Course Facilitator. Course Description

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1 Claremont Graduate University Master of Public Health Program CGH 307: Public Health Capstone Academic Year The Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH), an independent agency recognized by the US Department of Education that accredits schools and programs in public health, requires all of its accredited schools to assure that each student demonstrates skills and integration of knowledge through a culminating experience. As defined by CEPH, a culminating experience requires a student to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences and to apply theory and principles in a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice. Through the culminating experience the faculty determines whether the student has mastered the body of knowledge required of a master s degree graduate. Course Facilitator Darleen Peterson, PhD, MPH, MCHES Associate Professor, MPH Program Director & Faculty Advisor Phone: or cell: Fax: E- mail: darleen.peterson@cgu.edu Course Description The main purpose of the Capstone is to provide the culminating, integrative curricular experience for students enrolled in Claremont Graduate University s Master of Public Health program during their last semester prior to graduation. As such, the course draws on students prior training in the five core areas of public health (i.e., Social and Behavioral Science, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Services and Environmental and Occupational Health), their additional required course work in Health Promotion, Education & Evaluation, Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology, and Leadership and Management and their real world experience gained in the field prior to their graduation. More than just providing a review of the MPH curriculum, however, the Capstone is designed to challenge students to reflect and integrate their training and experience with the goal of developing their own individual point of view regarding the role of public health in contributing to the improvement of the health and well being of populations in the United States, as well as abroad. Course Objectives Because the Capstone course pulls together the training students have received in all their prior coursework and field experience, it provides the opportunity to round out the development of the full set of competencies viewed as essential for masters- prepared graduates in public health. As such, this course is structured to accomplish four objectives: 1

2 1. Provide students with a means of self- assessment, indicating how core and concentration- specific competencies were achieved, through master s courses and fieldwork, community service, and paid work experience 2. Demonstrate to the graduate faculty that students have attained a basic knowledge base and skill set within the core public health areas 3. Provide information that will be used by the Council on Education in Public Health to assess the curriculum s effectiveness in providing students with the opportunities necessary to become competent in the core public health areas and in specialized areas 4. Offer a means whereby students can market themselves to potential employers, showcasing their professional development, accomplishments and abilities. Course Requirements The MPH Portfolio In order to complete the culminating experience, students submit a portfolio that becomes the property of the program. The portfolio is a compendium of documents that demonstrate accomplishments during the MPH degree program in the School of Community and Global Health. It contains a collection of work that exhibits students efforts, progress, achievements, reflections and self- assessment in one or more areas. The portfolio tracks and collects in one location many of the materials produced during the master s coursework. Thus, the portfolio ties together courses, fieldwork, service, leadership and paid work experience with specific core competencies of the MPH program. Portfolio development is a process that allows students to collect, select, reflect, build on and showcase their work and experiences through the entire degree program. The portfolio requirement allows students to review the general public health competencies and the competencies in their specific field of concentration. Students will reflect on how they attained these competencies through a combination of coursework, fieldwork, employment, community service, and other experiences. Students will also evaluate their fieldwork experiences, and identify general and specialization competencies that were enhanced during this experience. The materials in this section will help develop and maintain the portfolio that is submitted during the capstone course. The portfolio consists of academic, professional and service accomplishments and may include major course projects, reports, presentations, publications and other samples of work that is completed. The portfolio provides concrete evidence of your learning in graduate school and provides you with writing samples and other examples of your skills to share with potential employers. Requirement 2: Capstone Paper Each student will develop a scholarly paper based upon those projects undertaken as part of the supervised field training experience. The final paper provides another opportunity for the student to identify the manner in which core and concentration specific competencies were mastered. Grading The portfolio and paper are weighted equally. Students will be given a grade of Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). Quality of work must reflect a B or better (80% out of 100%) to receive a 2

3 satisfactory mark. Both the portfolio and final paper are graded by a faculty committee comprised of the Program Director the student s concentration Director using a standardized rubric. Faculty have developed procedures for remediating less than satisfactory performance on the capstone experience. Students will receive an individual assignment crafted by their concentration director and the MPH program director. Questions will be devised based upon those competencies that were not met. Students will be given a written exam, which will be graded by both faculty members. Any unsatisfactory responses will be addressed in an oral examination. Students have one opportunity to pass the individual assignment. Due Dates The final paper and all portfolio contents must be submitted to the instructor in at the Claremont Administrative offices by 5:00 p.m. according to the following schedule: Semester Spring 2014 Summer 2014 Fall Due Dates May 5 August 18 December 15 Students failing to meet these deadlines in the semester in which they register for CGH 307 will receive a grade of Incomplete (IN) for the semester. The IN will be removed once all deliverables have been received. Students have one calendar year from registration in CGH 307 to complete the course requirements. 3

4 Portfolio Organization Purchase two large, sturdy 3- ring binders. Depending upon the nature of the materials you include, one binder will contain the portfolio sections, and the other can be an appendix to include your sample work. Divide the binder into the key sections listed below. It will also be useful to maintain a set of electronic versions of these documents, including scans of hard copy material. 1. Introduction 2. Professional Mission Statement and Goals 3. Resume or CV 4. Experience in Public Health a. Certification in Human Subjects b. Employment in Public Health 5. Competences in Public Health a. Core competencies b. Concentration Competencies 6. Diversity and Culture a. Reflection b. Competence 7. Leadership Skills a. Professional Presentations & Publications b. Attendance at Professional Conferences c. Leadership Positions d. Civic Engagement 8. Field Training 9. Final Reflective Statement 10. Capstone Paper Portfolio Content Requirements Use dividers to include the following sections of the portfolio. Title page (N/A%) This page contains general information about the student. a. Full name b. Contact information (address, phone, e- mail, fax) c. Area of specialization (track): HPEE, ABE, or LM d. Date matriculated into the program Table of contents (N/A%) 4

5 Introduction (5%) Who are you and what is your philosophy of your public health work? Think about the connections that run in your professional and perhaps, personal life. Are you focused on one issue? Are you more interested in strategies and policies? Does a theoretical foundation drive you? This section should be brief, but descriptive. Professional Mission Statement and Goals (5%) a. Mission Statement Compose a paragraph describing who you are in terms of your aspirations, characteristics and guiding principles. Think about what the meaning of public health is for you and your role as a public health professional in other words, demonstrate your commitment to the field. The mission statement should be concise and direct, and be connected to your introduction in some manner. b. Educational and Professional Goals Use the goals from your personal statement in your program application a starting point and modify as needed. Include reflection on your goals, e.g., how have your goals changed from the time you entered the MPH program, the extent to which you achieved your goals; and future actions you might take to achieve your goals. Resume or CV (5%) Minimum requirements include: a. Name b. Contact information c. Education completed d. Public health and other relevant work experience (in chronological order) e. Honors and awards (chronological order) f. Special skills Experience in Public Health (10%) This section provides documentation and evidence of commitment and experience in the field of public health. a. Certification of Human Subjects Protections Training from NIH (go to Include a copy of your training certificate. b. A chronological list of any paid public health experiences you have had. Include dates, agency name & address, your supervisor s name, credentials & title, your title and responsibilities. 5

6 Competencies in Public Health a. Core competencies (20%) The core competencies describe what a fully- prepared graduate of our program should be able to do. The core competencies have been selected by the faculty. They are covered in the core courses, and are linked to specific learning objectives in each core course. As the MPH core competencies are interdisciplinary, many of them are covered in the concentration courses, as well. This section of the portfolio provides documentation and evidence of competence in the 10 core competencies required to graduate from our program. Note: If you have substituted any courses within the MPH curriculum with courses in other programs, concentrations or directed research units, please include a copy of the syllabi. Please include copies of your assignment indicating which part(s) addressed the competency in the appendix. MPH Core Competencies, adopted from Council of Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice, 2009 ID # Domain(Skills) Competency MPH 1 Analytic /Assessment Assess the health status of populations and their related determinants of health and illness (e.g., factors contributing to health promotion and disease prevention, availability and use of health services). MPH 2 Policy Development/Program Planning Develop a plan to implement policy and programs. MPH 3 Communication Communicate in writing and orally, in person, and through electronic means with linguistic and cultural proficiency. MPH 4 Cultural Competency Consider the role of cultural, social and behavioral factors in the accessibility, availability, acceptability and delivery of public health services. MPH 5 Community Dimensions of Practice Describe the role of governmental and non- governmental organizations in the delivery of community health services MPH 6 Basic Public Health Sciences Apply the basic public health sciences (including, but not limited to biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health services administration, and social and behavioral health sciences) to public health policies and programs. MPH 7 Conduct a comprehensive review of scientific evidence related to a public health issue, concern or intervention. MPH 8 Financial Planning/Management Interpret the organizational structures, functions, and authorities of local, state, and federal public health agencies for public health program management MPH 9 Prepare proposals for funding from external sources. MPH 10 Leadership & Systems Thinking Incorporate ethical standards of practice as the basis of all interactions with organizations, communities and individuals In your portfolio, each competency will contain its own matrix. To illustrate, the matrix for core competency #1 appears below. 6

7 MPH Competency #1: Assess the health status of populations and their related determinants of health and illness (e.g., factors contributing to health promotion and disease prevention, availability and use of health services). List the course/s that helped you attain the competency.* List the corresponding course learning objectives that helped you achieve the competency.** Explain how you know you have acquired each core competency. Provide a description with specific examples.*** * There is no limit on how many courses you may list. For each course, provide course number, name, semester and year. **Objectives appear on the course syllabus. ***If the same assignment fulfills more than one competency, simply reference the competency number in subsequent entries. b. Concentration- specific competencies (20%) The program offers graduate degrees in four concentrations: Health Promotion, Education and Evaluation, Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology, and Leadership and Management. Each concentration, in turn, has its own competencies. These concentration- specific competencies specify the skills graduates in a specific area should have upon in order to receive the MPH degree. This section of the portfolio provides documentation and evidence of competence in your specific track. Note: If you have substituted any courses within the MPH curriculum with courses in other programs, concentrations or directed research units, please include a copy of the syllabi. Please include copies of your assignment indicating which part(s) addressed the competency. 7 Competencies by Specialty Area, adopted from NCHEC & ASPH Specialty Area ID # Competency Health Promotion, HPEE 1 Assess individual and community needs for health education. Education & Evaluation HPEE 2 Plan health education strategies, interventions and programs. HPEE 3 Implement health education strategies, interventions and programs. HPEE 4 Conduct evaluation and research related to health education. HPEE 5 Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs. HPEE 6 Serve as a health education research person. HPEE 7 Communicate and advocate for health and health education. Applied Biostatistics & Epidemiology ABE 1 Describe the roles that epidemiology and biostatistics serve in the discipline of public health, and be able to describe a public health problem in terms of magnitude, people, time, and place. ABE 2 Apply proper terminology and definitions used in biostatistics and epidemiology ABE 3 Identify key sources of data for biostatistical and epidemiologic studies. ABE 4 Apply appropriate measurement scales, concepts of probability, random variation, and commonly used statistical probability distributions. ABE 5 Apply descriptive techniques and commonly used inferential statistical methods to summarize public health data. ABE 6 Describe preferred methodological alternatives to commonly used statistical methods when assumptions are not met. ABE 7 Explain the importance of biostatistics and epidemiology for informing scientific, ethical, economic and political discussion of health issues. ABE 8 Comprehend ethical and legal principles pertaining to the collection, maintenance, use and dissemination of data and other epidemiological information. ABE 9 Interpret, articulate, and critique results of statistical and epidemiological analyses found in public health studies. ABE 10 Develop written and oral presentation based on epidemiological students and statistical analyses for both public health professionals and educated lay audiences,

8 Competencies by Specialty Area, adopted from NCHEC & ASPH Specialty Area ID # Competency and prepare manuscripts for the peer- reviewed literature. Leadership & Management LM 1 Describe the attributes of leadership in public health. LM 2 Describe alternative strategies for collaboration and partnership among organizations, focused on public health goals. LM 3 Demonstrate team building, negotiation, and conflict management skills. LM 4 Articulate an achievable mission, set of core values, and vision. LM 5 Engage in dialogue and learning from others to advance public health goals. LM 6 Demonstrate transparency, integrity, and honesty in all actions. LM 7 Use collaborative methods for achieving organizational and community health goals. LM 8 Apply social justice and human rights principles when addressing community needs. LM 9 Develop strategies to motivate others for collaborative problem solving, decisionmaking, and evaluation. LM 10 Apply the principles of program planning, development, budgeting, management and evaluation in organizational and community initiatives. LM 11 Apply quality and performance improvement concepts to address organizational performance issue. LM 12 Apply "systems thinking" for resolving organizational problems. LM 13 Demonstrate leadership skills for building partnerships. Each of your concentration- specific competencies will contain its own matrix. For example, the matrix for competency #1 in the Health Promotion, Education and Evaluation appears below. HPEE Competency #1 : Assess individual and community needs for health education. List the course/s that helped you attain the competency.* List the corresponding course learning objectives that helped you achieve the competency.** Explain how you know you have acquired each core competency. Provide a description with specific examples.*** * There is no limit on how many courses you may list. For each course, provide course number, name, semester and year. **Objectives appear on the course syllabus. ***If the same assignment fulfills more than one competency, simply reference the competency number in subsequent entries. Diversity and Culture (10%) The MPH program has a commitment to diversity as outlined in our formal statement. In this section, include your reflections on health equity and cultural competence within your role as a public health practitioner. a. Reflective statement The reflective statement should be a personal notion on your own understanding of diversity and culture. Comment on how cultural competence and health equity relate to each other. Discuss what their place is in public health. b. Evidence of competence Elaborate on your concrete experience with diversity. Feel free to be creative here. Draw upon your coursework, professional experience, or even your personal experiences. If more than one 8

9 project illustrates your commitment to diversity and culture, you may incorporate more than one assignment. Leadership Skills (10%) In this section, you will document your own leadership abilities and professional experience in public health. a. Professional Presentations and Papers (if applicable). Include a list of oral or poster presentations at professional conferences or invited lectures. Include citations and abstracts of any co- authored publications. Include copies of the publication. b. Attendance at Professional Conferences Identification and description of at least one professional conference you have attended. Include the organization/association, title of the conference and dates of attendance. Confirmation of registration will serve this purpose. Include a paragraph reflection of the content knowledge or skills you gained from your participation. c. Membership in a Professional Public Health Association Provide evidence of membership in at least one professional public health organization. Include a copy of your membership card or joining letter from the association. d. Leadership Positions List and describe leadership positions you have held. Examples may include serving as an officer within a student association, professional association or board of a community organization. e. Civic Engagement List and describe your civic engagements experiences. List a minimum of two examples of community involvement while a student in the MPH program. State the organization and dates of service. Provide a brief description of your activities and two- three sentences reflection on your involvement and how it may relate to the field of public health. Fieldwork (15%) This section provides documentation and evidence of the student as a reflective public health practitioner. Fieldwork includes aspects of your participation in a supervised field training experience. Minimum requirements include: a. List of fieldwork placement. Provide the dates of placement, preceptor (name, credentials, title), your responsibilities, and a description of tangible products of the fieldwork experience. b. Thoughts about your fieldwork experiences, including: i. Reflections on the extent to which your course work at CGU prepared you for the fieldwork experience. ii. Reflections on the quality of on- site supervision you received during your fieldwork. Was someone generally available to answer your questions and 9

10 iii. provide feedback (even if you didn t seek it)? Discuss the usefulness and value of the feedback you received. Reflections on the overall quality of the fieldwork. Were there particular skills, knowledge or lessons that you acquired unexpectedly? Explain. Was the fieldwork a good educational experience why or why not? How did it provide you with a better sense of the skills needed for employment in the profession? Discuss recommendations for improving your fieldwork experience. What were the most valuable lessons you learned? Explain why you would or would not recommend that other students conduct fieldwork with the same department or agency. c. Include a copy of your Supervised Field Training poster presentation emanating from your fieldwork experience. (PowerPoint slides are acceptable.) Final Reflective Statement (5%) At the end of this process, you should have a thorough understanding of what you gained through the pursuit of your graduate degree in public health. Use this section to summarize your overall level of experience in the MPH program. Reference growth that may have occurred both in and out of the program requirements (e.g., required MPH coursework versus involvement in professional organizations and service). Requirement 2: Capstone Paper Each student will develop a scholarly paper based upon those projects undertaken as part of the supervised field training experience. The final paper provides another opportunity for the student to identify the manner in which core and concentration specific competencies were mastered. The paper shall be no less than 20 pages (double- spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins) excluding graphs, charts, etc and is expected to include the following content: 1. Introduction (25%) a. Specific aims - What are the specific objectives of the work? Who will benefit from it? b. Problem statement - What is the significance, magnitude, and importance of the public health issue in the local and national context? c. Review of science knowledge, evidence, experience and justification of the motivation for your approach. - Search published information sources to convey the breadth of knowledge of the subject area, the historical and theoretical contexts of the work and how successfully similar work has been undertaken. Include references in APA or AMA format. d. Local background - Historical, demographic, epidemiologic, and organizational context in which this work is being conducted 10

11 2. Methods/Project Activities (25%) a. Description of the approach and steps used to achieve your aims (e.g., needs assessment, policy analysis, epidemiological analysis, financial management, program planning, evaluation, curriculum development, etc) b. Description of any data analysis or evaluation that was involved (i.e., selection of subjects, data collection and analysis) c. Discuss stakeholder involvement, if applicable 3. Results of the Project (25%) a. What was accomplished? - Provide a description/summary of the products/activities you produced or were responsible for. b. Appropriate use of tables, charts and other graphics to illustrate results 4. Discussion and Reflection (25%) a. Impact/effect of this work on the community b. Implications of your work for (1) the agency and (2) practice/research in the larger field of public health c. Strengths and weakness of your work d. What would you have done differently knowing what you know now? e. Recommendations for future projects f. Core and concentration competencies that were strengthen g. How did this experience compare with your expectations and goals? 11

12 Grading Rubric for Capstone Projects Both the portfolio and final papers are scored according to the provided standards. Portfolio Requirement Level Criterion Dimension Quality of Content (3) Effective Addresses all requirements completely and thoughtfully (2) Acceptable Addresses most requirements completely and thoughtfully (1) Unsatisfactory Addresses few requirements completely and thoughtfully Comments Content Choice Samples shows student progress towards meeting competencies Samples shows some student progress towards meeting competencies Random selection choice Organization/Presentation Very few grammar and punctuation errors; layout is easy to navigate Some grammar and punctuation errors; layout is sometimes confusing to navigate Several grammar and punctuation errors; layout is difficult to navigate Personal Reflection Accurate evaluation of experience in terms of strengths and weaknesses Somewhat superficial evaluation of experience in terms of strengths and weaknesses Lackluster interest in experience Total Score Use the space below for additional comments. Final Paper Requirement Criterion Dimension Organization Aspect Overall Logical Organization (3) Effective Highly logical Level (2) Acceptable Generally logical (1) Unsatisfactory Frequently not logical Comments Ideas Connected Tightly Linked Linked Not consistently linked 12

13 Criterion Dimension Aspect Transitions Clear (3) Effective Smooth and highly effective transitions Level (2) Acceptable Clear & effective (1) Unsatisfactory Some unclear & ineffective Comments Introductions & Conclusions Related Highly effective to the whole Well related to the whole Vaguely or unrelated to the whole Scholarship Public Health Issue & Specific Aims Connected Assertions Supported Interpretations of Findings Objective Insightfully linked to the state of the field Insightfully supported by evidence Highly objective Linked to the state of the field Supported by evidence Objective Not well placed in context of the state of the field Lacking evidence Subjective Incorporates Relevant Course Concepts Fully acknowledged & integrated with results Some parts are acknowledged & integrated with results Course concepts are largely ignored or misinterpreted Data Presentation Data Selection Effective Effectively represents findings Partially represents findings Does not accurately represent findings Data Format Effective Highly effective choices Generally appropriate choices Inappropriate choices Style & Mechanics Data Presentations Clear Sentence Structure Effective Extremely clear & self- explanatory Highly effective Somewhat clear Generally effective Generally difficult to follow Highly ineffective Punctuation, Spelling, Grammar Free of errors Minimal errors Several errors Paragraphs Highly logical Generally Ideas and 13

14 Criterion Dimension Aspect Logical & Connected (3) Effective Level (2) Acceptable logical (1) Unsatisfactory statements are often disorganized Comments Journal Style Guidelines Consistent Highly consistent Consistent Inconsistent Total Score Overall Writing Concise Highly concise Fairly concise Use the space below for additional comments. Verbose 14