Educated Citizenry or Workforce Pipeline Development? Questions for the Future of Undergraduate Public Health in the United States

Accessibility of Public Health Knowledge: The Presence of Public Health Courses in General Education Programs at US Public Universities

OBJECTIVES

In 2003, the Institute of Medicine released the report Who Will Keep the Public Healthy?, in which the authors recommended that "all undergraduates have access to education in public health." The objective of this study was to explore the current status of that recommendation in public institutions in the United States with schools or programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

METHODS

We used a systematic qualitative content analysis approach, specifically a manifest analysis strategy, focusing on data that were available, tangible, and observable. To provide a snapshot of public health coursework in the general education curriculum, we reviewed the spring 2023 curriculum posted in online catalogs at US public colleges and universities with CEPH-accredited schools or programs of public health.

RESULTS

Of the 132 institutions represented in the analysis, 100 (75.8%) offered at least 1 public health course in their general education course offerings in the spring 2023 term and 32 (24.2%) offered no public health-related courses. None of the institutions required a public health course to graduate.

CONCLUSION

The recommendation for all students to have access to public health education in undergraduate programs was a timely and relevant imperative in 2003, and it is increasingly so today. We encourage colleges and universities with schools and programs accredited by CEPH to lead a renewed effort to expand access to public health education for undergraduates in the United States through general education programs.

Mapping competency profiles of schools of public health: implications for public health workforce education and training in Israel

Aim

Competency frameworks are essential for analyzing capabilities of Schools of Public Health to adequately prepare public health (PH) professionals to address contemporary challenges. This study maps the competency profiles of PH training programs in Israel using a novel curriculum mapping tool.

Methods

This study assessed all five Israeli Health Education Institutions (HEIs) offering MPH or Bachelors in Public Health (BPH) degrees across 57 competencies in six domains to determine the extent to which competencies were addressed in the curriculum. The competencies list was based on the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) List of Core Competences for the Public Health Professional, adapted for Israeli HEIs.

Results

The core curricula in the four MPH programs addressed 45-84% of all competencies. The BPH program addressed 79% of competencies. In MPH programs, the core curricula addressed most or all competencies in the Methods and the Socioeconomic Determinants of Health domains. Competencies in the domains of Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Policy, Economics & Organization, and Health Promotion and Prevention were less comprehensively addressed in most core curricula. Students' opportunities to broaden their exposure to competencies outside the core curricula were context dependent.

Discussion

The curriculum competencies mapping tool that was developed served to assess both strengths and shortcomings in PH education in Israel. The findings demonstrate a highly variable array of PH curriculum models in Israeli HEIs, as well as overall shortcomings in the Environmental, Health Policy Economics and Organization, and Health Promotion and Prevention domains. This analysis has already led to reassessment of the curriculum, and will continue to guide the next steps to increase the harmonization of PH training curricula and to better meet PH challenges in Israel.

Certification and licensing of public health professionals in Taiwan

This Viewpoint reviews the debate about whether the professionalization of public health practice should be approached through a certification and licensure system. It introduces the recent attempt at professionalizing public health in Taiwan with the newly enacted Public Health Specialists Act of 2020, regulating the Public Health Specialist (PHS) through a state-mandated certificate. The Viewpoint discusses the implications of this new PHS Act on Taiwan's public health education and professionalization. The PHS model in Taiwan is one of the first of its kind around the globe. Advocates of public health professionalization and public health educators could benefit from Taiwan's experience.

Trends in Degree Conferrals, Degree-Associated Debt, and Employment Outcomes Among Undergraduate Public Health Degree Graduates, 2001‒2020

Objectives. To characterize the trends in degree conferrals, degree-associated debt, and employment outcomes among undergraduate public health degree (UGPHD) graduates. Methods. We reported administrative data on degree conferrals from 2001 to 2020 from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). For alumni graduating from 2015 to 2019, we also reported degree-associated debt and earnings 1 year after graduation compiled by NCES. Finally, we utilized a data set on 1-year postgraduation employment outcomes for graduates from 2015 to 2020 from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. Results. As of 2020, more than 18 000 UGPHDs were awarded each year, more than 140 000 in total over the past 20 years. UGPHD graduates are highly diverse, with more than 80% being women and 55% being individuals from communities of color. We find alumni worked mostly in for-profit organizations (34%), health care (28%), nonprofits (11%), academic organizations (10%), government (10%), and other (6%). Degree-associated debt was $24 000, and the median first-year earnings were $34 000. Conclusions. While growth in UGPHD conferrals has slowed, it remains among the fastest-growing degree in the nation. However, the limited pathways into government remains a significant challenge. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(1):115-123. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307113).