PUBH 6001 Foundations for Graduate Study in Public Health (2 cr.)
This course provides students with the skills needed to be successful as graduate students and public health professionals. Students become familiar with the university and the public health program, academic policies and procedures, resources, and strategies for learning in the online environment. Students develop academic and professional skills, such as scholarly writing, critical thinking, goal setting, and library research. The course stresses the theory- and strategy-based communication principles and skills needed to effectively disseminate public health information to varying audiences, focusing on oral and written communication, presentations, risk communication, and media channels. (This course must be completed before registering for other coursework. Previously listed as PUBH 6000 Foundations for Graduate Study and Practice in Public Health.)

 

PUBH 6002 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. (This course must be taken in concert with PUBH 6001. Previously listed as PUBH 6100 Introduction to Public Health.)

 

PUBH 6115 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. (Previously listed as PUBH 6105 Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Health.)

 

PUBH 6125 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. (Previously listed as PUBH 6110 Principles of Biostatistics.)

 

PUBH 6130 Health Care Organization, Policy, and Administration (4 cr.)
This course examines the development of health care policies and the administration of health care organizations, including the legal basis for public health practice. It focuses on the impact of economics, organizational behavior, and political science on national and international health policies and the organization and delivery of health care systems.

 

PUBH 6135 Leadership, Professionalism, and Ethics in Public Health Practice (4 cr.)
This course examines theories of leadership as well as the professional attributes, skills, styles, and strategies required to advance public health goals. Ethical choices, values, professionalism, opportunities for advocacy, and the application of principles of social justice implicit in public health decisions and practice are considered with emphasis on the importance of a collaborative approach to working with diverse communities and constituencies. (Previously listed as PUBH 6440 Public Health Ethics.)

 

PUBH 6145 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 6110 or 6125. Previously listed as PUBH 6120 Principles of Epidemiology.)

 

PUBH 6155 Research in Public Health (4 cr.)
This course provides an examination of the research that informs public health programs, policy, and practice. Topics include the logic that underlies scientific research, study design, sampling, identification of variables, methods of data collection and analysis, key concepts in measurement including reliability and validity, program evaluation, and research ethics. Students will be introduced to methods of participatory research as well as statistical software that is used to support research. Strategies and skills for presentation of research results will be presented. (Prerequisite: PUBH 6110 or 6125. Previously listed as PUBH 6430 Social and Behavioral Research Methods.)

 

PUBH 6165 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 well as issues related to bioterrorism and disaster preparedness and management. (Previously listed as PUBH 6140 Fundamentals of Environmental Health and Risk Assessment.)

 

PUBH 6170 Public Health Biology (4 cr.)
This course explores the implications that advances in biology have on approaches to public health practice. Topics include the biological and molecular basis of public health, ethical issues related to public health biology, the effects of genetics and genomics on health and disease, and the application of biological principles and behavioral theories to disease prevention, control, and management programs—as well as the role of the immune system in individual and population health. A review of anatomical and pathophysiological processes is included.

 

PUBH 6175 Health Policy and Management (4 cr.)
This course examines the factors that influence and improve health outcomes of individuals and populations, with attention to the goals of Healthy People 2010 and the main components and issues of organization, financing, and delivery of health services and public health systems in the United States. Topics include management theories and processes, systems thinking, strategic planning and partnerships, quality and performance improvement, leadership, and organizational behavior. The policy process as well as the advocacy role of the public health professional in influencing local, state, and federal policy is addressed. The impact of global trends on public health practice, policy, and systems is also considered. (Previously listed as PUBH 6130 Health Care Organization, Policy, and Administration.)

 

PUBH 6185 Professional Communications for the Public Health Practitioner (2 cr.)
This course provides students with principles and strategies to effectively communicate in personal and professional situations. Personal communication focuses on developing skills to present information, influence others, and deal with conflict. Professional communication concentrates on communicating in work settings and with external groups. Communication research and theory serve as a foundation for exploring communication approaches and techniques, and students consider social and cultural issues related to communication.

 

PUBH 6200 Advanced Psychosocial Theories of Health and Health Behavior (4 cr.)
This course focuses on social and behavioral science theories, research, and interventions aimed at promoting health of individuals, groups, communities, and populations. Course assignments include the use of psychosocial theories in health-related practice, policy-making, and research. Attention is given to ecological and biopsychosocial models designed to integrate these theoretical perspectives. (Prerequisite: PUBH 6105 or 6115.)

 

PUBH 6227 Health Informatics (4 cr.)
This course examines the use of information technology in public health practice to access, interpret, and evaluate data for decision support and effective communication. Consideration is given to the application of legal and ethical principles in the dissemination of information in public health settings as well as the use of informatics methods and resources as strategic tools to promote public health. The collaborative approach to the design, implementation, and evaluation of informatics programs is also addressed.

 

PUBH 6235 Program Design, Planning, and Evaluation (4 cr.)
This course focuses on the competencies required of the public health professional in planning for the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of community health promotion and disease prevention initiatives. Attention is given to needs assessment and the social, behavioral, environmental, biological, and economic factors that contribute to health outcomes. Strategic approaches to planning, implementation, and evaluation including cost benefit analysis are addressed. Health behavior theories are considered in the development of educational programs, the application of evaluation findings, and prioritization of community concerns and resources. (Previously listed as PUBH 6450 Program Planning and Evaluation.)

 

PUBH 6250 U.S. and International Health Care Systems (4 cr.)
This course examines international health care system reform. Focus is given to the influence of corporate and governmental agencies in the delivery and financing of health services and the legal issues confronting health care institutions. The course also explores fiscal and public policy forces on national and international health systems and investigates the opportunities and challenges facing the management of community-based health care organizations. (Prerequisite: PUBH 6100 or 6105.)

 

PUBH 6260 Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Public Health (2 cr.)
This course examines the role of federal, state, and local government in the assurance of public health through legislation and regulation. Consideration is given to contemporary legal and regulatory issues arising in public health practice and emergencies with attention to public health security and preparedness in response to bioterrorism and disasters.

 

PUBH 6315 Capstone Experience in Public Health (4 cr.)
To synthesize the practicum experience and the accompanying learning, students are required to complete both of the following: (a) a research paper, the topic of which will be formulated during the practicum experience; and (b) a portfolio, to be developed based on the 300-hour practicum experience. In this course, students work with instructors to complete their capstone experience. (For legacy M.P.H. students only.)

 

PUBH 6316 Capstone Experience for the Experienced Public Health Professional (4 cr.)
To synthesize their practicum experience and the accompanying learning, students are required to complete one of the following: (a) a major grant proposal, (b) a publishable manuscript for a peer-reviewed journal; or (c) an abstract and a presentation for a professional conference. In this course, students work with instructors to complete their capstone experience.

 

PUBH 6420 Principles of Community Health (4 cr.)
This course examines the development and evaluation of innovative public health interventions within communities. Topics include multidisciplinary and multicultural participation, the development of health priorities in community settings, and the role of community partnerships in public health research and practice.

 

PUBH 6460 Health Education and Community Advocacy (4 cr.)
This course studies the health education policies and interventions of social and behavioral change theories. Course assignments focus on the development of theory-based strategies and emphasize control, participation, efficacy, and empowerment. Topics include partnership models, including media advocacy and marketing strategies.

 

PUBH 6610 Thesis in Community Health (6 cr.)
This course provides M.S. in Public Health students with an opportunity to develop a research proposal and thesis. Course assignments include defining the problems in a specific area of community health through appropriate theoretical and conceptual frameworks, methodology for data collection and analysis, and implications and potential solutions for future public health practice or research. Once registered for PUBH 6610, students are registered for 6 credits each term until the thesis has been approved by the chief academic officer.

 

PUBH 6620 Field Practicum in Community Health I (3 cr.)
This course provides an opportunity for a student-arranged practicum in a community health setting that complements students’ academic and professional goals. Supervision by an on-site training preceptor is a critical component of this experience. Over two terms (PUBH 6620, 6621), students complete at least 300 field hours and an online course that serves as the culminating experience for the M.P.H. degree option for students enrolled in the Ph.D. in Public Health program. Evaluation is provided by the on-site supervisor and course instructor. (Prerequisites: All M.P.H. required coursework; permission of the practicum coordinator.)

 

PUBH 6621 Field Practicum in Community Health II (3 cr.)
This course is the continuation of PUBH 6620. Students must register for PUBH 6621 until all field hours are completed. (Prerequisites: All M.P.H. required coursework, PUBH 6620; permission of the practicum coordinator.)

 

PUBH 6625 Practical Experience in the Public Health Profession (4 cr.)
This course provides an opportunity for a student-arranged practicum in a community health setting that complements students’ academic and professional goals. Supervision by an on-site preceptor is a critical component of this experience. Students complete a minimum of 300 field hours and an accompanying online seminar course. Evaluation is provided by the on-site supervisor and the course instructor. Students must register for PUBH 6625 until all field hours are completed. (For legacy M.P.H. students only.)

 

PUBH 6626 Practical Experience for the Experienced Public Health Professional (4 cr.)
This course provides an opportunity for experienced public health professionals to engage in a student-arranged practicum in a community health setting that complements their academic and professional goals. Supervision by an on-site preceptor is a critical component of this experience. Students complete a minimum of 120 field hours and an accompanying online seminar course. Evaluation is provided by the on-site supervisor and the course instructor. Students must register for PUBH 6626 until all field hours are completed.

 

PUBH 6630 Directed Readings in Community Health (4 cr.)
This course allows students to examine the theoretical, research, and professional practice literature in a particular area of community health that interests them. Students work with an instructor to create a course syllabus with learning outcomes and anticipated work products. This course may be selected only once during a student’s Program of Study and cannot be used to replace a course that exists in the current catalog. (Prerequisites: Permission of the program director.)

 

PUBH 6635 Practicum I: Field Experience in Public Health (4 cr.)
The practicum provides an opportunity for applying and integrating, in a public health setting, the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the M.P.H. Program of Study and for further developing key professional competencies. This student-arranged experience is in alignment with the students’ academic and professional goals and proceeds under the supervision of an instructor. Supervision by an on-site preceptor is a critical component of the practicum. Students begin a 240-field hour practicum, participate in an accompanying online seminar course, and begin development of a professional portfolio based on the field experience. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation is provided by the on-site supervisor and the course instructor.

 

PUBH 6636 Practicum II: Capstone Experience in Public Health (4 cr.)
This course is the continuation of PUBH 6635 Practicum I: Field Experience in Public Health. To synthesize the practicum experience and the accompanying learning, students are required to complete a Professional Portfolio based on their field experience as well as a substantive written paper or project.

 

PUBH 6920 Health Services Financial Management (4 cr.)
This course focuses on the functional role of the health care finance manager and the basic tools of health care financial decision-making. Topics include financial reporting statements, cost concepts and decision-making, budgeting techniques, cost variance analysis, time valuing of money procedures, capital acquisition, debt and equity financing, and working capital cash management. (Prerequisite: PUBH 6100.)

 

PUBH 8010 Promoting Population Health (5 cr.)
This course concentrates on the social foundations for public health and the leadership and research skills needed for effectively organizing and conducting population-based disease prevention and health promotion programs. Topics include the social history of public health; determinants and risk factors for population health; policy analysis and advocacy; building coalitions, alliances, and consortiums; constituency and community mobilization; media communications; social marketing; community education strategies; and diverse populations as well as those with disproportionate disease burdens.

 

PUBH 8015 Administration and Leadership of Public Health Programs (5 cr.)
This course examines the administration of population-based health programs and the leadership skills needed to work effectively with diverse workforces and communities under varying political and economic conditions. Topics include organizational dynamics, team building, mediation, collaboration, systems thinking and planning, working within political structures, responding to political and economic forces, communicating public health issues, budgeting, funding proposal development, and grants management.

 

PUBH 8020 Public Health Informatics (5 cr.)
This course focuses on the application of information technology to various functions of public health, especially regarding decision-making. The course provides an overview of database design, data storage, architecture, and computer networking for integration of database systems. Other topics include the use of medical and financial records for disease surveillance; standards for the collection, recording, and transmission of personal data; use of geographic information systems for mapping disease and risk factors; and methods for the evaluation of public health information systems.

 

PUBH 8200 Organizing Community Action for Health Promotion and Education (5 cr.)
This course explores leadership in the effective organization of communities, interagency collaborative efforts, and worksites for collective action regarding health promotion and education. Course topics include analysis of risk factors at the community, worksite, local, state, national, and international levels. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula.)

 

PUBH 8210 Public Campaigns for Health Promotion and Education (5 cr.)
This course investigates the persuasive use of mass communications media and marketing strategies in promoting health, reducing risk factors, and influencing community leadership to support healthful conditions. Topics include the design of mass media campaigns, target markets, and working with and responding to media, including broadcast, print, World Wide Web, and other electronic communication media. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula.)

 

PUBH 8215 Public Health Policy Design and Implementation (5 cr.)
This course examines the application of scientific data in the formulation of policy recommendations, and the drafting of legislation and ordinances to promote equitable distribution of health resources, healthy living conditions, and other activities to reduce health risk. Students learn leadership strategies for effective lobbying of decision-makers and community leaders. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula.)

 

PUBH 8220 Health Promotion and Education Interventions in Diverse Populations (5 cr.)
This course examines the planning and organization of health promotion programs for underserved, economically disadvantaged, and underrepresented populations. Students learn to design health promotion programs that consider the social, economic, and medical conditions influencing the health status of diverse populations. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula. Previously listed as PUBH 8220 Health Promotion and Education in Communities of Diverse Populations.)

 

PUBH 8225 Design and Analysis of Community Trials (5 cr.)
This course investigates randomized controlled trials of health promotion and education programs, and disease-prevention interventions, with communities as the units of analysis. It provides students with an in-depth study of techniques for randomization, multicenter coordination, data management, team building, statistical analysis, models for community assessment, publication, and ethics. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula.)

 

PUBH 8300 Infectious Disease Epidemiology (5 cr.)
This course examines the epidemiology of infectious and acute diseases, including the impact of infectious diseases on populations, taxonomy and structure of disease agents, modes of transmission, infectivity, pathogenicity, virulence, incubation, and surveillance methods. Topics include diarrheal diseases, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and airborne and vector-borne organisms. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula. Previously listed as PUBH 8300 Epidemiology of Infectious and Acute Diseases.)

 

PUBH 8310 Social and Behavioral Epidemiology (5 cr.)
This course explores various works in social, behavioral, and psychiatric epidemiology, including those on the occurrence and distribution of illness. Course studies focus on the application of basic epidemiologic research designs; the study of social, behavioral, and psychiatric conditions in all age groups; and the relationship between sociocultural factors and individual or community behavioral issues. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula.)

 

PUBH 8320 Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology (5 cr.)
This course focuses on methods used in evaluating the health effects of physical, biological, and chemical agents in the environment and evidence-based information of such exposures. Assignments include policy questions raised by the scientific evidence and review and criticism of current literature on specific environmental and occupational health issues of current interest. Special emphasis is given to study design, exposure assessment, outcome definition, and sources of bias. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula.)

 

PUBH 8330 Chronic Disease Epidemiology (5 cr.)
This course examines the major chronic diseases: cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, and diabetes. The course also focuses on major risk factors impacting chronic disease. Topics include surveillance of chronic diseases and evaluation of chronic disease prevention interventions. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula. Previously listed as PUBH 8330 Epidemiology of Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases.)

 

PUBH 8340 Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology (5 cr.)
This course acquaints students with the fundamentals of molecular and genetic epidemiology. Topics include molecular markers of environmental exposures, applications to risk assessment, genetic markers of susceptibility, the Human Genome Project, genetic testing, gene-environment interaction, and pharmacogenomics. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula.)

 

PUBH 8350 Field Methods and Data Analysis in Epidemiology (5 cr.)
This course offers students the opportunity to conduct epidemiological field studies. Theory and practice are emphasized to foster a better understanding and appreciation of survey methodology. Students become familiar with the techniques and resources needed to successfully design and carry out the field portion of an epidemiological investigation, including staff recruitment and training; counting and listing techniques; enumeration methodologies; subject recruitment, retention, and tracking; data storage and management; and general survey instrument issues. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula.)

 

PUBH 8427 Research Seminar II: Design in Public Health Research (5 cr.)
This course covers theory and hypothesis testing; variable definition and measurement; and correlational, survey, experimental, quasi-experimental, nonexperimental, factorial, and single-subject designs. Topics include the language, logic, and execution of qualitative designs (inductive and quasi-deductive) and the interfacing of qualitative and quantitative designs. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula.)

 

PUBH 8437 Research Seminar III: Data Analysis in Public Health Research (5 cr.)
This course addresses qualitative and quantitative techniques of data analysis. Course topics include data management, the use of software for data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics, and multiple theoretical frameworks for qualitative analysis. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula; completion of the academic residency intensive seminar on Data Analysis in Public Health Research.)

 

PUBH 9000 Public Health Dissertation (30 cr. minimum — 6 credits per term for minimum 5 terms)
This course offers doctoral students the opportunity to integrate their Program of Study into an in-depth exploration of an interest area that includes the completion of a research study. Students complete the dissertation independently, with the guidance of a dissertation supervisory committee chair and committee members, in a learning platform classroom in which weekly participation is required. Students complete a prospectus, proposal, institutional review board application, and dissertation. Once students register for PUBH 9000, they are registered each term until successful completion of the dissertation. (Prerequisites: Foundational and core curricula; appointment of an approved dissertation committee chair.)