Laura Rasar King, MPH, MCHES, Executive Director, Council on Education for Public Health
The
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is the accrediting agency for schools and programs in public health at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. CEPH is in the midst of one of the most significant changes in curricula for Master of Public Health (MPH) students (although baccalaureate and doctoral public health degrees are addressed as well) that the degree has seen in decades. These proposed changes have been made in response to years of feedback from employers and graduates about knowledge and skills needed in the public health workforce of today and in the future. Informed by the efforts of the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice’s Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals, the Framing the Future work convened by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, and the recent Job Task Analysis conducted by the National Board of Public Health Examiners, the CEPH foundational competency model is designed to be more integrated and applied in nature than the previous model based on five core knowledge areas.
CEPH Needs Your FeedbackWhile CEPH typically receives extensive comments from the academic community on
proposed changes to the accreditation criteria, there tends to be far less engagement in the criteria revision process by employers of their graduates.
The CEPH Board of Councilors believes that it is especially important to hear from employers and colleagues of these graduates, in government, non-profit, and private sectors. This insight, in addition to the comments received from individuals employed in academic settings, will be used by the CEPH Board of Councilors at its next meeting in late January to further refine the criteria.
CEPH’s three major aims in this criteria revision process are to 1) ensure the quality of education in public health; 2) increase flexibility and opportunities for innovation; and 3) simplify and reduce the accreditation reporting burden.
The draft criteria have been written to emphasize the competencies necessary for graduates to join the public health workforce. They aim to address the needs of the future workforce, rather than what has been needed in the past.
Please review the draft criteria with the following questions in mind:
- Are these the competencies you need from entry-level graduates you hire?
- What competencies are missing?
- What are the most and least important competencies you look for in a new hire?
- How can we best support the development of a workforce that contributes to real public health outcomes?
- Do these standards ensure the quality of student learning?
- Do these standards reflect the dynamic, ongoing discussions in public health?
CEPH received more than 250 comments from more than 20 individuals and organizations during the first public comment period (March – September, 2015), and the Board of Councilors thanks everyone who took the time to review the document and provide feedback. The draft that is available now reflects many of the comments received and will continue to be refined with input from stakeholders.
Visit the
CEPH website to read more about the process, review the proposed revisions, and download the comment submission form. The full draft of the criteria is available for public comment through
January 8.