MPH Graduation Competencies

The UW–Madison Master of Public Health (MPH) program requires students to master a set of competencies before graduation.

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) outlines 22 foundational competencies. This standard set of competencies is required for all public health students worldwide and is organized into eight domains:

  • Evidence-Based Approaches to Public Health
  • Public Health and Health Care Systems
  • Planning and Management to Promote Health
  • Policy in Public Health
  • Leadership
  • Communication
  • Interprofessional and/or Intersectoral Practice
  • Systems Thinking

In addition, students will demonstrate proficiency in five competencies that are unique to the UW–Madison MPH program:

  • Utilize a global health perspective to confront the root causes of less-than-optimal health and promote wellness for all communities
  • Engage theory and evidence-based methods to lead multidisciplinary and professional public health practice and research
  • Employ a socio-ecological model to analyze dynamic interactions among human and social systems
  • Identify strengths and limitations of current public health models and approaches and design innovative solutions for today’s public health challenges
  • Practice public health with honesty and integrity using a respectful and collaborative approach that responds to the needs of the communities we serve