Vision, Mission, and Goals
The Vanderbilt MPH Program’s vision, mission, goals, objectives, and values are reviewed on an annual basis by the Advisory Committee which is made up of program faculty members, students, alumni, and public health professionals. The mission, goals, objectives, and values below were last revised in July 2023.
Vision
All people achieving optimal health and well-being
Mission
Train future research scientists and public health professionals to be innovative leaders dedicated to using their skills and knowledge to achieve optimal health and well-being in all people
Goals
To fulfill its mission, the Vanderbilt MPH Program has the following goals:
- Educate innovative and effective public health leaders who are researchers, educators, and practitioners
- Advance student and faculty leadership in the public health sciences through research, discovery, and practice
- Participate in development and implementation of public health programs and policies
The three goals of the Vanderbilt MPH Program are distinct and interrelated. For example, we believe that a critically effective way to support our teaching and service is through a strong emphasis on research. On the other hand, teaching and research are enhanced enormously through faculty and student involvement in public health policy and service activities. This is reflected in our goals and in the interdependence of our objectives for achieving them. We pursue each of our goals through meeting the objectives listed under them.
Educate innovative and effective public health leaders who are researchers, educators, and practitioners
- Recruit culturally diverse students who will make substantial contributions to public health
- Engage students with interdisciplinary faculty who demonstrate commitment to educating and mentoring future public health leaders
- Facilitate active learning through classroom and experiential training opportunities
Advance student and faculty leadership in the public health sciences through research, discovery, and practice
- Contribute to the public health scientific evidence base
- Engage in collaborative and interdisciplinary research
- Compete successfully for funding in the public health sciences
Participate in development and implementation of public health programs and policies
- Build and foster community partnerships that bridge public health science and practice
- Engage in collaborative research, training, and service activities with governmental agencies and community partners in the U.S. and abroad
- Disseminate public health knowledge and promote implementation of effective public health policies and practices
The Vanderbilt MPH program endorses the definition of public health as what we do together to assure equitable conditions in which everyone can be healthy. The program strongly supports Vanderbilt University’s commitment to intellectual freedom and the School of Medicine’s core values of integrity, inclusion, excellence, equity, humility, mutual respect, and commitment to truth. Further MPH program values include commitments to:
- Perform activities in a scholarly manner and engage in lifelong learning
- Support a diverse and inclusive faculty, staff, and student body
- Foster and protect our shared obligation for cooperation, collegiality, and mutual respect
- Promote collaborations with the potential to improve the health of our community
The strategic planning process provides a forum for conversations among institutional leaders, faculty, students, staff, alumni, and members of the broader community around the evolving public health landscape and directions for the Vanderbilt MPH program.
The 2020 Strategic Plan for the Vanderbilt MPH program outlines four key strategies that will guide our efforts over the next five years.
2020 Key Strategies
- Develop new MPH program format options
- Create additional learning options in strategic focus areas
- Incentivize engagement in sustainable community public health initiatives
- Maintain a strong sense of community for students in the MPH program