M.P.H. Program earns accreditation
June 28, 2016
GRAND FORKS, N.D.—The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Program at the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) has earned full accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). CEPH is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and public health programs.
The intensive three-year review process ensures the quality and value of the public health education students receive and the degrees they are awarded and prepares competent public health graduates, many of whom will stay in North Dakota or the region. Accreditation also expands opportunities for M.P.H. graduates. Some jobs and fellowships are only open to graduates of CEPH-accredited schools or programs, and graduation from an accredited program makes graduates eligible to become certified in public health through the National Board of Public Health Examiners.
“Accreditation of the M.P.H. Program is a testament to the hard work of our exceptional faculty and staff and the steadfast support of our university and community stakeholders,” said M.P.H. Program founder and director Raymond Goldsteen, DrPH. “North Dakota and the public health community will be the beneficiaries of the quality educational experience this team provides.”
The M.P.H. Program at UND has two specializations. Population Health Analytics provides a unique and rigorous preparation for highly competitive analytics jobs in health. These graduates have the strong quantitative skills needed to model and evaluate health improvement interventions. An emerging area in this specialization is application of system dynamics to population health improvement, which is a joint venture with the University of Bergen in Norway. Health Management and Policy is a joint venture with the UND College of Business & Public Administration. Both specializations prepare students to contribute to population health improvement through understanding the multiple determinants of population health—medical care, public health interventions, the social environment, the physical environment, and individual behavior.
A special feature of the program is the personalized attention given to each student by the faculty. Faculty members work tirelessly to instruct and to create opportunities for their students in and out of the classroom.
“The School is very pleased and proud that our M.P.H. Program has been recognized for the quality of its educational offerings,” said Joshua Wynne, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., UND vice president for health affairs and dean of the SMHS. “The program is an important component of our Healthcare Workforce Initiative that is focused on improving healthcare delivery across the state.”
“The CEPH accreditation of the UND M.P.H. Program is a great achievement for UND and the state and will significantly impact public health practice and our public health workforce needs in North Dakota,” said North Dakota State Health Officer Terry Dwelle, M.D., M.P.H.TM, who heads the North Dakota Department of Health.
The M.P.H. Program at the UND SMHS welcomes applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds, including the social and behavioral sciences; the biomedical sciences; mathematics, statistics and computer science; and the humanities. In addition, the M.P.H. is an excellent partner for all clinical degrees, including medicine, nursing, medical laboratory science, physician assistant, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, because it expands professional opportunities in these fields. Also, those who wish to apply for a clinical program find that the M.P.H. degree can enhance their application as well as their preparation for their clinical career.
Because of the diversity of its students, the program is designed for full- and part-time study, as well as distance education through live broadcast of all classes, including to satellite sites at the SMHS’s Southwest Campus in Bismarck and Northwest Campus in Minot and Casper College in Casper, Wyo.
For further information, please visit the M.P.H. Program online or contact Ashley Evenson, M.P.H. Program manager, at ashley.n.evenson@UND.edu or (701) 777-6368.
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Contact:
Denis F. MacLeod
Assistant Director, Office of Alumni and Community Relations
University of North Dakota
School of Medicine & Health Sciences
501 N Columbia Rd, Stop 9037 | Room 1106 | Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037
701.777.2733 direct | 218.779.3107 cell
denis.macleod@UND.edu
www.med.UND.edu/