Public Health (PH) - Graduate Courses

PH 700 Cr.3

Public Health Foundations

This foundational course involves an introduction to public health to include key concepts (e.g., prevention), core functions, essential services, values, historical trends, philosophies, credentialing, ethical principles, evidence-based practices, and health equity. This course also addresses the impact of the environment on public health, components of the public health system, and future trends in public health. Prerequisite: admission to the MPH Community Health Education Program. Offered Annually.

PH 701 Cr.3

Public Health Issues

This course involves an introduction to key determinants of the public's health (e.g., biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, social, political, economic) as well as the impact of globalization on public health. Prerequisite: admission to the MPH Community Health Education Program. Offered Annually.

PH 707 Cr.3

Environmental Health

Examination of how environmental mechanisms influence human health and how humans impact environmental conditions. A critical analysis of current environmental problems and evidence linking these problems to disease causation and health enhancement. Solutions to environmental health problems will also be critically analyzed. Offered Fall, Summer.

PH 710 Cr.4

Quantitative Methods

The design, analysis, and interpretation of quantitative data relative to health education, health promotion, public health, medicine, and epidemiology are covered. Attention is given to assisting students in being critical consumers of the research literature as well as designing their own studies. Some of the most frequently used statistical techniques to analyze quantitative data in community health education are explored and practiced. Software is used to assist in learning and understanding the appropriate statistical tools to understand what the data tell us. Prerequisite: admission to the MPH Community Health Education Program. Offered Annually.

PH 711 Cr.3

Qualitative Methods

This course provides an introduction to the methodology as well as methods of qualitative research and how they play a role in describing and assessing a population's health. Students have opportunities to collect, analyze, and interpret qualitative data as well as explain how their findings may have implications for public health research, policy, or practice. Students are also introduced to Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) and software. Prerequisite: admission to the MPH Community Health Education Program. Offered Annually.

PH 717 Cr.3

Emerging Public Health Issues

An in-depth policy and practice review of key emerging issues in public health and their societal impacts at the local, national, and international levels. Issues will be selected from the eight health challenge content areas advanced by the Institute of Medicine (2003) and additional sources. Implications for health education and health promotion will be addressed. Prerequisite: HED 701 and HED 703. Offered Spring.

PH 720 Cr.3

Program Assessment, Planning, and Evaluation in Health Promotion

This course is designed to provide the learner with program assessment, planning, communication, and evaluation skills. Emphasis is placed on community organizing principles, intervention planning, community assessment, group communication dynamics, evaluation design, and grant writing skills. Opportunities to apply these skills to a variety of community health settings are provided. Offered Fall.

PH 725 Cr.3

Communication Methods for Public Health

This course is designed to provide students with a critical understanding of the methods for effective communication in public health. Students learn to select appropriate communication strategies for various priority populations and sectors. Additionally, students gain an understanding of the key concepts of health literacy and the crucial role cultural competence plays in communication. Students have opportunities to create health literate, culturally competent, and audience-appropriate written and oral communications. Prerequisite: admission to the MPH Community Health Education Program. Offered Annually.

PH 755 Cr.3

Epidemiology and Public Health Issues

Examination of epidemiologic concepts in relation to specific public health issues. Disease investigation techniques, causal factors, case histories, and related biostatistics are examined and educational implications are discussed. Prerequisite: admission to the MPH Community Health Education Program. Offered Annually.

PH 760 Cr.3

Public Health Advocacy and Policy

This course focuses on the process of engaging communities in health education and behavior change programs of various kinds. Several organizing paradigms for fostering healthy communities are examined, and their practical and ethical implications are considered. Skill development for community assessment, constituency-building, and leadership of participatory planning efforts is emphasized. Students may be paired with health and human services, health policy and social justice agencies and coalitions to gain an in-depth knowledge of agenda setting, legislative research, and legislative advocacy in relation to specific legislation. This course ties policy theory to real-world practice. Prerequisite: PH 700, PH 701, PH 710, PH 711, PH 725, and PH 755. Offered Annually.

PH 770 Cr.3

Program Planning

This course requires students to assess community needs and resources as well as plan health programs. Following models commonly used in public health, students utilize primary as well as secondary data in performing a comprehensive assessment of a population of interest. Reliable and valid resources that explain the health status of a population from the perspective of theories and ethically conducted research are used when prioritizing needs and planning interventions. Students learn about the necessity of early alignment between assessment and health education program goals and objectives. Professional competencies related to evaluating capacity and promoting community involvement are emphasized as essential to planning best practices solutions to community health needs. Prerequisite: PH 700, PH 701, PH 710, PH 711, PH 725, and PH 755. Offered Annually.

PH 771 Cr.3

Program Implementation and Evaluation

Students will implement, administer, and evaluate a public health program. Interventions will be based on professional best practices and social and behavioral theories and models. Data will be collected that allow students to evaluate goals, objectives, and activities. Students will be required to generate a report at the end of the semester that can be used to inform decision makers on the success of the program and can be added to the professional evidence base. Prerequisite: PH 700, PH 701, PH 710, PH 711, PH 725, and PH 755. Offered Annually.

PH 775 Cr.3

Grant Development for Public Health

The grantseeking enterprise is studied and applied. Community and public health grantseeking content, practices, and concepts are presented for application in most disciplines and areas of interest. Content includes locating and communicating with funding agencies, writing and reviewing grant proposals, analyzing requests for proposals, using technology in grantseeking, and implementing and evaluating grant funded projects. Project planning and administrative competencies are incorporated. Budget planning and grant administration is identified and applied. Prerequisite: PH 700, PH 701, PH 710, PH 711, PH 725, and PH 755. Offered Annually.

PH 780 Cr.2

Public Health Applied Practice Experience (APE)

The Applied Practice Experience (APE) allows each student to demonstrate attainment of at least five competencies, of which at least three must be foundational competencies. The applied experiences must be structured to ensure all students complete experiences addressing at least five competencies, as specified above. The applied experiences may also address additional foundational or concentration-specific competencies, if appropriate. Applied practice experiences may involve governmental, non-governmental, non-profit, industrial and for-profit settings, or appropriate university-affiliated settings. To be appropriate for applied practice experience activities, university-affiliated settings must be primarily focused on community engagement, typically with external partners. Repeatable for credit - maximum four. Prerequisite: PH 700, PH 701, PH 710, PH 711, PH 725, and PH 755. Offered Spring, Summer.

PH 790 Cr.3

Public Health Administration and Organization

Principles of effective administration as applied to public health practice, leadership, personnel, management, negotiation, and mediation skills are emphasized with a special focus on organizational concepts related to public health and human service agencies. Prerequisite: PH 700, PH 701, PH 710, PH 711, PH 725, and PH 755. Offered Annually.

PH 792 Cr.4

Public Health Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)

MPH students complete an integrative learning experience (ILE) that demonstrates synthesis of foundational and concentration competencies. Students in consultation with faculty select foundational and concentration-specific competencies appropriate to the student's educational and professional goals; demonstrating synthesis and integration requires more than one foundational and one concentration competency. Prerequisite: PH 700, PH 701, PH 710, PH 711, PH 725, and PH 755. Offered Fall.