewed by SPHIS s national accreditation body, Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), during each five-year reaccreditation. Page 1 of 9
Admission Admission to the MUP-MPH program requires separate admissions to each of the MUP program and the MPH program. This includes two separate graduate education applications. MUP Program Applicants must have a bachelor's degree (any major is acceptable), and provide a completed application form, a transcript of all undergraduate course work, scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), a statement of purpose, and two letters of recommendation. Admission is competitive and generally requires a minimum combined quantitative and verbal GRE score of 1000 and a GPA of.00. Those applicants whose native language is not English and who do not hold a degree from a university where the language of instruction is English must complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of at least 78 on the Internet-based test. For information on the application process, please contact: Yani Vozos, MUP, Student Advisor Master of Urban Planning Program Department of Urban and Public Affairs University of Louisville 426 W. Bloom Street Louisville, Kentucky 40208 yani.vozos@louisville.edu Phone: 502-852-8002 Fax: 502-852-4558 MPH Program The ideal candidate for admission to the MPH program has received the equivalent of a bachelor s degree or higher, has education or training in one or more health-related fields, has worked or studied in a public health-related situation, can comprehend and communicate effectively in English, has the recommendations of at least three persons in a health-related or advanced education field, has performed satisfactorily in one or more standardized test, and is very interested in pursuing a career in public health or a related field. The requirements for admission to the MPH program are: Bachelor s degree from an accredited institution or its equivalent Recommended minimum GPA of.0 on a 4.0 scale If candidate s primary language is not English, one of the following: o Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam with a minimum score of 250 (after conversion for test type) o Passing the exit examination for the advanced level of the Intensive English as a Second Language Program at the University of Louisville Page 2 of 9
o Degree from an accredited U.S. institution (requires provisional admission with evaluation of English language competency and potential requirement to pass the exit examination for the advanced level of the Intensive English as a Second Language Program at the University of Louisville) An application is considered once all of the following requirements have been received: Graduate application and payment of application fee. Three letters of recommendation written within the last twelve months. Official transcripts of all degrees. Resume or curriculum vitae. One-page personal statement written by the application that is a clear, substantive description of his or her goals in public health, noting any professional or research experience. Official score from any of the following standardized tests: GRE, MCAT, DAT, GMAT, or LSAT. International applicants: Foreign credential evaluation of all degrees from non-u.s. institutions. Please contact the MPH program prior to completing this requirement. For information on the application process, please contact: MPH Program School of Public Health and Information Sciences University of Louisville 485 East Gray Street Louisville, KY 40202 sphismph@louisville.edu Phone: 502-852-289 Fax: 502-852-294 Administrative Changes in Academic Plan The administration of the MUP-MPH program is handled by both the MUP program in the Department of Urban and Public Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences and the MPH program in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences. At any one time, a student in the program is assigned the academic plan for either the MUP degree or the MPH degree, according to the following schedule (which may be modified for part-time or accelerated students): Coursework (e.g., by year) Fall Semester Spring Semester MPH core (e.g., first year) MPH academic plan MPH academic plan MUP core (e.g., second year) MUP academic plan MUP academic plan Mixed electives (e.g., third year) MUP academic plan MPH academic plan Page of 9
Public Health and Urban Planning Track Students in the MUP-MPH program are required to complete the public health and urban planning track as part of the requirements for the MPH degree. Admission to the track is automatic for students in the MUP-MPH program who have successfully completed the first-year coursework for the MPH program. Curriculum Students in the MUP-MPH program may start with either the MPH core coursework or with the MUP core coursework. Following completion of either of the latter, students then take the core coursework in the other discipline. Faculty Advisor A faculty advisor for each discipline is appointed for each student by the discipline s director for the MUP-MPH program. The two faculty advisors are jointly responsible for developing and revising the student s program of study. Program of Study A student s program of study consists of a current schedule of courses taken (with grades) and to be taken, along with required milestones, graduation target date, and any leaves of absence. A student s initial program of study is developed jointly by the student s two faculty advisors, in consultation with the student, and is completed during the student s first semester. The initial program of study or any substantive revisions of it must be approved by both program directors. Degree Requirements The MUP-MPH program is a dual program of two disciplines with a shared focus on the combination of public health and urban planning. The degree in each discipline, MUP in urban planning and MPH in public health, is accredited by separate national accreditation bodies. Each degree has specific requirements for the award of the degree, including coursework, practical experience, and integrating/capstone experience. The design of the MUP-MPH program enables the student to meet the requirements for both degrees in three years by sharing 24 credit hours of coursework, thus accelerating the two degrees taken separately by two semesters. Requirements for the MUP and MPH degrees are: Successful completion of all core, practicum experience, and integrating experience coursework Completion of all deliverables for the practicum experience Page 4 of 9
Minimum score of 80% on either of two tries of a comprehensive examination on MPH competencies (part of PHPH-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health) or successful completion of remediation project (part of PHPH-601 ) Coursework 71 total credit-hours: 62 credit-hours of required coursework 18 credit hours of MPH core coursework 21 credit hours of MUP core coursework 6 credit hours of public health and urban planning core coursework 6 credit hours of combined MPH practicum and MUP internship experience credit hours of MUP integrating experience 8 credit hours of MPH integrating experience 9 credit-hours of elective coursework in public health and urban planning Example Schedule of Required Coursework Semester Course # Course Title Credit- Hours PHMS-501 Introduction to Public Health Practice and Administration (core) Fall I PHST-500 Introduction to Biostatistics (core) PHEP-501 Introduction to Epidemiology (core) PHPH-696 Issues in Public Health (integrating experience) 2 Semester Total 11 Spring I Fall II Spring II PHEH-500 Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences (core) PHPB-501 Introduction to Health Behavior (core) PHPH-610 Data and Statistics Management for Public Health using SPSS (core) PHPH-614 Critical Thinking and Program Evaluation (integrating experience) PLAN-601 Planning Theory and History PLAN-600 Site Planning PLAN-60 Urban Economics PHPH-60 Geographic Information Systems in Public Health PLAN-604 Applied Research Methods PLAN-605 Land Use and Planning Law PLAN-606 Professional Practice Urban planning elective (see below) Page 5 of 9
Example Schedule of Required Coursework Semester Course # Course Title Credit- Hours Fall III Spring III PLAN-62 Environmental Policy and Natural Hazards Elective (see below) Elective (see below) PHPH-679 Public Health Practicum Experience (counts toward MUP as equivalent to PLAN-649 Planning Internship) Elective (see below) PLAN-650 Planning Capstone Studio PHPH-679 Public Health Practicum Experience PHPH-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health Degree Total 71 PHPH-696 Issues in Public Health The Issues in Public Health course is part of the integrating experience and is a trans-disciplinary course designed to integrate what students learned in other coursework and experiences and the application of these lessons to the broader scope of public health. Working in teams and on selected public health projects or initiatives are the focus of the course. PHPH-614 Critical Thinking and Program Evaluation The Critical Thinking and Program Evaluation course is an integrating experience course and focuses on the identification of public health problems and planning appropriate responses and evaluations. Planning and evaluation skills are considered pivotal learning concepts for the MPH degree and for successful public health practice. PHPH-679 Public Health Practicum Experience (and PLAN-649 Planning Internship) The Practicum Experience places the student for two successive semesters in a non-academic organization providing public health-related services in an urban planning environment. The practicum experience and its required deliverables must be completed to fulfill MPH program requirements. The first semester of the course replaces the PLAN-649 Planning Internship requirement for the MUP program. PLAN-650 Capstone Studio The Capstone Studio integrates the various elements of the MUP program and provides the opportunity to work on real-world planning problems. Page 6 of 9
PHPH-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health This course is designed to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in course work and other learning experiences and to apply this knowledge to situations that represent various aspects of professional public health practice. Through the evaluation of previous cases and the development of a new case from current and emerging areas of public health, students working in teams demonstrate their abilities in applying general and specific public health knowledge they have learned through their courses of study. The course includes a comprehensive exam that assesses a student s grasp of core public health concepts prior to graduation. The exam uses the format of the National Board of Public Health Examiners and includes questions covering the five core and cross-cutting competencies from the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH). The exam format consists exclusively of multiple-choice questions. Some questions may be grouped in a series following a short vignette, but they remain in an objective, multiple-choice format. The exam is given twice, once in the middle of the semester and once at the end of the semester. All students are required to take the exam the first time it is given. Students who pass the exam (a grade of 80% or better) the first time are not required to take the exam the second time unless they want to try to improve their score. The higher score is used to calculate the student s portion of the grade for the exam. Students not passing the exam the first time must retake the exam the second time. A student failing to make a grade of 80% or better either time the exam is given receives an I (incomplete) for the course regardless of the scores on other evaluation components. The student is required to enroll in PHPH-601 for the next term or semester (usually summer term) and to successfully complete a remediation project as specified by the course instructors by the end of the term or semester in order to graduate. If the student successfully completes the project, the student s grade of I is replaced with one calculated using an 80% score on the individual comprehensive examination. If the project is not successfully completed, the student s grade for the course is F, which means the student does not graduate. Electives Electives include both urban planning and public health courses, each of which addresses aspects of both fields. Electives may be chosen from any course in the following list provided that at least one is an urban planning elective and two are public health electives. A student s electives are identified as part the development of his or her program of study, with careful attention to when the courses are offered and their prerequisites. (Prerequisites are listed for program-of-study planning convenience.) Approval of both program directors is required to replace one or more listed electives with other courses. Page 7 of 9
Electives Course # Course Title Credit- Hours Urban Planning Electives PLAN-501 Urban Environmental Quality Prerequisites: none Analytical Urban Geography Prerequisites: PLAN-616 GEOG-28 Urban Geography SOC-05 Urban Sociology Consent of instructor PLAN-617 Housing and Community Development Prerequisites: none Urban Demography PLAN-618 Prerequisites: one of: GEOG-28 Urban Geography Consent of instructor Urban Geographic Information Systems Applications Prerequisites: One of: PLAN-619 PLAN-608 Geographic Information Systems UPA-629 Geographic Information Systems PHPH-60 Geographic Information Systems in Public Health PLAN-620 Environmental Policy Prerequisites: none PLAN-621 Urban Infrastructure Prerequisites: none PLAN-622 Urban Design Prerequisites: none Urban Transportation Planning Prerequisites: One of: PLAN-624 ECON-605 Urban Economics PADM-640 Urban Economics PLAN-60 Urban Economics UPA-60 Urban Economics Public Health Electives PHEH-620 Global Issues in Environmental Health Prerequisites: MPH core coursework (see above) PHMS-615 Introduction to Health Systems Prerequisites: MPH core coursework (see above) PHMS-655 Systems Thinking and Dynamic Modeling in Public Health Prerequisites: MPH core coursework (see above) PHMS-607 Managing Healthy Communities Prerequisites: MPH core coursework (see above) PHMS-761 Public Health and the Built Environment Prerequisites: MPH core coursework (see above) Page 8 of 9
Course # PHPB-604 Electives Credit- Course Title Hours Health Decision and Risk Analysis Prerequisites: MPH core coursework (see above) v2011.11.28 Page 9 of 9
Coursework 71 total credit-hours: 62 credit-hours of required coursework 18 credit hours of MPH core coursework Application of Credit Hours 21 credit hours of MUP core coursework Coursework Area Dual MPH MUP 6 credit hours of public health and urban planning core coursework 6 credit hours of combined MPH practicum and MUP internship experience credit hours of MUP integrating experience 8 credit hours of MPH integrating experience MPH only MUP only Both Total 2 24 24 71 2 - - 24 47 - - 24 24 48 9 credit-hours of elective coursework in public health and urban planning Example Schedule of Required Coursework Semester Course # Course Title Credit- Hours PHMS-501 Introduction to Public Health Practice and Administration (core) Fall I PHST-500 Introduction to Biostatistics (core) PHEP-501 Introduction to Epidemiology (core) PHPH-696 Issues in Public Health (integrating experience) 2 Semester Total 11 Spring I Fall II Spring II PHEH-500 Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences (core) PHPB-501 Introduction to Health Behavior (core) PHPH-610 Data and Statistics Management for Public Health using SPSS (core) PHPH-614 Critical Thinking and Program Evaluation (integrating experience) PLAN-601 Planning Theory and History PLAN-600 Site Planning PLAN-60 Urban Economics PHPH-60 Geographic Information Systems in Public Health PLAN-604 Applied Research Methods PLAN-605 Land Use and Planning Law PLAN-606 Professional Practice Urban planning elective (see below)
Example Schedule of Required Coursework Semester Course # Course Title Credit- Hours PLAN-62 Environmental Policy and Natural Hazards Elective (see below) Elective (see below) Fall III PHPH-679 Public Health Practicum Experience (counts toward MUP as equivalent to PLAN-649 Planning Internship) Spring III Elective (see below) PLAN-650 Planning Capstone Studio PHPH-679 Public Health Practicum Experience PHPH-697 Integrating Learning and Experience in Public Health Degree Total 71