This study provides an understanding of how the coursework required for attaining a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree in epidemiology or health education from accredited schools or programs of public health prepares students to evaluate programs or interventions. Study data were generated using a content analysis of required coursework documented on websites of academic institutions and an online survey of professors who instruct courses that focus on educating students about program or intervention evaluation. Information was abstracted from websites for over 1,000 required courses associated with completing an MPH degree in epidemiology or health education at 51 academic institutions. The survey response rate for courses with a primary focus on evaluation was 60.5% and for courses with a partial focus on evaluation was 39.8%. One academic institution required that students pursuing an MPH degree in epidemiology successfully complete a specific course that has a primary focus on program or intervention evaluation, less than 50% (n = 21) of these academic institutions had this same requirement for health education students. Results suggest that course instructors were most likely to provide instruction on evaluation through lectures or required readings, indicating a general rather than an extensive level of engagement with this material. The extent to which students pursuing an MPH in health education or epidemiology are exposed to the basics of program evaluation appear to be out of alignment with the competencies outlined recently for public health professionals.
AdeyanjuM. (n.d.). The implications of the national health education competencies update project (CUP) findings on individual certification. Retrieved March 29, 2008, fromhttp://www.nchec.org/aboutnchec/cup/cup.pdf
2.
AlkinM. C.ChristieC. A. (2004). An evaluation theory tree. In AlkinM. C. (Ed.), Evaluation roots. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Association of Schools of Public Health Education Committee. (2006, August11). Master’s degree in public health core competency development project(Version 2.3). Retrieved May 26, 2007, fromhttp://www.asph.org/userfiles/Version2.3.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1999). Framework for program evaluation in public health. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 48, 1–40.
ConnerR. F. (1986). The teaching of evaluation in interdisciplinary programs: UC Irvine. New Directions for Program Evaluation, 29, 61–69.
11.
CorlissH. L.ShankleM. D.MoyerM. B. (2007). Research, curricula, and resources related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health in US schools of public health. American Journal of Public Health, 97, 1023–1027.
12.
CoughlinS. S.KatzW. H.MattisonD. R. (1999). Ethics instruction at schools of public health in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 89, 768–770.
13.
Council on Education for Public Health. (2008). Schools of public health and public health programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. Retrieved August 5, 2008, fromhttp://www.ceph.org/files/public/Master_List.v.2.pdf
14.
DavisM. V. (2006). Teaching practical public health evaluation methods. American Journal of Evaluation, 27, 247–256.
15.
DonaldsonS. I. (2007). Program theory-driven evaluation science: Strategies and applications. New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum.
16.
EisnerE. (2004). The roots of connoisseurship and criticism. In AlkinM. C. (Ed.), Evaluation roots (pp. 196–202). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
17.
GebbieK.GoldsteinB. D.GregorioD. I.TsouW.BufflerP.PetersenD.… SilverG. B. (2007). The national board of public health examiners: Credentialing public health graduates. Public Health Reports, 122, 435–440.
18.
GilmoreG. D.OlsenL. K.TaubA.ConnellD. (2005). Overview of the national health education competencies update project 1998–2004. Health Education & Behavior, 32, 725–737.
19.
HebergerA.ChristieC. A.AlkinM. (2010). Understanding the influence of evaluation on other disciplines: A bibliometric analysis. American Journal of Evaluation, 31, 24–44.
20.
HemenwayD.AglipayG. S.HelsingK. L.RaskobG. E. (2006). Injury prevention and control research and training in accredited schools of public health: A CDC/ASPH assessment. Public Health Reports, 121, 349–351.
21.
Hoffman-GoetzL.DwigginsS. (1998). Teaching public health practitioners about health communication: The MPH curriculum experience. Journal of Community Health, 23, 127–135.
22.
Institute of Medicine. (1988). The future of public health. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
23.
Institute of Medicine. (2003a). . The future of the public’s health in the 21st century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
24.
Institute of Medicine. (2003b). . Who will keep the public healthy? Educating public health professionals for the 21st century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
25.
KronenfeldJ. J. (1981). Having students conduct evaluations: Merging field experience and academic learning. Evaluation News, 2, 375–378.
26.
LevitonL. C.CollinsC. B.LairdB. L.KrattP. P. (1998). Teaching evaluation using evaluability assessment. Evaluation, 4, 389–409.
27.
MorrisM. (1994). The role of single evaluation courses in evaluation training. New Directions for Program Evaluation, 62, 51–59.
28.
National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. (n.d.). Competencies Update Project (CUP) findings & recommendations. Retrieved March 28, 2008, from1 http://www.nchec.org/aboutnchec/cup/cupfindings.htm
SandersJ. R. (1986). The teaching of evaluation in education. New Directions for Program Evaluation, 29, 15–27.
32.
ScrivenM. (1991). Evaluation thesaurus. (4th ed.)
Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
33.
SinghD. A.StoskopfC. H.CieslaJ. R. (1996). A comparison of academic curricula in the MPH and the MHA-type degrees in health administration at the accredited schools of public health. The Journal of Health Administration Education, 14, 401–413.
34.
StevahnL.KingJ. A.GhereG.MinnemaJ. (2005). Establishing essential competencies for program evaluators. American Journal of Evaluation, 26, 43–59.
35.
TanenbausR. H.MeyersA. R.HarbisonL. A. (2000). Disability and the curriculum in US graduate schools of public health. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 1315–1316.
36.
TrevisanM. S. (2004). Practical training in evaluation: A review of the literature. American Journal of Evaluation, 25, 255–272.
37.
WholeyJ. S. (1978). Zero-base budgeting and program evaluation. Lexington, MA: D.C. Health and Company.
38.
WoodhouseL. D.AuldM. E.LivingoodW. C.MulliganL. A. (2006). Survey of accredited master of public health (MPH) programs with health education concentrations: A resource for strengthening the public health workforce. Health Promotion Practice, 7, 258–265.
39.
WortmanP.M.YeatonW. H. (1986). The teaching of evaluation in health settings: University of Michigan. New Directions for Program Evaluation, 29, 39–50.
