Graduate Course Directory and Schedules

The key culminating step for each MPH student is the Integrative Project (IP). Through the IP, a high-quality written product is produced, which we call the “IP paper.” Through the IP paper, students demonstrate their academic learning and public health practice skills through the synthesis of foundational and program competencies and application of those competencies to complex public health issues. The paper will take the form of a substantial written product such as a program evaluation, policy or economic analysis, grant proposal, health promotion or community engagement program plan, publishable manuscript, or other written product that demonstrates integration of three foundational (one must include Foundational Competency #6) and three program competencies. Appropriate types of written products vary by program, type of practice experience (if the two are integrated), and the student’s career goals. We recommend (but do not require) that the IP paper build upon work conducted in the Practice Experience. For example, students may write a high-quality written paper using the findings from a statistical analysis performed in support of a research project that is separate from their Practice Experience.

Learn more about the Integrative Project

As current times repeatedly demonstrate, effective engagement and communication with broad populations is critical during times of public health risk and crisis. Whether events are sudden, probable, imminent, or ongoing; fast moving, or unfolding over the course of months and years, public health’s ability to convey what is known and recommended –often during times of high stress and uncertainty— requires preparation and adherence to core principles. In order to earn and maintain trust, as well as to effectively address misinformation, such preparation also requires understanding of the histories and contexts within which messages will be exchanged, and of the mass-mediated landscapes in which much communication occurs. In this active graduate course, we will evaluate and learn to work from current risk and crisis communication toolboxes, and will assess through case examples what has, and has not, been effective in contemporary situations.

Permission not required.

Provides students with an understanding of the field of public health. It provides knowledge about public health principles, concepts, values, tools, and applications. Key topics in the class include the mission of public health, the politics of public health, determinants of health in the United States, major models and strategies for health promotion, and community perspectives on public health interventions.

Presents the biological, psychological, behavioral, sociocultural, and environmental factors that function in the promotion of health and prevention of disease. Theories developed to explain health and illness behaviors at intrapersonal, interpersonal, and group/community levels are introduced. Ethical issues involved in health-related behavior change are examined. Satisfies the core M.P.H. requirement. Expected preparation: graduate standing.

Slash Listed Courses

Also offered as PHE 612 for doctoral students.

Emphasizes the role of community organizing to engage diverse communities to advance the conditions in which people can be healthy. It further examines the role of health educators, grassroots activists, and others in stimulating social, political, and economic approaches to promote community health. Also addresses the advancement of theoretical knowledge and practical skills of community organizing.

Presents the philosophical and theoretical bases supporting the development of alternate research paradigms in human inquiry. Essential characteristics of three major alternate paradigms (interpretivist, constructivist, and critical theory) are introduced. Validity, reliability, and related concepts are examined from the perspective of each paradigm. Alternate strategies for inquiry are presented and ethical considerations related to qualitative forms of inquiry are addressed. Recommended prerequisite: graduate standing.