Public Health

This survey course examines the various dimensions of the field of public health & how the public's health is protected. Students will explore the ways social, economic, and political forces influence the health of populations. Additionally, this course will focus upon some of the current ethical public health dilemmas where the rights of the individual versus the rights of society come into conflict.

This course will cover the major issues and considerations involved in global health. It is a survey course that is designed to familiarize students with the major topics in the study of global health. The goal of the course is to provide students with an overview of concepts such as the determinants of health, the measurements of health status and global burden of the disease. It will also cover worldwide demographic trends and their impact on health, and specific health issues that affect much of the world's population such as communicable diseases, malnutrition, water and sanitation, chronic diseases, injuries and environmental health challenges, well as the factors that threaten reproductive and child health. Throughout, the course will cover many of the programs, policies, and global health actors or agencies that are working to solve global health problems.  (Formerly offered as PBH 310.)

The department occasionally offers special courses covering areas and topics not otherwise included in the curriculum.

This course is a survey of the field of public health epidemiology, emphasizing methods for assessing factors associated with the distribution & etiology of health & disease, including social factors such as race & gender & global differences in disease distribution & control.

This course will cover the major issues and considerations involved in global health. It is a survey course that is designed to familiarize students with the major topics in the study of global health. The goal of the course is to provide students with an overview of concepts such as the determinants of health, the measurements of health status and global burden of the disease. It will also cover worldwide demographic trends and their impact on health, and specific health issues that affect much of the world’s population such as communicable diseases, malnutrition, water and sanitation, chronic diseases, injuries and environmental health challenges, well as the factors that threaten reproductive and child health. Throughout, the course will cover many of the programs, policies, and global health actors or agencies that are working to solve global health problems.

The Public Health Capstone is intended to be an integrative experience in which students bring together the knowledge and skills acquired during their time in the Public Health Major and in college. The Capstone integrates previous knowledge, applies it to a real world problem, and helps develop skills as students seek to identify, assesses, and address public health problems. Students will complete a literature review, a needs assessment and develop a program or policy recommendation to address the issue identified.

Students will be placed in local agencies for actual field experience. The internship provides the student the opportunity to gain on-the-job experience in public health, an extremely valuable component of the graduate's resume. Faculty coordinators work closely with the intern and the employer to assist the student in achieving specific learning objectives. Written reports documenting an understanding of agency history, organization, and operation are an integral part of the experience. 

This course offers in-depth study of subjects either beyond the range of core courses or of subjects suggested by evolving experience and professional practice and not otherwise addressed in the curriculum.