Capstone

The NYU MPH Capstone serves as the culminating experience of the Global Health Leadership concentration and allows students to synthesize the concepts, skills and knowledge they acquire throughout the program and to demonstrate the acquisition of fundamental public health competencies. It simultaneously provides an important resource to organizations: a team of committed students dedicated to addressing the needs of an organization.

In the final year of the Concentration, students participate in several advanced level courses including the Capstone course (3 credits fall semester and 1.5 credits spring semester). The guiding purpose of Capstone is for students to work together as interdisciplinary teams on a project identified by an international or U.S.-based organization (such as a UN agency, a national or local government, a civil society organization, a university or private business/company). During the year, students are expected to refine the problem proposed by the organization; develop an explicit working agreement governing the scope of the project; implement the project, including fieldwork of varying lengths; and prepare and present a final product to the organization.

While a significant amount of work on the project will be done in New York, most members of a team are likely to spend from one to three weeks full-time in the field gathering data or conducting assessments, then returning to NYU for data analysis and production of the final report. The experience is also guided by NYU faculty and used as the basis for intensive teaching about interdisciplinary team development and maintenance; project management; and maintaining effective professional relationships in complex environments.