Foundational vs. Concentration Competencies: Clearing Up the Confusion

You've heard about foundational competencies, concentration competencies, maybe even cross-cutting competencies. Your program materials reference different lists. Your advisor mentions requirements that seem different from what classmates describe. The terminology alone creates confusion before you even start trying to demonstrate anything.

This confusion is understandable because competency frameworks involve multiple layers, and programs implement them differently. Breaking down the structure helps you understand exactly what you need to demonstrate—and why the distinction matters for your practicum planning.

The Basic Structure

CEPH accreditation requires MPH programs to address two categories of competencies: foundational and concentration-specific. Think of foundational competencies as the shared core—skills every public health professional needs regardless of their specialty. Concentration competencies are specialty-specific—skills particular to your focus area, whether that's epidemiology, health education, environmental health, or another concentration.

Foundational competencies cover broad areas like evidence-based approaches, communication, leadership, systems thinking, and professionalism. These apply to everyone. Whether you're becoming an epidemiologist or a health educator, you need these core skills.

Concentration competencies vary by specialty. An epidemiology concentration might include competencies about study design and biostatistics. A health education concentration might include competencies about program planning and behavior change theory. These reflect the specific skills your chosen focus area requires.

Why This Matters for Your Practicum

Most practicum requirements involve demonstrating a specified number of competencies from each category. You might need to demonstrate three foundational competencies and two concentration competencies, for example. Understanding which competencies fall into which category is essential for planning.

The distinction also affects what products and activities will satisfy requirements. A data analysis project might beautifully demonstrate foundational competencies about evidence-based approaches while completely missing your concentration-specific requirements. Without understanding the categories, you might finish your practicum thinking you've covered everything, only to discover you're missing required concentration competencies.

Identifying Your Specific Requirements

Because programs implement competency frameworks differently, your first step is clarifying exactly what your program requires. Don't assume based on general CEPH language—get your program's specific competency list and practicum requirements.

Ask your advisor or practicum coordinator directly: Which competencies must I demonstrate? How many foundational? How many concentration? Can I demonstrate more than the minimum? Must specific competencies be covered, or can I choose from each category?

Get these answers in writing. Program websites and handbooks sometimes contain outdated information or describe requirements unclearly. Direct confirmation prevents misunderstandings.

Planning for Both Categories

Once you know your requirements, plan practicum activities that address both foundational and concentration competencies. The challenge is that work naturally demonstrating one category might not address the other.

Foundational competencies often emerge from general professional activities. Communication competency appears when you present to stakeholders. Evidence-based practice appears when you justify decisions with literature. Leadership competency appears when you navigate organizational dynamics. These skills integrate into almost any substantive work.

Concentration competencies require more intentional focus. If your concentration emphasizes program evaluation, ensure your practicum includes evaluation activities. If it emphasizes policy analysis, seek work involving policy. Generic tasks might not create concentration-specific demonstration opportunities.

When negotiating your practicum scope with your preceptor, explicitly discuss both categories. Explain that you need experiences addressing your specialty area, not just general public health work. Preceptors unfamiliar with your program structure might not realize this distinction matters.

When Categories Overlap

Some competencies blur the foundational-concentration boundary. Communication skills appear in both categories for many programs—foundational communication about general audience adaptation and concentration-specific communication about specialty contexts.

This overlap can work in your favor. A single product or activity might address competencies from both categories simultaneously. Just ensure your documentation clearly distinguishes which foundational competency and which concentration competency you're demonstrating, even if the evidence comes from the same work.

Be careful about assuming overlap. Read competency statements carefully. "Communication" in foundational competencies might emphasize different skills than "communication" in concentration competencies. What seems like the same skill might actually require different demonstration evidence.

Seeking Clarity Throughout Your Practicum

Competency requirements sometimes become clearer as your practicum progresses. Activities you thought would demonstrate one competency might better fit another. Concentration competencies you expected to address might not appear in your actual work.

Regular check-ins with your academic advisor help you adjust. Don't wait until the end to discover misalignment. Monthly reviews of which competencies you're addressing—and which remain unaddressed—keep your planning on track.

If you realize partway through that you're missing concentration competency opportunities, discuss this with your preceptor immediately. There may be additional projects you could take on, or reframing of current work that creates better alignment. Early identification of gaps leaves time for solutions.

Understanding the foundational-concentration distinction from the start prevents much of the confusion students experience. It's ultimately a planning framework—once you know what you need, you can design experiences that deliver comprehensive competency demonstration.