MPH Courses Taken for All Tracks
MPH 600: Introduction to Public Health (1 credit hour)
This course provides an introduction to the multidisciplinary field of public health. Students will learn the history, core functions, and roles of the U.S. public health system through grounding in the 12 foundational public health knowledge areas.
MPH 611: Social and Behavioral Sciences for Public Health (3 credit hours)
This course reviews and critiques psychological, social, and cultural concepts/models relevant to health and disease in society. Students will learn how to select and apply appropriate social and behavioral models to the design of public health interventions and policies. Existing social inequalities in health status related to race, social class, and gender will be explored, as will the intersection between risk factors and public health interventions. Students will be assessed using project papers and group presentations.
MPH 612: Statistical Reasoning for Public Health (3 credit hours)
This course introduces basic concepts in statistical reasoning and fundamental methods in statistical analysis. Although formulae and computational elements will be incorporated into the lecture, the course is designed to teach students how to use statistical reasoning to make informed decisions from a given set of data. This process includes reviewing data, exploring all the underlying assumptions, summarizing and analyzing the data, and finally composing a statistical report. In many circumstances, the lectures will focus on the decision process before the actual analysis is conducted. Students will be performing statistical analysis on real data with the help of software.
MPH 613: Principles of Environmental Health Science (3 credit hours)
This course provides an introduction to 21st century environmental health science, including coverage of some of the traditional environmental factors affecting the health of individuals and communities in the region, the nation, and around the world. Students will become familiar with a broad range of contemporary and emerging environmental health challenges and issues, including vector borne diseases, disaster and emergency preparedness and response, climate change, indoor and outdoor air quality threats, food safety and foodborne illness, policy and regulation, radiation safety and health, environmental justice, cultural competence and vulnerable populations, and environmental risk communication. Students will be assessed using quizzes, case studies, and exams.
MPH 614: Principles of Epidemiology (3 credit hours)
This course is a basic introduction of the principles and methods of epidemiology, one of the foundational disciplines underlying public health. Factors influencing health and disease will be elucidated by definitions, logic, and the use of the epidemiologic method. The course emphasizes how to measure and describe the health of populations, the natural history of diseases in population groups, standardization of rates, sources of data, study designs, measurements of risk, and evaluation of screening tests, causal inferences and outbreak investigation. This course includes lectures, case studies, journal article readings, and individual and group assignments.
MPH 620: Public Health Administration and Management (3 credit hours)
An introduction to the understanding of the structure and functions of the American healthcare system, public health practice in the United States and basic managerial responsibilities. Emphasis is on management tasks and styles, structure and trends in the healthcare system, legal and regulatory framework for public health, organizational and community assessment, public health settings and services. This course consists of class discussions, case studies, and critical analysis papers.
MPH 779: Introduction to Research Methods (3 credit hours)
The goal of this course is to provide practical, step-by-step guidance to the research process. Public health professionals require skills to identify problems that face population groups, and to delineate ways to solve them. Often this necessitates conducting small- or large-scale investigations on their own, or as a member of a project team. Each student will develop a unique research design proposal through individual and group written exercises using a variety of study design models.
MPH 750: Community Practicum (3 credit hours)
The purpose of the Community Practicum is to provide an opportunity for the student to apply, in a practice setting and under the direction of a Preceptor, the competencies, knowledge and skills they have acquired through their public health course work. Individual projects related to actual public health issues being addressed by the organization are developed and implemented throughout the term. Students integrate and synthesize knowledge and skills learned in the Program throughout the course, and provide deliverables to the organization that are used to advance the project. Students are assessed through monthly progress reports, a Community Practicum portfolio, and a Preceptor evaluation.