title: An interdisciplinary MPH via distance learning: meeting the educational needs of practitioners.
abstract: This article describes a distance learning master of public health program that prepares students to lead programs and organizations. Evaluation showed that the curriculum, format, and teaching methods were accessible, affordable, acceptable, and appropriate for the working professional, and equivalent to residential master's programs aimed at experienced professionals. Students interacted with professors and other learners using the World Wide Web, weekly videoconferences, and face-to-face meetings. Students, whose main motivations for enrolling included improving job performance in leadership and career advancement, reported strengthening of knowledge, perspective, skill, technical facility, confidence, and job performance. Learner satisfaction was high, with 100% agreeing they would recommend the program to others.
authors.affiliation: North Carolina Institute for Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Karl E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Umble
authors.forename: Saundra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shay
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sollecito
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004500:Education, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009657:North Carolina; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education*