Foundations of Public Health
CPH 500
3
This is an introductory survey course, which will ensure that all public health students, within their first full year of study, are exposed to the fundamental concepts and theories that provide the basis for the body of knowledge in the field of public health. This course will prepare students to work in public health with a sound theoretical, conceptual, and historical basis for their work.
Health Behavior
CPH 501
3
The purpose of this course is to study the theoretical foundations of health behavior. Students will develop an understanding of the determinants of health behavior, the models and theories that provide a framework for predicting health behavior, and the strategies employed to bring about behavioral changes for health and disease prevention in individuals and groups.
Health Services Administration
CPH 502
3
This is a survey course designed to be an introduction to the management of health services organizations and systems in the United States. Specifically, this course will introduce students to the types of health services organizations and health systems in the United States, the context surrounding the administration of these organizations and delivery of health care services, and the skills needed to manage a health services organization within this setting.
Public Health Environment and Society
CPH 503
3
The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to environmental factors, including biological, physical, and chemical factors, which affect the health of a community. The main focus of the course will be the effects of exposures that have been associated with human health and environmental problems in the Midwest, specifically water and air pollutants related to animal feeding operations, arsenic in ground water, pesticides, herbicides, lead, and radiation. The effects of global warming, ergonomic problems in the meat packing industry, and occupational and environmental problems in health care will also be discussed.
Epidemiology in Public Health
CPH 504
3
The objective of the course is to understand the application of survey and research methodology in epidemiology, especially in the community setting. Theoretical aspects will be taught as an integral part of understanding the techniques of study design and community survey. Concepts to be covered include measure of disease occurrence, measures of disease risk, study design, assessment of alternative explanations for data-based findings, and methods of testing or limiting alternatives. Students will be expected to address an epidemiological question of interest to them, first developing the hypothesis and conducting a literature search, then developing a study design and writing, in several stages, a brief proposal for the study.
Applied Research in Public Health
CPH 505
3
This course will assist students to develop the basic skills to conduct applied research to address contemporary problems in public health. The course will emphasize proposal writing, data collection, research design, statistical analysis, computer application, and writing of research reports. Unique problems associated with data collection in public health settings such as public health departments, neighborhood health centers, and community-based organizations will be addressed. Both quantitative and qualitative research designs will be explored. Considerable emphasis is placed on evaluation of public health research published in scholarly publications. A research proposal/capstone service- learning proposal is written as one of the course requirements.
Biostatistics I
CPH 506
3
Prerequisite: Undergraduate or graduate statistics course or permission of instructor.
This course is designed to prepare the graduate student to understand and apply biostatistical methods needed in the design and analysis of biomedical and public health investigations. The major topics to be covered include types of data, descriptive statistics and plots, theoretical distributions, probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, and one-way analysis of variance. A brief introduction to correlation and univariate linear regression will also be given. The course is intended for graduate students and health professionals interested in the design and analysis of biomedical or public health studies.
Health Promotion Program Planning
CPH 536
3
An in-depth application of the health promotion program planning process utilizing a comprehensive model called PRECEDE-PROCEED. Students submit six papers applying each phase of this model: social diagnosis, epidemiological diagnosis, behavioral/ environmental diagnosis, educational/organizational diagnosis, administrative/policy diagnosis, and evaluation at the process, impact and outcome levels.
Prerequisites: None.
Public Health Program Evaluation
CPH 538
3
This course will build skills for selection, development and analysis of various types of instruments and techniques for conducting process, impact, and outcome evaluations in health education and health promotion. Evaluation of health behavior change and its antecedent’s changes in community services/programs, and community health status will be discussed. Students will learn methods for developing/choosing psychometric tools, choosing appropriate evaluation designs, procedures for data collection, and describing evaluation results. Emphasis will be placed on political statistical, and theoretical aspects of instrumentation and evaluation practices.
Prerequisites: waived for MPH students.
Strategic Planning & Management in Public...
CPH 563
3
Strategic Planning & Management in Public Health
This course examines the theory and practice of strategic planning and management in public health, health services, and voluntary health and welfare organizations. Application of specific principles, concepts, and techniques of strategic planning and management for these organizations will be addressed. The roles and responsibilities of public health and health services administrators in developing, implementing, monitoring and revising strategy will also be examined.
Prerequisites: Instructor permission.
Health Care Finance
CPH 565
3
This course is the required health care financial management course for the Health Care concentration in the MPA program and a required course in the MPH curriculum. Students are not expected to have prior coursework in financial management, managerial and financial accounting. The course does, however, assume the students have some experience with spreadsheet models. This course, which focuses on the application of financial management principles and concepts to health care organizations, consists of (1) instructor lectures, (2) case analyses, (3) presentations, and (4) two examinations. Much of the learning in this course will come from your own individual work and from interacting with other students, so the benefits that you receive will be directly related to your individual efforts.
Prerequisites: Research methods, epidemiology, or biostatistics, or instructor permission.