Course Descriptions

Core Courses

WLDN 1000 Dynamics of Walden Success: Learning Lab (1 cr.)
Walden University offers students a dynamic learning environment and a range of support services to ensure academic success. In this course, students immerse themselves in Walden University’s online learning environment and apply skills from the student readiness orientation. In addition, students discover and apply the tools and services that will support them throughout their degree program. Through classroom discussions and the application of key communication principles, students establish an online community of peers and explore their degree program with discipline-specific examples. This course helps students prepare for their Walden academic career and continues their orientation to the university.

HLTH 1000 Concepts of Health Promotion (5 cr.)
This course provides a definition of health and examines the many influences that shape our individual and collective perceptions of health. Consideration is given to the health-wellness continuum, including a number of factors such as the presence or absence of disease, injury, environment, genetics, culture, and other behavioral, demographic, psychological, and social forces. Evidence-based methodologies for interventions to promote health and enhance wellness are examined. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 1005 Context of Healthcare Delivery (5 cr.)
This course provides a systems-level analysis of the implications of healthcare policy on issues of access, equity, affordability, and social justice in healthcare delivery. Legislative, regulatory, and financial processes relevant to the organization and provision of healthcare services are examined with attention to their impact on quality and safety in the practice environment and disparities in the healthcare system. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 4200 Principles of Epidemiology (5 cr.)
This course focuses on the principles governing the study and practice of epidemiology. Consideration is given to the various methods available to health professionals for selecting and measuring factors of interest, describing their distribution, detecting associations, and identifying populations at risk. The features, advantages, and limitations of common epidemiologic research designs are addressed. (Prerequisites: COMM 1001 and MATH 1002/1030 or STAT 3001.)

HLTH 4205 Introduction to Research Methods and Analysis (5 cr.)
This course examines the basic components required for the conduct of health-related research and provides students with the analytical tools needed to understand and assess research methods described in the scientific literature. Basic research methods are described, including surveys, observational studies, experimental and quasi-experimental design, use of primary and secondary data, and statistical techniques for analyzing and interpreting data. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 2110 Behavioral and Cultural Issues in Healthcare (5 cr.)
This course examines the cultural and behavioral issues that influence the management and delivery of healthcare services and provides a framework for assessing the effect of culture and behavior in a variety of settings and situations. Health disparities attributable to diverse cultural and behavioral factors are identified and their implications for healthcare policy are discussed. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 2115 Aging Across the Lifespan (5 cr.)
This course provides an overview of the effects of aging on health and development across the entire human lifespan. Physical, social, emotional, and cognitive milestones are examined in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age with a particular emphasis on the significant changes that occur toward the end of life. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 2120 Health Informatics (5 cr.)
The focus of this course is on the application and use of information technology to support clinical and managerial decision-making in healthcare. Emphasis is placed on information technology that supports the delivery of services, including the collection, storage, retrieval, and communication of data; information systems safeguards; ethical and legal issues; and information management to promote patient safety and quality of care. Information literacy and basic hardware and software concepts are addressed. Fundamental software applications, including spreadsheets and healthcare databases, are considered. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 3100 Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare (5 cr.)
This course explores the legal and ethical issues that are fundamental to the practice of healthcare and the conduct of health-related research. A historical overview of events and milestones that have shaped the contemporary regulatory landscape is provided. Specific topics include privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, and licensing and malpractice, among others. The course also considers ethical decision-making models for ensuring quality, safety, and appropriateness of healthcare and services. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 3105 Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Healthcare (5 cr.)
This course introduces students to a patient-centered interdisciplinary model for healthcare delivery in which individual practitioners collaborate as members of a team. The benefits of such an approach for patients and providers, with emphasis on improved outcomes, will be examined. Potential obstacles and institutional barriers, such as delineation of responsibilities, reimbursement, and licensing, are also considered. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 3110 Current Issues in Healthcare Policy and Practice (5 cr.)
This course will examine major issues in acute and long-term healthcare policy and practice from the perspective of the patient and the provider. Topics include access, affordability, insurance, quality, safety, and technology. Special consideration will be given to the social, institutional, economic, and regulatory contexts in which services are delivered. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 3115 Public and Global Health (5 cr.)
The course is designed to provide an overview of public and global health issues that transcend national borders, class, race, ethnicity, and culture. The role of the healthcare provider in preserving and promoting health among diverse populations is discussed. Students will consider global health and their role in health promotion, protection, and maintenance and illness prevention of targeted populations. Principles of epidemiology and the sociopolitical factors that impact health and well-being are explored. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001.)

HLTH 4900 Capstone (5 cr.)
The capstone provides an opportunity for students to synthesize the knowledge and skills gained from the program of study through a written paper or project. Note: This course must be taken in the student’s final quarter. (Prerequisites: All prior health core and concentration courses completed.)

Child Development

EDUC 1004 Child Development (5 cr.)
This course provides an overview of physical, cognitive/language, and social and emotional development in children from birth through adolescence. Students will explore prevailing philosophies and theories of child development and form their own child development philosophy. The latest research and thinking with regard to the conditions that affect children’s learning and development, such as risk factors, developmental variations, temperament, rate of maturation, innate abilities, culture, family, community, and societal influences, will be addressed across developmental domains and stages.

EDUC 1005 Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition (5 cr.)
This course presents an overview of the impact of nutrition, safety, and health on the growth and development of the young child. Students will examine the professional’s role in supporting children’s healthy development within the context of early childhood care and education and family and community settings. Topics include prevention of health problems common to young children and methods of promoting wellness and fitness. Also addressed are child safety, emergency preparedness and procedures, and child mental health.

EDUC 1006 Child, Family, and Community Relationships (5 cr.)
A survey of the ways in which professionals and families work together for the benefit of young children, this course offers a study of formal and informal communication strategies; family participation in group settings; family education; advocacy for families; and the impact of family, culture, and community on children’s development and learning within early childhood programs. Special attention is given to supporting child and family resiliency within the context of divorce, child abuse and neglect, illness and death of family members, and life in today’s complex society.

EDUC 4004 Children with Special Needs (5 cr.)
In the context that all individuals are unique, this course provides an overview of exceptionalities in children from birth through adolescence. Early identification, referral, intervention, inclusion, and the related psychosocial needs of children and their families are highlighted. In addition, the course provides an overview of federal and state legislation that guides educational requirements.

EDUC 4005 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (5 cr.)
This course emphasizes the importance of being responsive to the languages and cultures of individual children and their families and communities in order to effectively support learning and development. The course will broaden students’ understanding of culture as a framework that includes not only language and ethnicity, but also gender, socioeconomic status, exceptionalities, family configuration, sexual orientation, personal interests, and many other aspects of one’s individuality. In addition, students will reflect on their own cultural frameworks and examine personal attitudes and beliefs.

EDUC 3203 Infant/Toddler Mental Health (5 cr.)
This course focuses on current research in the field of infant/toddler mental health. Students study protective and risk factors in family environments; social and emotional developmental challenges; developmentally appropriate infant/toddler screening and assessment; diagnostic classification systems for infant/toddler mental health; effective intervention strategies; and collaborative services approaches.

Disaster and Emergency Management

CRJS 4202 Coordinated Community Response: Developing Community Resource Brokers (5 cr.)
This course integrates the identification of community resources with the development of both planned and ad hoc community responses to intervene in the lives of people affected by criminal incidents. Students explore how to assess the needs of affected persons—victims, witnesses, and offenders—and learn effective intervention strategies using existing or community resources.

CRJS 4301 Terrorism (5 cr.)
What causes the terrorist threat level to move from orange to red? And what does it mean to the criminal justice system? This course focuses on topics related to domestic and international terrorism, including history, theory, patterns, and trends related to terrorism; roots, causes, and goals of terrorism; levels of threat and types of terrorism; and preparedness for and responses to terrorism by the criminal justice system. Students examine and analyze contemporary terrorist threats and movements.

CRJS 4302 Critical Incidents and Cross-Agency Coordination (5 cr.)
What happens when critical incidents occur and agencies that respond operate independently of one another? This course defines and describes critical incidents that present risks of widespread harm to communities. These incidents serve as the focus for the development of broad-based contingency planning and the development of strategies, policies, and procedures for cross-agency coordination. Students study ways to develop models of cross-agency coordination that anticipate prototypical critical incident responses.
 
CRJS 4303 Weapons of Mass Destruction and Disaster Response (5 cr.)
How would the criminal justice system respond to a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) or disaster incident? What, specifically, is its role? Topics in this course include types of WMDs (including biological and chemical threats) and disasters, the role of and methods used by the criminal justice system to respond to and manage such incidents, and the function of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS). Students consider the similarities and differences of the responses of the criminal justice system to WMD and disaster incidents.

CRJS 4402 Planning and Budgeting (5 cr.)
Planning and applying effective budgeting strategies are critical elements in managing corporate and government organizations. Students study short- and long-term financial analysis, policy development, and budget development. Additional topics include budget monitoring, control, planning, and accountability.

PREL 4103 Crisis Communications (5 cr.)
Managing internal and external communications effectively in a situation of risk, crisis, and sudden change is a critical competency for organizations. This course examines successful and unsuccessful crisis communication efforts and considers issues of contingency planning, speed, transparency, multiple modalities, stakeholder analysis, and ethics.   

Health and Cultural Diversity

SOCI 2001 Multicultural Dimensions of Society (5 cr.)
This course is designed to promote the ability to understand, respect, and value diversity through real-life student experiences and reflections. Topics include teamwork, leadership, communication, and conflict management among people with diverse life experiences. Upon completion, students should be able to develop appropriate, flexible approaches to successfully identifying and managing diversity issues in the workplace. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001, Contemporary Communications.)

PSYC 3005 Racial and Ethnic Identities (5 cr.)
Most people recognize and appreciate the uniqueness of human beings. Included in this uniqueness is the influence of race and ethnicity—as they relate both to self-perception and to the perception of others. In this course, students explore their own racial/ethnic identities as they relate to contemporary psychological knowledge. Topics include racial identity development, the intersection of racial identity and other forms of identity development, multiracial/multiethnic identities, and the effect of identity on intergroup relations. Students apply psychological concepts to better understand their own sense of ethnic/racial identity and how that identity shapes their experiences in the world. (Prerequisite: PSYC 1001 or PSYC 1002 or PSYC 1003.)

PSYC 4001 Cultural Perspectives in Health Psychology (5 cr.)
How does one’s culture influence health-related behavior? How does culture impact an individual’s response to stress, pain, and illness? In this course, students learn how biological, psychological, sociological, and cognitive factors affect individual health behaviors. Topics include cultural responses to health, stress management, and coping mechanisms; pain theory and management techniques; health psychology theories and models; and strategies for helping people achieve health psychology goals when faced with illness. Students apply principles of health psychology case studies and real-life examples related to promoting, achieving, and maintaining optimal health and psychological adjustment to illness within numerous cultures. (Prerequisite: PSYC 1001 or PSYC 1002 or PSYC 1003.)

COMM 4001 Intercultural Communication (5 cr.)
This course is designed to promote the ability to communicate effectively in a diverse, global environment. Topics include the relationship of culture and personal identity to communication strategies. Upon completion, students should be able to distinguish the modes and styles of communication unique to their personal culture from the cultures of others, explain the theories of cultural differences, anticipate and overcome challenges in cross-cultural situations, and apply effective cross-cultural communication skills to academic, personal, and professional settings. (Prerequisite: COMM 1001, Contemporary Communications.)

PSYC 4008 Intergroup Conflict and Peace Building (5 cr.)
In a world that is encumbered with conflict, tension, and injustice, strategies for building peace are essential. In this course, students learn theories and principles of conflict management and resolution. Topics include theories and applications of intergroup dynamics, conflict, and aggression; principles and underlying philosophies of nonviolence; and the use of social science principles to understand conflict and promote peace. Students apply principles of peace-building to proposing solutions for contemporary, individual, and social issues. (Prerequisite: PSYC 1001 or PSYC 1002 or PSYC 1003.)

AND choose one of the following:

RELG 2001 World Religions (5 cr.)
This course is designed to offer students an exploration of the tenets and sacred texts of the religions of the world. Topics include Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Christianity, Judaism, and primal religions (e.g., American Indian, African). Upon completion, students should be able to identify the origins, history, beliefs, and practices of the religions studied. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1001, English Composition.)

PSYC 3006 Psychology of Gender (5 cr.)
Psychological research has demonstrated that there are few differences between men and women; yet history and conventional thinking say otherwise. In this course, students are introduced to the basic theories, principles, and applications of gender and gender differences. Topics include distinctions between sex and gender; masculinity and femininity; sexuality and sexual orientation; and gender differences in social behavior, perceptual abilities, and cognitive abilities. Finally, students explore the influence that gender has on health, school, the workplace, and careers. Through discussion and applications, students debunk myths surrounding sex and gender similarities and differences and apply theories to individual experiences. (Prerequisite: PSYC 1001 or PSYC 1002 or PSYC 1003.)

Health Informatics

CMIS 1001 - Introduction to Information Systems (5cr.)
This course presents a broad overview of the field of information systems, covering technology, application, and career issues. Students gain an appreciation of the role that information systems play in the lives of individuals, organizations, and societies. (Prerequisites: COMM 1001.)

CMIS 1002 - Information Technology Infrastructure (5cr.)
This course introduces some of the most important aspects of the technology infrastructure that underlies information systems. Students learn about both hardware (computers, networks, interface devices) and software (operating systems, middleware, applications, system software) elements. They also gain an appreciation of key issues of capacity, performance, reliability, scale, and obsolescence. (Prerequisites: COMM 1001.)

CMIS 2001 - Internet Computing (5cr.)
Students learn how the Internet stitches together many disparate devices and software components into a flexible fabric that supports an enormous variety of uses. Topics include the design of the Internet protocol stack, the structure and function of some of the most important Internet services and applications, and Internet governance. Students learn how to apply concepts of performance, scale, and reliability in the design of information systems. (Prerequisites: CMIS 1002.)

CMIS 4101 - Information Security and Privacy (5cr.)
Students learn the key concepts and concerns of information security and privacy, including technical, social, and policy issues. Fundamental notions of authentication, authorization, and encryption are examined in the context of everyday information systems activities. Students analyze case studies of security and privacy breaches to understand economic and human impact. (Prerequisites: CMIS 2001.)

CMIS 4302 - Patient Records Practice and Policy (5cr.)
This course examines trends in the development of standardized patient records for a variety of health-related applications. Students apply their requirements analysis and design skills to the challenges found in this field. Issues covered include privacy, confidentiality, standardization, and anonymization. (Prerequisite(s): CMIS 4101 and CMIS 4301 or HLTH 1005 (for BSHS and BSPH students).

CMIS 4303 - Health Care Information Systems Applications (5cr.)
Students examine some of the most important classes of healthcare information systems, ranging from patient care management to epidemiology to billing to research data analysis. Case studies provide students with the opportunity to exercise their information systems design and analysis skills, as well as to consider social and ethical issues. (Prerequisites: CMIS 4302.)

Health Communication

COMM 1003 Introduction to Mass Communication (5 cr.)
This course develops basic concepts of communication to mass audiences, addressing the unique application of communication principles and theories essential to achieving intentional outcomes in crisis scenarios, public relations, and public/community affairs, as well as in influencing thinking or opinions. Theory, historical context, concepts, applications, and lessons learned will be utilized to develop both applied skills and sensitivity to the unique social impact of mass communications.

ENGL 2002 Professional Writing for Successful Communication (5 cr.)
Clear and persuasive writing is a fundamental professional skill. This course covers the fundamentals of written communication in a professional setting, starting with a clear understanding of the audience and the purpose of the communication act and proceeding to choices of modality, timing, and idiom. Many examples are considered, such as business letters, résumés, briefing memos, newsletters, proposals, and requests for proposals. Fundamental writing skills, such as grammar and sentence structure, punctuation, style, citation, and word choice, are reinforced.

PREL 3001 Principles of Public Relations (5 cr.)
This course helps prepare the learner to understand, appreciate, and apply the fundamentals of public relations. Learners will come to understand the relationships practitioners have with both internal and external groups who are affected by, and who affect, an organization’s actions or planning. Students can also learn to build their command of the basic principles and practices of PR while applying those concepts to real-world scenarios.

MEDC 3001 Communicating Through Media and Technology (5 cr.)
Technology provides a competitive advantage to those who utilize it most successfully. Blended with the use of media, technology can be a valuable tool in optimizing communications for appeal and impact. Learners will engage in applying their knowledge of the dynamics of effective communications to the use of both media and technology for enhanced outcomes.

MEDC 4102 New Media and Global Communication (5 cr.)
As with tools of new-age media in familiar markets, expanded markets—especially global markets—benefit equally well. These new tools can be used to establish a type of universal “language” that cannot be established in other ways. Learners will draw upon tools already acquired to help expand their ability to effectively reach a global arena, helping to enhance their own capacity and marketability as well. (Prerequisite: MEDC 3001.)

MEDC 4103 New Media Design (5 cr.)
Technology and new media continue to evolve, primarily due to interest coupled with newfound abilities derived from 21st-century know-how. With this invitation to create, the learner is asked to apply his or her understanding of new media as a set of effective tools in the practice of communications and to design, in concept, a prototype appropriate to enhancing mass communications. (Prerequisite: MEDC 3001.)

Health Management

BUSI 1002 Introduction to Management and Leadership (5 cr.)
This introductory course addresses the role and functions of managers, specifically principles and procedures for planning, organizing, leading, and controlling organizations. Emphasized is the practical application of theory to reality. This course is structured so that students have the opportunity to see the interrelationships among the functions, components, and disciplines that comprise the field of management and thereby gain a comprehensive perspective as a foundation for the further study of management. (Prerequisite(s): COMM 1001.)

BUSI 2003 Operations (5 cr.)
This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the concepts, methodologies, and applications of business operations management. Students learn about operations as related to the process of transforming resources into products and services. A focus of this course is the responsibility of operations managers to make sound, cost-effective decisions that increase the productivity and competitiveness of both manufacturing and service organizations. The process of planning, implementing, and monitoring operations allows managers to continuously improve in providing high-quality goods and services at low cost. (Prerequisite: BUSI 1001.)

BUSI 4510 Leading People (5 cr.)
This course focuses on the human dimension of business, including individual and group behaviors and organizational culture. Students explore some of the basic dimensions of human resource management as those dimensions affect the organization and the employee. Students also explore contemporary thinking about leadership and its importance in today’s business world. (Prerequisite: BUSI 1001. To register for this course, please contact the Academic Advising Team.)

HLTH 4000 Introduction to Healthcare Management (5 cr.)
This course presents management concepts and theories designed to influence and improve the performance of healthcare organizations. The external and internal environments of organizations are identified, as well as key management functions, roles, and responsibilities. Essential aspects of healthcare management are addressed.

HLTH 4100 Healthcare Organization Theory and Behavior (5 cr.)
This course focuses on the theories of behavior of healthcare organizations at the macro (organization-wide) level and micro (individual and team-performance) level. Factors that influence an organization’s behavior, as well as performance—including the role of culture, group processes, and interactions—are considered. (Prerequisite: HLTH 4000.)

HLTH 4105 Health Finance and Economics (5 cr.)
This course provides the foundations for economic evaluation and financial management in the delivery of healthcare services, including principles of supply and demand. The purpose and methods of financial reporting, such as financial statements and balance sheets, are explained. Financial risk and insurance principles and mechanisms for healthcare reimbursement, including Medicare, Medicaid, and other payor programs, are presented. The course also explores the financial, political, and economic aspects of universal healthcare. (Prerequisite: HLTH 4100.)

Health Promotion and Wellness

HLTH 4300 Personal Health and Wellness   (5 cr.)
This course introduces students to the essential factors that promote or challenge the development of personal health and healthy lifestyles, including nutrition, physical fitness, stress management, mental and emotional health, sexuality and relationships, violence and injury, and substance abuse. Students examine how cultural and socioeconomic factors influence people’s perception of their health as well as their health behavior. Students review tools for assessing health and risk and have the opportunity to assess their own health and behavior using a health risk appraisal.

HLTH 4320  Nutrition Across the Lifespan  (5 cr.)
Human nutritional requirements change over the course of the lifespan. This course examines the fundamentals of nutrition and the variation of nutritional needs at different life stages, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Students discuss issues such as obesity and eating disorders as well as the link between diet and disease. Students conduct a personal dietary assessment and analyze the relationship between food choices and health status in their own lives.

HLTH 4340  Fit and Well: Core Concepts in Exercise Science   (5 cr.)
Physical fitness is an important component of overall health and quality of life. In this course, students focus on the fundamental concepts and principles of physical fitness, including flexibility, cardiovascular health, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and body composition as well as the physiological and psychological processes through which exercise influences health. Students create a personalized fitness program and explore the health advantages of a physically active lifestyle, including the mental, social, and psychological benefits. They also examine the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle, particularly with regard to the risk of chronic disease.

HLTH 4360  Stress Management and Wellness  (5 cr.)
This course presents a holistic approach to stress management. It addresses the emotional and physical dimensions of stress as well as their scientific foundations and physiological pathways. Students explore the mind-body connection, and they study fundamental principles, theories, and relaxation techniques—including cognitive and physical behavior change interventions—that can help people effectively manage personal stress. Students also discuss related topics such as anger management, conflict resolution, anxiety, and time management.

HLTH 4380  Strategies for Health Communication and Wellness  (5 cr.)
This course focuses on the principles and theories of health communication and their application to health promotion and behavior change. Students examine how to design and deliver health messages to various audiences, while remaining sensitive to cultural, socioeconomic, and educational factors influencing the audience. Students evaluate important dimensions of intercultural and intracultural communication and study how to make scholarly writing accessible to the general population. They also explore the use of emerging technologies and social media in marketing and communications.

PUBH 3100  Human Disease and Prevention  (5 cr.)
This course covers historical milestones concerning human disease and prevention, highlights the morbidity and mortality rates associated with various diseases, and addresses the biological effects of infectious and chronic disease on the human body. Students discuss the general characteristics of disease transmission, symptoms, treatment, prevention, and control among various populations. They also examine psychosocial and behavioral factors that influence human disease.

Health Psychology and Behavior

PSYC 1001 Introduction to Psychology (5 cr.)
This course introduces basic concepts, problems, and research methods in the science of psychology. Topics include perception, cognitive processes, learning, motivation, measurement, development, personality, abnormal behavior, and biological and social bases of behavior, including cross-cultural issues. Upon completion, students will have developed a general aptitude for the field of psychology and be able to explain basic psychological phenomena.

PSYC 2001 Cross-Cultural Psychology (5 cr.)
Contemporary life requires the ability to relate to people who are different. Students in this course will examine key concepts related to understanding life in a multicultural world. Topics include theories of culture, the role of psychology in understanding oppression, acculturation, cultural aspects of cognition, mental health, physical health, aggression, and emotion. Students will be able to explain how behavior is affected by an increasingly diverse and multicultural world. (Prerequisite: PSYC 1001, PSYC 1002, or PSYC 1003.)

PSYC 2004 Motivation and Emotion (5 cr.)
What drives people to do what they do is the focus of the study of motivation and emotion. In this course, students explore basic theories of motivation and emotion; bodily needs, such as hunger, thirst, and sex, that drive people to action; motivational concepts such as achievement, altruism, and conflict; and concepts related to emotion, including happiness, hormonal influences, and mood. (Prerequisite: PSYC 1001, PSYC 1002, or PSYC 1003.)

PSYC 2005 Social Influences on Behavior (5 cr.)
It has been said that no person is an island, meaning, in part, that people are influenced by others and by the social situations in which they find themselves. This course focuses on the basic concepts and applications of social psychology and includes such topics as attitudes, beliefs, and behavior; stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination; interpersonal relationships; group behavior; and the effect of environmental stressors on behavior. Students apply principles learned to case studies and to situations in daily life. (Prerequisite: PSYC 1001, PSYC 1002, or PSYC 1003.)

PSYC 4001 Cultural Perspectives in Health Psychology (5 cr.)
How does one’s culture influence health-related behavior? How does culture impact an individual’s response to stress, pain, and illness? In this course, students learn how biological, psychological, sociological, and cognitive factors affect individual health behaviors. Topics include cultural responses to health, stress management, and coping mechanisms; pain theory and management techniques; health psychology theories and models; and strategies for helping people achieve health psychology goals when faced with illness. Students apply principles of health psychology case studies and real-life examples related to promoting, achieving, and maintaining optimal health and psychological adjustment to illness for numerous cultures. (Prerequisite: PSYC 1002, PSYC 1003, PSYC 3002, or PSYC 3003.)

PSYC 4006 Global Perspectives in Psychology (5 cr.)
While psychology tends to be “Western” in focus, increased globalization has provided insights into a broader explanation of human behavior, as well as an examination of the influence of cultural and global trends on individual and group behavior. In this course, students explore a variety of perspectives in psychology and some of the issues and controversies such differing perspectives raise. Topics include cultural relativism; cross-cultural research on sex and gender, aggression, influence, perceptions, and cognition; and cross-cultural research—how it is conducted and why it is important. Students critically evaluate psychological issues from a global rather than a domestic perspective. (Prerequisite: PSYC 1002, PSYC 1003, PSYC 3002, or PSYC 3003.)

Accelerate into Master’s

PUBH 5101 Principles of Communication in Public Health (2 cr.)
This course provides students with the written, oral, and online communication skills they need to be successful as scholar-practitioners and as public health professionals. Students learn theory and strategy-based communication principles for effectively disseminating public health information to varying audiences. Topics include risk communication, communication program planning, problem analysis, audience analysis, message strategies, media channels, and the impact of media on the public health. Emphasis is placed on scholarly writing, critical thinking, professional goal setting, and academic integrity in publications and research.

Note: It is recommended that students complete PUBH 5101 Principles of Communication in Public Health before enrolling in any other M.P.H. course. Also, students should enroll in PUBH 5145 Epidemiology only after successfully completing PUBH 5125 Biostatistics.

PUBH 5002 Essentials of Public Health: A Case Study Approach (4 cr.)
This course evaluates key aspects of public health, including its history, mission, essential services, core functions, infrastructure, resources, workforce, achievements, challenges, and career options. Students explore these facets through case studies, a hypothetical scenario, and journal articles. Although the main focus of this course is on the U.S. public health system, students are also exposed to global issues and views of public health. Note: It is recommended that this course be taken concurrently with PUBH 6101.

PUBH 5115 Social, Behavioral, and Cultural Factors in Public Health (4 cr.)
This course presents an examination and analysis of the major social, behavioral, and cultural variables and issues that affect the health of populations, including community, gender, age, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and environment, as well as behavioral risks. Research, theoretical, and conceptual frameworks from the social and behavioral sciences are explored as applied to public health problems and the reduction of health disparities.

PUBH 5125 Biostatistics (4 cr.)
This course addresses the application and interpretation of biostatistics in public health research and practice, including descriptive methodologies, statistical inference and probability, analysis of variance, and simple linear regression. Students are introduced to a statistical computer package such as SPSS.

PUBH 5145 Epidemiology (4 cr.)
This course provides an epidemiological approach to the study of incidence, prevalence, and patterns of disease and injury in populations and the application of this study to the control of public health problems. Key sources of data for epidemiological purposes are identified, and principles and limitations of public health screening programs are addressed. Students learn to calculate basic epidemiological measures and to draw appropriate inferences from epidemiological data and reports. (Prerequisite: PUBH 5125.)

PUBH 5165 Environmental Health (4 cr.)
This course offers a study of the environmental factors that affect the health and safety of a community. Topics include causal links between chemical, physical, and biological hazards in the environment and their impact on health, and the genetic, physiologic, and psychosocial factors that influence environmentally compromised health outcomes. Environmental risk-assessment methods, strategies for effective management and control of environmental exposures, and legal, regulatory, and ethical considerations at the federal, state, and local levels are explored. Examples of environmental threats including waste, water, air, vectors, and global warming are examined, as are issues related to bioterrorism and disaster preparedness and management.