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Public Health

Goals & Objectives

Mission Statement

The mission of the Public Health Program at Northern Illinois University (NIU) is to protect and improve the health of diverse individuals and communities in the northern Illinois region and beyond by:

  1. contributing to the education and development of a strong public health workforce;
  2. conducting applied and community-relevant research; and
  3. participating in community service.

The program seeks to develop broadly educated professionals who have the ability to address emerging public health needs using organized community efforts that are based on the application of sound public health principles, values, and practices.

M.P.H. Program Vision

Public HealthOur vision is to serve the northern Illinois region as a program of excellence as the region’s public university and lead the region in public health education, research, and service. The Public Health Program, in accordance with university policy, is committed to providing an educational and social environment that is supportive of the dignity and rights of all human beings regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, creed, age, handicap, marital status, or other factors unrelated to professional or academic qualifications and performance. The program further seeks to promote a philosophy that values such concepts of public health as disease prevention, health promotion, and community service, while supporting the goal of a more efficient and accessible health care system. These values are sustained and transmitted by the selection and retention of faculty who hold them. On an operational level, the Public Health Program subscribes to the basic standards underlying the professional codes of ethics adopted by many professional associations, such as the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Society for Public Health Education. This fact is communicated to faculty and students in the program through the “Guidelines for M.P.H. Students,” which is distributed to students as they enroll.

Goals

The mission of the Public Health Program at NIU is carried out through goals and objectives related to instruction, research, and service. Instruction: To contribute to the development of the public health workforce by providing quality education and preparation in the areas of health promotion, health services management, and/or general public health. Research: To develop and support a research agenda that seeks to better understand public health problems and issues, develop problem-solving skills, identify effective solutions, and generate new knowledge and theory in the field of public health. Service: To provide professional involvement, transfer of public health knowledge into practice and enhance relationships with partners.

Measurable Objectives and Instruction

Following are program objectives based on the mission and goals above. Faculty members will:

  • provide capstone courses and internships as well as comprehensive examinations that demonstrate acquisition of the knowledge and skills needed to practice successfully in the areas of health promotion, health services management, and/or general public health to 100% of students who graduate with the M.P.H. degree;
  • assure that 80% of students who graduate with the M.P.H. degree enter the public health profession or go on to further higher education upon graduation;
  • admit qualified applicants of whom at least 33% have varied racial and ethnic backgrounds and 100% of whom become prepared to work with diverse populations and communities;
  • provide internships for 100% of the students allowing linkages to be developed with practitioners working in the field of public health;
  • select capstone course content, internship experiences, and comprehensive examination topics that allow 100% of the students to demonstrate awareness of and competency in current and emerging public health issues and needs;
  • receive teaching evaluations and program survey responses verifying that 75% of responding students rate the value and quality of their educational experiences received while pursuing the M.P.H. degree as adequate or better; and
  • receive recognition and rewards for their teaching contributions at a rate of one every four years.