摘要：Objectives. We described the process of engaging key stakeholders in a systematic review of requirements for a master of public health (MPH) degree within the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, and summarized resulting changes. Methods. A benchmarking study of 11 peer institutions was completed. Key stakeholders (i.e., current students, alumni, faculty, staff, employers, and practicum preceptors) received online or print surveys. A faculty retreat was convened to process results and reach consensus on program revisions. Results. MPH program changes included (1) improved advising and mentoring program, (2) elimination of research and practice track options, (3) increased elective and decreased required credit hours, (4) replacement of master's paper requirement with “deliverables” (written products such as reports, documents, and forms) produced as part of the required “Capstone” course, (5) extended community field experience to 2 semesters and moved it to year 2 of the program, and (6) allowed practica of either 200, 300, or 400 hours. Conclusions. Engaging key stakeholders in the program review process yielded important changes to the MPH degree program requirements. Others may consider this approach when undertaking curriculum reviews. The health of the public relies, in part, on a well-trained public health workforce. 1 In response to calls for greater standardization of public health training programs, students pursuing a master of public health (MPH) degree from an accredited school of public health must attain both school-wide and discipline-specific competencies and complete a required practicum. 2 Professionals and graduating MPH students who pass a national examination covering school-wide competencies also receive a certificate of public health. 3 Instituting Council on Education for Public Health accreditation of MPH training programs and encouraging receipt of the public health certificate help standardize training of public health professionals, yet few published descriptions of efforts to improve discipline-specific training programs within schools of public health exist. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health (Gillings SPH) has a long tradition of preparing public health professionals in biostatistics, epidemiology, nutrition, environmental sciences, health policy and management, maternal and child health, and health behavior and health education. Mindful of national initiatives to standardize public health training programs, the Institute of Medicine report clarifying the needs of the 21st-century public health workforce, 1 and several discipline-specific efforts, 4 , 5 the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education (HBHE) within the Gillings SPH undertook a systematic assessment of its MPH training program. The HBHE Department convened a Program Assessment Committee (PAC), comprising faculty, students, and alumni, to lead a program assessment effort that engaged key stakeholders (current students, alumni, faculty, staff, employers, and practicum preceptors) in all aspects of the process. Engaging stakeholders in this process ensured our ability to glean information from people who were (1) most invested in the training enterprise (e.g., faculty, current students, and prospective employers), (2) had most recently experienced the training program (recent graduates and alumni, employers or practicum preceptors), and (3) had insight into the degree to which training matches available job opportunities (e.g., recent alumni). Moreover, the HBHE Department's commitment to collaborative, participatory teaching, research, and practice suggested a methodology that harmonized with the engaged approaches that faculty espoused and students and alumni practiced. The national trend toward engaged teaching and research in higher education, as evidenced by the Carnegie Foundation's addition of a classification for community engagement, further validated this approach. 6 , 7 We describe the comprehensive, discipline-specific MPH assessment process undertaken by the HBHE Department, the results of that assessment, and changes that were implemented. Established in 1940 and accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, the Gillings SPH is currently the second largest school of public health in the country. During the assessment process in 2006, the school had 215 faculty members and 1705 students and offered degrees in 8 academic departments. The school's mission is “to improve public health, promote individual well-being, and eliminate health disparities across North Carolina and around the world.” 8 At the time of the assessment, the HBHE Department had 21 full-time tenured faculty members and 86 MPH candidate students (48 in the first year and 38 in the second year of the program). At that time, the department offered MPH and PhD degrees and a dual master's degree (MPH and master of regional planning [MRP]) with UNC's Department of City and Regional Planning. The mission of the MPH program is to prepare students to be (1) successful in a wide range of public health education–related careers and (2) capable of serving as leaders who can address 21st-century public health priorities. The MPH program is a full-time, 21-month program into which students are admitted once per year. At the time of the assessment, all MPH students in the HBHE Department chose between a “research” or “practice” track. The research track included additional methods courses, a research-related master's paper, and a public presentation of research results. The practice track included a required management course and a practice-related master's paper. Additionally, the Gillings SPH offered certificates in global health, health disparities, public health ethics, and health communications.
