PH-400. Introduction To Public Health. 3 Hours.
In this course, students will be introduced to the profession and science of public health, inclusive of its history, philosophy, values, and roles. Students also will be introduced to the intersecting factors influencing human health and healthy equity including environmental, biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, social, political, racism, and economic. With a particular focus on marginalized communities, students examine major trends of morbidity and mortality, explain the role of prevention, and compare the US’s and other countries' health care systems. Instruction recognizes students’ lived experiences and insights and integrates these into discussions and other exercises that promote critical thinking and analysis.
PH-405. Social And Behavioral Health Theory. 3 Hours.
This course will cover theories of social and behavioral health and their application to the assessment, implementation, and evaluation of public health initiatives. In this course students will learn how to implement health behavior interventions that use intrapersonal, interpersonal, and ecological/ community theories and models to create positive health behavior changes within individuals, communities, and societies. The assessment, implementation, and evaluation of health behavior interventions will focus particularly on marginalized communities with specific and ongoing attention to the intersections they experience including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, sexuality, socio-economic position, gender, age, trauma, ability and location.
Requirement: Accepted to the MPH program or Program coordinator approval.
PH-410. Epidemiology. 3 Hours.
This course provides a foundation in the occurrence, distribution, and determinants of health, diseases, injuries, disability, and mortality in populations. Content includes epidemiological measurements and study designs, their key ethical issues, and their relationship to disease prevention, treatment, and control. Students examine the social, behavioral, and psychological determinants of vulnerability to disease among groups classified by race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, socio-economic position, gender, age, ability, and location, as well as the intersections of these classifications. Students also practice strategies for designing and supporting public policies that appropriately and effectively promote health in the communities where they live.
PH-415. Biostatistics. 3 Hours.
his course provides an introduction to statistical methods with a focus on public health. Topics include collection, summarization, and analysis of data and the interpretation of and inferences from results. It will include analyses of data that demonstrate how bias affects marginalized communities, with specific and ongoing attention to the intersections they experience including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, sexuality, socio-economic position, gender, age, trauma, ability and location. Students will study current research articles to develop their ability to distinguish bias in data collection, data analysis, and resulting government policy. The course includes a project focusing on health disparities.
Requirement: Accepted to the MPH program or Program coordinator approval.
PH-420. Environmental Health. 3 Hours.
This course addresses topics in Environmental Health as they relate to public health. Students develop the knowledge to discuss topics such as air quality; water quality; food safety; risk assessment; indoor health; vector and pest management; and the management of chemical, biological, and physical environmental agents. The context will focus on marginalized communities with specific and ongoing attention to the intersections they experience including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, sexuality, socio-economic position, gender, age, trauma, ability and location. This will be accomplished through case analyses and with the goal to advocate for equity and justice in legislation and policy.
Requirement: Accepted to the MPH program or Program coordinator approval.
PH-425. Global Health. 3 Hours.
This course uses a multidisciplinary approach to discuss the major underlying determinants of poor health. Students will be introduced to the evolution of modern approaches, the setting of global health priorities, the functions and roles of global health systems, and an overview of current global health practices. Students will explore the factors shaping the global distribution of disease and their connection with issues of social, economic, and political development. Students will also consider the impacts of globalization, climate change, and other environmental factors on health risks and availability of health resources.
PH-430. Health Literacy & Health Communications. 3 Hours.
In this course, students critically examine the implications of health literacy on health and health outcomes and the role of health communication in helping individuals and populations to access, obtain, understand and act on health information. Students will develop skills in conducting a needs assessment; identifying communication goals, objectives, and strategies; designing and testing messages and materials; and developing an implementation and evaluation plan. Central to this process is the accurate measurement of literacy and sensitivity to marginalized communities, with specific and ongoing attention to the intersections they experience including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, sexuality, socio-economic position, gender, age, trauma, ability and location.
PH-440. Health Disparities & Health Advocacy. 3 Hours.
This course provides students with the theoretical applications to conduct research and to identify the primordial, historical, and contemporary sources of health disparities in the United States and around the world. Content focuses on how health disparities are defined, their prevalence, why and among whom they exist, issues and methods of measurement, and approaches to addressing them. Students learn why scholars and practitioners describe health disparities as unnecessary, avoidable, and unfair. Using multidisciplinary, multisectoral, and culturally-appropriate approaches, students will develop advocacy strategies to target and eliminate health disparities.
PH-450. Health Care Program And Services Administration. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to develop skills in healthcare program and services administration, including organizational structures, management styles and challenges in public health and healthcare organizations. Students will practice how to successfully manage change, appropriately solve problems, and make ethical decisions with consideration for social determinants of health. Examples will focus on marginalized communities with specific and ongoing attention to the intersections they experience including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, sexuality, socio-economic position, gender, age, trauma, ability and location. Achieving quality outcomes through planning, organizing, administering, managing, and evaluating public health policy is integral to this course.
PH-460. Design And Development Of Public Health Programs. 3 Hours.
This course develops public health program planning, management, and evaluation skills. Planning activities include conducting a needs assessment, setting goals and objectives, selecting intervention strategies, and building an implementation timeline. Management activities include preparing a budget and developing a marketing plan. Evaluation activities include establishing program performance standards and developing an evaluation plan. Emphasis will be placed on evidence-based approaches to reduce health disparities among marginalized communities with specific and ongoing attention to the intersections they experience including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, sexuality, socio-economic position, gender, age, trauma, ability and location.
Prerequisite: PH-400 with a minimum grade of C.
PH-470. Research Methods In Public Health. 3 Hours.
This course will cover all aspects of conducting qualitative and quantitative research in the social sciences. Students will learn how to collect and interpret data in an ethical and diversity-sensitive manner. The assessment, implementation, and evaluation of research-related processes and outcomes will include discussion of the general public as well as marginalized communities with specific and ongoing attention to the intersections they experience including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, sexuality, socio-economic position, gender, age, trauma, ability and location. Students will learn about the proper reporting of data, the accurate interpretation of findings, and the use of ethical inferential procedures.
Prerequisite: PH-400 with a minimum grade of C.
PH-480. Internship I. 3 Hours.
This course is a mentored learning experience that serves as a bridge between public health training and practice. During the internship, students complete a site-based project related to one or more core areas of public health and with a focus on marginalized communities and the intersections they experience including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, sexuality, socio-economic position, gender, age, trauma, ability and location. In addition to the project, the course includes coaching meetings, ongoing self-assessment and reflection, synthesis of professional ethics, collaborative and peer-driven problem-solving, and case-based learning exercises that require critical analysis, systems-based thinking, and transformative approaches.
PH-485. Internship II. 3 Hours.
This course is an expansion of Internship I, a mentored learning experience that serves as a bridge between public health training and practice. This course includes additional field experience hours and professional development exercises and opportunities. Internship I and II can be taken in the same semester if it can be clearly established that the student has time for the extended commitment and that the field experience site and site supervisor have the capacity and interest to support this commitment. Department, program, and academic advisor approval are required.
PH-490. Capstone. 3 Hours.
This course is an individualized, mentored, culminating learning experience to support students in synthesizing and integrating their public health coursework. Guided by evidence-based approaches, students conduct mixed-method research to identify community health needs, assets, and resources. Students present their findings in ways that reveal a deep understanding of public health functions, an ecological perspective of health, and a capacity to be competent, reflective, collaborative, transformative, and ethical public health researchers, practitioners, and managers. Students also participate in a self-study project during which they examine and reflect on their career interests, personal values, and experiential capital.
PH-498. Public Health Independent Research Project. 3 Hours.
This course is for students majoring in public health who choose to fulfill graduation requirements via an approved Independent Study. Directed research, analysis, and presentation of a research paper on an important topic in public health are the focus of the course.
PH-503. Human Sexuality And Sex Education. 3 Hours.
This course provides a basic foundation in the area of human sexuality and sex education. In addition to acquiring knowledge in anatomy, pregnancy, childbirth, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and relationships, students also will examine the evolutionary factors, historical foundations, and contemporary influences on human sexuality and sex education. Students will locate and interpret health data and information, evaluate policy, reflect on personal beliefs, develop educational interventions, and acquire the skills to act as a resource person and advocate for science-based instruction and policies.
PH-519. Substance Use And Abuse Education. 3 Hours.
This course is an introduction to substance use and abuse including the role of and effects on human behavior, the neurobiology and complexity of addiction, the impact on health and society, historical foundations and outcomes of substance use laws, and the influence of religion, politics, and other factors on substance use, abuse, and perceptions. Students will locate and interpret health data and information, evaluate policy, reflect on personal beliefs, develop educational interventions, and acquire the skills to act as a resource person.
PH-523. Mental Health Education And Promotion. 3 Hours.
This course develops knowledge and competencies related to mental health, education, and promotion. Learners gain insight into the factors that impact mental health across the lifespan, including historical, environmental, biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, cultural, sociological, political, and economic. Learners administer a community-level mental health assessment, develop culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health curricula, evaluate mental health promotion interventions, and advocate for transformative mental health policies, programs, and services. They also conduct a self-care self-study, examine personal dispositions, and create personal and professional action plans. Cultural humility, ethical practices, and ecological approaches are emphasized throughout.
PH-555. Organization And Administration Of School Health. 3 Hours.
This course provides foundational content and builds skills related to the organization and administration of school health. Emphasis is placed on the factors that contribute to a healthy school environment and the social determinants that impact PK-12th grade students’ motivation and ability to learn. Learners interpret data to identify school health needs; conduct a personal inventory; make plans to engage stakeholders in the formation of a school health council; select and use sources to advocate for school health; interpret and analyze school health policies; design and develop school health initiatives; and prepare to become a school health leader.
PH-564. Theories And Concepts Of School Health Education. 3 Hours.
This course provides foundational knowledge about effective school health education curricula, health behavior theories, health education standards, the whole child approach, risk and protective factors, and the multidimensionality of health. Students practice assessing learners' needs, applying principles of learning towards curriculum design, employing instructional strategies to engage learners, utilizing multiple methods of assessment, and cultivating an inclusive classroom environment. Students also analyze the role of the health education teacher as a resource person; consider professional and ethical issues in health education; and make plans for ongoing professional development.