PH 105. Introduction to Public Health. (3 Credits)

This course is a foundational and broad overview to the study and practice of public health. Students will be introduced to the history, philosophy, core values, key concepts, and functions of public health across the world. After completing this course, students will be able to describe public health activities and how they as individuals might serve their community to promote health and prevent disease in their own life and future career.

PH 205. A Public Health Perspective on Community, Culture, and Advocacy. (3 Credits)

Part of being an effective public health professional is being able to define the community and specific population(s) you are working with and understanding how to best serve and advocate for those individuals. This course will focus on cultural humility, cultural competence, and related concepts (e.g., social and political determinants of health). The goal is to prepare students to be able to work with a wide variety of communities, even if they are not part of that community themselves.

PH 210. Public Health Research, Evaluation and Ethics. (3 Credits)

Public health work involves data and interventions within large populations. To be effective, public health professionals must understand basic concepts surrounding research, evaluation, and ethics related to interventions. In this course, students will learn basic concepts surrounding research methods, statistics, epidemiology, big data, and ethical considerations, especially as they relate to public health.

PH 300. Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System. (3 Credits)

The course will cover the major concepts related to the structure and functioning of the U.S. health care system. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing issues associated with health care, personnel, and the organization of health care and its delivery, how it is financed and regulated. In addition, students will be introduced to other issues related to the current US health care system including health disparities, vulnerable populations, and health care safety net. This course will also discuss how the Health Reform Act of 2010 (ACA or PPACA) and ongoing efforts to improve (including repeal and replace) may shape the future of US healthcare.

PH 305. Public Health Communication. (3 Credits)

Public health professionals must be able to effectively communicate with a wide array of stakeholders, from low health literate individuals in their community, to the general public, to health care workers, to top administrators and policy makers of their state or country. This course will focus on public health-specific communication considerations related to health literacy, advocacy, messaging, and more.
Prerequisite: PH 205.

PH 310. Public Health Interventions and Program Planning. (3 Credits)

Much of public health action is through targeted, data-driven, evidence-based interventions and programs. In this course, students will learn about examples of and how to carry out such interventions, as well as learn the fundamentals of program planning. The course will cover foundational concepts around project implementation, such as the planning process, assessment, and evaluation.
Prerequisite: PH 210.

PH 320. Navigating Public Health Careers. (3 Credits)

Many people want to know, “what can you do with a degree in public health”? While not always so easy to explain succinctly with such a broad field of study, this course will help students explore just that. There are many career paths within the world of public health to discover. This course will help to break down public health-specific considerations related to organizational dynamics, systems, networking, professionalism, and more. After completing this course, individual students will have some concrete next steps to take in the direction that interests them.

PH 330. Special Topics Public Health. (1-3 Credits)

This course provides a discussion, lecture, and/or research forum (including individual research) for special or current areas of interest in public health subjects not addressed by the regular curriculum.

PH 350. Baccalaureate Project in Public Health. (3 Credits)

Students will complete a cumulative, integrative, experiential or scholarly project designed to demonstrate students’ mastery of the overarching curriculum goals for the undergraduate major in public health; demonstration of critical thinking and analytic skills. Course Information: Pass/Fail grading only. These experiences may include, but are not limited to, internships, service‐learning projects, portfolio projects, and research papers or honors theses. Programs encourage exposure to local‐level public health professionals and/or agencies that engage in public health practice.

PH 3150. Introduction to Global Health. (3 Credits)

This course provides an introduction to key principles and topics in global health including measures of global burden of disease, identification of key health problems around the world and the main determinants, health systems and international public health organizations. In addition, we will discuss cross-cutting and timely issues in health promotion, disease control programs, and operational research in international settings. Through this course you will also travel abroad to learn about another country and culture while also enriching your educational experience.