School of Public Health Departments/Programs: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health   Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion   General Public Health   International Health   Maternal and Child Health Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology   Biostatistics   Epidemiology (M.P.H.)   Epidemiology (Dr.P.H.) Department of Disability and Human Development Department of Environmental Health Science Department of Health Policy and Management Department of Physical Therapy Department of Speech-Language Pathology

Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health

Frank Baker, Ph.D.
Department Chairmen

Rhea Dornbush, Ph.D., M.P.H.,
Program Director
Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion

• M.P.H Program Curriculum
• Graduate Certificate in Health Promotion
• Program Course Descriptions


The following courses are all 3 credits, unless otherwise noted.

M.P.H. Curriculum - 46 credits

1. Required courses: 22 credits
   
   Health Care in the United States
   Health Economics
   Behavioral and Social Factors in Public Health
   Environmental Influences on Human Health
   Introduction to Biostatistics
   Introduction to Epidemiology
   Thesis
   Practicum (1 credit)
2. Required concentration courses: 12 credits
   
   Principles and Techniques of Behavior Change
   Biopsychosocial Aspects of Health and Illness
   Fundamentals of Research Methodology
   Health Promotion Program Planning and Evaluation
3. For Practicum and elective courses: 12 credits.
   See academic advisor

All students who are pursuing the MPH degree are required to show evidence of computer literacy through the successful completion of the Computer Literacy Competency exam during their first semester. Those who desire formal instruction in computer skills may take our one-credit course, Fundamentals of Computer Usage, or they may choose to take a basic computer course at another institution before taking the Computer Literacy Competency exam.

Graduate Certificate in Health Promotion

This 12-credit certificate for practicing healthcare providers and educators provides knowledge of the role behavior plays in illness and health, a wide range of behavioral strategies for encouraging behavioral change, and techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of specific interventions.

The certificate program affords students a practical, focused learning experience and also serves as an entry to master’s degree studies for those who desire it.

Required core courses: (all courses are 3 credits)

· Principles and Techniques of Behavioral Change
· Behavioral and Social Factors in Public Health
· Biopsychosocial Aspects of Health and Illness, Plus

One of the following:*

· Stress and Health
· Fundamentals of Research Methodology

*Substitutions may be made at the discretion of the advisor.

Health Care in the United States

This course provides a comprehensive overview of healthcare programs and policies in the United States. Lectures enable students to understand the major constituencies involved in healthcare and introduce them to current public health issues, healthcare delivery systems, and factors that determine health policy

Introduction to Biostatistics formerly Health Quantitative Sciences I

This course is an introductory graduate course that presents the fundamental statistical approaches employed in clinical research. Lectures cover basic probability, common distributions, samples and populations, interval estimation, and inferential statistical approaches. By reading medical literature, students learn how statistical techniques are applied to clinical data, and practice summarizing and interpreting analytic results.

Introduction to Epidemiology formerly Health Quantitative Sciences II

This course introduces students to the principles and practices of epidemiology and provides them a population-based perspective on health and disease. Students learn the basic measurements of frequency and association and the methods employed in describing, monitoring, and studying health and disease in populations.

Health Economics

This course explores the concepts of scarcity, social choice, rationing, resource allocation, efficiency, investment, and market forces and their relationship to health services delivery and health policy. A variety of analytical principles and methods are examined and applied to issues including healthcare financing, cost containment, regulation, access, insurance, productivity, and program evaluation.

Behavioral and Social Factors in Public Health

An overview and introduction to the way in which behavioral and social factors contribute to health. The course covers a wide range of topics: theories of behavioral sciences which have been applied to health behaviors; socio-cultural factors in disease etiology and the role of social conditions and social policy in addressing critical public health problems; individual, group, community, and technology-based strategies for health behavior change; and current issues in behavioral sciences for health promotion including its application to achieving the Healthy People 2010 goals.

Environmental Influences on Human Health

This survey of the major environmental determinants of human health covers physical, chemical and biological sources of exposure; routes of exposure in humans; etiology of environmental disease and mortality; and the complexities of environmental public policy. Topics include airborne pollution, contaminated water and food, solid and hazardous waste, and risk assessment as a tool for regulation. Students have the opportunity to tour a local public works facility.

Principles and Techniques of Behavior Change

This course is designed as a practical and theoretical approach to health behavior change. It explores the principles and methods of health behavior change for problems such as obesity, smoking, and alcohol and substance abuse. Strategies for individual behavior change, worksite wellness programs, self-help groups, 12-step programs and public health programs are examined. Techniques such as cognitive behavior therapy, deep muscle relaxation, imagery and self-monitoring are practiced, and students are given experience in the design, development and evaluation of health behavior change.

Behavioral Neuroscience

The relationship between behavior and the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system is addressed. Topics include the biological mechanisms underlying sensory processes, movement, sleep, the regulation of hunger, learning, emotional and behavioral disorders, and the psychophysiological substrates of stress.

Stress and Health

This course covers a cross section of the many exciting recent developments in the area of stress and health. Substantive research in the field is examined, focusing on methodological and measurement issues as well as definitions of stress. Classic research and seminal ideas are discussed including the contributions of Selye, Lazarus and Janis. New research areas including HIV, immigration, concentration camps, disasters, Type A behavior pattern and coronary disease, stress and alcoholism, physical abuse, stress related to gender, and contemporary sex roles are also explored. Research in personality and individual differences, stress and brain chemistry, and the effects of emotion are also examined.

Behavioral Epidemiology

This course examines the literature, explores in-depth and quantifies the determinants of behavior that are risk factors for several chronic and infectious disorders. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, smoking, drinking, obesity, drug abuse and sexual behavior. Appropriate behavioral intervention strategies to eliminate or minimize the impact of disorders are reviewed.

Fundamentals of Research Methodology formerly Outcomes Assessment

The course provides an overview of the principles of research as applied to public health practice. Students will gain experience in designing research studies, and in the analysis, interpretation, and reporting of data.

An overview is provided of the principles of research and evaluation, both process and outcomes, as applied to behavioral and educational interventions and to daily patient care. Students gain experience in the design of outcomes research and in the analysis, interpretation and reporting of outcomes data.

Health Promotion in Clinical Practice

Health providers can implement health promotion programs to change health behavior, improve health status and enhance the value of treatment. This course examines approaches to clinical practice in which the assessment and modification of health behaviors assumes a central role. Topics include the integration of health promotion into clinical practice and managed care programs, and steps in developing meaningful, lasting, behavior change. Resources to support health promotion and behavior change programs as part of the process of delivering care are reviewed.

Communications and Health Behavior: Theory and Practice

Communications can be powerful mechanisms of behavior change; communications can promote or inhibit health behaviors. This course examines the theoretical underpinnings in the field of communications and reviews how communication strategies are used to influence health behavior. The focus is on print and electronic media and touches on individual communication. Topics include: how communication theory informs health behavior change interventions; steps involved in planning communication campaigns about health; and skills useful in the execution of communications, such as, pre-testing, designing health materials and writing press releases.

Biopsychosocial Aspects of Health and Illness

This course is designed to investigate illness using the biopsychosocial model. The fundamental assumption of the biopsychosocial model is that health and illness are consequences of the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. The model is applied to various illnesses, such as cardiovascular disorders, AIDS, cancer, diabetes, inflammation disorders, issues of adolescence, and other target areas of the health promotion field. An understanding of these influences can assist in the development of strategies to facilitate preventative health behaviors in high-risk populations and/or contribute to the modification of maladaptive health behaviors in individuals living with health conditions/diseases.

Dimensions of Cancer: A Biopsychsocial Perspective

Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. This course provides an overview of the cancer experience, including the areas of prevention, treatment and research. Topics include prevalence and incidence rates, risk factors, and current applications of prevention strategies. This course is also designed to examine the behavioral, psychological, social, existential, and physical issues surrounding cancer diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end of life. Current research in this field is addressed with discussions exploring the potential direction of the cancer field.

Health Promotion Program Planning and Evaluation

This course focuses on the assessment of behavioral, social, and epidemiolological factors in the development of health programs. It covers principles of planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion interventions. An emphasis is placed on the link between theories of behavior change and the rationale for intervention planning.

Behavioral and Psychosocial Aspects of Terrorism: A Public Health Perspective

This course is designed to explore the emergence of terrorism as it affects public health in general, and more specifically its behavioral/psychological causes and consequences. The potential for biological, chemical and nuclear agents to be used in a terrorist attach has receive wide publicity. Less prominent has been the role of behavioral science in an attempt to understand and prevent terrorism, as well as concern with the immediate and long term behavioral consequences of terrorists acts. Since one of the major purposes of terrorism is to instill fear in the population and to change the behavior of governments, public health education need to pay attention to the psychological effects on the general public, many of whom would not be directly affected by the specific agent used in the terrorist act. The course surveys the research that has been done, and provides an introduction to the concepts and variables involved in understanding the causes, effects, and especially the challenges for public health organizations, in addressing the unique behavioral and psychosocial health issues associated with terrorism.

Field Experience in Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion

Students engage in the application of theory by working in an approved corporate environment, public health organization or equivalent. Field work is supervised by a faculty member who serves as liaison to the health organization.

Directed Research in Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion

This course provides advanced study and research in an area chosen by the student in consultation with the professor. Opportunities for work on special problems are given.

Seminar in Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion

This course looks at contemporary trends and recent developments in an area of study not examined in other elective courses. Topics may change each term. Consult the professor for subject matter to be covered.

Tutorial in Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion

This is a comprehensive individual study of a specific topic, guided by the professor.

Thesis

It is expected that the thesis will include some independent research and integration of skills acquired by the student through coursework. The thesis includes formulation of research questions, methods to carry out the inquiry and presentation and results of the research. Some theses may require approval of the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to initiation of any thesis work. Students should work through their department chair/program advisor to determine if their thesis will require IRB review. Students must maintain regular contact with their Program and Thesis Advisors during their thesis work.

Practicum

Students must complete a practicum. This is to assure that students have practical experience to support academic skills and information acquired within the broad filed of public health before they enter the world of public health practice. To fulfill this requirement, students will generally register for a one-credit pass/fail course in excess of the 45 credits required for the degree. Students who can demonstrate appropriate practice experience prior to beginning their M.P.H. studies may apply for a waiver..