M.P.H. Curriculum

This course provides comprehensive overviews of the American healthcare systems, their organization, administration, and financing. In addition, lectures, exercises, and papers are structured to provide an understanding of the major stakeholders involved in health care; the issues driving the health care reform agenda; the use of community-based needs assessment in planning the delivery of healthcare services; and methods for measuring and monitoring the quality of care. Students will be introduced to other health care systems in readings and links when needed, which are related to the health care in the US to make them understand the similarities/ differences in health care systems

This course introduces fundamental statistical approaches employed in clinical and public health research. Lectures cover common distributions, samples and populations, interval estimation, and inferential statistical approaches. Students learn how data are presented and interpreted in the professional literature by considering published articles, professional reports and public health data. This introductory course also introduces students to the principles and practices of epidemiology and provides them a population-based perspective on health, disease, and prevention. Students learn the basic measurements of frequency and association and the methods employed in describing, monitoring, and studying health and disease in populations. Students will also learn how to apply fundamental statistical methods to key epidemiological concepts such as measures of morbidity, mortality, and measures of effect. This course also includes an introduction to experimental and observational study designs, the process of conducting each design as well as the strengths, limitations, and issues of design selection. Bias and challenges relating to causal inference in epidemiological research will also be covered.

This course is an overview and introduction to the way in which behavioral and social factors contribute to health. It covers a wide range of topics: theories of behavioral science which have been applied to health behaviors; socio-cultural factors in disease etiology and the role of social conditions and social policy in addressing critical public health problems; individual, group, community, and technology-based strategies for health behavior change; and current issues in behavioral sciences for health promotion including its application to achieving the Healthy People 2020 goals.

This course is intended to apply concepts learned in earlier core courses, specifically BSHM 5001 (Behavioral/Social Factors in Public Health) and HPM 5001 (Health Care in the US). It provides an opportunity for students to see how public health issues and concerns can be translated into policies (potentially affecting a broad range of the population) and interventions targeted to communities, smaller groups and individuals. It also provides skills in leadership and appropriate communication of public health content for different audiences. During the course, there will be multiple opportunities to practice the concepts and skills covered in this course. These courses are intended to apply concepts learned in earlier core courses, specifically HPMM 5001 (Health Care in the U.S.) and BSHM 5001 (Behavioral/Social Factors in Public Health). It provides an opportunity for students to see how public health issues and concerns can be translated into policies (potentially affecting a broad range of the population) and interventions targeted to communities, smaller groups and individuals. It also provides skills in leadership and appropriate communication of public health content for different audiences. During the course, there will be multiple opportunities to practice the concepts and skills covered in this course. Must be taken concurrently.

Prerequisites: HPMM 5001; BHSM 5001

All students pursuing a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree must complete the APE. The APE provides students with a structured public health practice experience whereby they take a populationbased approach to a public health problem and apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom. M.P.H. students demonstrate foundational and concentration-specific competency attainment through applied practice experiences. The APE infrastructure is comprised of the student’s Site Supervisor, Director of Public Health Practice, Assistant Director of Public Health Practice, and Academic Advisor.

The course provides an overview of the principles of research as applied to public health issues. Students gain an understanding of the process of research from the initial development of research questions through the final presentation of research findings. Topics covered include: selection of an appropriate research design, discussion of issues of measurement, data collection strategies, and interpretation of data. Examples are drawn from health education, health promotion, disease prevention, and community health services.

Prerequisites: BSHM 5001; Pre-requisite or Corequisite: EPIM 5002.

This course will introduce public health and health care professionals to real-world tools, skills, and resources needed to identify and successfully compete for public health and health care funding at the local, state and national level. Course topics will closely mirror the components of a standard grant application including needs assessments, work-plans, budgets, logic models and project evaluation plans among other key areas. Students will be expected to write proposal sections in response to actual funding announcements.

This course covers the basic concepts and principles of the health planning process. Topics covered include: needs assessment, program planning, and implementation and evaluation of public health interventions and programs. The use of quantitative and qualitative data is discussed. Examples are drawn from health education, health promotion, disease prevention and community health services. Students can expect to identify a health problem in a community, describe it, develop a program to address the issue, and evaluate it from a formative and summative perspective.

Prerequisites: BSHM 5001

This course is an introductory graduate course that presents the fundamental statistical approaches employed in clinical research. Lectures cover basic probability, common distributions, samples and populations, interval estimation, and inferential statistical approaches. By reading medical literature, students learn how statistical techniques are applied to clinical data, and practice summarizing and interpreting analytic results.

This course introduces students to the principles and practices of epidemiology and provides them a population-based perspective on health and disease. Students learn the basic measurements of frequency and association and the methods employed in describing, monitoring, and studying health and disease in populations.