Public Health Courses: Fall 2015
Public Health
PH 500: Epidemiology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide an introduction to the basic concepts of epidemiology. Concepts for both chronic and infectious disease epidemiology will be taught. Course content will include an overview of the history of epidemiology, disease etiology, outbreak investigation, disease surveillance, and screening. Epidemiological research design concepts will be taught and include experimental and non-experimental designs, attributable, absolute and relative risk, odds ratios, random and systematic error, bias and confounding. Discussions of current public health issues will be illustrated and presented by faculty and students. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 510: Psychosocial and Behavioral Foundations of Public Health
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The course will focus on psychosocial theories of health, community change concepts and theories, economics and marketing in decision making, and policies shaped by social and behavioral science. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 520: Research Methods in Health Promotion
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Review and critical analysis of components of research design, including collection of data. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies will be taught. Emphasis is on the health education professional as producer and consumer of research. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 530: Environmental Health
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide an introduction to the public health function of environmental and community health. This course is intended to give students a basic understanding of how environmental factors impact the health of people and the community, and of the efforts made to prevent or minimize the effects of negative impacts. The emphasis of this course is to explore the relationship of people to their environment -- how the environment affects their physical well-being, and what they can do to protect and enhance their health, and to influence the quality of the environment. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 540: Public Health Biostatistics
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course focuses on the application of research methods for public health. Themes include the application of statistical methods using statistical software and the interpretation of the results. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 540L: Public Health Biostatistics Laboratory
(2) Credit Hour(s)
Laboratory techniques for Public Health Biostatistics. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 550: Public Health Policy, Administration, and Management
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course examines public health care systems and policy with integration of concepts for administration and management. Specific areas of study will include finance, ethics/law, need/demand and quality/effectiveness. Policy issues will be utilized and include medical care and public health preparedness. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 560: Community Health Education
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course provides an overview of community health education. The history, theory, and settings for public health education will be discussed. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 562: Assessment and Planning in Community Health Education
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to assess health resources and needs, and to develop health education and promotion programs to meet specific needs in particular populations. The course further examines the program planning and development process, including both planning and program models, strategy/intervention selection, setting goals and objectives, and performing both primary and secondary needs assessments. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 564: Implementation and Evaluation in Community Health Education
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Students will explore the methods and techniques used by health educators to deliver a health education and health promotion program in the community. This course will review health education theories, program designs, and program implementation. Emphasis will be placed on the methodology of the health education program including: communication techniques; presentation channels and delivery; social marketing concepts; measuring outcomes and data collection. Students will design, implement and evaluate a health education program in the community. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 566: Communication, Advocacy and Consultation in Community Health Education
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course is designed to advance communication skills and explore advocacy and consultative roles within the context of community health education. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 568: Advanced Epidemiology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course presents epidemiology in greater depth and detail than an introductory course. The intent of this course is to provide advanced level training for public health students interested in pursuing careers in public health research and need additional expertise in advanced epidemiology. An additional aim is to explore advocacy roles within the context of public health epidemiology. Prerequisites: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director and PH 500. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 570: Advanced Biostatistics
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course presents advanced topics in biostatistics to provide advanced level training for public health students interested in pursuing careers in public health research and need additional expertise in advanced biostatistics. Topics will include formulating scientific questions in terms of a statistical model, multivariate logistic and linear regression modeling, measures of association, stratification, matched pairs, mixed-effects modeling, analysis of rates, and survival analysis using proportional hazards models. Coursework will include the use of data analysis software for analysis of data. Prerequisites: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director, PH 540 and PH 540L. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 572: Chronic Diseases, a Lifecourse Approach
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This seminar course presents topics in chronic disease using a lifespan approach. Contemporary chronic health diseases across the life span, which are prevalent in both developed and developing countries, will be discussed including cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and others. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered As Needed. (GR)
PH 574: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This course covers concepts in the prevention and control of infectious disease. Pathogenesis, epidemiology, and control of infectious diseases affecting global health will be explored. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 577: Global Health and Comparative Global Public Health Systems
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The course introduces the many contexts of global health. Critical issues to be explored include: the multiple determinants of health; the disparities and burden of disease experienced around the globe, particularly by such populations as women and children; the ethical dimensions related to such disparities; current health priorities, and the importance of global health in the terms of development. The Millennium Development Goals will be referred to as a standard for future goals on a global scale. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 579: Contemporary Issues in Community Health Education
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Using examples from contemporary and emerging topics in public health, students are presented with strategies for effective community health education. This course will include discussions on contemporary health problems, the use of health education tools for treatment and prevention of health problems, and obstacles to health education. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 581: Community-Based Participatory Research for Community Health
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Community-based participatory research is an approach that combines evidence-based research strategies with collaborative community based strategies to bridge the gap between research and community health practice. Establishing effective societal behavioral change for improving community health is a primary outcome for measuring success of community-based participatory research. This approach recognizes that community partnerships are essential in the development, implementation, and evaluation of community health programs. Students will be exposed to definitions and principles for this approach. Through lectures, readings, and discussion they will also be exposed to various research designs, ranging from those that emanate from the community, community-academic partnerships, and academic research projects that depend on community participation. Students will also discuss implementation of such research and evaluation strategies. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 589: Grant Writing and Scholarship Dissemination in Community Health
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Through lectures, readings, and discussion students will learn grant writing and reviewing skills and methods for disseminating scholarship outcomes in public health. As part of this course, students will identify potential funding agencies for public health interventions, develop a grant proposal and gain experience in understanding how to disseminate public health outcomes. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 591: Global Public Health Policy and Development
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Through lectures, readings, and discussion, students will understand the factors influencing global health, and the interdependence between developed and developing countries in improving global health. Epidemiologic, nutrition, socioeconomic, and cultural factors that affect global health efforts will be discussed. Considerations when working in a developing country, including potential problems and barriers, will be reviewed. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 593: Professional Medical Writing
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Public health professionals must be able to write clearly and effectively. This course prepares the student to synthesize knowledge through the engagement of professional medical writing and scholarship. Students will learn the fundamental skills of professional writing: clarity, accuracy, precision, and brevity. Advanced instruction focuses on several forms of expository writing common in the health professions while emphasizing effective communication between the writer and different audiences. Additionally, a capacity to critically analyze and to accurately evaluate research (information and evidence) is integral to the professional writer. Emphasis is placed on cultivating critical thinking skills to prepare exemplars of scholarly medical writing. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 595: Cultural Competency and Health Disparities in Public Health
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Through lectures, readings, and discussion, students will come to understand health disparities and factors that influence race, ethnic, and class based health disparities among various community groups and individuals. The role of health disparities in public health will be discussed, and strategies will be presented to help protect and promote health in the most vulnerable and underrepresented U.S. populations. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program or Permission by the Program Director. Offered as Needed. (GR)
PH 600: Practicum-Community Health Education
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Under the direction of a faculty advisor, the student completes a practicum in his/her specialty track in order to apply and to further develop their academic skills. Each practicum requires a minimum of 240 hours of work at the practicum site. Students selecting a focus in global health will complete the practicum in an international setting. Prerequisites: Admission to the MPH program, completion of at least 9 graduate credits of MPH courses including PH 560 and permission of faculty instructor or MPH Practicum Coordinator. Offered Each Year (Summer). (GR)
PH 601: Practicum-Epidemiology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
Under the direction of a faculty advisor, the student completes a practicum in his/her specialty track in order to apply and to further develop their academic skills. Each practicum requires a minimum of 240 hours of work at the practicum site. Students selecting a focus in global health will complete the practicum in an international setting. Prerequisites: Admission to the MPH program, completion of at least 9 graduate credits of MPH courses including PH 500 and permission of faculty instructor or MPH Practicum Coordinator. Offered Each Year (Summer). (GR)
PH 602: Practicum
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This practicum will be taken by students in pursuit of the Generalist track of the MPH program. Under the direction of a faculty advisor, the student completes a practicum in order to apply and to further develop their academic skills. Each practicum requires a minimum of 240 hours of work at the practicum site. Students selecting a focus in global health will complete the practicum in an international setting. Prerequisites: Admission to the MPH program, completion of at least 9 graduate credits of MPH courses including PH 560 and permission of faculty instructor or MPH Practicum Coordinator. Offered Each Year (Summer). (GR)
PH 610: Capstone Seminar
(1) Credit Hour(s)
This seminar provides an opportunity for students to reflect on and discuss their practicum experience with other students. It also provides a supportive setting to help prepare students to identify and plan for their capstone project in their specialty track. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPH program, PH 600/601/602 or Permission by the Program Director. Offered Each Year (Fall). (GR)
PH 620: Capstone Project in Community Health
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The capstone project will be completed on a topic pertinent to the student's specialty track. If completing a focus in global health, the project must also have global health relevance. Prerequisite: PH 610 or Permission by the Program Director. Offered Each Year (Spring). (GR)
PH 621: Capstone Project in Epidemiology
(3) Credit Hour(s)
The capstone project will be completed on a topic pertinent to the student's specialty track. If completing a focus in global health, the project must also have global health relevance. Prerequisite: PH 610 or Permission by the Program Director. Offered Each Year (Spring). (GR)
PH 622: Capstone Project
(3) Credit Hour(s)
This capstone project will be taken by students in pursuit of the Generalist track of the MPH program. The capstone project will be completed on a topic pertinent to Public Health . If completing a focus in global health, the project must also have global health relevance. Prerequisite: PH 610 or Permission by the Program Director. Offered Each Year (Spring). (GR)