This introductory course provides an overview of the basic concepts and uses of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology in public health. As part of a toolkit for public health professionals, ArcGIS provides a means to explore data on a spatial level and communicate this information to a broader audience. Students explore GIS tools and learn to manipulate, analyze, visualize, and illustrate geographic data. Students examine relationships, trends and patterns using GIS technology. Finally, students reflect on community and individual ethical considerations, including use of sensitive electronic information, a public health professional must weigh when using information discovered about a community or individual through GIS-based manipulations. This course is structured to be a hands-on laboratory that covers both conceptual and technical topics.

This course addresses environmental factors that impact human health. Local and regional conditions such as air, water, and soil contamination are scrutinized as are global threats, increasing population pressures, poverty, and emerging threats to populations. Students integrate tools of ecological analysis, epidemiology, and toxicology and use risk assessment to define and weigh human exposures to a range of toxicants. Students also examine the impact of environmental conditions including disaster preparedness, occupational health, community health, and health conditions in the home. Furthermore, students consider biological, physical, and chemical factors affecting the health of communities and analyze direct and indirect effects of environmental and occupational agents and outcomes associated with exposure to hazards. The responsibility of public health professionals for the human safety and health of communities through federal, state, and community regulations and agencies is also explored.

Students explore the role of leaders and managers working in organizations focused on the delivery of public health programs, interventions, and outreach. Principles of effective leadership, including fostering collaboration, guiding decision making, effective communication, workforce development, consensus building, negotiation, collaborative problem solving, and conflict management are reviewed. Students address principles of team development and roles and practices of effective teams. This course also explores the ethical and philosophical basis of public health research, practice, and policy. Ethical theories are explored and critically examined, with a focus on their application to public health. Emphasis is placed on health disparities, health equity, and social justice, particularly as these concepts relate to urban communities. The course draws on students' experiences to promote moral reflection of personal values with regard to contemporary public health challenges and examines current and emerging issues as influenced by emerging technological, clinical, political, legal, socio-economic, and fiscal factors. (edited from catalog description)

This introductory course exposes students to foundational public health content including Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Science, Environmental Health, Health Policy and Management, and Biostatistics. Topics addressed in this course include: the structure, function, and history of public health, the biomedical basis of public health, the public health core functions and essential services, the role of public health ethics and values, and future challenges to public health. Socio-economic and cultural factors that impact human health are examined through exposure to current research and analysis of current events. Databases are surveyed to reveal vital statistics and public health records that inform evidence based decision-making and support public health programs, especially programs that address health disparities and inequities in urban communities. Health priorities, major diseases, and disease burden are examined.

This course explores world heath issues and policies by examining selected threats to global health. Students ascertain the global interconnectedness of humanity and investigate the effect of economic globalization on health issues. Global warming, cross border pollution, the spread of infectious diseases, and international crime are considered. Current health threats, global health indicators, ethical considerations of global initiatives, and solutions are elevated.

This course explores the growing disparities among disenfranchised and vulnerable populations in our society. Students examine the predicament of fragile populations with a focus on the unique health status of the urban male. This course recognizes that the trait masculinity, gender roles, employment, and psychosocial factors influence the way men care for themselves and others. Students experience health promotion activities in environments demonstrating the challenges urban men face when seeking access to health care.

This course provides in-depth study of the most critical public health issue facing society. Topics include current HIV/AIDS information and an exploration of issues including the history of HIV, transmission and risk factors for infection, local and global disparities in HIV infection, trends in research programs, international/political implications of research and prevention efforts, and the experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Course content emphasizes theories of reproductive health, sexual development, and factors influencing sexual behavior within the continuum of health and illness. Common sexual practices and reproductive health issues of people are studied within the context of lifestyle and situational life crises. Concepts of normal sexual function and dysfunction are examined. Contemporary sexual health and reproductive issues are explored. Theoretical foundations of the medical, psychological, socio-cultural, political, and biological determinants of human sexual behavior and reproductive health will be explored. Issues of biology related to sex, gender identity, social sex role, and sexual orientation will be discussed. Contemporary issues of sexual risk behaviors, sexually transmitted infections, and safer sex practices will be examined, in addition to those issues of chronic illness, disability, and sexual coercion.

This course will focus on constructions of gender and sex and their implications for understanding determinants of population health and creating healthy public policy. It will consider how different frameworks of addressing gender and biological sex shape questions people ask about, and explanations and interventions they offer for, societal patterns of health, disease, and well-being. The course will demonstrate ways of conceptualizing gender in relation to biology and health using case examples. In all cases, issues of gender will be related to other social determinants of health, including social class, racism, and other forms
of inequality. Implications of diverse approaches will be debated, as part of developing useful strategies for improving physical, mental, and social well-being.

This course focuses on the major public health issues of adolescents in the United States and the programs and policies that improve the health and well-being of this population. The students examine the prevalence and etiology of health and wellness indicators for youth and explore a variety of aspects of adolescence and adolescent health. They will analyze adolescent health concerns through conceptual frameworks and recommend effective solutions through interventions.

This course provides an overview to research methods for public health practice, research and evaluation. A variety of theoretical and methodological approaches will be investigated. Quantitative and qualitative approaches to research as well as mixed methods and community participatory approaches to research and evaluation are explored. A variety of data collection processes will be investigated. Students will critique various methodologies, evaluate published public health research studies and assess best practices. Students will also explore the role of cultural competence, collaboration and ethics in public health research

Students review theories of violence causation and epidemiologic patterns of violence in urban settings. An ecological framework will be used to guide critical thinking about risk and protective factors regarding violence. Students explore secondary data sources important to public health practitioners working in the area of violence prevention and control. Programs aimed at preventing violence and injury in urban settings will be examined and critically evaluated.

This course provides an introduction to health policy, program planning, and evaluation in the public health context and allows students to strengthen and develop their skills in policy formulation and implementation. The social, economic, legal, regulatory, ethical, and political environments that influence healthcare and public health policy are explored. Specific policy areas explored in this course include: The Affordable Care Act; Health Insurance, HMOs, and Managed Care; Medicare; Medicaid; Children's Health Insurance Program; Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Health Policy; and Health Policy and Leadership. Students also acquire familiarity with strategies for health planning, evaluation, and healthcare funding.

This course is an introduction to epidemiology, the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in human populations. In the beginning of the course, students identify appropriate data sources and sets to examine and describe measures of health, including morbidity, mortality and others. The middle portion of the course focuses on techniques for studying the distribution and causes of population health. Particular emphasis is placed on evaluating scholarly articles, including data sources and methodologies, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different population-based study designs. The remainder of the course is devoted to the application of epidemiological principles and evidence to practice and policy decision making. Concepts of surveillance, screening, immunity, and risk factors are examined as essential elements of public health practice

This course provides students with an understanding of racial and ethnic influences on health status and the societal factors that shape them. Students examine the concepts of race and ethnicity and distinguish between categories of biological and social constructionist perspectives. They define and describe racial and ethnic health inequities, discuss mechanisms underlying inequities, and think critically about existing health research on health inequities. Students explore theoretical frameworks for interpreting inequities in health and examine approaches for elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities.

In this course, students develop and critique a public health related grant proposal for a public health project, program, or intervention, including developing a budget. Students investigate private and governmental requests for proposals, grants databases, and grant elements with an emphasis on the introduction, proposal summary, problem statement, program goals and objectives, evaluation, personnel, equipment, consultants, budget, and timeline. Students also build a solid foundation in grants management, including required reporting. Requests for proposals from funding entities are also compared.

This course reviews correlation, prediction and simple regression, hypothesis testing, t-tests, and ANOVA, and ANCOVA, along with various multivariate statistical methods employed in public health research (e.g., MANOVA and multiple regression analysis). It also provides an introduction to several statistical methods commonly used in public health, including structural equation modeling. Statistical support of decisions to treat are emphasized including point and interval estimators, risk evaluation, odds ratio, and analysis of dichotomous and continuous variables representing health outcomes. Concepts are applied to the critique of research studies in health related disciplines. Extensive experience with data entry and analysis using SPSS statistical computer package is attained.

Students analyze the contribution of social and behavioral factors to health and illness, including risk behavior and health inequities. Health behavior programs and interventions are explored. Theories of health promotion, health behavioral change, and health education are examined and applied to a health promotion project for a vulnerable and diverse community.

This course introduces multivariate data analysis methods. The course begins with an introduction to multivariate statistics, including matrix algebra. The course next focuses on multiple regression analysis, and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), along with Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), and repeated measures designs. It will also cover exploratory factor analysis, and introduce structural equation modeling. Students will receive extensive experience with data entry and analysis using SPSS and Mplus statistical computer packages.

The goals of the practicum course are to broaden students' exposure to public health practice, facilitate valuable work experience, and increase students' knowledge of specific career opportunities. Practice placements are two semesters long (approximately 100 hours/semester) and provide students with the opportunity to observe a public health professional in practice, complete a public health project that is mutually beneficial to the student and the organization, and synthesize knowledge and skills into public health practice. Students attend mandatory seminars where the principles and practices of public health are examined and students' awareness of the needs, challenges, and career opportunities in the field are further broadened.

This second course allows students to continue to link public health concepts and ideas presented in the classroom to real world experiences in the public health practice setting. Students learn public health program evaluation as well as focus on public health workforce development, leadership, professional development, and preparation for entry into the public health workforce. Students continue their practice experiences and complete approximately 100 hours in an underserved community setting. Seminar meetings are conducted in which students discuss both their practicum projects and the continuing challenges of program development, evaluation, and implementation.

The Capstone two-part course sequence provides a culminating experience for students completing the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. Students enter the Capstone with a solid foundation of theory, concepts, constructs, models, processes, and systems studied throughout the MPH Program. Additionally, students have sharpened their analytic and critical thinking skills through discussions, activities, and assignments in prior MPH courses. Part one of this two-part course sequence facilitates initial development and planning for the MPH student's Capstone thesis (also known as the culminating project). The culminating project is required for MPH programs by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Students conduct a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence related to a public health issue, concern, or intervention over two semesters. Students begin their Capstone thesis during the first Capstone course (PHLT 752) and complete their thesis and present their corresponding scientific poster during the second course (PHLT 753). Students also complete a comprehensive examination during PHLT 752 that addresses their knowledge of the public health competencies.

The Capstone two-part course sequence provides a culminating experience for students completing the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program. Students enter the Capstone with a solid foundation of theory, concepts, constructs, models, processes, and systems studied throughout the MPH Program. Additionally, students have sharpened their analytic and critical thinking skills through discussions, activities, and assignments in prior MPH courses. Part two of this two-part course sequence continues the development and brings to completion the MPH Capstone thesis (also known as the culminating project). A culminating project is a required component in MPH programs by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Students complete their Capstone thesis and present their corresponding scientific poster in this final course.