This is a survey course in two parts. Part one defines and explores the core objectives and principles of public health, providing a theoretical and conceptual framework for understanding key health challenges and the global burden of disease. Part two surveys the major and emerging global health problems facing the world through case studies. Topic choice can vary to reflect faculty expertise, community needs, and student interest. Examples of contemporary topics include NCDs and infectious disease, maternal and child health, substance abuse, antimicrobial resistance, humanitarian crises and conflict, global health security, water and sanitation, and strategies to reduce health disparities.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Describe the impact of disease on population health
2. Describe key public health concepts related to global health including: the demographic and epidemiological transitions, measures of health status, and the burden of disease.
3. Describe major causes of morbidity and mortality variations within regions (i.e. the global burden of disease study)
4. Describe major public health efforts to reduce disparities (SDGs, global fund) and recent changes to these
5. Describe travel and trade contribute to the spread of chronic and communicable diseases
6. Describe the relationship between access to water, sanitation, food security, and clean air on individual and population health
7. Articulate barriers to health and healthcare in low-resource settings locally and internationally
8. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the relationship between health, human rights, and global inequities
9. Understand the difference between mass media coverage of public health problems and the evidence-based science of current public health problems
10. Apply a public health model to a contemporary public health issue
11. Relate educational goals to others using their Digital Portfolio

The first in a two-part series aimed at developing students’ careers, this course will focus on professional competencies by guiding resume building, digital portfolio creation and management, practicing interview skills, articulating career goals, and analyzing workplace dynamics. Attention will be paid to modeling interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and professionalism. Students will identify, apply to, and initiate their internship experiences in this course.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Revise and refine a resume that highlights accomplishments and competencies
2. Communicate achievements via Digital Portfolios
3. Identify and apply for specific open internships of interest
4. Craft effective cover letters and email introductions
5. Appraise progress against professional and personal goals
6. Practice interview skills
7. Understand organizational and interpersonal behavior
8. Model self-awareness and professionalism

Students become knowledgeable about public health practice and workplace dynamics by fulfilling a two-part sequence internship of 2 units each (1 unit equals 25 hours of logged internship time). Internship opportunities include county public health departments, local human service agencies, healthcare organizations, non-profits, and various community sites. The focus of the first in the series is navigating organizational communication principles: purpose, audience, intent, process, tone, and style. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisite: Consent of the Public Health Science Internship Coordinator or Director. Contract required.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Apply public health knowledge and skills in a practical setting
2. Demonstrate an understanding of and an ability to resolve common ethical issues and challenges that arise in working within diverse economic political and cultural contexts
3. Develop workplace skills and experience
4. Engage principles of organizational communications in an applied context
5. Explore and clarify career interests
6. Maintain hourly log reflecting on personal and professional development
7. Model professional behavior
8. Summarize, evaluate and present on internship experience to faculty and peers
9. Establish professional contacts

The second installment of the two-part sequence internship of 2 units each (1 unit equals 25 hours of logged internship time). The focus of the second in the series is exercising leadership and teamwork principles: integrity, decisiveness, transparency, risk-taking, responsiveness, accountability, collaboration, and trust. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisite: Consent of the Public Health Science Internship Coordinator or Director. Contract required.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify personal leadership strengths and explore methods for building strong teams
2. Develop personal leadership philosophy and exercise these skills in an applied context
3. Demonstrate integrity, regard, and respect for others in all aspects of professional practice
4. Develop workplace skills and experience
5. Explore and clarify career interests
6. Maintain hourly log reflecting on personal and professional development
7. Model professional behavior
8. Summarize, evaluate and present on internship experience to faculty and peers
9. Establish professional contacts

The second in a two-part series aimed at building ethical leaders, this course prepares students to exit the program with training in ethical public health practice and will focus on professional development in preparation for a career in Public Health, to include managing their digital identities, polishing professional competencies, practicing interview skills and resume writing, and applying for open positions/graduate programs of interest. Attention will be paid to modeling interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and professionalism.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify, analyze and address ethical issues in public health practice
2. Identify ethical dilemmas while considering diverse perspectives
3. Develop innovative and collaborative solutions to ethical challenges
4. Analyze the role of various career paths in the delivery of essential public health services
5. Manage digital identities through social media awareness, electronic messaging etiquette, and the practice of self-edit.
6. Translate academic training into professional competencies
7. Master self-awareness and professionalism
8. Evaluate effective written and oral communications

This course is comprised of two primary modules: the first is focused on epidemiology and the second on biostatistics. Module One introduces epidemiological methods with the goal of teaching students to read critically and interpret published epidemiologic studies in humans. The course is designed to help the student acquire an understanding of basic principles of epidemiological investigation; causal reasoning and study design in epidemiological analysis; morbidity and mortality statistics; behavioral and socio-environmental factors in disease occurrence and distribution; epidemiological bases of health planning and policies.

Module Two further develops statistical tools commonly applied to a suite of public health issues. The emphasis will not be on the theoretical properties of statistics, but rather on understanding the application and interpretation of these techniques when analyzing medical and epidemiological data. Applied statistical models that will be covered range from basic descriptive statistics to more advanced multivariate regression analyses. A special focus will be placed on exploring statistical tools through the application of statistical software packages through both lecture and computer exercises.

This course will introduce population-level health research and the role of evidence-based information in addressing critical health issues and includes a practical application of commonly used quantitative study designs and methods.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Define key epidemiologic terms: descriptive epidemiology, association, causation, analytic epidemiology, evidence-based public health, translational research, outbreak investigation, etc.
2. Describe the impact of disease on population health
3. Demonstrate a basic understanding of epidemiologic methods and study design.
4. Distinguish the roles and relationships of epidemiology in the prevention of disease and the improvement of health.
5. Summarize results of epidemiological studies
6. Identify difference between an exposure and an outcome and define the relationship between exposures and outcomes in the peer-reviewed literature
7. Identify how demographic and other major factors can influence patterns of morbidity, mortality, and disability in a defined population
8. Describe the methodological linkages between the UN SDGs and the GBD
9. Validate the health status of populations using available data surveillance, data surveys, registries, and/or electronic records
10. Apply epidemiological methods to settings and situations in public health practice
11. Select quantitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
12. Analyze quantitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming and software, as appropriate
13. Understand and apply specific descriptive and inferential statistical techniques commonly used in global public health research.
14. Demonstrate the ability to build and assess appropriate regression models, and to draw logical conclusions from the fitted models.
15. Develop, apply, and interpret statistical methods in analyzing and solving problems in biomedical, clinical and population-based research using statistical software packages.
16. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
17. Follow ethical principles and norms for acquiring, managing, and securing data.

This course is an introduction to qualitative research methods to include question formulation, literature review, establishing an evidence base, and conducting research using qualitative methods: In-Depth Interviews, Focus Groups, Visual Epidemiology, and/or Photo Voice. Includes training in qualitative data analysis software packages, and the practical application of these designs and methods.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Describe the difference between quantitative and qualitative research methods
2. Understand how question design relates to selecting the appropriate analytical method
3. Describe and employ basic qualitative research methods: observational, ethnography, in-depth interview, focus group
4. Describe and employ qualitative analysis methods: content analysis, narrative analysis, thematic analysis, and grounded theory,
5. Select qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
6. Analyze qualitative data using appropriate analytical methodologies and computer-based programming and software, as appropriate
7. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice
8. Understand and explore the role of generative AI in interpreting qualitative data
9. Comprehensively read and critique peer-reviewed journal articles
10. Compose scientific abstracts with introductions, recruitment methods and research procedures, analytical results, and conclusions.
11. Understand the ethical implications of public health research and practice

The integrated learning experience (capstone) is a cumulative and integrative scholarly / applied project that demonstrates a synthesis of concepts, methods, and experiences gained in the program. The research project results in a scholarly project that includes a literature review, research question(s) that address gaps, data collection (primary data collection, which requires IRB approval), and analysis. Students are partnered with thematically appropriate mentors throughout the capstone series that includes individual meetings to address project-specific student needs throughout all terms.

This is the first in a three-part series of the capstone experience. Part one focuses on identifying gaps in the literature, building a research question, developing the study design, and submitting the protocol to IRB for approval.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Explore personal research interests, and how they relate to identified gaps in the literature
2. Assess and document state of health and well-being of individuals and/or communities within a target population by integrating information from a wide range of primary and secondary sources.
3. Apply foundational knowledge to a meaningful public health problem
4. Evaluate existing literature on a public health issue
5. Identify an answerable SMART research question relating to a specific and current public health issue.
6. Create an appropriate study design and research protocol to answer the question within the chosen population
7. Compose and submit a successful IRB application while considering the legal, regulatory, and ethical issues that impact the current public health issue of choice.
8. Effectively communicate in oral, written, and visual forms the chosen research question.
9. Understand the ethical implications of public health research and practice
10. Relate research goals to others using Digital Portfolios

The integrated learning experience (capstone) is a cumulative and integrative scholarly / applied project that demonstrates a synthesis of concepts, methods, and experiences gained in the program. The research project results in a scholarly project that includes a literature review, research question(s) that address gaps, data collection (primary data collection, which requires IRB approval), and analysis. Students are partnered with thematically appropriate mentors throughout the capstone series that includes individual meetings to address project-specific student needs throughout all terms.

This is the second in a three-part series of the capstone experience. Part two focuses on operationalizing the study protocol, data collection, and data cleaning, entry, and management.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Apply foundational knowledge to a meaningful public health problem
2. Implement research protocol to initiate data collection
3. Employ data collection, entry, cleaning, and management skills in an ethical manner that maintains data integrity and confidentiality
4. Formulate data analysis plan leveraging technical skills acquired in the program
5. Effectively communicate in oral, written, and visual forms the findings of the chosen research question.
6. Understand the ethical implications of public health research and practice
7. Relate educational goals to others using e-Portfolio

The integrated learning experience (capstone) is a cumulative and integrative scholarly / applied project that demonstrates a synthesis of concepts, methods, and experiences gained in the program. The research project results in a scholarly project that includes a literature review, research question(s) that address gaps, data collection (primary data collection, which requires IRB approval), and analysis. Students are partnered with thematically appropriate mentors throughout the capstone series that includes individual meetings to address project-specific student needs throughout all terms.

This is the third in a three-part series of the capstone experience. Part three focuses on executing the data analysis plan, writing up study findings, and preparing manuscripts for publication. Final projects must be defended in a public defense before the thesis committee for graduation from the program.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Apply foundational knowledge to a meaningful public health problem
2. Implement data analysis plan on collected data
3. Present findings in an oral, written, or visual form, presenting findings to a generalized audience
4. Understand the ethical implications of public health research and practice
5. Relate educational goals to others using e-Portfolio

This course integrates foundational knowledge into planning models for public health programs that include a community health needs assessment, identifying priorities, incorporating community feedback into goal and objective setting, intervention design, and developing an implementation and evaluation plan. Intervention mapping principles will be taught and applied, with a focus on health education priorities. Students will engage in teamwork and leadership skills throughout the planning process.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the role of research and data in public health and utilize both to evaluate the health needs of populations.
2. Explain the core components of evidence-based public health program planning.
3. Co-create strategies to strengthen community capabilities, including representatives from partnerships
4. Integrate assets and resources to improve health
5. Exhibit interprofessional values and communication skills
6. Demonstrate an awareness of local and international codes of ethics
7. Assess population needs, assets and capacities that affect communities’ health by conducting an effective community needs assessment.
8. Implement strategies to engage marginalized and vulnerable populations in making decisions that affect their health and well-being
9. Design a population-based program, project or intervention, stating clear goals and objectives, and an understanding of how to construct a logic model
10. Understand the relevance of diversity and disparities to the development of health programs.
11. Explain the types of evaluation and evaluation designs, selecting an appropriate method to evaluate the proposed public health program.
12. Explain the tools that program planners and evaluation professionals utilize in their work.
13. Explain basic principles and tools of budget and resource management

A comprehensive examination of the structure of healthcare systems in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. Students will apply key principles of health systems strengthening techniques, including capacity assessment, building, and sustainable development. Specific attention paid to globalization, westernization, migration/immigration and urbanization as impacts on health and healthcare delivery.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Describe different national models or health systems, comparing and contrasting key characteristics, structure, cost modeling, and effectiveness
2. Evaluate access to care using the eight-factor model comparing low, middle, and high income health care delivery systems
3. Compare the organization, structure and function of health care, public health, and regulatory systems across national and international settings
4. Discuss the policy-making process, including the roles of ethics and evidence
5. Evaluate policies for their impact on public health and health equity
6. Describe the roles and relationships of the major entities influencing global health and development
7. Compare various approaches to patient share of healthcare costs and services received
8. Understand the impact of globalization, westernization, and urbanization on health systems
9. Understand the key principles of health system strengthening, and apply them to capacity assessment and capacity building
10. Describe how public, private, and public-private partnerships undertake cross-sectoral work to enable integrative sustainable economic systems that improve health
11. Apply a systems thinking tool to visually represent a public health issue in a format other than a standard narrative

This course will explore theories of human behavior within public health.  We will examine social behavioral theories, individual health behavior theories, sociocultural and environmental theories and multi-level theories to investigate why people and populations make health decisions or experience health outcomes.  We will also learn how to utilize these theories and frameworks as the foundations of informed interventions that impact positive change.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Discuss key theories, models, and frameworks in public health
2. Understand the difference between theories that examine individual behavior, interpersonal influence, community and cultural dynamics, and multi-layered frameworks
3. Explain the importance of theory to public health and health behavior
4. Conduct a situational analysis across a range of cultural, economic, and health contexts
5. Design context-specific health interventions based upon the situational analysis that incorporate appropriately aligned health behavior theories
6. Propose strategies to identify relevant communities and individuals and build coalitions and partnerships for influencing public health outcomes
7. Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, in both writing and through oral presentation, to a non-academic, non-peer audience with attention to factors such as health literacy

This course is taught in two modules. The first module covers social determinants of health. Topics include health effects of educational attainment, social integration, social relationships, social capital, neighborhood environments, political economy, and demographics. The second module covers environmental determinants of health, focusing on interactions within the public health triad, and how health is impacted by changes in the global environment. This interdisciplinary course will be an exploration of the various ways that natural, built, and social environments coalesce to impact health outcomes at local, regional, and global levels.  A special emphasis will be placed on exploring these and other emerging issues in global environmental health through the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analytical tools. Students will gain a foundational knowledge in global environmental health as well as critical and marketable skills in GIS systems knowledge and analysis.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Articulate a social determinants perspective on health, including educational attainment, social integration, social relationships, social capital, neighborhood environments, political economy, and demographics.
2. Describe and apply available measures of social determinants, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of these measures.
3. Explain the state of the evidence on causal associations between the social determinants addressed in class and health, including gaps in existing knowledge.
4. Describe plausible mechanisms by which social factors may influence health.
5. Discuss the distribution of social factors, and the relationship to health disparities
6. Understand strengths and weaknesses of current research on social determinants of health.
7. Understand and synthesize practical interventions (e.g. policy, clinical and population/public health implications) that could be effective at reducing social disparities in health.
8. Discuss the public health triad, and how human and animal hosts, the environment, and pathogenic factors interact and influence one another
9. Critically review the scientific literature on current topics in global environmental health.
10. Through in-class laboratory experiences, utilize geospatial methods, including mapping and spatial analysis with open GIS software to understand issues in global environmental health.