Education Principles

The Mailman School continually works to improve its students’ educational experience. We do this by supporting and honoring great teaching in a variety of ways, by conducting and responding to annual surveys of our students about their experience at the School, by undergoing in-depth evaluation by outside accreditation agencies, and by periodically conducting major reviews of our academic programs.

Beginning in 2010, for example, the School launched a full review of the MPH program, consulting with students, alumni, potential employers, and our faculty.  This led to our restructured Columbia MPH program and a new one-year Accelerated MPH program—both debuting in 2012. 

The School was guided by these principles during this process:

• Create and implement an integrated interdisciplinary school-wide curriculum that will prepare students to meet the current and emerging public health challenges of the 21st Century
• Ensure all of our graduates are aware of the breadth of expertise that constitutes public health
• Maintain the excellence of departmental and disciplinary training
• Seek optimal balance between departmental strengths and integrated core public health curriculum
• Educate students in advanced technical skills and the critical thinking ability to apply them to improve population health
• Educate students who can be leaders in domestic and global public health research and practice

Learn more about our degree offerings and innovative curriculum.