This course introduces students to the system that we have developed to deliver health
care in the United States, with international comparisons. The topics include the
organization and financing of health care systems, access to health care including
health insurance, regulation and policy issues, and the health care workforce.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 508 - Human Resources Management in the Health Sector
Explores the key and active role played by human resources in health services organizations.
Introduces students to the role of the human resources function and to the challenges
that health care managers and leaders will face. Emphasizes strategic human resources,
talent management, performance management, the role of the regulatory environment
in human resources and making the connection between financial and non-financial rewards
and workforce management. The course also identifies issues between management and
the labor force.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 510 - Health Finance and Accounting
Provides broad but significant immersion into the requisite core knowledge and skills
of financial management and accounting in the healthcare sector. Emphasis will include
but not be limited to managerial and financial accounting, fiscal analysis, fiscal
planning, and fiscal reporting. Decision making with regard to capital budgets and
expenditures are reviewed.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 520 - Health Governance and Organizational Analysis
Provides students with immersion into the study of organizational behavior, integrated
with the study of organizational theory, to develop evidence-based approaches to analyze,
manage, and lead change within healthcare organizations. Emphasis on groups and teams,
diversity and cultural competence, individual attitudes and perceptions, communication,
organizational change, cognitive processes, leadership, power and influence, stress
and well-being, conflict management, decision making and negotiation skills, motivation,
and strategies to improve employee and organizational success.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 523 - Social & Behavioral Determinants of Health
This course introduces students to the social determinants of health as one of the
drivers of population health. Consistent with public health tradition, health is discussed
from an ecological perspective, and the course presents current knowledge about the
multiple determinants of population health including socioeconomic status, the physical
environment, medical care, individual behavior, and genetics and the interaction of
these factors. Also covered is the measurement of population health, sources of data,
and methods for assessing population health improvements.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 527 - Health Economics and Policy
This course will provide students with a comprehensive view of the reasons behind
the rapid rise in medical expenditures in the United States over nearly four decades,
and the measures that have been proposed to address this problem. This course will
cover the following topics: the demand and supply of medical care; the dynamics of
competition in the health care industry; the role of government in medical care; general
understanding of health care institutions, including Medicare, Medicaid, managed care,
hospital and physician behavior, and pharmaceutical markets; and health care reform.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 529 - Fundamentals of Healthcare Management
This course provides students with an overview of concepts and issues related to healthcare
leadership. Through the examination of management topics and healthcare situations,
the student will explore the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in a diverse
healthcare environment. Topics include healthcare leadership, organizational design
as it relates to the uniqueness of healthcare organizations, managing professionals,
and supervisory to mid-level management.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 530 - Health Operations Management
This online course explores the terminology and tools for identifying and applying
appropriate operations management (OM), decision analysis (DA) and operations research
(OR) techniques to problems in healthcare. Students will receive exposure to OM,
DA and OR techniques in order to have practical experience solving problems in planning,
scheduling, resource allocation, procedural decisions, and measurement of health care
processes.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 536 - Health Law and Compliance
This course will provide students with a comprehensive view of the reasons behind
the rapid rise in medical expenditures in the United States over nearly four decades,
and the measures that have been proposed to address this problem. This course will
cover the following topics: the demand and supply of medical care; the dynamics of
competition in the health care industry; the role of government in medical care; general
understanding of health care institutions, including Medicare, Medicaid, managed care,
hospital and physician behavior, and pharmaceutical markets; and health care reform.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 541 - Health Strategic Planning and Management
Explores the fundamentals of strategic planning and leadership in the health sector.
Emphasizes mission, vision, values, creating business plans and conducting strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analyses. Explores the impact of leadership
style on the strategic planning process.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 542 - Capstone
Explores the key characteristics of successful health leaders, including the values
that guide personal and professional behavior through the lens of an interactive capstone
research project. Prerequisite: Permission of the department.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department.3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 564 - Health Quality and Information Systems Management
Explores two critical components of healthcare administration through a split module
format, dedicating seven weeks per topic and one week exploring the synergies between
both topics. The first module will explore information systems management and the
second module will explore healthcare quality and performance improvement concepts.
The Information Systems Management module will discuss how healthcare decision-making
and management are increasingly driven and dependent upon information. The sheer diversity
of the information required by the healthcare enterprise surpasses the information
needs of almost any other type of organization. Healthcare managers at every level
of the organization are forced to be information managers. The Quality and Performance
Improvement module will explore healthcare quality management methodologies and examine
the impact on healthcare productivity, quality and patient safety. Students will understand
and utilize the concepts of performance improvement and continuous process improvement
to improve product and service quality and competitiveness. Students will understand
the history of quality improvement in healthcare and how quality concepts may be applied
to improve clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient satisfaction, financial outcomes
and employee and physician satisfaction. An emphasis will be placed on the critical
importance of data analytics to monitor performance improvement activities. CQI and
lean strategies are introduced to students as well.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 575 - Long-Term Care in the Health Sector
Explores management techniques and standard practices in long-term care in the health
sector. Emphasizes skilled nursing, home care, assisted living, adult day care, home
health care and senior retirement communities. Provides direction and insight for
understanding industry certification.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 576 - Aging and Health
An overview of topics relevant to the physical and psycho-social health of older adults
and the policy and structural systems that affect aging/older adults in the United
States. Specific topics include demographics of aging in the US, attitudes towards
older adults and aging, physiological and pathological changes as humans age, health
promotion/disease prevention, health care delivery settings and structures, health
insurance (including Medicare and Medicaid), aging in place, home health care, innovative
models in healthy aging (US and internationally), and ethical/legal issues relevant
to older adults.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 580 - Integrative Experience
This course provides a 100-hour field placement that provides students with opportunities
to gain practical health management experience in the health services field. Field
placements strive to integrate real-world experience in administration and management
of health services by enhancing health administrative skills under the direction,
mentorship or supervision of a knowledgeable preceptor in an environment that promotes
learning. Students will complete aspects of the health management integrative experience
on site in individual practicum placement settings.
In addition to the field placement and under supervision of a faculty member, students
will maintain and submit weekly logs of their activity and attend three synchronous
sessions that will allow reflection, synthesis, and professional development based
upon the individual experiences of students.
Prerequisite: Permission of the department.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department.3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 586 - Health Management Professionalism and Ethics
Explores professionalism and ethics in the field of health management. Facilitates
the application and integration of health management competencies gained in year one
of coursework to realistic case studies using interdisciplinary team based methods.
Students will continue to enhance communication skills, skills that encourage functional
interdisciplinary teamwork and will develop presentation skills, problem solving skills,
networking strategies, professional etiquette and have the opportunity to engage in
professional development activities.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPA 599 - Physician Practice Management
Explores the essential components of physician practice management including the structure
and organization of solo practice and group practices. Includes operating and administrative
issues, information management, health informatics, patient care systems, corporate
compliance, physician credentialing, finance and management reporting, risk management,
operations, practice valuation, marketing and planning, leadership, compensation,
governance, billing, coding, medical malpractice, collections, reimbursement mechanisms,
human resource management, physician compensation and quality of care. Explores the
factors influencing physician practices, physician-hospital relationships, leadership
and governance.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 201 - What is Public Health? A Humanities Approach
The idea of 'public health' could be described as an endeavor of figuring out how
to promote health protective measures across populations of disparate individuals
who nevertheless depend on one another in important ways. At the same time, we are
a society which prizes personal responsibility and seeks out individual attention
and expression. How do we keep a population safe and healthy while respecting our
highly individualized national character? This course examines this tension through
reference to novels, narrative accounts, drama, and essays where you will have an
opportunity to think through these seminal 'threshold' questions on your own. This
course is offered as both EGL 290 and HPH 201.
3 credits
HPH 500 - Contemporary Issues in Public Health
This course provides an introduction to the field of public health that aims to develop
an appreciation of the unique and important mission of public health; an understanding
of the history, values, ethics, mission, and goals of public health; and knowledge
about how public health functions today including the organization, financing, policies,
and practices of public health. Students will be expected to think critically about
whether public health has achieved its mission in today's world and how the profession
might develop in the future.
Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent.3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 501 - Introduction to the Research Process
This course provides an overview of the research process including formulation of
a research problem, conceptualization of the research design, construction of the
instrument for data collection, selection of a sample, collection of data, and writing
a research report. Topics include how to identify a research question and, correspondingly,
how to formulate a clear, concise hypothesis or set of hypotheses; reasons and procedures
for reviewing the literature; overview of observational and interventional research
designs; review of measurement theory, types of scales, and commonly used measures
in public health-related research; data collection methods including survey and qualitative
methods; and the ethical conduct of research. Through the introduction of these topics,
the course provides a general background for individuals who are interested in learning
the fundamentals of how to prepare a research proposal.
Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent.3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 506 - Biostatistics I
This is the first of a sequence of two-semester courses with the aim to provide students
and researchers in public health with an introduction to the principles of public
health informatics and statistical methods with their application in biomedical and
public health research. The course will provide necessary knowledge and skills to
perform various data management tasks to create and manage data sets using SAS with
basic proficiency. The course will also introduce summarizing and exploring data,
probability theory, discrete and continuous probability distributions, populations
and samples, sampling distributions and statistical inference, hypothesis testing,
one-sample and two-sample comparisons.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 507 - Biostatistics II
"This is the second of the two-semester courses intended to provide students and researchers
in public health with an introduction to the principles of public health informatics
and statistical methods and their application in biomedical and public health research.
The course will provide necessary knowledge and skills to perform various data management
tasks to create and manage data sets using SAS with intermediate proficiency. The
course builds upon the foundations of its prerequisite, Biostatistics I, with progressively
more advanced instruction in analysis of variance, association and correlation, linear
regression, and logistic regression. Prerequisite: HPH 506
Prerequisite(s): HPH 5063 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 508 - Health Systems Performance
This course introduces students to the system that we have developed to deliver health
care in the United States, with international comparisons. The topics include the
organization and financing of health care systems, access to health care including
health insurance, regulation and policy issues, and the health care workforce. Prerequisite:
Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 510 - Infectious Disease Epidemiology
This course is an introduction to the characteristics of infectious disease and dynamics
of transmission. Major goals of the course are for students to understand the theoretical
basis of pathogen transmission; to identify factors that determine patterns of disease
spread within populations; and to identify populations at risk. The course will demonstrate
how an understanding of epidemiological characteristics facilitates disease prevention
and control, with broader implications for public health.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 514 - Epidemiology for Public Health
This course presents basic epidemiologic concepts used to study health and disease
in populations. It provides an overview of the major causes of morbidity and mortality,
including methods of measurement (e.g., incidence, prevalence). Observational and
experimental epidemiologic studies will be described and their advantages and disadvantages
compared. The course aims for students to begin developing the skills needed to evaluate
data, interpret reports, design, and conduct studies. Students will be introduced
to the various areas of epidemiologic studies, including cancer, molecular/genetic,
environmental, occupational, social and behavioral, and infectious disease surveillance.
The course comprises both lectures and small group seminars for in-depth discussions
of previously assigned topics. Prerequisites: Admission to Graduate Public Health
Program or Department Consent; HPH 506.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 516 - Environmental and Occupational Health
This course is designed to provide the fundamentals of environmental and occupational
health and to educate students on issues related to major environmental and occupational
concerns. It will provide a forum for the discussion of local and national environmental
and occupational public health issues. The content of the course will focus on major
pollutants, their detection, impact on health, and principles of remediation. Using
various teaching techniques, students will be exposed to current environmental and
occupational topics and approaches to prevention and treatment. The course will emphasize
the most recent research in the field. Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public
Health Program or Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 519 - Independent Study
Intensive reading, under supervision of one or more instructors, of material not covered
in the formal curriculum, or execution of a research project under the supervision
of one or more faculty members. Permission of MPH Academic Coordinator is required.
Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent0-6 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 521 - Introduction to Clinical Research
This introductory seminar series provides a broad-based overview of clinical science
research methods, as well as guidance for critically reviewing the peer-reviewed literature.
Class lectures, exercises, and interactive small group sessions will cover framing
a research question, formulating a research hypothesis, critically appraising the
literature, exploring study design options, conducting research ethically and responsibly,
selecting clinical outcomes, and evaluating analytical alternatives. Students enrolled
in the Master of Public Health degree program can not use this course (earn credit)
to their degree requirements.
1 credit, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 522 - Race, Racism, and Health
This course introduces students to race and racism as a determinants of health. We
explore the historical notions of race, how race impacts health, and how racism impacts
the health of different populations. Also covered is how race and discrimination are
measured, critical race theory and public health interventions to address racial disparities.
Some background in statistics and research methods is required in order to fully understand
the course material.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 523 - Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health
This course introduces students to population health as one of the organizing concepts
in public health and the orientation that differentiates public health from medicine.
Consistent with public health tradition, health is discussed from an ecological perspective,
and the course presents current knowledge about the multiple determinants of population
health including socioeconomic status, the physical environment, medical care, individual
behavior, and genetics and the interaction of these factors. Also covered is the
measurement of population health, sources of data and methods for assessing population
health improvements. Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or
Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 525 - Fundamentals of Program Planning
This course introduces students to the scope of public health program planning and
analysis. This includes the major health behavior theories that are used in population
health research and practice, public health program planning and budgeting, and public
health program evaluation.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 531 - Women and Gender Minorities' Population Health
This course introduces students to the barriers faced in improving population health
and reducing health disparities for women and gender minorities. From hysteria to
`atypical¿ presentations of cardiac disease, women have historically been excluded
from medical research. Consequently, women have been seen and treated as the default
male with differences only in hormones and reproductive organs, too difficult to study.
We will explore the definitions of sex and gender, representation in medical research,
how these identities are asked and recorded in data collection, sex as a non-binary
categorical variable, and how this affects research conclusions and public health
recommendations. This course will go beyond the common understanding of Women¿s Health
as reproductive health, towards gaining an understanding of how phenotypic gender,
gender identity, bias, sexism, and transphobia affect individual and population health
through erasure and inability to create evidence-based guidelines. The effects of
political and public health policies on health recommendations and disparities will
be covered at length, drawing from work and theories in: sociology, medical history,
psychology, political science and law, and biostatistics.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 532 - Chronic Diseases
This course will cover substantive and methodological issues in the epidemiology of
chronic diseases, including cancer, and cardiovascular, chronic respiratory and neurodegenerative
diseases. Students will be presented with examples of descriptive and analytical
epidemiology studies in each of these areas; aspects such as disease registration
and its contribution to epidemiology research, estimates of attributable fractions,
and preventive strategies will be also addressed. The course will include considerations
about causality for chronic diseases, including issues of validity in epidemiology
studies as well as integration of evidence across studies and disciplines.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 533 - Disability and Public Health
Disability and Public health will expose students to the healthcare and sociocultural
challenges experienced by people with disabilities, including health disparities,
unequal access to employment, education, transportation, and community participation.
The course will address matters of public and social policy that have been implemented
to alleviate disparities experienced by people with disabilities. The course will
include gaps that are still in existence, as well as what we, as public health officials,
can do to address these existing gaps.
3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 534 - Spatial Analysis: Health Applications
This course is an intermediate level graduate course in the application of spatial
methods for analyzing environmental exposure and disease data. Students with backgrounds
in epidemiology, public health, environmental health, biostatistics, community health,
biology, sociology, psychology, marine and atmospheric sciences, geosciences, demography,
and geography are particularly encouraged to participate. Although the course will
focus on examples related to human health, graduate students in other disciplines
will find the course useful for specific and appropriately defined research purposes.
Techniques for spatially analyzing point patterns and aggregated data in polygons
will be introduced, including autocorrelation, clustering analysis, geostatistical
smoothing, and approaches for spatial regression. Consideration of space-time variability
will also be covered. This course includes theoretical elements so that the student
will learn to appreciate strengths and weaknesses of different spatial approaches.Prior
course in GIS or equivalent, as determined by consent from the instructor required.
Students need a foundational knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software.
This requirement can be met by completing GSS 313: GIS Design and Application I (if
available), by completing other Introduction to GIS courses at Stony Brook or elsewhere,
or by self-teaching using the following book: Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop by Tim
Ormsby, Eileen Napoleon, and Robert Burke.
Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 535 - Clinical and Community Preventive Medicine
This course prepares residents to transition from the role of learners to practitioners
of preventive medicine. Didactic lectures emphasize clinical preventive medicine,
which entails mastering the science of preventive medicine practice, grounded in the
evidence-based clinical preventive services guidelines as developed by the United
States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) [i.e. screenings, behavioral counseling,
and chemoprophylaxis/preventive medications], while case-based simulated sessions
provide an opportunity to become skilled in the art of preventive medicine practice,
built upon the principles of lifestyle medicine, motivational intervention, brief
action planning and other evidence-based strategies for health behavior change. The
work of the preventive medicine physician in public health, referred to as community
preventive medicine or community medicine, is also covered in this course, including
the Community Preventive Services (CPSTF) guidelines, to help prepare residents for
the medical practice of prevention in the public health domain. The role of the preventive
medicine physician in the seamless integration and effective collaboration between
clinical medicine and public health is emphasized where appropriate. Prerequisite:
Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 542 - Introduction to Global Health
This course will provide an introduction to the field of global health and challenge
students to think about how a global perspective could enhance their future practice.
The course is designed for MD and MPH students, and is open to students from related
graduate programs with instructor permission. This course will explore core concepts
in global health, including its definition and origin; how to measure the global burden
of disease; recent progress and current challenges; social inequalities in health;
health systems; and global stakeholders. It will also apply such concepts to major
global health topics, with lectures focused on such areas as HIV/AIDS, child health
and immunization, chronic disease epidemiology and sexual violence.
2 credits, S/F graded
HPH 549 - Public Health Law
This course is a survey of legal and policy issues that have special relevance for
public health professionals. Topics may vary, but typically will include many of
the following: structure of the U.S. legal system; power of state governments in matters
affecting health care; governmental power and the right to privacy; constitutional
issues in social welfare benefits; governmental regulation of health care providers
and payers; the scope and discretion of administrative agencies in health care; the
antitrust laws; the fraud and abuse laws; and negligence in the delivery and financing
of health care. Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program.3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 550 - Theories of Health Behavior and Communication
In this survey theory course, students learn about the major health behavior and health
communication theories that are used in population health research and practice. Rather
than simply cataloguing each theory in turn, this course takes a constant, comparative,
approach to the learning of theories, in which theories are dissected to their core
elements and compared to each other in order to understand the points of convergence
and divergence among them. The goal in taking this comparative approach is application:
by knowing the core elements of various theories, students will more easily be able
to choose appropriate theories to explain population health problems of interest and
consider the design of interventions that are appropriate to achieve improvements
in the educational, behavioral and environmental factors that may contribute to the
problem. In addition to covering traditional individual-level behavior change and
health communication theories, this course will focus on social change and systems
theories, challenging students to think about the role of social context and systems
on health behavior and health communication to achieve population health improvements.
Finally, after learning about commonly-used theories in the field of public health,
students will learn about and critique theories that are less-commonly used (such
as new and emerging theories in the literature) and have important implications for
future research, practice, and further theory development and testing among populations.
Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 551 - Practice of Health Communications
This course provides an overview of health communication. The course will introduce
theories concerning health communication, and build on such to provide practical approaches
to interpersonal and organizational health communication, risk communication, and
media campaigns. Students will learn to collect, organize, and convey information
effectively to different audiences important to public health initiatives. Throughout,
the course will emphasize how health literacy and cultural beliefs influence effective
communication, and students will be challenged to develop communication tools (e.g.,
social marketing campaigns, presentations, op-eds) optimized for a specific population.
Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 552 - Planning and Implementing Community Health Initiatives
In this course, students learn how to develop theoretically-informed and evidence-based
community health initiatives. Over the course of the semester, students work on developing
their own culturally-competent community health initiatives, each of which is targeted
at a particular population with a specific health need. Each student learns how to
assess community needs and assets using a variety of methods, elaborate an initiative's
theory of change through use of logic model, design theoretically-informed intervention
activities appropriate to the needs/assets identified, create a budget and organizational
structure, and engage key stakeholders at every facet of development and implementation
of the community health initiative. Students work together in the same small group
over the course of the semester to get/give feedback and hone their individual projects.
Through this intense group work, students both (1) learn how to apply course concepts
to several particular community health problems and (2) gain skills for working in
teams on community health initiative planning and implementation. Prerequisite: Admission
to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH 550.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH 550.3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 553 - Advanced Evaluation of Community Health Initiatives
This course prepares students to plan, implement, and utilize an evaluation of a community
health initiative. Basic principles and practices of evaluation are addressed, including
identifying the goals of a community health initiative; designing an evaluation plan
that can determine if the initiative's goals are achieved; implementing an evaluation
plan; interacting with stakeholders; and using evaluation results to improve performance.
Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH
525
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH 5253 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 554 - Principles of Health Education & Promotion
This course aims to provide students with the historical, theoretical, and philosophical
foundations of health education and promotion. Students will be given the tools to
work with community and patient populations. Students will be equipped with the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes to raise people's health awareness, as a well as the tools needed
to teach people how to reduce their risk of disease and promote health. All students
will be required to design a health education and promotion program using the knowledge
and skills learned in the course. Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health
Program or Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 555 - Global Health and Demography
This course introduces students to the basic theory and methods employed in the study
of demography and global health. This course will provide an introduction to the field
of global health and challenge students to think about how a global perspective could
impact their future public health practice. The students will also learn about sources
of demographic data, patterns in global fertility and mortality, and the demographic
transition. Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department
Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 559 - Advanced Research Methods
This course will provide students with an in-depth review of principles of public
health research methods. Emphasis will be placed on conceptualization of research
questions, evaluation of research design, sample size, and issues related to potential
threats to validity within a public/applied setting. Additionally, students will become
familiar with how to evaluate methods used in published literature and to design their
own research projects. Course topics will include how to obtain secondary data, sample
size calculation, risk adjustment, bias, confounding, and interaction. The instructor
will work with students as they develop their own analytic project proposals. Students
will be expected to implement their proposed research in HPH 560 Advanced Biostatistics
in the following semester.
Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH
507 and HPH 501
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH 507 and HPH
5013 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 560 - Applied Biostatistics
Students learn to formulate a scientific question in terms of a statistical model,
leading to objective and quantitative answers. Topics may include analysis of variance,
regression, including details of data-analytic techniques and implications for study
design, measures of association, 2x2 tables, stratification, matched pairs, logistic
regression, model building, analysis of rates, and survival data analysis using proportional
hazards models. The course stresses applications in epidemiology, and other areas
of public health research. Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program
or Department Consent; HPH 507 and HPH 559.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH 507 and HPH
559.3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 562 - Population Health Analytics
The Population Health Analytics course provides students with the methodological and
analytical skills required for competent evidence-based decision-making regarding
population health improvement projects. Beginning with a review of current methods
and an introduction to emerging methods for the generation and analysis of health
data, such as precision medicine/¿big data¿, telemedicine/¿digital health¿, and spatial
analysis/¿hotspotting¿, the course covers the major elements required for the evidence-based
pursuit of population health goals. In particular, hands-on training is provided on
how to synthesize evidence, via comprehensive systematic review methodologies, in
the following 4 aspects of evidence-based decision-making: effectiveness, efficiency,
feasibility, and appropriateness/meaningfulness. In addition, students will learn
how to retrieve and summarize information about population health from major public
health information systems in the U.S. Lectures and labs are aimed at developing hands-on
skills for the management and analysis of health data using SPSS and other relevant
statistical software programs, such as Open Meta Analyst (OMA) and the System for
the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information (SUMARI). Prerequisite:
Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH 501 and HPH
506
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH 501 and HPH
5063 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 564 - Qualitative Methods
In this course, students learn about the logic, theory, and methods of qualitative
research within population health and related fields (e.g., social welfare, nursing,
medicine, sociology, and psychology). The course begins with an introduction to the
epistemological and ontological underpinnings of qualitative inquiry, with special
attention to how these factors affect the types of research questions often asked
(and answered) by qualitative researchers. Students then learn the nuts-and-bolts
of qualitative research design and data collection through review of existing qualitative
studies and hands-on application. Homework and in-class exercises over the course
of the semester give students practice in (a) designing a feasible qualitative research
study, and (b) collecting three kinds of qualitative data: participant observation,
in-depth interviews, and focus groups. The course concludes with an overview of steps
for data analysis, including coding, memo-writing, and triangulation. Emphasized throughout
the course are methodological issues germane to qualitative (and quantitative) research:
reflexivity of the researcher, appropriate treatment of human subjects, and obtaining
quality data. Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department
Consent; HPH 501
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program or Department Consent; HPH 5013 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 566 - Clinical Trials
This course introduces the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical trials. Topics
will include types of clinical trials, study design, treatment allocation, randomization
and stratification, quality control, sample size requirements, patient consent, and
interpretation of results.
2 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 575 - Public Health Internship
This course is an applied internship in a public, not-for-profit, or private sector
organization that provides a public health service. Students will gain practical public
health skills though a semester long internship. The student will work in the organization
and prepares a weekly journal of activities, as well as a paper at the conclusion
of the course, applying program knowledge to the internship activities. Graduate Graded
and may be repeated for credit. MPH Academic Coordinator consent required. Prerequisite:
Admission to Graduate Public Health Program and Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program and Department Consent0-12 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 580 - Practicum
The Practicum is a planned experience in a supervised and evaluated public health-related
practice setting. A journal of fieldwork and a project, with a written report, are
required. Students will be expected to demonstrate their "capacity to organize, analyze,
interpret and communicate knowledge in an applied manner." Health departments, as
well as a variety of other local organizations, offer a wide array of potential sites
for the Practicum experience.Permission of MPH Academic Coordinator is required. Prerequisite:
Admission to Graduate Public Health Program and Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program and Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 581 - Capstone
This course will assist students in synthesizing basic public health knowledge through
completion of several competency-driven learning experiences. Most core and concentration
course work must be completed before the student can participate in Capstone. Students
will be introduced to the process of writing grant proposals and developing budgets,
professional networking with non-academic community partners, publishing in the scientific
literature; communicating practice-based projects in both oral and poster presentation
formats, and planning for their future careers as public health professionals. They
will self-assess their own conflict styles and apply negotiation and mediation skills
to address community and/or organizational challenges, and reflect on their conflict
styles when considering case studies. Students will also engage in inter-professional
education learning activities to improve their understanding and communication of
their roles, values/ethics, and how to work effectively as part of an inter-professional
team. Students will apply systems thinking to a case study to create a logic model
that demonstrates the complex systems involved in a population health issue. Lastly,
they will present their own work as part of their Practicum to fellow students, and
discuss career plans. Permission of MPH Academic Coordinator is required. Prerequisite:
Admission to Graduate Public Health Program and Department Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program and Department Consent3 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 590 - Research Practicum
The goal of Research Practicum is to mentor students to successfully
complete their research requirements. Expectations are that students will register
for Research Practicum for three consecutive semesters. The Research Practicum is
a planned experience with expectations identified each semester in conjunction with
a research mentor and faculty supervisor. A practicum proposal, analysis report, and
final deliverable (NIH proposal, Foundation proposal, or peer reviewed publication)
are required.
0-9 credits, Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)
HPH 599 - Maintenance of Matriculation
This course is for students who are maintaining matriculation while engaging in consultation
with faculty regarding completion of courses and/or master's project. Students will
be graded S/F.Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Public Health Program and Department
Consent
Prerequisite(s): Admission to Graduate Public Health Program and Department Consent0-3 credits, S/F graded