The online Doctor of Public Health Program (DrPH) in Public Health Practice with a concentration in Emergency Preparedness provides high-level problem solving and critical thinking knowledge and skills that can be used in preparing for and responding to emergencies.
Students in the DrPH program gain skills to:
- Formulate solutions to challenges from complex disasters.
- Evaluate need and implement an Area Command or a Multiagency Coordination Center (MAC).
- Organize and manage a command structure to support an expanding event.
- Construct an exercise program for an agency or organization.
- Conduct a tabletop exercise, functional exercise and full-scale exercise.
Courses focus on the concepts inherent to leadership and the management of complex events in Emergency Preparedness through the phases of prevention, protection, response and recovery, to prepare students for high level leadership positions both in public health and healthcare. Additional courses such as Exercise Development and Managing Complex Incidents provide essential strategies to prepare their organization/community for a disaster, as well as how to operate in a leading role during a disaster response.
DrPH students also work with leaders in public health practice during practicum experiences providing the opportunity to apply academic knowledge in a practice setting and complete a practice-based dissertation consistent with an advanced practice designed to influence programs, policies or systems addressing public health.
The DrPH in Public Health Practice degree prepares students to work as a leader or administrator in a variety of practice-based settings with the public, private or academic sectors. DrPH graduates advance programs, policies and systems to improve population health in the United States and globally.
The DrPH in Public Health Practice differs substantially from a PhD, focusing on preventing disease or injury and improving the health within a specific community. Graduates are expected to occupy leadership positions having a major influence on achieving important broad-reaching public health objectives in communities. A PhD degree focuses on the skills needed to make research-based contributions to the field of public health contributing to generalizable knowledge.
