Mission Statement
The mission of the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH) at San Diego State University (SDSU) is to approach population and individual health by integrating a variety of disciplines to study biomedical, genetic, psychosocial, cultural, environmental, societal, and political influences on health. Because of its location in an ethnically diverse region of the U.S./Mexico Border and the Pacific Rim, the GSPH is especially devoted to preparing students to research and promote health with many diverse national and international populations.
The GSPH vision is to be the premier academic resource for education, research, and outreach in community-focused public health with a specific emphasis on the US/Mexico border region and the Pacific Rim.
The GSPH mission is accomplished through the following overarching instruction, research, and community service goals:
Instruction The GSPH will prepare public health professionals who are able to identify and assess needs of populations; plan, implement, and evaluate programs to address those needs; and otherwise assure conditions that protect and promote the health of populations.
Research The GSPH will conduct nationally and internationally recognized research in all five major disciplines of public health.
Community Service Through the five major disciplines of public health, the GSPH will create and foster links to local, state, national, and international communities to help them achieve their public health needs.
Goal 1. Through instruction, the GSPH will prepare public health professionals who are able to identify and assess needs of diverse populations; plan, implement, and evaluate programs to address those needs; and otherwise assure conditions that protect and promote the health of populations.
- All students in the GSPH will master the basic principles of the five major disciplines in public health (Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Behavioral Science, Occupational and Environmental Health, and Health Services Administration) by having core competencies addressed in the GSPH core courses, obtaining a B- or better in all the GSPH core courses, using these principles within their training at the GSPH, and applying the basic principles after graduation in the workforce.
- All students in the GSPH will engage in at least two professional public health activities during their training. These activities can include participation in internships, fellowships/grants, research studies, volunteer work, professional meetings, public seminars, and membership in professional and/or community organizations.
- All students in the GSPH will have a culminating experience to demonstrate proficiency in the integration of public health principles into their chosen field. These experiences will be discipline specific such as research theses, proficiency comprehensive examinations, comprehensive literature reviews/meta-analyses, analytic managerial projects conducted in organizations, and specialized research projects.
- At least 80% of all students graduating from the GSPH will either obtain employment in their chosen field within two years or continue their educations in a health-related discipline.
Goal 2: Through research, the GSPH will conduct nationally and internationally recognized research in all five major disciplines of public health.
- All faculty will author or co-author an average of at least two research papers per year in a peer-reviewed journal.
- All faculty will be funded with an average of one extramural and/or intramural grant or apply for at least one extramural and/or intramural grant per year.
- All faculty in the GSPH will demonstrate evidence of promoting student involvement in research mentoring on a yearly basis. Involvement could consist of thesis supervision, student co-authorship on published papers and conference presentations, reports, grant assistantships, employment in research activities, and acquisition of student training fellowships.
Goal 3: Through community service activities in the five major disciplines of public health, the GSPH will create and foster links to local, state, national, and international communities to help them achieve their public health needs.
- All faculty will demonstrate involvement in community and professional service on a yearly basis. This involvement may include serving on community advisory and editorial boards, peer review of grant proposals and manuscripts, teaching continuing education, invited public presentations, mentoring of non-GSPH students, consultations for community members and groups, and service-related grants.
- All faculty will demonstrate involvement in institutional academic service on a yearly basis. This involvement may include serving on departmental, college, and university committees, serving on thesis committees from other GSPH divisions or departments, mentoring SDSU minority students, and contributing to classes other than their own.
- The Institute for Public Health will engage in community collaborations that promote the mission and goals of the GSPH. Productivity will be gauged in a variety of ways including grant funding, collaborative community meetings, service to underserved and minority communities, consulting activities, training, publications, internship/field placement, thesis supervision, and student employment.
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