MPHE - Master Public Health

This seminar will be a one-credit hour course taken during the final semester of coursework as part of the professional preparation for students to enter the job market and to prepare students to succeed in passing the CHES examination. (1 credit hour)

This course is designed to be an integrative learning experience where students synthesize and apply the program’s competencies to public health practice. Students will investigate a public health issue, complete a written report, which may take the form of a peer-reviewed research journal article and a health communication campaign most appropriate for the target audience. This project will be presented upon completion of the course. This course/project requires written approval from the graduate advisor and program director. (2 credit hours)

This course will provide an overview of the history of health education and public health, as well as an overview of the principle theories and models used in promoting health behavior change.  (3 credit hours)

This course will provide an overview of the various types of program evaluation, including formative assessment, process evaluation, monitoring outputs and outcomes, impact evaluation, outcome evaluation, and summative assessment. Students will develop an understanding of measurement in program evaluation. (3 credit hours) (Dual for BSPH 4340)

This course will provide students with an understanding of the procedures for conducting community needs assessments, formative research, process evaluation, monitoring of outputs and outcomes, and impact/outcome evaluations.  This course will cover quantitative and qualitative methods used to plan and evaluate health promotion programs.  Logic models will guide the development of the program evaluation. (3 credit hours) (Dual for BSPH 3320)

This course places emphasis on the application of organizational perspectives for health and human service organizations. This course also provides an emphasis on the phases involved in the policy-making process, including evaluating existing policies and their impact on public health. (3 credit hours)

This course will improve the skills needed by health professionals to examine problems and make decisions based on the application of epidemiological concepts and methods.  Environmental, individual, and biological determinants of diseases will be reviewed.  Epidemiologic tools to be presented include the use of vital statistics and rates, descriptive studies, observational studies, and experimental studies. Basic concepts of biostatistics are also discussed in the context of public health and health promotion studies. (3 credit hours)

This course will provide an analysis of planning, organizing, leading, and evaluating efforts resulting in the creation of a vision and the establishment of goals for professionals in the health sciences. Emphasis is placed on effective management practices, policy development, negotiation, conflict resolution, strategic planning, leadership theory, decision-making, problem solving, and event management principles. (3 credit hours)

This course will provide an examination of health issues from a population health perspective. Students will develop an understanding of the individual, social, and environmental determinants of health, health indicators, health systems, communicable and emerging diseases of specific populations, and the importance of cultural competence for health professionals. (3 credit hours)

This course will provide an opportunity for critical analysis and study of selected problems, trends, techniques, and issues in the health sciences as presented in published items and research, and related to programs. (3 credit hours)

This class will introduce students to the research process in public health and health sciences.  An emphasis will be placed on the application of research design, data collection methods, and data analysis procedures used in quantitative and qualitative research.  (3 credit hours)

Proposal writing is a critical skill that is key to success in many fields, especially for health services research and practice. This course addresses the various components associated with obtaining external funding. Students will learn to strategically identify appropriate funding agencies, and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to apply for funding to support health-related research and practice. Feedback opportunities will allow students to practice the skills needed for writing effective, cogent, and convincing proposals. This course will also facilitate discussions surrounding budget development and strategies to manage a successfully funded grant. 

This course will introduce biostatistics used in the fields of public health and health sciences.  Students will develop an understanding of hypothesis testing, descriptive statistics, and methods for comparing discrete and continuous data including analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test, correlation, and regression. Students will learn basic steps to analyze quantitative data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and the interpretation of analysis results.

Students will gain insight into the causative agents, chain of infection, biology, epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and control of select infectious diseases, with an emphasis on those affecting low- and middle- income countries. Diseases include (but are not limited to): Dengue, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, Leishmaniasis, Malaria, Monkeypox, Onchocerciasis, Smallpox, Trachoma, and Trypanosomiasis. Public health concerns unique to these areas will also be highlighted, including vector control, healthcare access, and environmental health issues. (3 credit hours)

This course will provide public health students with an in-depth analysis of the role of paradigms, conceptual frameworks, and theories that influence and have utility for health-related research and intervention design. Students will integrate this knowledge into planning health promotion programs through intervention design and program implementation. (3 credit hours)

This is a supervised applied practical experience which will take place at an extramural agency or organization engaged in work related to public health and health promotion. This allows students to apply learned competencies in a public health practice setting. This project requires written approval from the graduate advisor and program director. (3 credit hours) (Dual credit for BSPH 4350)