Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences

The Bachelor of Public Health (BUPH) program at Applied Medical Sciences Faculty, Al-Baha University, Saudi Arabia, is an undergraduate degree designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to address public health challenges and improve community health outcomes. It prepares students to promote and protect community health through education, research, and field training. This program aligns with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which emphasizes the importance of healthcare development and disease prevention to enhance the quality of life for its citizens.

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Goal 1: Implement a competent public health program that meets the needs of the community and the recent international standards.

Goal 2: Prepare competent specialists and lifelong learners for the public health workforce.

Goal 3: Encourage and motivate students and public health professionals to contribute to research and scientific conferences nationally and internationally.

Goal 4: Equip the graduates with the knowledge and skills that enable them to implement community service programs

The program’s mission and goals are directly aligned. Here's the relationship:

Mission focus on education, research, community services. Each goal supports and expands on these areas.

Goal 1 aligns with the mission’s focus on education by ensuring the program meets both community needs and international standards, which supports the development of competent specialists.

Goal 2 directly supports the mission by preparing competent public health specialists and promoting lifelong learning, which strengthens the education and workforce readiness of the mission.

Goal 3 addresses the mission’s research dimension by promoting active student and professional participation in scientific research and conferences, both locally and globally.

Goal 4 reflects the mission’s emphasis on community services by ensuring that graduates are equipped to implement programs that directly benefit the community.

The mission is broken down into clear, actionable goals that ensure the program fulfills its purpose across education, research, and community services, while providing competent public health specialists.

Professional Ethics: Commitment to the highest ethical standards.

• Excellence: Pursuit of exceptional academic achievements.

• Innovation: Encouragement of creativity and continuous development.

Collaboration: Promotion of teamwork and multidisciplinary engagement

Graduates of the Public Health program will:

• Be equipped with public health knowledge and application

• Use evidence-based decision-making

• Demonstrate communication and advocacy skills

• Demonstrate ethical and professional conduct

• Be capable of leadership and collaboration

• Apply critical thinking

Knowledge and Understanding

• K1:  Describe the determinants of health, including environmental, social, economic, behavioral, biological, and political factors that influence human health

• K2: Outline the history and philosophy of public health’s values, concepts, and functions; locally, regionally and internationally

• K3:  Identify population health challenges and needs using evidence-based approach

• K4:  Describe the underlying science of human health and disease from a public health holistic view

Skills

• S1: Analyze correctly various public health planning and interventions using the problem-solving approach

• S2: Demonstrate the ability to use public health data interactively

• S3: Employ proficient population health concepts appropriately

• S4: Demonstrate communication skills and research analysis

• S5: Implement public health programs based on community needs efficiently

Values, Autonomy, and Responsibility

• V1: Adhere to teamwork and leadership qualities in public healthcare settings

• V2: Take the responsibilities and accountability of public health specialist

V3: Demonstrate integrity and ethics when applying health behavior theories to understand public health issues at all levels

Graduates of the program are qualified for diverse roles, including:

1. Public Health Specialist

2. Public Health Inspector

3. Occupational Health and Safety specialist

4. Environmental health Inspector

5. Epidemiologist

6. Research assistant

7. Health  Promoter

8. Medical and Health Services Manager

9. Bio-statistician

10. Health Education Specialist

11. Dietitian and nutritionists

Relevant occupational/Professional sectors that graduates can join are:

1. Government healthcare sector (e.g.Ministry of Health, hospitals and clinics)

2. Educational institutions

3. Research centers and community health programs

4. The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing

5. The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture

6. Industrial sectors

7. Saudi Food and Drug Authority

Student Handbook: Covers the program structure, course descriptions, and academic policies.

• Field Training Manual: Details expectations and guidelines for Field rotations.

Quality Assurance Manual: Outlines the mechanisms for maintaining academic and administrative quality in alignment with NQF-KSA standards

Program Committees

Development, Quality and Academic Accreditation Committee

Purpose:

It plays a pivotal role in ensuring the continuous improvement and academic excellence of educational programs. Its purpose is to promote a culture of quality, innovation, and adherence to national and international academic standard

Responsibilities:

• Supervise the implementation of the program's operational and improvement plans.

• Draft the initial versions of the program's mission and goals with input from all staff members and stakeholders.

• Ensure all preparations for Academic Accreditation in the Department align with NCAAA standards.

• Coordinate and communicate with the Vice-Deanship for Development and Quality, submitting regular reports.

• Oversee and support quality assurance activities within the department.

• Promote continuous improvement and quality enhancement in the department.

• Foster a culture of quality among department members.

• Review course portfolios at the end of each semester.

• Update files on community service, scientific research, and alumni activities, ensuring new activities are documented.

• Prepare the Annual Program Report (APR) and improvement plans.

• Collect and analyze program Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), compiling an annual report.

• Update the Self-Evaluation Checklist (SEC) and Self-Study Report (SSR) for the program.

• Stay informed on the latest NCAAA publications.

• Organize accreditation team meetings with faculty, staff, and students.

• Oversee the administration of stakeholder surveys each academic year.

• Prepare an annual final report summarizing committee activities and outcomes.

Academic Guidance and Supervision Committee

Purpose:

It serves a crucial role in supporting students throughout their educational journey by providing academic advice, mentorship, and assistance in overcoming academic challenges. This committee aims to foster student success, enhance learning experiences, and ensure timely graduation.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee and monitor the activities of academic advisors within the department.

• Assign students to academic advisors at the beginning of each semester.

• Collect and review periodic reports from academic advisors on student progress.

• Address student complaints about courses and collaborate with faculty to find solutions.

• Promote the importance of academic advising and encourage regular communication between students and advisors.

• Coordinate with academic advisors to resolve students' academic issues.

• Identify gifted students and guide them to opportunities that can enhance their academic carrier.

• Identify struggling students, compile lists, and manage their course registration processes.

• Prepare a comprehensive report at the end of each semester.

Internship and Alumni Committee

Purpose:

It plays a vital role in bridging the gap between academic education and professional practice while fostering lifelong relationships with graduates. The committee focuses on providing students with meaningful internship experiences, career preparation, and maintaining engagement with alumni to strengthen professional networks and institutional growth.

Responsibilities:

• Facilitate opportunities for faculty to monitor and support internships.

• Regularly evaluate and implement improvements to the program internship to ensure its effectiveness.

• Conduct targeted programs and activities to strengthen the relationship between the University and its alumni and supporters.

• Oversee the implementation of training courses and workshops for graduates and soon-to-be graduates, following a specific timetable and involving both faculty and external experts.

• Monitor graduates' performance in professional assessments and develop improvement plans based on the results to enhance their performance.

Schedules and Exams Committee

Purpose:

It plays a crucial role in the planning, organization, and administration of academic schedules and examination processes. The committee ensures that teaching schedules and assessments are efficiently coordinated, fair, and aligned with institutional academic policies and student needs.

Responsibilities:

• Prepare and deliver study schedules in a timely manner.

• Review and manage the teaching loads of faculty members.

• Periodically update faculty schedules to meet departmental needs.

• Allocate departmental courses to appropriate lecture halls.

• Coordinate with other departments to ensure classroom capacities match student enrollment for each course.

• Oversee the timely announcement of schedules and exam timetables.

Scientific Research, Graduation Research and Continuing Training Committee

Purpose:

It is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation, knowledge creation, and professional growth among faculty members. The committee supports research initiatives, promotes staff development opportunities, and facilitates collaborations to enhance academic and professional excellence.

Responsibilities:

• Monitor research projects within the department across various fields.

• Enhance faculty research skills through specialized courses and lectures.

• Create and maintain a comprehensive database of projects, supervisors, student names, and other relevant information.

• Establish a clear mechanism for assigning students to graduation projects and implement university-approved executive rules for these projects.

• Recommend professional development opportunities for staff, such as workshops, conferences, and advanced training programs.

• Foster a collaborative research environment by promoting interdisciplinary projects and partnerships with external research institutions.

• Prepare a comprehensive report at the end of each semester detailing all research conducted within the department.

Standardized Examination Committee

Purpose:

To ensure continuous quality improvement and compliance with accreditation standards.

Responsibilities:

• Prepare question banks and organize mock exams for students stimulating the SPHLE exam.

• Establish orientation workshops for students about SPHLE exam.

• Follow up the students registration at SPHLE exam.

• Validate if CLOS of the courses in the program are in line with the requirements of standardized graduation tests and professional (national SPHLE exam).

• Create and monitor indicators to gauge desired performance on the degree to which professional and standard SPHLE examinations are used in educational programs.

• Compile final reports for professional and academic program graduation exams.

Postgraduate and Bachelor's Program Development Committee

Purpose:

Is responsible for overseeing and guiding the academic and professional development of postgraduate students. Its primary purpose is to ensure that study plans align with the institution's standards and the specific needs of each student’s academic goals.

Responsibilities:

• Review and evaluate courses and program specifications.

• Engage in conversations with staff to investigate course and program ideas and/or help to strengthen course or program specifications.

• Ensure providing relevant, integrated curriculum to ensure coordinated competency based curriculum

• Evaluate the impact of the curriculum on students and programs

• Evaluate new courses and programs within the suite of current curriculum offerings considering student needs, career needs, and college resources

• Collaborate on development and maintenance of guidelines and criteria for the development of new and revised courses, certificates, and degrees

• Review and offer suggestions for updating and improving procedures and processes associated with curriculum development

• Assure that student learning outcomes and assessment are built into curriculum proposals

• Developing postgraduate programs.

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Extra-curricular Activities Committee

Purpose:

It focuses on organizing and promoting activities outside the formal academic curriculum to enhance students' personal development. Its main purpose is to create opportunities for students to engage in a wide range of activities

Responsibilities:

• Establishing the annual activities plan and supervising students' extracurricular activities.

• Organizing and participating in students’ extracurricular activities.

• Establish timetables for every activity that align with the schedules of the students

• Including students in departmental work and activities according to their aptitudes.

• Prepare reports about the program activities annually.

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Laboratories Committee

Purpose

It oversees the maintenance, equipment, and resources needed for practical learning and research.

Responsibilites

• Listing the supplies, instruments, and equipment in different labs, together with the resources they require, and planning the process of arranging for their proper placement and routine maintenance.

• Employing the barcode that has been provided to each laboratory to update the inventory database.

• Circulating general maintenance forms (electricity - carpentry - drainage - etc.) for laboratories

• Following up the requests for necessary laboratory maintenance

• Following up on faculty members' requests for equipping laboratories

Ensuring that safety protocols are followed in labs