Public Health Leadership and Practice (GRAD)
The Public Health Leadership and Practice Department (PHLP), which is housed in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, is an interdisciplinary academic unit dedicated to providing public health professionals with leadership education to meet the challenges inherent in assuring and improving population health. PHLP’s mission is to create public health leaders with the vision and ability to anticipate and solve future health challenges wherever they occur throughout the world.
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
The redesigned UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health’s master of public health (M.P.H.) degree is for individuals who are passionate about solving urgent local and global public health problems. With a legacy of outstanding education, cutting edge research and globally-recognized leadership, the UNC Gillings School is creating the next generation of public health leaders through our integrated training curriculum and 21st-century curriculum. The Public Health Leadership and Practice Department is home to master of public health concentrations in Leadership in Practice, and Population Health for Clinicians. Additionally, PHLP also co-leads the Global Health concentration.
Certificates
The online graduate Global Health Certificate examines the complexities inherent in improving health on a global scale. This program is an interdisciplinary 9-credit course of study that examines the complexities inherent in improving health on a global scale.
The online graduate Certificate in Public Health Leadership is beneficial to a wide variety of professionals who desire to enhance their leadership skills and potential. This program is a 9-credit course of study covering the core competencies of leadership.
Courses
Numbered 400-999:
NOTE: PUBH courses are open to any student unless the individual course indicates permission of instructor is required. Visit the website for additional information.
Public Health, Master's Program (M.P.H.) — Leadership in Practice Concentration
Leadership isn’t a position or a title – it’s a mindset, a skillset and a way of showing up in the world. The Leadership in Practice concentration trains public health leaders who are at the forefront of creating transformational change in all areas of public health practice. Our program, offered on-campus and online, provides the knowledge, skills and practical experience necessary to lead teams, projects, and organizations to address public health challenges in local, national and global settings. In addition to developing important leadership skills, our students learn how to co-design systems and policies that improve health and advance health equity, how to improve the quality and effectiveness of public health programs and services, and how to work to greatest effect in, for and with the communities we serve. The things you will learn in the Leadership concentration are exactly the things employers say they are looking for in public health graduates, and are applicable to any public health setting.
Graduates of the Leadership in Practice concentration are leaders who are well-equipped to mobilize change, to innovate to improve the public’s health, and to advocate for changes to the social and political factors that affect the health of individuals and communities in North Carolina and beyond. Our graduates work in federal, state and local government, in non-profit organizations from local to global, in health care organizations, in academia, and in the private sector.
Begin or continue your leadership journey with Leadership in Practice at Gillings.
Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M.P.H. Integrated Core | ||
| SPHG 711 | Data Analysis for Public Health | 2 |
| or BIOS 600 | Principles of Statistical Inference | |
| SPHG 712 | Methods and Measures for Public Health Practice | 2 |
| or EPID 600 | Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health | |
| SPHG 713 | Systems Approaches to Understanding Public Health Issues | 2 |
| SPHG 701 | Leading from the Inside-Out | 2 |
| SPHG 721 | Public Health Solutions: Systems, Policy and Advocacy | 2 |
| SPHG 722 | Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Solutions (MPH Comprehensive Exam administered in class) | 4 |
| M.P.H Practicum | ||
| SPHG 703 | MPH Pre-Practicum Assignments | 0.5 |
| SPHG 707 | MPH Post-Practicum Assignments | 0.5 |
| M.P.H. Concentration | ||
| PUBH 718 | Systems and Design Thinking for Public Health Leaders | 3 |
| PUBH 730 | Leading Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in Public Health Locally And Globally | 3 |
| PUBH 748 | Leadership in Health Policy for Social Justice | 3 |
| PUBH 781 | Leading community change in public health practice: Engagement, organizing and collaboration | 3 |
| PUBH 791 | Core Principles in Public Health Leadership | 3 |
| M.P.H. Electives | ||
| Electives (Graduate-level courses, 400+ level at Gillings, 500+ level at UNC); 9 credit hours minimum | 9 | |
| M.P.H. Culminating Experience | ||
| PUBH 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) | 3 |
| or SPHG 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) | |
| Minimum Hours | 42 | |
Admissions
Please visit Applying to the Gillings School first for details and information. Application to the residential M.P.H. is a 2-step process. Please apply separately to (1) SOPHAS and (2) UNC–Chapel Hill (via the Graduate School application link that will be sent after completing the SOPHAS application). Visit the Graduate School Web site for more details. If you are interested in the online M.P.H., please visit the MPH@UNC website and fill out an inquiry form.
Milestones
- Master's Committee
- Master's Written Examination/Approved Substitute (Comprehensive Exam)
- Thesis Substitute (Culminating Experience)
- Residence Credit
- Exit Survey
- Master's Professional Work Experience (Practicum)
Public Health, Master's Program (M.P.H.) — Population Health for Clinicians Concentration
The Population Health for Clinicians concentration is a dynamic program that delivers a rigorous, comprehensive public health education designed specifically for professionals with medical or clinical training who are ready to elevate their impact. The program is specifically designed to equip healthcare students and professionals with advanced public health knowledge and leadership skills needed to serve their communities and drive meaningful change. The concentration offers a unique interdisciplinary focus on clinical, prevention, population and policy sciences, enabling students to translate public health principles into policy and practice.
Developed with the needs of clinical professionals in mind, our curriculum focuses on several areas relevant to improving population health: prevention, critical appraisal of the health literature, evidence-based practices, research translatable to clinical practice areas and United States health system policy.
Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M.P.H. Core & Concentration | ||
| BIOS 641 | Quantitative Methods for Health Care Professionals I | 4 |
| EPID 702 | Systematic Review | 2 |
| PUBH 706 | Health Policy for Clinicians | 3 |
| PUBH 746 | Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Interventions (Comprehensive Exam embedded in this course) | 3 |
| PUBH 749 | LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CLINICIANS | 2 |
| PUBH 749 | LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CLINICIANS | 2 |
| PUBH 750 | Strategies of Prevention for Clinicians | 3 |
| PUBH 751 | Critical Appraisal of Health Literature I | 2 |
| PUBH 760 | Clinical Measurement and Evaluation | 3 |
| PUBH 786 | Health System Functions and Key Challenges | 2 |
| M.P.H. Practicum | ||
| MPH Practicum - 200 hours | ||
| SPHG 706 | MPH Pre and Post Practicum Assignments | 1 |
| M.P.H. Electives | ||
| Electives (Graduate-level courses, 400+ level at Gillings, 500+ level at UNC); 12 credit hours minimum | 12 | |
| M.P.H. Culminating Experience | ||
| PUBH 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) | 3 |
| or SPHG 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) | |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
Admissions
Please visit Applying to the Gillings School first for details and information. Application to the residential M.P.H. is a 2-step process. Please apply separately to (1) SOPHAS and (2) UNC–Chapel Hill (via the Graduate School application link that will be sent after completing the SOPHAS application). Visit the Graduate School Web site for more details. If you are interested in the online M.P.H., please visit the MPH@UNC website and fill out an inquiry form.
Milestones
- Master's Committee
- Master's Written Examination/Approved Substitute (Comprehensive Exam)
- Thesis Substitute (Culminating Experience)
- Residence Credit
- Exit Survey
- Master's Professional Work Experience (Practicum)
Public Health Executive Leadership, Doctoral Program (Dr.P.H.)
The doctor of public health provides professional training to prepare students to participate in and lead evidence-based practice and generate practice-based evidence; lead and effect change across systems, disciplines, professions, and sectors; analyze, develop, implement, and evaluate policies, programs, and services that promote health and communicate and promote public health as a common good. Graduates typically are employed by operating community or public health programs at the local, state, national, or international level. A program of study leading to the Dr.P.H. degree is offered by the Department of Health Policy and Management and the Department of Public Health Leadership and Practice (synchronous online learning and periodic in-residence weeks format).
See link for more information — https://catalog.unc.edu/graduate/schools-departments/health-policy-management/#doctoraldegreetext.
Professors of the Practice
Rhonda Stephens, MPH Concentration Co-Lead (Population Health for Clinicians),Certificate Director, Public Health Leadership, Dental Public Health
Vaughn Upshaw, Department Chair, Public Health Leadership, Online Education
Professors
Amy Joy Lanou, Public Health Leadership, NC Institute for Public Health Director
Associate Professors
Lori A. Evarts, Associate Chair for Academics, Public Health Leadership, Project Management, Team Effectiveness, Clinical Research, Leadership, Online Education
William Oscar Fleming, Public Health Leadership, Co-Lead DrPH (Public Health Executive Leadership)
Dilshad Jaff, Public Health Leadership, Co-Lead Humanitarian Health Alliance
Aimee McHale, MPH Concentration Lead (Leadership in Practice), Public Health Leadership, Online Education
Kim Ramsey-White, Public Health Leadership, Associate Dean for Well-Being
Dana Rice, Public Health Leadership, Online Education, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Assistant Professors
Karar Zunaid Ahsan, Public Health Leadership, Global Health
Marie Lina Excellent, Public Health Leadership, MPH Concentration Co-Lead (Global Health)
Ellison Henry, Public Health Leadership
Karl T. Johnson, Public Health Leadership, PHLP Certificate Director (Public Health Leadership Certificate)
Laura Villa Torres, Public Health Leadership, Migrant Health, PHLP Certificate Director (Global Health)
Minzhi Xing, MPH Concentration Co-Lead (Population Health for Clinicians), Public Health Leadership, Health Services Research
Adjunct Professors
Sarah Archer, Public Health Leadership
Timothy Gabel, Population Health for Clinicians
Russell Harris, Public Health Leadership
Linda Kinsinger, Public Health Leadership
Kody H. Kinsley, Public Health Leadership
Rohit Ramaswamy, Public Health Leadership, Global Health
Paula Brown Stafford, Public Health Leadership
Weiming Tang, Senior Research Advisor, Medicine, Global Health
Anthony J. Viera, Population Health for Clinicians
Sanjay Zodpey, Public Health Leadership
Adjunct Associate Professors
Gary Asher, Population Health for Clinicians
Ameena Batada, Public Health Leadership, Rural Health
Lori Carter-Edwards, Public Health Leadership
Paul Crews, Public Health Leadership
William Donigan, Public Health Leadership, Dentistry
Mary Harrison, Public Health Leadership
Manish Kumar, Public Health Leadership
Gita Mody, Public Health Leadership
Jacqueline Olich, Practicum Placements, Leadership, Global Online
Isabel Roth, Public Health Leadership
Adjunct Assistant Professors
Shannon Aymes, Population Health for Clinicians
Erin Braasch, Public Health Leadership
Linnea Carlson, Public Health Leadership
Donna Dinkin, Public Health Leadership
Robert Doherty, Public Health Leadership, Dentistry
Genevieve Embree, Public Health Leadership
Tiffany Farina, Public Health Leadership
Cynthia Feltner, Population Health for Clinicians
Adam Gilbertson, Public Health Leadership
Mamie Sackey Harris, Public Health Leadership, Global
Lisa Macon Harrison, Public Health Leadership
Wade Harrison, Population Health for Clinicians
Elizabeth High, Public Health Leadership
Ashley Jarrett, Public Health Leadership
Leila C. Kahwati, Public Health Leadership
Barbara Hocevar Kalkas, Public Health Leadership
Amy Kryston, Public Health Leadership
Heather Lanthorn, Public Health Leadership
Steve Orton, Public Health Leadership
Jennifer Platt, Public Health Leadership
Megan Richardson, Public Health Leadership, PHLP Mentoring Director
Danny Scalise, Public Health Leadership
Sarah Brill Thach, Public Health Leadership, Rural Health
Amy Belflower Thomas, Public Health Leadership
Eugenia Upchurch, Public Health Leadership
Gretchen Van Vliet, Public Health Leadership, Global Health
Katie Varnadoe, Public Health Leadership
Meera Viswanathan, Public Health Leadership
John Wallace, Public Health Leadership
Stepahnie Watson-Grant, Public Health Leadership
Rachel A. Wilfert, Public Health Leadership
Richard Zink, Public Health Leadership
Adjunct Instructors
Carol Breland, Public Health Leadership, Online Education
Eleanor Green, Public Health Leadership
Natasha Hughes, Public Health Leadership
Makala Carrington, Public Health Leadership
Ellis Matheson, Public Health Leadership
Michael Zelek, Public Health Leadership
Professors Emeriti
Russell Harris, Population Health for Clinicians
Arnold D. Kaluzny, Public Health Leadership
Anna P. Schenck, Public Health Leadership
William A. Sollecito, Public Health Leadership
Public Health Leadership and Practice
Public Health Leadership and Practice
