This article is part of a series on Workforce in Public Health, edited by Professor Brian Oldenburg and Professor Vivian Lin.  CommentaryEducating the public health workforce: Issues and challengesMary Louise Fleming, Elizabeth Parker, Trish Gould and Melinda Service School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2009,
6:8doi:10.1186/1743-8462-6-8 Abstract
Background
In public health, as well as other health education contexts, there is increasing recognition of the transformation in public health practice and the necessity for educational providers to keep pace. Traditionally, public health education has been at the postgraduate level; however, over the past decade an upsurge in the growth of undergraduate public health degrees has taken place.
Discussion
This article explores the impact of these changes on the traditional sphere of Master of Public Health programs, the range of competencies required at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and the relevance of these changes to the public health workforce. It raises questions about the complexity of educational issues facing tertiary institutions and discusses the implications of these issues on undergraduate and postgraduate programs in public health.
Conclusion
The planning and provisioning of education in public health must differentiate between the requirements of undergraduate and postgraduate students – while also addressing the changing needs of the health workforce. Within Australia, although significant research has been undertaken regarding the competencies required by postgraduate public health students, the approach is still somewhat piecemeal, and does not address undergraduate public health. This paper argues for a consistent approach to competencies that describe and differentiate entry-level and advanced practice. | 
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