# Shaping future leaders: developing an MPH leadership curriculum through problem-based learning

## TL;DR

This paper presents a leadership curriculum for public health students using problem-based learning to prepare them for real-world challenges.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a structured, problem-based learning curriculum for developing leadership skills in MPH students.

## Key findings

- The LIP curriculum integrates problem-based learning across five courses to build leadership competencies.
- Alumni and employer feedback highlights improved workplace readiness and leadership capacity.
- The model promotes interdisciplinary, applied pedagogies for public health education.

## Abstract

Leadership is essential to public health practice, yet few MPH programs offer structured, integrated approaches to cultivating leadership competencies. At the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, the Leadership in Practice (LIP) MPH concentration responds to this gap by embedding problem-based learning (PBL) throughout a multi-course curriculum designed to prepare students for real-world leadership challenges. Drawing on interdisciplinary faculty expertise and a constructivist pedagogical philosophy, the LIP curriculum emphasizes systems thinking, strategic decision-making, and values-based leadership development. This manuscript describes how PBL is applied across five required courses to help students synthesize technical knowledge with collaborative problem-solving and applied leadership skills. We also present alumni and employer feedback that illustrates the curriculum’s impact on workplace readiness and leadership capacity. This case study offers a model for integrating leadership development into graduate public health education and calls for broader adoption of applied, interdisciplinary pedagogies that prepare students to lead transformative change in diverse public health settings.