
The KU-MPH program is now larger than it has ever been. With
the addition of 30 new degree-seeking students in 2006 and over
100 students taking courses each semester, enrollment is at an
all-time high. The incoming students are highly qualified
with an average undergraduate GPA of 3.56. Our graduates
are even more impressive. Of the 24 students hooded at
the 2006 MPH hooding ceremony, eleven received honors for outstanding
capstone projects. Our graduates are filling critical roles
in the public health community by taking positions at state and
local health departments, private health agencies, the Food and
Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
and the Armed Forces.
Dr. Won Choi assumed the position of KU-MPH
Executive director in January 2006. The
MPH Curriculum Committee approved a revised 42-credit hour curriculum to be initiated
in Fall 2007. Among the curricular changes were the addition of an Epidemiology
Lab and a course in Data Management. These changes addressed a need for
improved analytic skill sets and were made in direct response to a needs assessment
conducted among program alumni and external stakeholders. Additionally,
two new elective courses in Health Administration and Health Policy and Law were
developed using grant dollars from the Kansas Health Foundation.
The MPH program
faculty were extremely productive in 2006. The core teaching
faculty in Preventive Medicine and Public Health devoted 8.36
FTE to teaching courses, advising students, serving on capstone
committees, and participating in program governance. Faculty
in Preventive Medicine and Public Health taught 997 credit hours
in 2006, a 30% increase since 2004.
The MD/MPH dual degree program
continues to gain in popularity among medical students, with
four MD/MPH students awarded John T. Stewart III scholarships
in the past year. Three additional medical students applied
for the MD/MPH program. In total, twelve MD/MPH students are
currently enrolled in the dual degree program. Diversity
and leadership scholarships were offered to MPH students for
the second year in 2006. In addition, a permanent source
of funding was secured so that these scholarships will continue
to be available in the future. The six students that received
these scholarships represent diverse backgrounds in rural health,
HIV and AIDS prevention, and pediatric oncology; these talented
students hold a variety of leadership positions within both the
MPH program and the community.
Executive Director:
Assistant Director:
Administrative Assistant:
Go to the Master of Public Health web site