This seminar course is intended to promote the development of essential professional skills to support ongoing learning and workforce preparation for first year MPH epidemiology students. All of the work for this seminar course will take place within the classroom through a short introductory lecture followed by experiential learning activities and written reflection. The goal of the course is to provide opportunities for the development and practice of core competencies related to leadership, communication (written and verbal), knowledge translation, critical reading, and information synthesis. We will also cover issues related to ethics and data use and governance.

Each week we will work on a different professional skill. The class will start with an introduction to the topic providing relevant background and context. This will be followed by a group activity. Each week we will read and discuss a scientific paper in class together. Class will end with a reflection on that day's activities.