Community Health Track Advisement

1. West Chester University MPH Program Fall 2015 Community Health Track Advisement

2. Community Health Track Advisors • Last Name A-DDr. Lynn Carson lcarson@wcupa.edu • Last Name E-JDr. Mary Bowenmbowen@wcupa.edu • Last Name K-PDr. Whitney Katiraiwkatirai@wcupa.edu • Last Name Q-SDr. Christine Williamcwilliam@wcupa.edu • Last Name T-Z Dr. Debra Bill dbill@wcupa.edu

3. MPH Core Courses (24 credits) • HEA 520 Public Health Epidemiology FALL/SPRING • HEA 526 Biostatistics for Public Health FALL/SPRING • ENV 530 General Environmental Health FALL/SPRING • HEA 516 Health Care Management FALL/SPRING • HEA 632 Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health FALL/SPRING • HEA 648 Research Methods in Public Health FALL/SPRING • HEA 649 Applied Learning Experience I FALL/SPRING/SUM • HEA 650 Applied Learning Experience II FALL/SPRING/SUM

4. Community Health Track Required Courses (21 credits) • HEA 531 Community as a Basis for Health FALL • HEA 543 Transcultural Health FALL • HEA 539 Health Promotion Program Planning SPRING • HEA 538 Evaluation of Health Programs SPRING • HEA 544 Program Administration of Health and Human Services SUM/WINTER • HEA 645 Global Community Health Promotion SUM/WINTER • 1 Health Elective FALL/SPRING/SUM/WINTER

5. HEA 531* FALL (only) • The MPH Community Service Requirement is met by completing the Community Service activity in HEA 531 Community as a Basis for Health

6. Course Prerequisites • An introductory statistics course is required before you can enroll in either Epidemiology or Biostatistics. You can satisfy this requirement by taking either MAT 121 at WCU or a similar course at another university. Students also have the opportunity to complete a Statistical Competency Examination in lieu of the introductory course with the approval of Dr. Stacie Metz. • Biostatisics and Epidemiology must be successfully completed before enrolling in Research Methods. • Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Methods must be successfully completed before the start of ALE I. • All core course and electives must be successfully completed before the start of ALE II.

7. Full Time Course Rotation Fall Start FALL 1 • Epidemiology • Biostatistics • Community as a Basis for Health SPRING 1 • Research Methods • Program Planning • Program Evaluation Winter1/SUMMER 1 • Program Administration • Global CommHea • Health Elective 1 FALL 2 • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health • Transcultural Health • Health Elective 2 SPRING 2 • Environmental Health • Health Care Management • ALE I SUMMER 2 • ALE II

8. Full Time Course Rotation Spring Start SPRING 1 • Epidemiology • Biostatistics • Health Care Management SUMMER 1 • Health Elective 1 • Global Com Health FALL 1 • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health • Community as a Basis for Health • Transcultural Health • Research Methods SPRING 2 • Environmental Health • Program Planning • Program Evaluation SUMMER 2 • Program Administration • ALE I FALL 2 • ALE II

9. Full Time Course Rotation Summer Start SUMMER 1 • Health Elective 1 • Global Com Health FALL 1 • Epidemiology • Biostatistics • Community as a Basis for Health • Transcultural Health SPRING 1 • Research Methods • Health Care Management • Program Planning • Program Evaluation SUMMER 2 • Program Administration FALL 2 • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health • Environmental Health • ALE I SPRING 2 • ALE II

10. Part Time Course RotationFall Start FALL 1 • Epidemiology • Community as a Basis for Health FALL 2 • Biostatistics • Transcultural Health SPRING 1 • Program Planning • Program Evaluation SPRING 2 • Research Methods • Environmental Health SUMMER 1 • Program Administration SUMMER 2 • Global Comm Health FALL 3 • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health • Health Elective 2 SPRING 3 • Health Care Management • ALE I SUMMER 3 • ALE II

11. Part Time Course RotationSpring Start SPRING 1 • Biostatistics • Program Planning SPRING 2 • Environmental Health • Program Evaluation SUMMER 1 • Health Elective 1 • Global Com Health SUMMER 2 • Program Administration FALL 1 • Transcultural Health • Epidemiology FALL 2 • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health • Community as a Basis for Health SPRING 3 • Research Methods • Health Care Management SUMMER 3 • ALE I FALL 3 • ALE II

12. Part Time Course RotationSummer Start SUMMER 1 • Health Elective 1 SUMMER 2 • Program Administration FALL 1 • Epidemiology • Community as a Basis for Health FALL 2 • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health • Biostatistics SPRING 1 • Program Planning • Program Evaluation SPRING 2 • Research Methods • Environmental Health SUMMER 3 • Global Com Health FALL 3 • Transcultural Health • Health Care Management • ALE I SPRING 3 • ALE II

13. Fast Track Course RotationFall Start FALL SENIOR YEAR • HEA 400-level Course • Epidemiology • MAT 121 (if necessary) SPRING SENIOR YEAR • HEA 400-level Course • Biostatistics SUMMER POST-SENIOR YEAR • Program Administration FALL GRAD YEAR • Community as a Basis for Health • Transcultural Health • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health • Research Methods SPRING GRAD YEAR • Environmental Health • Health Care Management • Program Planning • Program Evaluation SUMMER GRAD YEAR • ALE I • ALE II

14. Modified Fast Track Course RotationSummer Start SUMMER 1 GRAD YEAR • Program Administration FALL GRAD YEAR • Biostatistics • Epidemiology • Community as a Basis for Health • Transcultural Health • Health Care Management SPRING GRAD YEAR • Research Methods • Environmental Health • Program Planning • Program Evaluation • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health SUMMER 2 GRAD YEAR • ALE I • ALE II

15. Modified Fast Track Course RotationFall Start FALL 1 GRAD YEAR • Community as a Basis for Health • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health • Epidemiology • Biostatistics • Transcultural Health SPRING GRAD YEAR • Program Planning • Program Evaluation • Environmental Health • Research Methods • Health Care Management SUMMER GRAD YEAR • Program Administration FALL 2 GRAD YEAR • ALE I • ALE II

16. Modified Fast Track Course RotationSpring Start SPRING 1 GRAD YEAR • Epidemiology • Biostatistics • Program Planning • Program Evaluation • Health Care Management SUMMER GRAD YEAR • Program Administration FALL GRAD YEAR • Community as a Basis for Health • Soc/Behav. Aspects of Health • Research Methods • Environmental Health • Transcultural Health SPRING 2 GRAD YEAR • ALE I • ALE II

17. Course Sequencing • Most courses are offered once per year, while some are offered in the fall/spring/summer semesters. • Students who miss a course may delay their graduation date. • Consult with your advisor to make sure you are taking your courses in their proper order. • Course offerings are subject to change. Check the course catalog prior to registration.

18. Summer Courses • Many summer courses are offered as week-long intensives (8AM-5PM or 4:15PM-10PM). Students may need to make arrangements to take time off from work to complete these courses. • Other summer courses are offered during the regular summer course semester during evening hours.

19. ALE I & II Time Commitments • The total time commitment for ALE is 300 hours (100 hours ALE I, 200 hours ALE II). • Students are expected to spend time at their agencies to complete their projects. • Students and Site Supervisors will need to agree on the time needed on site to complete their projects at the start of ALE I & II. • Students may need to make arrangements to take time off from work to complete their ALE projects.

20. ALE at Student's Place of Employment • Students are permitted to complete their ALE at their place of employment. • However, their ALE project cannot be related to their job duties. E.g., a nurse working in the pediatric ward of a hospital may conduct her ALE project at that hospital, but not in the pediatric ward.

21. GPA Requirements for ALE • Students are expected to achieve a minimum of a 3.00 GPA after completeing all MPH core and Community Health Track courses. • A GPA of 3.00 or higher is required to be eligible to begin ALE I & II.

22. Degree Candidacy • Degree candidacy application must be made immediately upon completion of 12-15 semester hours of course work. • Students must file an application with the Dean of Graduate Studies. • Students will receive a letter from the Dean of Graduate Studies either approving or denying their application.

23. Time Needed to Complete Degree • All requirements for one's MPH (including ALE I & II) must be met within six years from commencement of the program. • This advisement session offers two course rotations to complete the degree in either to or three years. • Students have the option of taking only one course per semester, but this option may require up to six years to complete the program.

24. Application for Degree Candidacy • Information, fees and forms related to graduaton may be found on the Office of Graduate Studies webpage. Graduate Studies forms • Graduation Application Deadlines • May Graduation February 1st • August Graduation June 1st • December Graduation October 1st

25. Issues that May Delay Desired Graduation Date • Failing to follow advising sheets when registering for courses • Failing to register for courses on time • Undergraduate statistics requirement not met at time of enrollment • Failing to take prerequisite courses in the recommended sequence • Failing to complete ALE I & II in consecutive semesters (completing both in one semester is acceptable with advisor approval)

26. Important Graduation Information • Students who complete course requirements in the summer may participate in the previous May's commencement ceremony. These students need to apply for spring graduation. However, since all course requirements will not be completed until the summer, official graduation clearance will not occur until September, and diplomas will be issued at that time.

27. Academic Probation/Dismissal Policy • Students whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on academic probation. These students must raise their GPA to 3.00 by the end of the next semester for which they register. If a student fails to meet the conditions of academic probation, he/she is subject to dismissal. • Students with a GPA of 2.00 or lower will be dropped from the program.

28. Academic Probation Policy • All students on academic probation must meet with their advisors to select their courses for the probation semester. • Students on probation must complete the MPH Academic Probation Form prior to registering for courses. • Students on probation with a GPA between 2.90 and 3.00 may be granted an additional probationary semester. • Students on probation with a GPA below 2.90 will be dropped from the program at the end of their first probationary semester.

29. CHES Exam Dates • April 23, 2016 • Registration: 11/1/15 – 2/1/16 • Student fee: $210 • Late Registration: 2/2/16 – 3/1/16 • Student fee: $265 • October 15, 2016 • Registration: 5/1/16 – 8/1/16 • Student fee: $210 • Late Registration: 8/2/16 – 9/1/16 • Student fee: $265 CHES exam info on NCHEC website

30. Important Links • Office of Graduate Studies • College of Health Sciences • Master of Public Health Program • Master of Public Health Program FAQ • MPH – Community Health • Past Community Health ALE Sites • MPH Facebook Page • Current MPH Student Resources (NOTE: MPH job bank and list of searchablejobtitlesisunderCurrent Development & Educational Services) • MPH Forms/Policies • Graduate Assistantships: University-wide • Graduate Assistanships: Dept of Health