UN I VE RS IT Y OF MARYLAND OFFICE OF THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND PROVOST 1119 Main Administration Building College Park, Maryland 20742-5031 301.405.5252 TEL 301.405.8195 FAX January 17,2017 MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Boris Lushniak Dean, School of Public Health Elizabeth Beise Associate Provost for Academic Planning and Programs Proposal to Modify the Master of Public Health - Biostatistics Concentration (PCC Log. No. 16032) The proposal to modify the Master of Public Health - Biostatistics Concentration has been administratively approved. A copy of the proposal is attached. The change is effective Spring 2017. Please ensure that the change is fully described in the Graduate Catalog and in all relevant descriptive materials. MDC/ Enclosure cc: Andrew Harris, Chair, Senate PCC Committee Barbara Gill, Office of Enrollment Management Reka Montfort, University Senate Chip Denman, Division of Information Technology Pam Phillips, Institutional Research, Planning & Assessment Arme Turkos, University Archives Linda Yokoi, Office of the Registrar Alex Chen, Graduate School Coke Farmer, School of Public Health Robert Gold, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
University of Maryland PCC Program/Curriculum/Unit Proposal 16032 T,^ ^. MPH in Biostatistics Program: Department/Unit: Epidemiology and Biostatistics College/School: School of Public Health Proposal Contact Person (with email): Type of Action (check one): ^Curriculum change (includes modifying minors, concentrations/specializations and creating informal speciauzations) I I n Curriculum change is for an LEP Program other: Saksvig bsaksvig@umd.edu l~l Create an online version of an existing program I I Establish a new minor r~l Establish a new Master or Certificate of Professional Studies program QNew Professional Studies program wul be administered by Office of Extended Studies Approval Signatures - 1. Department Committee Chair 2. Department Chair 3. College/School PCC Chair 4. Dean Dean of the Graduate School (if required) 6. Chair, Senate PCC 7. University Senate Chair (if required) 8. Senior Vice President and Provost Instructions: When approved by the dean of the college or school, please send the proposal and signed form the to Office of the Associate Provost for Academic Planning and Programs, \9 Main Administration Building, Campus-5031, and etn ail the proposal document as an MSWord attachment to pcc-submissions@umd.edu. Summary of Proposed Action (use additional sheet if necessary): Unit Code(s) (to be entered by the Office of Academic Planning and Programs)
Overview and Rationale This proposal seeks to make curricular changes to the MPH degree in Biostatistics for School of Public Health, administered by faculty within the Department of Epidemiology Biostatistics (EPIB). The MPH is a professional degree for public health practice and proposed changes will provide students more flexibility in their program. EPIB was established in 2006 with a mission to improve health and reduce health dispar Maryland, the nation, and the world. Faculty use established epidemiologic and biostat methods to examine social and behavioral, biological, environmental, and genetic facto accomplish these goals. The EPIB faculty has multi-faceted interests and expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics and bioinformatics. The expertise of our biostatistics fac on applying statistical techniques including survival and longitudinal analysis, compu statistics, statistical analysis of genomic and proteomic data, machine learning, neur statistics, meta-analysis, Bayesian analysis, and bioinformatics to analyze and interp data. Our epidemiology faculty has expertise in epidemiology of infectious disease and disease with particular focus in the areas of HIV/STIs, cancer, health disparities, ca disease, obesity/physical activity, and sexual and reproductive health. The proposed changes will assist MPH students in biostatistics to gain more skills in biostatistical methods. Professionals in public health biostatistics typically work wi epidemiologists who collect their own data and the biostatistician then cleans and ana data, therefore, the addition of a required course in public health data management (E will better prepare students for their professional career. EPIB697 Public Health Data Management therefore replaces EPIB611 Intermediate Epidemiology as a required course, EPIB611 is moved to an elective course. Though not a direct consequence of learning outcomes assessment, informal assessment internship supervisors, employers, and alumni have indicated the increased need for da management skills from our students and alumni. Exit interviews have also indicated th students would prefer to have more flexibility in taking electives related to statisti courses. Table 1. Current Program Requirements for the MPH in Biostatistics EPIB 610 Foundations of Epidemiology 3 MPH EPIB 650 Biostatistics 1 3 Core HLSA 601 Introduction to Health Systems 3 (15 Required Credits) HLTH 665 Health Behavior 1 3 MIEH 600 Foundations of Environmental Health 3 EPIB 611 Intermediate Epidemiology 3 EPIB 651 Biostatistics II 3 Cognate Area EPIB 652 Categorical Data Analysis 3 (16 Required Credits) EPIB 653 Applied Survival Data Analysis 3 EPIB 655 Longitudinal Data Analysis 3 EPIB 641 Public Health and Research Ethics 1 Electives Electives with Advisement (3/6 Required Credits) 3/6 EPIB 785 Internship in Public Health 3 Capstone EPIB 786 Capstone Project in Public Health (3) or (6/9 Required Credits) 3/6 EPIB 799 Thesis (6) Total Biostatistics MPH Program 43 2
Table 2. Proposed Requirements for the MPH in Biostatistics Course Title Credits EPIB 610 Foundations of Epidemiology 3 MPH EPIB 650 Biostatistics! 3 Core HLSA 601 Introduction to Health Systems 3 (15 Required HLTH 665 Health Behavior 1 3 Credits) MIEH 600 Foundations of Environmental Health 3 EPIB 651 Biostatistics II 3 EPIB 652 Categorical Data Analysis 3 Cognate Area EPIB 653 Applied Survival Data Analysis 3 (16 Required EPIB 655 Longitudinal Data Analysis 3 Credits) EPIB 697 Public Health Data Management 3 EPIB 641 Public Health and Research Ethics 1 Pick two elective courses with advisement^ EPIB 654 Clinical Trials Analysis EPIB 657 Spatial Statistics for Public Health EPIB 663 SAS Programming EPIB 611 Intermediate Epidemiology EPIB 612 Epidemiologic Study Design EPIB 620 Chronic Disease Epidemiology Electives (6 Required Credits) EPIB 621 Infectious Disease Epidemiology EPIB622 Social Determinants of Health EPIB623 Epidemiology of Health Disparities EPIB 624 Genetics in Public Health EPIB625 Epidemiology of Physical Activity EPIB626 Epidemiology of Obesity 6 EPIB630 Epidemiologic Methods in Sexual and Reprod. Health Research EPIB631 Cancer Epidemiology EPIB 672 Public Health Informatics Capstone EPIB 785 Internship in Public Health 3 (6 Required Credits) EPIB 786 Capstone Project in Public Health 3 Total Biostatistics MPH Program 43 ^These courses may be within the department or outside the department or SPH and sele with advisement. ^Since the MPH is a professional practitioner's degree, and is anticipated as a termin degree, the Capstone project (EPIB786) is more appropriate for students. However, we keep the option for MPH students to complete a thesis (EPIB799) and take one less ele 3
Table 3. Sample of a Typical Course Sequence for the Revised MPH in Biostatistics Full-Time Course Sequence (Two years, without summer courses) Fall Semester 1 Course Title Credits EPIB 610 Foundations in Epidemiology 3 EPIB 650 Biostatistics 1 (pre-req for EPIB651) 3 EPIB 697 Public Health Data Management 3 HLTH 665 Health Behavior 1 (or other core MPH course)^ 3 Spring Semester 1 EPIB 651 Biostatistics II (pre-req for EPIB652, 653, 655) 3 EPIB 641 Public Health Research Ethics 1 HLSA 601 Introduction to Health Systems (or other core MPH course) 3 Elective^ 3 Fall Semester 2 EPIB 652 Categorical Data Analysis 3 EPIB 655 Longitudinal Data Analysis 3 MIEH 600 Foundations of Environmental Health (or other core MPH 3 course) Elective 3 Spring Semester 2 EPIB 653 Survival Data Analysis 3 EPIB 785 Internship in Public Health 3 EPIB 786 Capstone Project in Public Health 3 ^The MPH core courses are offered each semester and during the summer session and include EPIB 610 Foundations in Epidemiology; EPIB 650 Biostatistics 1; HLSA 601 Introduction to Health Systems; HLTH 665 Health Behavior 1; and MIEH 600 Foundations in Environmental Health. ^Students may plan their electives around the MPH core courses, for example, they may choose to take 2 elective courses in the spring of year 1 and then take two MPH core courses in the fall of year 2. Pre-requisite Structure for EPIB Courses semester and are the pre-requisites for all other required and optional courses degree. These two courses are both offered every semester including the summer t 1. EPIB610 and EPIB650 are the foundation courses and are taken during the first 2. EPIB651 is the prerequisite for EPIB652, 653, and 655. EPIB651 is offered durin spring term, which has not been a problem for progression towards the degree. 3. The capstone experience must be taken during the last semester of study. 4
Resource Needs and Sources We anticipate no significant change in enrollments of our existing courses due to the MS degree program. EPIB has the necessary faculty to teach the necessary courses and master's degree students. No new resources are requested. Our current faculty is in a to provide all necessary teaching and advising support for the MS degree program. Table 4. MPH In Biostatistics Required Courses Being Moved to Electives Course Number Course Name Credits EPIB 611 Intermediate Epidemiology 3 Grandfather Clause All students entering under the old requirements will have the option of completing th requirements under which they were admitted or be allowed to finish under the new requirements. 5