Comparing Undergraduate Public Health Education in Taiwan and Vietnam

Abstract

Undergraduate public health programs have expanded in Asia, yet little is known about how national contexts shape curriculum design and workforce preparation. This study compared the undergraduate public health curricula of Taiwan and Vietnam to examine how governance structures, health system priorities, and workforce needs influence educational models. A comparative curriculum analysis was conducted using official program documents, supported by interviews with senior faculty to contextualize policy and institutional factors. Courses were categorized into major domains to assess required and elective distributions, thematic emphases, specialization pathways, and internship structures. Taiwan’s curriculum emphasizes flexibility and specialization, with extensive electives and strong representation in environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, and quantitative analysis, alongside pathways linked to professional certification. Vietnam’s curriculum is standardized and community-oriented, emphasizing foundational medical sciences, communicable disease control, health promotion, and sequenced community-based internships that reflect its vertically organized preventive health system. Differences in experiential learning and credentialing opportunities further distinguish workforce preparation in the two countries. The findings show that curriculum architecture mirrors broader national development priorities and system capacities. The study underscores the importance of competency-based and context-responsive curriculum reform and provides insights for strengthening public health workforce readiness across the Asia-Pacific region.