Public Health (PU)
PU500: Foundations in Public Health
This course provides an introduction to the field of public health. The course familiarizes you with the historical contexts of public health and its underlying philosophy and values relevant to current practice. The course examines the determinants of health with an emphasis on their role in the development and contribution of community and individual health issues. You will explore the critical components of the public and global health infrastructures and the impact of public health in addressing health concerns locally, nationally, and globally.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU505: Health Behavior
This course provides a conceptual grounding in theoretical approaches to health behavior, emphasizing the use of the social ecological perspective to examine factors that influence health behavior and health outcomes. You will apply health behavior theories and models to real-world scenarios encountered in public health and health education.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU520: Principles of Epidemiology
This course introduces the epidemiologic methods, concepts, and issues that are critical for the assessment, analysis, and evaluation of epidemiological data. You will study epidemiologic methods used in surveillance, outbreak investigation, and epidemiologic measures, and apply these methods to relevant public health issues.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU530: Environmental Health
This course presents an overview of the basic concepts of environmental health. You will explore the relationships between human health and environmental contaminants that can impact disease and overall wellness. You will explore how humans are exposed to contaminants and resulting health effects. This course will draw on epidemiology and toxicology concepts to evaluate interventions to reduce exposures at different levels including behavior changes, engineering controls, and policy regulations.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU535: Public Health Biology - A Global Perspective
The impact of biological processes in infectious and chronic disease, as related to the mechanisms of causation, disease transmission, host risk factors, and host vulnerabilities, is presented. The underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and internal and external triggers are studied to help maintain health and wellness, prevent and treat disease, and plan control strategies and effective interventions to improve global health on the individual and population level.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU545: Disaster Management for Public Health Professionals
This course examines incident preparedness and response from a variety of public health dimensions, including acute and chronic health care delivery; impact on vulnerable populations; delivery of basic human services; epidemiologic response; and effective collaborations in public health preparedness planning. You will learn how to prepare for and address disruptions of public health systems arising from disasters.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU550: Public Health Leadership and Administration
Leadership in public health requires a diverse skill set. In this course, you will study the leadership styles and attributes of individuals, organizations, and populations in a variety of public health settings. You will study the definition of leadership, the variety of leadership types, team dynamics, leadership development, and collaboration among leaders and will learn how to apply these concepts along with cultural and ethical considerations that can be applied in a multitude of public health institutions.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU615: Grant Writing for Health Promotion Projects
This course provides an overview of the grant writing process including strategies to locate relevant requests for proposals (RFPs), define quantifiable project goals, consider budget constraints and financial management of grant funds, and identify program evaluation methods to demonstrate program efficacy.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU625: Global Health - Cultural and Health Systems Impacts
This course introduces you to the main concepts of global health. You will review the global burden of disease using key measurements. You will analyze the social, political, and economic determinants of health and investigate global health disparities. You will investigate the global impact of health policies as well as interventions for disease prevention globally.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU630: Health Education and Communication
This course focuses on the role of health education and communication in the practice of health education and public health. The coursework will include the principles of successful health education, its basis in health behavioral theories, and methods of health education. The student will design a health education campaign using the modern and traditional methods of communication to deliver culturally appropriate, effective health education of public health importance.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU650: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
In this course, you will explore concepts pertaining to infectious disease epidemiology. Topics include historical context, terminology, types of infectious diseases, epidemiological calculations, and vaccines and vaccine development. You will also explore the global and infrastructure challenges of tracking and managing infectious diseases in the modern world.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU660: Global Health - Elements, Issues, and Trends
This course investigates current global health issues and trends. You will explore several specific global health issues such as communicable disease, chronic disease, malnutrition, water and sanitation, violence against women, and child health. You will investigate causes of and trends in these issues as well as research and brainstorm potential solutions, including global policy. You will assess global health topics from the perspective of social, economic, environmental, and cultural determinants of health and through a lens of health equity.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: None
PU680: Practical Skills in Public Health I
You will demonstrate public health knowledge and skills by working within a health organization. Through this onsite learning experience, you will engage with other public health professionals and train for the public health workforce. An onsite preceptor and University faculty member will evaluate student performance.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: PU550 and permission from the Clinical Placement Team
PU690: Practical Skills in Public Health II
In a continuation of Practical Skills in Public Health I, you will further develop practical skills related to working in the public health sector. Through this onsite learning experience, you will engage with other public health professionals and train for the public health workforce. An onsite preceptor and University faculty member will evaluate your performance. You will also complete written assignments in the course in order to reflect on skills and knowledge applied in the field of public health.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: PU680 and permission from the Clinical Placement Team
PU699: Master of Public Health Capstone
The Master of Public Health (MPH) Capstone provides a culminating, integrative experience in which you apply public health principles outside of the typical classroom setting. In this course, you will bridge the journey from a graduate student to public health professional through a series of activities, which can be personalized to meet your specific career goals. By successfully completing this course, you will have attained relevant experiences and professional deliverables that highlight your occupational potential in the public health workforce.
Quarter Credit Hours: 4 | Prerequisite: Last term or permission from the Dean