academic catalogue

2023-2024 Catalogue

Public Health (PBH) Course Descriptions

PBH 101 History of Public Health.
Goal: From the first introduction of government-mandated quarantines to the modern movement towards universal health care, the role of public health and governance has fundamentally shaped human societies. In this course, students will learn the role of the state in ensuring favorable public health outcomes. Students will also learn the importance of public health, understand how it is provided, and learn how it is practiced.
Content: This course will provide students with the necessary context to pursue further study in public health. By the end of course, students will be able to: 1. Articulate the importance of the field Public Health and the context in which it is used; 2. Explain how healthcare is provided on a national scale; 3. Understand the origins of science of Epidemiology; 4. Detail the functions of the major international health organizations; 5. Understand the importance of data to the field of Public Health, specifically with regards to its use in informing policy; 6. Articulate the Public Health ramifications of diseases such as Covid-19.
Prerequisite: None.
Credit: 3 hours.
Special Note: PBH 101 is only available online through the RIZE Consortium. Please contact the Registrar's Office for additional details and information on enrolling in the course.

PBH 315 Epidemiology.
Goal: Epidemiology is the branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution, and control of a disease. In this course, students will learn and apply key concepts of epidemiology to multiple domains of public health. Students will learn how to use epidemiology to better understand, characterize, and promote health at a population level.
Content: This course is intended to introduce students to the field of epidemiology and provide them with a firm grounding in its key principles. By the end of this course, students will be able to: 1. Explain how epidemiology informs discussion of health issues; 2. Understand and describe a public health problem in terms of person, place, and time; 3. Articulate and use the key terminology of epidemiology; 4. Identify key sources of data for epidemiological purposes and use that data to draw conclusions; 5. Articulate the basic legal and ethical principles that govern epidemiology; 6. Understand the principles and limitations of public health screening programs; 7. Communicate public-health specific information to lay and professional decision-makers, and disseminate it effectively to a broader population.; 8. Perform effective public health data collection.
Prerequisite: ADA 101.
Credit: 3 hours.
Special Note: PBH 315 is only available online through the RIZE Consortium. Please contact the Registrar's Office for additional details and information on enrolling in the course.

PBH 320: Health Economics.
Goal: Health economics is the application of economic principles and techniques of analysis to health care in support of the public good. By successfully completing this course, students will learn how to analyze the effectiveness of health policy outcomes through an economic lens, and how to use available resources to improve the quality of healthcare.
Content: Topics covered in this course include health care spending, an introduction to health-related econometrics, and economic evaluation. Social determinants such as birthplace, age, work and living conditions vastly affect an individual’s healthcare spending. Students will learn how healthcare spending is affected by socio-economic disparities, both in terms of individual expense and government spending. Mathematical modeling is vital to understanding the economics of healthcare. Students will learn how to implement a regression-based approach to explore health care policy outcomes on different populations. There are a variety of methods of economic evaluation, including cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, budgetary impact analysis and more. Students will learn to use model-based simulations to assess health outcomes in terms of cost-effectiveness. Students will also be introduced to QALYs (Quality-Adjusted Life Years) and DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) as key metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of healthcare.
Prerequisite: ECO 102 Issues in Macroeconomics (preferred) or ECO 104 Issues in Microeconomics.
Credit: 3 hours.
Special Note: PBH 320 is only available online through the RIZE Consortium. Please contact the Registrar's Office for additional details and information on enrolling in the course.
 
PBH 325: Health Services.
Goal: Students will learn about the structure and function of modern-day health care services, both domestically and abroad, and build the skills needed to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of particular systems and policies. Students will also examine their ideal version of a health service as it pertains to current world events.
Content: Health Services - the means by which health care is provided - have a complex history and evolution that has fundamentally shaped their current form. In this course, students will learn the modern history of health care in high, middle, and low income countries and explore the evolution of health care services from the era of the village doctor to the present day.
Prerequisite: None.
Credit: 3 hours.
Special Note: PBH 325 is only available online through the RIZE Consortium. Please contact the Registrar's Office for additional details and information on enrolling in the course.
 

PBH 401 Public Health Studies I.
Goal: This course is intended to provide students with a means of evaluating the health impact of political decisions and a broad knowledge base about the practice of Public Health today. Students will explore a range of current topics in public health - including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, and the obesity epidemic. Students will also look at the impact of US politics on global public health, especially in developing nations. Furthermore, this course will explore key topics such as the WHO's Millennium Development Goals, the disastrous circumstances that can arise when Public Health Policies fail, and the conflict between data and political will that drives so much of Public Health policy decision making.
Content: This course will provide students with fundamental knowledge in a variety of key topics within the field of Public Health. By the end of this course, students will be able to: 1. Articulate the current state and likely futures of various ongoing issues in public health; 2. Plan a comprehensive Health Impact Assessment; 3. Understand the impact that US health policy has on Public Health around the world; 4. Articulate the importance of Sustainable Development Goals; 5. Understand how the conflict between data and political will shapes Public health policy; 6. Describe the successes and failures of the WHO's Millennium Development Goals initiative; 7. Articulate the importance of PREPARED in combating HIV/AIDS; 8. Understand the significance of failures in Public Health measures; 9. Describe the likely consequences of failures in Public Health measures.
Prerequisite: PBH 101.
Credit: 3 hours.
Special Note: PBH 401 is only available online through the RIZE Consortium. Please contact the Registrar's Office for additional details and information on enrolling in the course.

PBH 425 Public Health Studies II.
Goal: his course provides students with a variety of tools for understanding the impact that disease or other Public Health concerns may have on a population. Students will learn how to design effective surveys, analyze geographic data, and use qualitative information with the ultimate goal of gaining a better understanding of how events may affect the health of a particular population. This course will also require students to participate in a mapathon in order to help them build understanding of how geographic data is used in the practice of Public Health.
Content: This course provides students with developed skill in population-based surveys and geospatial mapping, as well as knowledge of demographic methods and other types of public health research. By the end of this course, students will be able to: 1. Articulate the different types of surveys and core principles of survey design; 2. Design effective population-based surveys; 3. Understand the importance of Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Research in the field of public health; 4. Understand how population size and characteristics affect both health and healthcare needs; 5. Demonstrate significant skill in GeoSpatial Mapping with the ArcGIS system.
Prerequisite: PBH 401 and MAT 220.
Credit: 3 hours.
Special Note: PBH 425 is only available online through the RIZE Consortium. Please contact the Registrar's Office for additional details and information on enrolling in the course.

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