IX - Columbia University



IX. STUDENTS

A. RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSIONS

Criterion IX.A. The School shall have student recruitment and admissions policies and procedures designed to locate and select qualified individuals capable of taking advantage of the school’s various learning activities, which will enable each of them to develop competence for a career in public health.

Documentation

1. Description of the school’s recruitment policies and procedures.

2. Statement of admissions policies and procedures

3. Examples of recruitment materials and other publication and advertising that describe, as a minimum, academic calendars, grading and the academic offerings of the school. The most recent catalog must be included. References to website addresses may be included.

4. Quantitative information on the number of applicants, acceptances and admissions, by program area, over the last three years.

5. Quantitative information on the number of students enrolled in each degree program identified in Criterion V.A., including a headcount of full-time and part-time students and a full-time equivalent conversion, over the last three years.

6. Identification of outcome measures by which the school may evaluate its success in enrolling a qualified student body, along with data regarding the performance of the school against those measures over the last three years.

7. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met.

IX.A.1. Description of the school’s recruitment policies and procedures.

The Office of Student Affairs carries out central recruitment activities. This office sponsors and organizes recruitment events and advertising, and coordinates admissions, financial aid, career services, and the registrar function for the School including student records. The Vice Dean of Student Affairs directs the Office of Student Affairs; the admissions and financial aid functions are overseen by the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.

The School’s recruitment activities include:

• Advertisements in the special Career and Education issues of The New York Times, identifying Columbia as an affirmative action organization.

• Participation, through the Association of Schools of Public Health, in the development and distribution of brochures on public health and careers in public health.

• School sponsored recruitment day events.

• Distribution of brochures describing the MD/MPH program to attract incoming medical students from New York City.

• Formal representation of the School at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting and selected other professional conferences.

• Recruitment efforts by individual faculty members as part of their participation in a wide range of professional meetings, and their work with health organizations.

• Recruitment through special scholarship programs such as the Public Health Scholar’s Program and the new, NIH funded Initiative for Minority Student Development (see Criterion VI.5).

• Several recruitment activities conducted by the academic departments.

• Student involvement in the recruitment of prospective students.

In 2003, the School plans to hire a full-time recruiter. The role of the recruiter will be to further strengthen our efforts to attract an even more qualified and diverse applicant pool. Additionally, the Director of Admissions is working with faculty members to strengthen the schoolwide recruitment strategy plan, which will further complement the recruitment efforts that have been carried out by the individual academic departments.

IX.A.2. Admissions policies and procedures.

The Office of Student Affairs administers the admissions process for MPH, MS and DrPH programs. There are two separate Admissions Committees; one reviews the MPH and MS applications and the other reviews DrPH applicants.

Applications to the PhD programs in Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Science, and Sociomedical Science are administered by the Graduate School of Arts and

Sciences, with representation and participation by faculty from the relevant department of the School.

The objectives of these Admissions Committees are to identify those masters and doctoral applicants best prepared to take advantage of the School’s programs, and to assure that the mission and goals of the School and its capacity to serve students are considered during the admissions process.

The Admissions Committee bases its decisions on an assessment of each applicant’s academic preparation, work experience, intellectual capacity, public health leadership potential, motivation, career objectives, focus on public health, and character. The majority of students entering the MPH program have prior graduate degrees and/or one or more years of practical experience in a health related occupation. The basic academic requirements for admission to the MPH and the MS programs include a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject area from a recognized university or college, evidence of satisfactory preparation in quantitative areas, strong academic performance, and positive references. The review includes an examination of a candidate’s academic record, statement of objectives, references, work experience, and standardized test scores. An applicant’s quantitative, verbal, and analytical skills are evaluated, in part, based on these scores. An applicant may request a waiver of the standardized test requirement if presenting evidence from other sources of strong quantitative, verbal, and analytical skills. The Admissions Committee evaluates and rules on these requests. Occasionally, the Committee schedules an interview as a recruitment device, or as an additional opportunity to evaluate candidates. The Committee attempts to make final decisions by consensus. If the Committee is unable to reach a consensus, the case is decided by majority vote.

At the Committee meetings, a committee member from the relevant academic department presents essential details about the applicant, including the department’s recommendation. The Committee makes one of four possible decisions: 1) accept; 2) reject; 3) admit as a “special student” (a designation used for students who are not seeking a degree in public health but who wish to take selected courses); and 4) admit as a “conditional accept” (a temporary designation for candidates who meet most of the admissions criteria, but that because of standardized test scores must receive a grade of B+ or better in a class in a specific subject area before being allowed to start their academic program).

Master’s and doctoral degree candidates are admitted on a full-time or part-time basis. Candidates for the MPH degree are expected to complete all requirements within a five-year period.

IX.A.3. Examples of recruitment materials.

The most comprehensive means of informing prospective students about the School are the School Bulletin and the School website. A copy of the School Bulletin is included in Appendix IX.A.3. The Bulletin describes: academic calendars; academic programs; grading policies; course offerings; degree requirements; fees; academic resources; grievance procedures; honor code; the co-curricular resources of the Office of Student Affairs; as well as providing a list of faculty by department.

All of the above information also is presented on the School’s website, , particularly the admissions website, .

Appendix IX.A.3 also includes copies of a New York Times advertisement for a School open house and a flyer advertising an open house.

IX.A.4. Quantitative information on the number of applicants, acceptances and admissions, by program area, over the last three years.

To provide a historical overview, we first present information on the number of applicants and admits for the school as a whole, from the mid 1980’s onward. We also benchmark the Mailman School’s statistics against data from the other accredited schools of public health. Finally, we provide detailed admissions data by degree and by department over the last three years.

Overview

Figure IX.A.4. shows the number of applicants to the School and the number of students admitted from 1984 to the present. The figure includes MPH, MS and DrPH students. (This figure does not include PhD students, who are registered through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and were not included in statistical reports of the School until two years ago.) The number of applicants remained relatively steady at about 600 applicants per year between 1984 and 1990. There has been a marked increase in applications since 1990, with the number of applicants increasing from 600 to over 1200 in the past 11 years. During the same period, the proportion of applicants who were admitted increased at a much slower rate. As a result, the School has experienced a long-term trend of increased selectivity.

Applicants, acceptances and admissions by degree

Table IX.A.4.a indicates the number of applicants by degree in the last three years. The large majority of applicants to the School (approximately 75%) apply to the MPH program. In 2001, of 1403 applicants, 1054 (75%) applied to the MPH program, 159 (11%) to the PhD program, 84 (6%) to the DrPH program, 72 (5%) to the MS program, and 34 (2%) applied to study as Special (SPL, non-degree) students. From 1999 to 2001 there was an increase in the number of MPH, MS and PhD candidates and there was a slight decrease in the number of DrPH and non-degree applicants. While the clear trend of the last decade has been marked by a sharp increase in selectivity, if we focus only on the last three years there has been a slight decrease in selectivity, with overall acceptance rates of: 54%, 1999; 56%, 2000; 58%, 2001.

In the MPH program, the acceptance rate was 56% in 1999, 61% in 2000, and 62% in 2001. The acceptance rate also increased in the MS program: 71%, 1999; 74%, 2001. (As shown in Section IX.A.6, the majority of MS students have years of work experience and advanced degrees, primarily MD degrees.) In the PhD program, the acceptance rate was 38% in 2001, compared to 35% in 1999; the comparable rates for the DrPH program were: 26%, 2001; 35%, 1999.

The last three years has witnessed a decline in the yield rate (proportion of accepted students who enroll) for the MPH program, but an increase in yield for the MS, DrPH and PhD programs. The MPH yield declined from 46% in 1999 to 42% in 2001. As noted below, in Section IX. B., this decline is attributable primarily to the increasing number of international applicants and their very low yield. This is the group for whom we have the greatest difficulty providing financial aid. In contrast to the MPH program, the MS, DrPH, and PhD programs showed an increase in yield from 1999 to 2001; MS yield: 1999, 52%; 2001, 59%; DrPH yield: 1999, 55%; 2001, 64%; PhD yield: 1999, 49%; 2001, 59%.

Comparison to the other accredited schools

It is possible to compare the School’s selectivity and yield rates to those of the other accredited schools of public health, based on the Association of School of Public Health (ASPH) Annual Data Report. Table IX.A.4.b, presents a comparison of the Mailman School with other schools of public health from 1998 through 2000 (the most recent report available). The School has a very large applicant pool compared to the other schools. It ranked 7th highest of 28 schools in the number of applications in 1998, this ranking increased to 5 in 1999, and 4 in 2000. (In 2000, Mailman School data included PhD’s for the first time.)

The School was in the middle of the range for selectivity during this period. In 1998, the School ranked 14th most selective, accepting 56% of the applicants, compared with a 55% average for all schools. In 1999 the School’s rank declined slightly to 16th most selective, accepting 55% of applicants compared to 56% for all schools. In 2000, the School’s selectivity rank improved slightly to 14th, accepting 55% versus 59% for all schools.

The School has a relatively low yield, attributable in part to the extremely high cost of living in New York City and the high tuition of a private University. The School’s yield ranking was 21 in 1998 and 1999, increasing to 19 in 2000, the year the School’s PhD students were first included in the data. The yield percentage was 43% in 1998 and 1999, and 46% in 2000. The average yield rate for accredited schools fluctuated between 49 and 50%.

Applicants, acceptances and admissions by department and degree

Tables IX.A.4.c, d and e, show the number of applications, acceptances and admissions, by program area and degree, 1999-2001. In the last three years, the Department of Sociomedical Sciences has received the largest number of applications (23-27% of the total), followed by Health Policy and Management (19-23%), Epidemiology (19-20%), Population and Family Health (12-14%), Biostatistics (7-8%), and Environmental Health Sciences (6-8 %). The departments have the same rank order in terms of actual enrollment during the three years.

Biostatistics’ admissions are characterized by a small MPH program, a robust MS program, a DrPH program that is declining in size, and a growing PhD program. Environmental Health Sciences has seen an increase in MPH admissions, a DrPH program that is slowly declining in size, and a 5-year-old PhD program that has shown consistent growth. Epidemiology has a large and stable MPH program, a smaller and consistent MS program, a DrPH program that, by design, is decreasing in size, and a growing PhD program. Health Policy and Management (HPM) has a large MPH program, a stable Executive MPH program, and a DrPH program, that, by design, is decreasing in size. HPM collaborates with SMS to admit PhD and DrPH students interested in health policy, economics, and political science, through the SMS doctoral program. Population and Family Health (PFH) has a stable MPH program. PFH students interested in pursuing doctoral work in a social science can be admitted through the SMS doctoral programs. Sociomedical Sciences (SMS) has a large and stable MPH program and growing DrPH and PhD programs.

Figure IX.A.4

Number of School Applicants and Admits

(MPH, MS, and DrPH)

1984 - 2001

[pic]

Table IX.A.4.a

Number of Applicants, Acceptances, and Admissions, By Degree

1999-2001

|Year/Degree |Applicants |Acceptances |Admissions |

|1999 | | | |

| | | | |

|MPH |1003 |557 |254 |

|MS |68 |48 |25 |

|DrPH |88 |31 |17 |

|PhD |134 |47 |23 |

|Special (Non-Degree) |42 |40 |30 |

|Total |1335 |723 |349 |

| | | | |

|2000 | | | |

| | | | |

|MPH |1049 |641 |284 |

|MS |62 |46 |29 |

|DrPH |110 |21 |13 |

|PhD |156 |47 |21 |

|Special (Non-Degree) |49 |41 |28 |

|Total |1426 |796 |375 |

| | | | |

|2001 | | | |

| | | | |

|MPH |1054 |649 |272 |

|MS |72 |58 |34 |

|DrPH |84 |22 |14 |

|PhD |159 |61 |36 |

|Special (Non-Degree) |34 |30 |24 |

|Total |1403 |820 |380 |

Table IX.A.4.b

Comparison of Mailman School With Other Schools of Public Health: Applications, Acceptance, and Enrollment of New Students

| | | | |

| |Mailman’s Rank |Mailman’s # or % |Average # / % all |

| | | |SPH’s |

|1998 | | | |

|Total Applications |7 |1078 |705 |

|Total Accepted |7 |609 |387 |

|% Accepted |14 |56% |55% |

|Total New Enrolled |8 |260 |192 |

|% of Accepted Enrolled |21 |43% |50% |

| | | | |

|1999 | | | |

|Total Applications |5 |1159 |737 |

|Total Accepted |6 |636 |409 |

|% Accepted |16 |55% |56% |

|Total New Enrolled |7 |295 |199 |

|% of Accepted Enrolled |21 |46% |49% |

| | | | |

|2000* | | | |

|Total Applications |4 |1373* |713 |

|Total Accepted |5 |756 |417 |

|% Accepted |14 |55% |59% |

|Total New Enrolled |5 |350 |209 |

|% of Accepted Enrolled |19 |46% |50% |

*Columbia PhD’s included for 1st Time

Table IX.A.4.c

Number of Applicants, Acceptances, and Enrollments - by Program Area

1999

|Department/Degree |Applicants |Acceptances |Enrollments |

|Biostatistics: | | | |

|MPH |15 |14 |8 |

|MS |52 |40 |21 |

|DrPH |9 |4 |1 |

|PhD |22 |8 |3 |

|Environmental Health Sciences: | | | |

|MPH | | | |

|DrPH |63 |40 |22 |

|PhD |12 |4 |2 |

| |15 |1 |1 |

|Epidemiology: | | | |

|MPH |181 |86 |32 |

|MS |16 |8 |4 |

|DrPH |18 |3 |2 |

|PhD |35 |13 |9 |

|General Public Health: | | | |

|MPH |57 |43 |22 |

|Health Policy & Management: | | | |

|MPH | | | |

|Exec MPH |190 |109 |39 |

|DrPH |53 |30 |18 |

| |5 |1 |1 |

|Population & Family Health: | | | |

|MPH | | | |

| |191 |110 |53 |

|Sociomedical Sciences: | | | |

|MPH |253 |125 |60 |

|DrPH |44 |19 |11 |

|PhD |62 |25 |10 |

|Special (Non-Degree): | | | |

|SPL |42 |40 |30 |

|Total |1335 |723 |349 |

Table IX.A.4.d

Number of Applicants, Acceptances, and Enrollments - by Program Area

2000

|Department/Degree |Applicants |Acceptances |Enrollments |

|Biostatistics: | | | |

|MPH |16 |10 |6 |

|MS |52 |40 |25 |

|DrPH |8 |4 |1 |

|PhD |30 |11 |3 |

|Environmental Health Sciences: | | | |

|MPH | | | |

|DrPH |59 |40 |18 |

|PhD |5 |0 |0 |

| |19 |5 |2 |

|Epidemiology: | | | |

|MPH |195 |105 |36 |

|MS |10 |6 |4 |

|DrPH |18 |4 |3 |

|PhD |49 |10 |5 |

|General Public Health: | | | |

|MPH |49 |38 |22 |

|Health Policy & Management: | | | |

|MPH | | | |

|Exec MPH |259 |165 |57 |

|DrPH |45 |32 |27 |

| |20 |3 |3 |

|Population & Family Health: | | | |

|MPH | | | |

| |176 |103 |42 |

|Sociomedical Sciences: | | | |

|MPH |250 |148 |76 |

|DrPH |59 |10 |6 |

|PhD |58 |21 |11 |

|Special (Non-Degree): | | | |

|SPL |49 |41 |28 |

|Total |1426 |796 |375 |

Table IX.A.4.e

Number of Applicants, Acceptances, and Enrollments - by Program Area

2001

|Department/Degree |Applicants |Acceptances |Enrollments |

|Biostatistics: | | | |

|MPH |13 |9 |5 |

|MS |56 |42 |25 |

|DrPH |8 |1 |0 |

|PhD |31 |19 |9 |

|Environmental Health Sciences: | | | |

|MPH | | | |

|DrPH |93 |60 |21 |

|PhD |7 |3 |3 |

| |18 |3 |3 |

|Epidemiology: | | | |

|MPH |194 |106 |34 |

|MS |16 |16 |9 |

|DrPH |12 |1 |0 |

|PhD |56 |20 |11 |

|General Public Health: | | | |

|MPH |56 |36 |16 |

|Health Policy & Management: | | | |

|MPH | | | |

|Exec MPH |222 |150 |55 |

|DrPH |52 |36 |34 |

| |14 |1 |0 |

|Population & Family Health: | | | |

|MPH | | | |

| |201 |117 |46 |

|Sociomedical Sciences: | | | |

|MPH |223 |135 |61 |

|DrPH |43 |16 |11 |

|PhD |54 |19 |13 |

|Special (Non-Degree): | | | |

|SPL |34 |30 |24 |

|Total |1403 |820 |380 |

IX.A.5. Quantitative information on the number of students enrolled in each program identified in criterion V.A., including a headcount of full-time and part-time students and a full-time equivalent conversion, over the last three years.

Table IX.A.5.a, b, and c, describe the School enrollment by degree and department, 1999-2001, including counts of full-time and part-time students and a full-time equivalent conversion. Over the last three years, total enrollment has increased from 750 in 1999, to 798 in 2000, and 836 in 2001. These numbers include non-degree, Special students. The number of Special students was: 27 in 1999; 23 in 2000 and 2001. The percentage of full-time students over the three years has increased from 63% to 68%. The total of full-time students plus full-time equivalence of part-time students has increased from 632 to 725.

The largest enrollment in 2001 was in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences, with 233 students (28%), followed by the Departments of Health Policy and Management (170, 21%), Epidemiology (134, 16%), Biostatistics (87, 10%), Population and Family Health (86, 10%), Environmental Health Sciences (56, 7%), and General Public Health (47, 6%).

The ranking of Departments in terms of total enrollment versus the full-time equivalents (FTE’s) is very similar, with the exception of the Department of Population and Family Health, which moved ahead of the Department of Biostatistics by virtue of a much larger proportion of full-time students.

Turning to degree enrollment at the department level, in 2001 the largest program was the MPH in SMS (121 students, 14% of the student body) followed by the MPH in Health Policy and Management (107, 13%), MPH in Population and Family Health (86, 10%), MPH in Epidemiology (71, 8%), PhD in Sociomedical Sciences (59, 7%), Executive MPH in Health Policy and Management (58, 7%), DrPH in SMS (53, 6%), MS in Biostatistics (51, 6%), the MPH in General Public Health (47, 6%), MPH in Biostatistics (40, 5%), PhD in Epidemiology (40, 5%), and PhD in Biostatistics (20, 2%). The six other departmental degree programs had 12 or fewer students in 2001.

The largest growth in total enrollment between 1999 and 2001 was in the Department of Health Policy and Management (46 students, from 127 to 170, 34% increase), with most of the growth (35 students) in the MPH program and the Executive MPH program (11). The second largest growth during this period was in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences (25 students, from 208 to 233, 12% increase) with growth in the PhD (14), MPH (7), and DrPH (5) programs. The third largest growth (21 students) was in Biostatistics, with growth in the MS (17) and PhD (7) programs and slight decreases in the MPH and DrPH programs. There was more modest growth in Population and Family Health (6 students, 8% growth), Environmental Health Sciences (4 students, 8% increase) and Epidemiology (5 students, 4%). And there was a decline in the number of students in General Public Health (-14) and the Special, non-degree program (-4).

Dual Degrees

The School cooperates with other Columbia University schools in offering dual masters level degrees that provide an interface between public health and related fields. There were 75 dual degree students in these programs registered in the School during 2001, including programs in Public Health and Medicine (23), Dentistry (2), Nursing (2), Occupational Therapy (4), Business (4), International Affairs (18), Public Administration (4), Social Work (17), and Urban Planning (1).

Table IX.A.5.a

Enrollment by Degree and Department, Fall 1999

|Department/Degree |Number of Students |Full- Time |Part-Time |FTE’s of |Total |

| | | | |Part-time |Full-Time+ |

| | | | | |FTE’s |

|Biostatistics | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |11 |6 |5 |2.9 |8.9 |

|MS |34 |13 |21 |11.9 |24.9 |

|DrPH |8 |8 |- |- |8.0 |

|PhD |13 |13 |- |- |13.0 |

|Total |66 |40 |26 |14.8 |54.8 |

|Environmental Health Sciences | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |39 |24 |15 |9.1 |33.1 |

|DrPH |8 |8 |- |- |8.0 |

|PhD |5 |5 |- |- |5.0 |

|Total |52 |37 |15 |9.1 |46.1 |

|Epidemiology | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |79 |38 |41 |20.9 |58.9 |

|MS |8 |2 |6 |3.7 |5.7 |

|DrPH |13 |13 |- |- |13.0 |

|PhD |29 |29 |- |- |29.0 |

|Total |129 |82 |47 |24.6 |106.6 |

|Health Policy and Management | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |72 |60 |12 |6.2 |66.2 |

|EXEC MPH |47 |- |47 |39.2 |39.2 |

|DrPH |8 |8 |- |- |8.0 |

|Total |127 |68 |59 |45.4 |113.4 |

|General Public Health | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |61 |15 |46 |23.8 |38.8 |

|Population and Family Health | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |80 |62 |18 |10.3 |72.3 |

|Sociomedical Sciences | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |114 |72 |42 |23.4 |95.4 |

|DrPH |49 |49 |- |- |49.0 |

|PhD |45 |45 |0 |0 |45.0 |

|TOTAL |208 |166 |42 |23.4 |189.4 |

|SPECIAL | | | | | |

|(Non-degree) |27 |0 |27 |10.6 |10.6 |

| | | | | | |

|Grand Total |750 |470 |280 |162 |632 |

Table IX.A.5.b

Enrollment by Degree and Department, Fall 2000

|Department/Degree |Number of Students|Full- Time |Part-Time |FTE’s of |Total |

| | | | |Part-time |Full-Time+ |

| | | | | |FTE’s |

|Biostatistics | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |11 |6 |5 |2.8 |8.8 |

|MS |50 |14 |36 |19.0 |33.0 |

|DrPH |7 |7 |- |- |7.0 |

|PhD |14 |14 |- |- |14.0 |

|Total |82 |41 |41 |21.8 |62.8 |

|Environmental Health Sciences | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |42 |35 |7 |3.2 |38.2 |

|DrPH |7 |7 |- |- |7.0 |

|PhD |7 |7 |- |- |7.0 |

|Total |56 |49 |7 |3.2 |52.2 |

|Epidemiology | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |81 |40 |41 |24.7 |64.7 |

|MS |7 |5 |2 |0.8 |5.8 |

|DrPH |14 |14 |- |- |14.0 |

|PhD |29 |29 |- |- |29.0 |

|Total |131 |88 |43 |25.5 |113.5 |

|Health Policy and Management | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |92 |73 |19 |9.7 |82.7 |

|EXEC MPH |42 |- |42 |35.0 |35.0 |

|DrPH |9 |9 |- |- |9.0 |

|Total |143 |82 |61 |44.7 |126.7 |

|General Public Health | | | | | |

|MPH |55 |22 |33 |18.7 |40.7 |

|Population and Family Health | | | | | |

|MPH |82 |67 |15 |8.9 |75.9 |

|Sociomedical Sciences | | | | | |

|MPH |130 |75 |55 |32.6 |107.6 |

|DrPH |48 |48 |- |- |48.0 |

|PhD |48 |48 |- |- |48.0 |

|Total |226 |171 |55 |32.6 |203.6 |

|SPECIAL | | | | | |

|(Non-degree) |23 |5 |18 |6.8 |11.8 |

| | | | | | |

|Grand Total |798 |525 |273 |162.2 |687.2 |

Table IX.A.5.c

Enrollment by Degree and Department, Fall 2001

|Department/Degree |Number of Students|Full- Time |Part-Time |FTE’s of |Total |

| | | | |Part-time |Full-Time+ |

| | | | | |FTE’s |

|Biostatistics | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |10 |5 |5 |3.3 |8.3 |

|MS |51 |20 |31 |14.5 |34.5 |

|DrPH |6 |6 |- |- |6.0 |

|PhD |20 |20 |- |- |20.0 |

|Total |87 |51 |36 |17.8 |68.8 |

|Environmental Health Sciences | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |40 |23 |17 |9.7 |32.7 |

|DrPH |8 |8 |- |- |8.0 |

|PhD |8 |8 |- |- |8.0 |

|Total |56 |39 |17 |9.7 |48.7 |

|Epidemiology | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |71 |41 |30 |15.1 |56.1 |

|MS |11 |5 |6 |3.2 |8.2 |

|DrPH |12 |12 |- |- |12.0 |

|PhD |40 |40 |- |- |40.0 |

|Total |134 |98 |36 |18.3 |116.3 |

|Health Policy and Management | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |107 |81 |26 |13.8 |94.8 |

|EXEC MPH |58 |- |58 |48.3 |48.3 |

|DrPH |5 |5 |- |- |5.0 |

|Total |170 |86 |84 |62.1 |148.1 |

|General Public Health | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |47 |23 |24 |13.0 |36.0 |

|Population and Family Health | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|MPH |86 |75 |11 |6.1 |81.1 |

|Sociomedical Sciences | | | | | |

|MPH |121 |78 |43 |25.0 |103.0 |

|DrPH |53 |53 |- |- |53.0 |

|PhD |59 |59 |- |- |59.0 |

|TOTAL |233 |190 |43 |25.0 |215.0 |

|SPECIAL | | | | | |

|(Non-degree) |23 |4 |19 |6.9 |10.9 |

| | | | | | |

|Grand Total |836 |566 |270 |158.9 |724.9 |

IX.A.6. Identification of outcome measures by which the school may evaluate its success in enrolling a qualified student body, along with data regarding the performance of the school against those measures over the last three years.

The School measures its success in enrolling a qualified student body using a number of criteria. The basic requirements for all applicants are “a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university or college and evidence of satisfactory preparation in quantitative subject areas, and a strong academic record. Previous health professional or other relevant work experience is highly desirable” (2001-2003 Bulletin). In addition, all applicants to the DrPH program must have earned the MPH degree or equivalent, and some departments have specific pre-admission requirements for some programs, as described in the Bulletin.

The screening of applicants who meet these basic requirements includes a review of the following:

• Academic record of all undergraduate and graduate studies

• Standardized test scores

• Work experience

• Personal statement

• Reference letters

• Referrals

• Interviews, in some cases

There are no formulaic measures for the strength of academic records, personal statements, referrals, interviews, or admissions policies. Departments and Admissions Committees evaluate the strength and appropriateness of applicants’ credentials for each program. Academic records are reviewed for the overall scores, performance in relevant courses, and the strength of the academic institution and program.

Applicants are required to submit a personal statement describing their interest in the area of concentration, relationship of prior education and experience to the area of concentration, and career objectives. Doctoral applicants are also asked to state their research interests. Personal statements are reviewed to determine the applicant’s understanding of the field and the specified concentration, evidence of interest and motivation, and appropriateness of fit with the School’s mission, goals, and objectives, and with the focus of the department.

Interviews are required in the Executive MPH Program in the Department of Health Policy and Management, and are requested or offered in some other cases, to clarify issues raised in the personal statement or supplement information in other submitted materials. Interview notes become part of the applicant’s file.

We now present data on three objective indicators of the strength of our students: scores on standardized tests; previous advanced degrees; and, work experience.

Standardized tests

The primary test used in admissions is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Table IX.6.a, presents the mean GRE scores of newly enrolled MPH, MS, DrPH and PhD students for the last three years. Average GRE scores in all three degree programs remained relatively stable over the three-year period with no temporal trends evident. The fluctuations in the MPH scores occurred in a fairly narrow range, while the MS and DrPH scores are based on much smaller numbers of students and fluctuate more widely. Overall, our students do best on the quantitative and analytical portions of the GRE, followed by the verbal test. The MPH students tend to score in the low 600’s on the quantitative and analytic tests, and in the mid 500’s on the verbal portion. The MS students, many of whom are international students and who are enrolled in our Biostatistics and Epidemiology program, tend to have high quantitative (~700) and analytic scores (low to mid 600’s), and lower verbal scores (low 500’s). DrPH students tend to have quantitative scores in the low 600’s, analytic scores in the very high 500’s, and verbal scores in the mid 500’s. PhD students tend to have quantitative and verbal scores in the mid to high 600’s and verbal scores in the mid to high 500’s.

Table IX.A.6.b shows the number and percentage of newly enrolled students in the MPH program that took one of the standardized tests accepted by the Admissions Committee—GRE, MCAT, GMAT, DAT, and LSAT. Over the last three years, newly enrolled MPH students submitted scores for the following tests: GRE (ranging from 58-65% of MPH applicants), MCAT (15-25%), GMAT (1-3%), and LSAT (2%). It is interesting to note the increase in number of newly enrolled students submitting the MCAT (1999, 38; 2001, 68). These are among the students who perform the best on standardized tests and as a result of submitting the MCAT are not included in the GRE average scores noted above.

No tests were submitted by 12-16% of applicants. In order to waive the standardized test requirement, applicants are required to provide alternative evidence of qualifications, such as academic records, with sufficient strength in appropriate areas.

Previous advanced degrees

Table IX.A.6.c presents the numbers and percentages of newly enrolled MPH, MS and DrPH students with previous advanced degrees, 1999-2001. Approximately one-quarter of the new MPH students entered with an advanced degree, with 16-18% holding MD degrees, and 8-9% holding other advanced degrees. Approximately half (44-59 %) of the new MS students already held MD degrees, while others (18-28%) held other advanced degrees. Most (60-86%) of the new DrPH students held advanced degrees.

Work experience

Entering students bring work experience from a wide range of areas in health and related fields, including many of the clinical health areas, clinical and applied research in the health and social sciences, program design, management and evaluation, education, and health services.

As shown in Table IX.A.6.d, from 1999 to 2001, in each degree program, there has been an increase in both the percentage of new students with work experience and the number of years of work experience. In the 2000 and 2001 MPH cohorts, approximately 50% have more than three years of work experience. In the MS program, the comparable percentage exceeds 65%, and in the DrPH program over 60% have more than three years of work experience.

IX.A.7. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met.

The School has student recruitment and admissions policies and procedures designed to locate and select qualified individuals capable of taking advantage of the School’s learning activities, which will enable them to develop competence for a career in public health. The School perceives that it is in compliance with Criterion IX.A.

Table IX.A.6.a

Mean GRE Scores of Newly Enrolled Students

for MPH, MS, DrPH and PhD Programs

1999-2001

MPH

| |

| |Mean GRE Score |

|Year |Verb |Quant |Analytic |

|1999 |571 |636 |629 |

|2000 |556 |628 |620 |

|2001 |550 |622 |625 |

MS

| |Mean GRE Score |

|Year |Verb |Quant |Analytic |

|1999 |542 |746 |689 |

|2000 |551 |685 |663 |

|2001 |507 |701 |623 |

DrPH

| |Mean GRE Score |

|Year |Verb |Quant |Analytic |

|1999 |557 |643 |639 |

|2000 |530 |651 |583 |

|2001 |558 |624 |582 |

Table IX.A.6.a (contd.)

Mean GRE Scores of Newly Enrolled Students

for MPH, MS, DrPH and PhD Programs

1999-2001

PhD

| |Mean GRE Score |

|Year |Verbal |Quant. |Analytic |

|1999 |583 |658 |677 |

|2000 |591 |643 |662 |

|2001 |530 |683 |653 |

Table IX.A.6.b.

Percentage of Newly Enrolled Students in MPH Program

Who Took Standardized Test, 1999-2001

| |Standardized Test | | |

|Year |GRE |MCAT |GMAT |DAT |LSTAT |No Test |Total |

| |

| |Previous Advanced Degree | |

| |MD |Other |None |Total |

|Degree |# |% |# |% |# |% |# |

|MPH |46 |18.4 |21 |8.4 |183 |73.2 |250 |

|MS |13 |52.0 |7 |28.0 |5 |20.0 |25 |

|DrPH |0 |0 |9 |60.0 |6 |40.0 |15 |

|2000 |

| |Previous Advanced Degree | |

| |MD |Other |None |Total |

|Degree |# |% |# |% |# |% |# |

|MPH |49 |17.3 |25 |8.8 |210 |73.9 |284 |

|MS |17 |58.6 |6 |20.7 |6 |20.7 |29 |

|DrPH |2 |15.4 |9 |69.2 |2 |15.4 |13 |

| |

|2001 |

| |Previous Advanced Degree | |

| |MD |Other |None |Total |

|Degree |# |% |# |% |# |% |# |

|MPH |43 |15.8 |24 |8.8 |205 |75.4 |272 |

|MS |14 |41.2 |6 |17.6 |14 |41.2 |34 |

|DrPH |0 |- |12 |85.7 |2 |14.3 |14 |

Table IX.A.6.d

Work Experience of Newly Enrolled Students in

MPH, MS and DrPH Degree Programs, 1999 - 2001

|1999 |

| |Number of Years | |

| |0 |1-2 |3-5 |>5 |Total |

|Degree |

| |Number of Years | |

| |0 |1-2 |3-5 |>5 |Total |

|Degree |

| |Number of Years | |

| |0 |1-2 |3-5 |>5 |Total |

Degree |# |% |# |% |# |% |# |% |# | |MPH |61 |22.4 |78 |28.7 |66 |24.3 |67 |24.6 |272 | |MS |7 |20.6 |4 |11.8 |7 |20.6 |16 |47.1 |34 | |DrPH |0 |- |5 |35.7 |3 |21.4 |6 |42.9 |14 | |

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