Online MPH Master’s in Public Health

This course is a required, foundational course. It acquaints the student with the history of public health, the structure of the public health system, the ten essentials services, and the core knowledge areas in order to gain an understanding of the complex factors impacting health behaviors in the community. This course is designed to introduce the students to the range of public health professions and to motivate their interests in public health courses. The course also will introduce the development of a professional portfolio.

The course introduces students to the basics of research design and methodology in public health. It provides coverage of quantitative and qualitative methods. Topics include: development of a hypothesis, sampling, data collection and structure, survey design and administration, and analytic interpretation. In public health, carefully designed research studies and their results are critical in the development of evidence-based policies, programs, and interventions. Students apply their knowledge acquired in the course by developing a research proposal. Research skills are in high demand by public health employers.

The course provides a foundation in the application of social and behavioral sciences to public health. Social and behavior theories are examined in terms of understanding health-related behavior and applying these theories to health promotion. The course covers existing social inequalities in health status related to race, social class and gender and the critical intersection between social risk factors, behavioral risk factors and the development and implementation of public health interventions.

This course offers students an overview of basic concepts in environmental sciences, an understanding of the health impact of various environmental exposures, and the public health approach to controlling and eliminating environmental health risks. The effects of agents on disease, water quality, air quality, food safety, and land resources are explored.

Students in this course examine the health services system in the U. S., the role of healthcare policy and management, and the health delivery system. The recent healthcare reform legislation and its implications are explored. Topics include: the origins of the US healthcare system, health behaviors and disease, the management of health service personnel and organizations.

This course explores the key approaches used to conduct and evaluate effective public health programs. Topics include: collection of primary data, analysis of data, presentation of findings for the target audience, and information systems and technology in the planning and evaluation processes.

This is the synthesis course of the Master of Science in Public Health program, which allows students the opportunity to apply the theory, principles and science of public health in a capstone project. This culminating experience requires students to synthesize and integrate knowledge and skills acquired throughout coursework in an original comprehensive project, and to assess their level of mastery of the stated outcomes of their degree program in public health. In addition, the students reflect on the experience to their instructor and peers.