Dornsife School of Public Health Graduate Program Level Outcomes

Upon degree completion, graduates of our programs will be able to...

Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice
Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate
Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings
Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels
Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health
Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs
Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention
Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management
Select methods to evaluate public health programs
Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence
Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes
Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations
Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity
Apply principles of leadership, governance and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making
Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges
Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors
Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation
Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content
Perform effectively on interprofessional teams
Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue

Assess pathways of human exposure to hazardous agents and stressors in the environment and workplace
Investigate and synthesize research on hazardous agents and their impacts on human health effects, including how individual and population factors affect vulnerability.
Evaluate epidemiologic methods used in occupational and environmental research and interpret findings.
Formulate testable hypotheses about critical knowledge and evidence gaps in environmental and occupational health.
Apply appropriate study designs, data collection strategies, and analytical methods to test scientific hypotheses
Communicate research findings and evidence through scientific manuscripts, presentations, and other forms to both scientific and lay audiences

Address a research question by identifying appropriate study designs based on knowledge of biological basis of disease and calculating appropriate measures of disease frequency and risk
Review and critically evaluate the validity of the design, analysis and interpretation of findings from published research studies
Create and manage datasets appropriate for epidemiologic analyses from sources such as surveillance or other health-related investigations
Conduct descriptive and hypothesis testing analyses of an epidemiologic data set using a standard statistical software package
Create effective written and visual summaries of analysis results

Critically evaluate the design of research studies, data collection methods, analysis methods, and results of published research
Formulate appropriate research questions that are informed by underlying conceptual models
Identify and apply appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical and epidemiologic methodologies to answer research questions in population health
Effectively communicate statistical methods and research results orally and in writing across the spectrum of population health professionals
Demonstrate an understanding of the ethics of scientific research on human subjects

Master fundamental concepts in probability and statistical theory
Construct an analysis plan to evaluate a scientific question of interest
Critically appraise statistical methods literature
Communicate statistical findings effectively and succinctly using data visualization tools and appropriate summaries
Direct quantitative methods of collaborative investigations with researchers in public health, medicine, and other health science disciplines

Analyze the social and behavioral determinants of health and illness, at the individual, community and societal levels, and the mechanisms required to design and evaluate interventions at all levels to improve health and address health inequity
Develop and apply theoretical frameworks to formulate research questions relevant to the above areas of scholarship
Use a broad range of methodological approaches to design and conduct research addressing these research questions, with the highest ethical standards
Disseminate findings to a wide range of stakeholders, and engage in both scientifically rigorous and socially responsible processes to translate findings to improve the health of the public
Develop a strong professional identity, and prepare to contribute meaningfully in a career as a scientist, administrator, and/or educator, to ensure the continued impact of the social and behavioral sciences in public health

Evaluate basic principles related to environmental and occupational exposure assessment – including sources and characteristics of exposures, mechanisms, and methods for measuring and examining physical, chemical, biological, psychosocial and/or other exposures potentially related to human health
Analyze relationships between exposures and human health, including variation in impacts by social, behavioral, psychosocial, and other susceptibility factors
Critically evaluate and interpret published research in environmental and occupational health, from academic journals and other sources
Formulate testable hypotheses about critical knowledge and evidence gaps in environmental and occupational health
Develop and implement valid and reproducible study designs, including data collection strategies to test hypotheses using novel or current methods
Apply appropriate and rigorous methods to analyze and interpret original data
Communicate research results through scientific manuscripts, presentations, and other forms to both scientific and lay audiences
Assess risks associated with physical, chemical, psychosocial or other exposures in environmental or occupational settings, and identify appropriate policies and other interventions for preventing or reducing these risks

Demonstrate a basic understanding of human physiology, pathophysiology, genetics, and genomics with special competence in areas needed for dissertation
Search and evaluate literature to synthesize information, identify major gaps in knowledge, and formulate statements of research problems and hypotheses
Design an epidemiologic study with consideration of internal and external validity
Analyze data using appropriate statistical approaches and standard statistical software
Apply epidemiologic causal inference theory to the design, implementation and interpretation of analyses
Communicate results orally and in writing to scientists and non-scientists and place findings in appropriate public health and health policy context

Weigh the social, political, behavioral, and economic contexts of health and health services
Develop and use theoretical frameworks to formulate testable research questions in health services research
Apply quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods to answer health services research questions
Translate and disseminate research findings to inform health services practice and policy
Ensure the ethical and responsible conduct of health services and policy research

Explain qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods and policy analysis research and evaluation methods to address health issues at multiple (individual, group, organization, community and population) levels
Design a qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, policy analysis or evaluation project to address a public health issue
Explain the use and limitations of surveillance systems and national surveys in assessing, monitoring and evaluating policies and programs and to address a population’s health
Propose strategies for health improvement and elimination of health inequities by organizing stakeholders, including researchers, practitioners, community leaders and other partners
Communicate public health science to diverse stakeholders, including individuals at all levels of health literacy, for purposes of influencing behavior and policies
Integrate knowledge, approaches, methods, values and potential contributions from multiple professions and systems in addressing public health problems
Create a strategic plan
Facilitate shared decision making through negotiation and consensus-building methods
Create organizational change strategies
Propose strategies to promote inclusion and equity within public health programs, policies and systems
Assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses in leadership capacities including cultural proficiency
Propose human, fiscal and other resources to achieve a strategic goal
Cultivate new resources and revenue streams to achieve a strategic goal
Design a system-level intervention to address a public health issue
Integrate knowledge of cultural values and practices in the design of public health policies and programs
Integrate scientific information, legal and regulatory approaches, ethical frameworks and varied stakeholder interests in policy development and analysis
Propose interprofessional team approaches to improving public health
Assess an audience’s knowledge and learning needs
Deliver training or educational experiences that promote learning in academic, organizational or community settings
Use best practice modalities in pedagogical practices

Demonstrate a commitment to public health professional values through the integration of ethical principles and an evaluation of personal values
Assess the feasibility and implications of health systems policies as related to the organizing, delivering and financing of health services
Propose solutions to address a challenge in the US Health system using Economic models.
Interpret legal, ethical and policy principles as they apply to public health practice.
Conduct econometric analyses to analyze the nature of relationships between health care expenditures, costs, and use and their determinants.

Use appropriate qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods for community-oriented research design
Conduct community-engaged public health research and practice that recognizes intersectional perspectives from theory in response to multi-dimensional processes
Create a community health program implementation and evaluation plan that is ethical, socially just, and culturally-responsive
Partner with communities to contextually assess health problems and propose solutions to public health issues and inequities that recognize the role of power
Advocate for human rights-based values in public health research, practice, and policy

Apply appropriate quantitative methods to evaluate the determinants and epidemiology of health and disease
Manage and maintain analytic datasets
Execute a data analysis plan
Communicate statistical findings effectively and succinctly using data visualization tools and appropriate summaries
Work collaboratively with researchers in public health, medicine, and other health science disciplines

Review and critically evaluate the validity of the design, analysis and interpretation of findings from published research studies
Define a problem and formulate a testable hypothesis.
Create and manage datasets appropriate for epidemiologic analyses from sources such as surveillance, large-scale data (i.e, Big Data, such as electronic medical records, administrative claims data) or other health-related research
Conduct univariable and multivariable regression and other semi- and non-parametric analytic techniques of an epidemiologic data set using a standard statistical software package
Create effective peer-review quality written and visual summaries of analysis results

Assess pathways of human exposure to hazardous agents and stressors in the environment and workplace
Investigate and synthesize research on hazardous agents and their impacts on human health effects, including how individual and population factors affect vulnerability
Evaluate epidemiologic methods used in occupational and environmental research and interpret findings
Select and apply appropriate quantitative risk assessment methods
Recommend strategies for preventing, controlling, and managing risks from environmental and occupational hazards
Analyze environmental and occupational health policies in relation to environmental justice, equity, and efficacy

Describe the importance of social capital and natural helpers when designing community-engaged public health strategies
Analyze organizational challenges facing public health practice organizations
Demonstrate critical, reflective thinking and writing skills that are needed to advance value-based public policies
Weigh the roles of policymakers, citizens, and interest groups in shaping public health policy
Translate public health science into public health practice

Analyze the roles, relationships, and resources of the entities influencing global health
Apply ethical approaches in global health research and practice
Apply monitoring and evaluation techniques to global health programs, policies, and outcomes
Propose sustainable and evidence-based multi-sectoral interventions, considering the social determinants of health specific to the local area
Design sustainable workforce development strategies for resource-limited settings
Display critical self-reflection, cultural humility, and ongoing learning in global health

Analyze the government powers and restraints that underlie the development and implementation of a public health program or policy
Apply financial tools and measures to assure effective resource use in achieving population health improvement objectives
Assess how public policy and programs can counteract the roles of history, power, privilege and structural racism in producing health inequities
Apply population health principles in assessing value-based healthcare delivery and financing strategies
Contribute to the development of an evidence-informed program or policy proposal that addresses an important urban public health problem

Apply theories and frameworks from urban social sciences to identifying social and other determinants of health and developing solutions to major urban health problems
Collaborate to develop a presentation that explores the policies and programs that contribute to promoting the health of urban populations and reducing urban health inequalities
Engage various constituencies including policymakers, community residents and leaders, civil society organizations, social movements, and public agencies in identifying and reducing health problems facing cities
Apply an ecological model to an urban health program evaluation to identify appropriate solutions to the health problems of cities at the individual, family, community, municipal, regional, national, and global levels.
Assess population data to to characterize patterns of health and disease and inequalities in health in urban populations and subpopulations