Health Psychology and Behavior

The principles and theories of health communication and their application to health promotion and behavior change are the foci of this course. 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.

Planning culturally relevant and effective public health programs is essential to improving the health of populations. In this course, students are introduced to public health program planning and design, including the process of needs assessment. Students examine and apply various models and theoretical frameworks of program planning. They also explore fundamental competencies relating to planning, such as writing goals and objectives, selecting strategies, developing budgets, and planning for specific populations. Students learn about concepts related to program implementation, management, and evaluation as these relate to the planning process. HLTH 3115).

How do public health professionals know when a program is working? This course provides an introduction to evaluating public health programs. It examines various types of program evaluations, including formative, process, outcome, and impact evaluations. Students apply concepts for designing and conducting practical, ethical, and effective program evaluations that determine whether program goals are achieved. Students also explore ways to appropriately disseminate program evaluation results. (Prerequisite(s): PUBH 4030.)

Through this course, students widen their perspectives of promoting health and preventing disease as they examine health issues that transcend national borders, class, race, ethnicity, and culture. Students discuss the role of the healthcare provider in preserving and promoting health among diverse populations as well as their role in illness prevention and health promotion, protection, and maintenance of targeted populations. They explore principles of epidemiology and the influencing sociopolitical factors that impact health and well-being of humankind. Students also engage in assignments designed to provide practical application of content on topical issues, such as infant mortality rates in the United States and abroad, infectious or communicable disease, and implications of global climate change on health, among others.

In this course, students examine management concepts and theories designed to influence and improve the performance of healthcare organizations. They identify and examine the external and internal environments of organizations as well as key management functions, roles, and responsibilities. Exploring essential aspects of healthcare management, students engage in a variety of conceptual and practical activities, such as profiling a healthcare manger, assessing the value of leadership in decision making, and comparing strategic plans. Students delve deeper into content through weekly discussions on a variety of topics, such as emotional intelligence, applications of financial management, issues of quality and safety, the purpose of strategic planning, and challenges in human resources.

Students in this course focus 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. (Prerequisite(s): MATH 1002/1030 or STAT 3001.)

In this course, students examine the basic components required for the conduct of health-related research and provides students with the analytic 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.

In this course, students will be introduced to the scientific study of observable behavior and internal experiences such as thoughts and feelings. Psychological facts, principles, and theories associated with methods of analysis, learning, memory, brain functioning, sensation, perception, motivation, emotions, personality, social behavior, human development, and psychological disorders and treatment will be introduced. Students will learn to understand human behavior by examining the integrative influences of biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors. The concepts in this course will prepare psychology majors for more in-depth study of the major areas of psychology, and will provide a foundational understanding of human behavior for non-psychology majors.

Contemporary life requires the ability to relate to people who are different. In this course, students will explore major areas of psychology in light of culture's influence, challenging their own world views and unconscious biases in order to develop greater sensitivity to the impact of cultural differences on interactions in a variety of settings. Topics include definitions and approaches to understanding culture; the role of psychology in understanding bias; cultural aspects of cognition and intelligence; emotion; motivation; development and socialization; disorders; and applications of cross-cultural psychology. (Prerequisite(s): PSYC 1001 [or PSYC 1002 and PSYC 1003] and PSYC 2000.)

How does one's culture influence health-related behavior and 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. Students engage in discussions and practical, application-based assignments on a variety of topics, including 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 to case studies and real-life examples related to promoting, achieving, and maintaining optimal health as well as psychological adjustment to illness in different cultures.   PSYC 1001 [or PSYC 1002 and PSYC 1003] and PSYC 2000.) 

Individuals are often influenced by others and by the social situations in which they find themselves. Students in this course examine the basic concepts and applications of social psychology, including attitudes, beliefs, and behavior; stereotyping; prejudice and discrimination; interpersonal relationships; group behavior; and the effect of environmental stress on behavior. They also learn how bias can sway objective conclusions as well as how ethical factors influence research in social psychology. Students apply principles and theories presented in the course to case studies and situations in daily life, including instances of stereotyping and discrimination. They also use these theories to understand strategies for helping others and reducing aggressive behavior.   (Prerequisite(s): PSYC 1001 [or PSYC 1002 and PSYC 1003] and PSYC 2000.)

While traditional psychology in the United States has been Western in focus, increased globalization has promoted an examination into human behavior from a broader perspective that includes the influence of cultural and global trends on individual and group behavior. In this course, students explore a variety of global perspectives in psychology as well as some of the issues and controversies facilitated by differing cultures. They explore and discuss trends and research methods in global psychology, indigenous psychology, psychotherapy in a global world, and the role of psychologists internationally. Students critically evaluate psychological issues from a global rather than a domestic perspective.   PSYC 1001 [or PSYC 1002 and PSYC 1003] and PSYC 2000.) 

This capstone course provides students with the opportunity to synthesize knowledge and skills acquired throughout their program into a practical, integrative literature review of a selected topic specific to their area of concentration and personal interest. Through this project, students gain experience in refining their résumé, locating and assessing professional literature, and presenting arguments and findings. Students also engage in weekly discussions on networking, professional organizations, and the promotion of positive social change. They also reflect on their learning experience throughout the program and consider how they can use these experiences to enrich future professional endeavors. (Prerequisite(s): All prior health core and concentration courses completed. This course must be taken in the student's final quarter.)