Public Health Core Competencies

Public health professionals focus on making the lives of other people and their communities better. They concern themselves with many factors that play a role in the health of humans, such as the environment, public policy, health care and laws. If you are interested in taking on a public health role and are looking for an appropriate graduate program, a master’s degree might be an ideal way to achieve your goal.

As an MPH student, you will be guided by 22 foundational core public health competencies (PDF, 406 KB) set forth by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Here is a closer look at these core competencies for public health professionals and why they are essential.

Core competencies are difficult to mimic. They are the fundamental knowledge, skills and attributes a person or organization holds that allow an individual or company to succeed and grow. What are core competencies in public health?

In the public health sector, core public health competencies allow the workforce to operate effectively and carry out the core functions of public health, including population health assessment, monitoring, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, health protection and emergency preparedness.

Some public health employers may refer to the core competencies to develop job descriptions in postings, performance objectives and assessment, and workforce development plans to ensure a skilled workforce. Plus, for students who are about to enter the job market, knowing the core competencies is a great way to understand your own strengths/weaknesses and evaluate your professional capabilities.

A master’s in public health program, such as Master of Public Health(MPH) or Master’s in Healthcare Administration, advances a graduate student’s understanding of the following five public health disciplines.

Competencies in biostatistics enable public health professionals to address and solve problems in public health by analyzing and interpreting data and applying statistical reasoning and methods.

This competency focuses on how biological, physical and chemical environmental factors affect human health.

Often associated with public health and public health degree programs, the epidemiology competency is the ability to study diseases and injury within populations.

It’s the ability to use both a managerial and a policy perspective to focus on the delivery, accessibility, quality, organization and health care costs for individuals and populations.

This competency in public health examines how behavioral, social, and cultural matters contribute to public health issues.

Built on the conventional public health core knowledge areas (biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management, and social and behavioral sciences), as well as multisector and emerging public health areas; these CEPH competencies must be demonstrated by all graduates and are critical to the success of public health professionals. 

1. Apply epidemiological methods to the breadth of settings and situations in public health practice.

2. Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.

3. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate.

4. Interpret the results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice.

5. Compare the organization, structure, and function of health care, public health and regulatory systems across national and international settings.

6. Discuss how structural bias, social inequities and racism undermine health and create challenges for achieving health equity at the organizational, community and societal levels.

7. Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health.

8. Apply awareness of cultural values and practices to the design or implementation of public health policies or programs.

9. Design a population-based policy, program, project or intervention.

10. Explain the basic principles and tools of budget and resource management.

11. Select methods to evaluate public health programs.

12. Discuss multiple dimensions of the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence.

13. Propose strategies to identify stakeholders and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes.

14. Advocate for political, social or economic policies and programs that will improve health in diverse populations.

15. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity.

16. Apply principles of leadership, governance, and management, which include creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration and guiding decision making.

17. Apply negotiation and mediation skills to address organizational or community challenges.

18. Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.

19. Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, in writing and through oral presentation.

20. Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.

21. Perform effectively on interprofessional teams.

22. Apply systems thinking tools to a public health issue.

Information last updated in July 2020

University and Program Name	Study Length	Test Requirement	Number of Credits
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Master of Public Health (MPH) info SPONSORED	As few as 20 months	No GRE Required	42
George Washington University Master of Public Health info SPONSORED	As few as 12 months	No GRE Required	45
Boston University Online Master of Public Health info SPONSORED	24 months – 5 years	No GMAT/GRE Required	42
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Institute of Health Professions Masters of Health Administration info SPONSORED	12-24 Months	No GMAT or GRE Required	36