Mission

The mission of the UWF Master of Public Health program is to empower a generation of public health professionals with skills, knowledge and competencies to contribute creatively and ethically to education, research and service to promote public health and disease prevention.

Goals and Objectives

This mission is fostered in an environment that provides quality academic education and structured professional experiences to emphasize engagement in community service and the generation, dissemination and integration of scientific knowledge into public health practice. The following goals and objectives provide the framework for achieving this mission by emphasizing the recruitment of a committed pool of MPH candidates to a learning environment that supports diversity and individual potential, with: service aligned to community needs, teaching responsive to continuous quality improvement, research activities engaging both faculty and students.

Goal 1: Recruitment/Retention of Motivated and Committed Students
Train future generations of public health professionals equipped with public health skills for the 21st century by recruiting and retaining a highly qualified, motivated, and committed pool of MPH candidates.

• Objective 1a: Annually increase the number of students admitted to the program that exceed the current minimum admission requirements.
• Objective 1b: Increase the percentage of students that graduate within the expected normal time for degree completion.
• Objective 1c: Increase the number of students with full-time status in the program.

Goal 2: Development of Learning Environment Emphasizing Diversity and Individual Potential
Promote a learning environment that encourages the development of diverse communities of learners and individual potential in students, faculty, and staff.

• Objective 2a: Admit percentage of minorities in program equivalent to current State of Florida demographics (21% ethnic at UWF).
• Objective 2b: Admit percentage of females and males in program equivalent to current State of Florida demographics (60% females, 40% male at UWF).
• Objective 2c: Attract a diverse set of staff, as well as core, joint, and adjunct faculty from the public health, health care, and military communities.

Goal 3: Promotion of Service Aligned to Community Needs
Align programmatic services with community needs and interests through teamwork and collaboration.

• Objective 3a: Establish and maintain partnerships with national, regional, and community-based organizations with public health missions, ensuring representation from public health, health care, and military communities.
• Objective 3b: Design workforce development initiatives that address areas of critical need in public health in the Florida Panhandle and surrounding regions.
• Objective 3c: Increase student involvement in community outreach and participation in public health events in the student’s respective community.

Goal 4: Incorporation of High-Quality Instruction Responsive to Continuous Quality Improvement
Conduct continuous quality improvement of teaching methodologies used in the program.

• Objective 4a: Use student evaluations and feedback each semester to implement recommendations for improvement consistent with program competencies.
• Objective 4b: Maintain a teaching team skilled in the use of the highest quality instructional methodologies, innovative delivery methods, and interactive approaches to engage students.

Goal 5: Promotion of Research and Integration of Best Practices
Promote faculty research, dissemination of scientific knowledge, and integration of best practice methods into public health curriculum.

• Objective 5a: Increase scholarly activities of core, joint, and adjunct faculty.
• Objective 5b: Increase extramural funding associated with core, joint, and adjunct faculty scholarly activities.
• Objective 5c: Increase student involvement in faculty research and participatory research.

Values

The values that guide the MPH program at UWF are those adopted by the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences. To read more about these and associated strategic planning, please visit here.