Incorporating Practice Leadership Into a DrPH Curriculum

Lenihan, D. Patrick

DrPH programs have adopted the consensus focus for the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree on leadership in public health practice along with the array of ASPPH competencies, yet many have found it challenging to create a distinctive identity for the DrPH degree separate from the PhD. The UIC-SPH DrPH curriculum has achieved this by incorporating three key elements: systematic reflection, action learning and the use of a portfolio.

Systematic reflection is a critical skill of high-level professional practice that enhances the ability to access and question tacit knowledge and assumptions, and to articulate new learning, which can be shared and tested with others. The UIC DrPH program has developed a systematic reflection process, which is covered in several core courses, and applied by students in the portfolio and dissertation.

Action learning is an iterative and empirical problem solving process which is well suited for public health leadership development given its emphasis on the use of systematic reflection in problem solving, grounded in an experiential learning approach. While action learning has been recognized for public health leadership development, it has not been fully operationalized as a tool for public health leadership practice. Action learning is integrated into the UIC-SPH DrPH core curriculum where students have the opportunity to solve real world adaptive challenges arising in their work settings.

A portfolio documents mastery of the six program competencies attained through a student’s professional career and academic achievements. The portfolio replaces the customary doctoral examinations and is used to gauge leadership development and dissertation readiness. The portfolio is developed in stages, using systematic reflection, as a student identifies, assesses, and presents an integrated individual leadership vision along with evidence reflecting the application of each competency. Competency attainment is judged by a faculty committee using Bloom’s taxonomy to assess levels of attainment.