Public Health (PHTH)

PHTH 1260. The American Healthcare System. (4 Hours)

Introduces the organization and dynamics of the healthcare system and the role of consumers. Explores basic elements of healthcare including financing, personal insurance, high-risk status, and patient rights within the context of the U.S. system. Central to this exploration is an analysis of healthcare issues requiring informed consent from patients: patient bill of rights, healthcare directives, and the use of a proxy for decision making. Introduces the roles and responsibilities of various healthcare workers within the framework of an interdisciplinary model of healthcare.

Attribute(s): NUpath Societies/Institutions

PHTH 1261. Comparative Healthcare Systems. (4 Hours)

Designed to enable health profession students to develop a basic understanding of health-delivery systems and key issues confronting healthcare in the United States and in the study country in this study-abroad course. Explores issues such as the affordability of medical care, patient rights, health risks and behaviors, disease prevention, quality and access to care, the growth of managed care and corporate influence on healthcare, new medical technologies, the aging population, the impact of biotechnology, and trends in employment of health professionals. Incorporates self- and group-reflection exercises, Internet and contemporary media exploration, and in-class discussions. Compares and contrasts key healthcare issues in the study country with those in the United States using literature, Internet and contemporary media, observations in the study country, and discussions with guest speakers.

Attribute(s): NUpath Societies/Institutions

PHTH 1270. Introduction to Global Health. (4 Hours)

Introduces global health in the context of an interdependent and globalized world focusing on four main areas of analysis: infrastructure of global health; diseases; populations; and terms, concepts, and theories. While the focus is on lower-income countries, the course examines issues in a broader global context, underscoring the interconnections between global health disparities and global health policy response. Applies case studies describing interventions to improve healthcare in resource-poor settings in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere to help illuminate the actors, diseases, populations, and principles and frameworks for the design of effective global health interventions. AFRS 1270 and PHTH 1270 are cross-listed.

Attribute(s): NUpath Societies/Institutions

PHTH 2210. Foundations of Biostatistics. (4 Hours)

Introduces the fundamental concepts of biostatistics. Offers students an opportunity to learn to apply statistical thinking to practical problems across several health disciplines. Draws examples and readings from clinical and public health literature. Introduces the Stata statistical software package.

Corequisite(s): PHTH 2211

Attribute(s): NUpath Analyzing/Using Data, NUpath Formal/Quant Reasoning

PHTH 2211. Recitation for PHTH 2210. (0 Hours)

Offers small group discussion format to cover material in PHTH 2210.

Corequisite(s): PHTH 2210

PHTH 2300. Communication Skills for the Health Professions. (4 Hours)

Offers students in the health professions an opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively with patients, colleagues, and other professionals. Covers interpersonal communication with patients and families from culturally diverse backgrounds, public speaking and presentations, and communicating as a leader. Requires students to create/prepare and deliver several presentations throughout the semester.

Attribute(s): NUpath Difference/Diversity, NUpath Creative Express/Innov

PHTH 2301. Communication Skills for the Health Professions—Global. (4 Hours)

Studies how to communicate effectively with patients, colleagues, and other professionals—regardless of race, culture, or ethnicity—on interpersonal, organizational, and global levels. Introduces traditional and new media health communication strategies, public speaking/presentation techniques, and communication as leaders in a global environment. Compares cultures and healthcare systems in the country of study with the American system by engaging with health professionals, patients, caregivers, and communications and other specialists. Introduces students to art and techniques of health communication for informing and influencing patients, caregivers, and the community-at-large. Offers students in the health professions an opportunity to learn interpersonal, organizational, mass media, and global communication skills to empower individuals to become health literate and participate in their own healthcare. May be repeated without limit.

Attribute(s): NUpath Difference/Diversity, NUpath Creative Express/Innov

PHTH 2350. Community and Public Health. (4 Hours)

Provides students with a basic familiarity with and appreciation of public health and community-based methods for improving the health of populations. Explores the purpose and structure of the U.S. public health system, contemporary public health issues such as prevention of communicable diseases, health education, social inequalities in health and healthcare, public health responses to terrorism, and control of unhealthy behaviors like smoking, drinking, drug abuse, and violence. Prior completion of PHTH 1260 is recommended but not required.

Attribute(s): NUpath Societies/Institutions

PHTH 2351. Community and Public Health - Global. (4 Hours)

Offers a basic familiarity with (and appreciation of) public health and community-based methods for improving the health of populations in a global context. Discusses the purposes and structures of the public health systems of the United States and the host country. Explores contemporary public health issues, including the global burden of disease; social determinants of inequalities in health and healthcare; communicable disease detection and management; environmental health risks; nutrition and physical activity; and unhealthy behaviors, such as substance use and violence. Analyzes the application of public health practices and principles to urban health concerns through the use of comparative case studies.

Attribute(s): NUpath Societies/Institutions

PHTH 2414. Environmental Health. (4 Hours)

Offers an overview of the field of environmental health, with focus on what the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences terms “environmental public health.” This broad field increasingly involves transdisciplinary approaches that use social science/environmental health collaborations, and it includes the physical, built, and social environments. Asks students to think critically about the economic, scientific, social, and political factors that shape environmental health and to consider how the field is relevant to other public health issues.

PHTH 2515. Healthcare Policy and Administration. (4 Hours)

Focuses on management and policy issues in healthcare. Discusses management and administrative structures in hospitals and other healthcare organizations, including community clinics and health organizations, both private and public. Introduces the financial systems, economic information, and payment mechanisms necessary to understand healthcare financing. Also explores the variety of factors that influence population health from a healthcare policy perspective. Offers students an opportunity to learn how to analyze, prepare, and write policy briefs based on understanding the various economic, legal, and political forces shaping healthcare in the United States.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 1260 with a minimum grade of C or PHTH 1261 with a minimum grade of C

PHTH 2616. Rural Health: An Interdisciplinary Seminar. (4 Hours)

Addresses current issues in rural health. Maine, one of the nation’s most rural states, is the primary case example. Highlights interdisciplinary approaches to identifying priority health concerns, addressing root causes of diseases and poor health and developing sustainable policy and programmatic interventions for improving health outcomes of individuals, families, and communities in rural areas. Reviews models of rural healthcare delivery, rural public health systems and practices, rural public policy and health reform, the role of health technologies in rural practice, and health disparities among vulnerable rural populations (including but not limited to immigrants, migrant workers, older people, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ persons, and indigenous/first peoples). Critically analyzes the complex contextual factors that must be addressed to sustainably improve health outcomes in rural settings.

Attribute(s): NUpath Societies/Institutions

PHTH 2991. Research in Public Health. (1-4 Hours)

Offers an opportunity to conduct introductory-level research or creative endeavors under faculty supervision.

PHTH 3250. Fundamentals of Qualitative Research. (4 Hours)

Discusses the role of qualitative research in topics related to healthcare delivery and public health practice. Qualitative research aims to achieve in-depth and contextualized understanding of people, cultures, and societies and usually employs texts, interviews, archival materials, and focus group discussions as sources of data. Describes all stages of a research project, from the initial selection of a topic, through data collection, data analysis, and presentation of results. Surveys the research design approaches most commonly used in healthcare settings, public health agencies, and human service organizations. Students formulate a research question, develop an appropriate research plan, and describe how best to collect or access relevant data. Offers students an opportunity to learn how to assess the rigor and generalizability of qualitative research.

PHTH 4120. Global Perspectives on Discrimination and Health. (4 Hours)

Explores how discrimination can lead to population-level health disparities among marginalized groups globally. Topics include constructions of social categories, such as race and gender; differences in patterns of disease across populations, both intra- and internationally; how work from various disciplines, such as anthropology, medicine, and public health, inform understanding about how discrimination relates to health; and theoretical models from different disciplines that explain public health disparities.

Prerequisite(s): (PHTH 2350 with a minimum grade of C or PHTH 2351 with a minimum grade of C ); (ENGW 3302 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3304 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3306 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3307 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3308 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3314 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3315 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C )

Attribute(s): NUpath Difference/Diversity, NUpath Interpreting Culture

PHTH 4202. Principles of Epidemiology in Medicine and Public Health. (4 Hours)

Introduces the principles of epidemiology necessary to critically evaluate the published research in medicine, public health, and related fields. Through careful reading of literature, class discussion, and lectures, familiarizes students with the study of design-related considerations that are an indispensable part of interpreting scientific literature. Offers students an opportunity to learn how to recognize critical elements of research design and execution (e.g., loss to follow-up in randomized clinical trials and other cohort designs, selection bias in case control studies, etc.); identify the strengths and limitations of different approaches to research questions; deepen their understanding of causal inference; and recognize the provisional nature of scientific knowledge. Covers issues of statistical methods and data analysis; however, there are no computational requirements.

Prerequisite(s): (ENGW 3302 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3304 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3306 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3307 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3308 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3314 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3315 with a minimum grade of C ); (ECON 2350 with a minimum grade of C or ENVR 2500 with a minimum grade of C or MATH 2280 with a minimum grade of C or MATH 3081 with a minimum grade of C or MGSC 2301 with a minimum grade of C or NRSG 5120 with a minimum grade of C or PHTH 2210 with a minimum grade of C or POLS 2400 with a minimum grade of C or PSYC 2320 with a minimum grade of C )

Attribute(s): NUpath Natural/Designed World, NUpath Writing Intensive

PHTH 4511. Healthcare Management. (4 Hours)

Provides an opportunity to develop skills and abilities related to management within the context of interdisciplinary study. Students explore issues in healthcare management in small-group, case-based educational experiences or problem-solving approaches. Within the context of small groups, students explore complex problems frequently encountered in clinical practice. Group projects related to leadership, management, or administrative issues are pursued and developed as classroom or poster presentations.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 1260 with a minimum grade of C or PHTH 1261 with a minimum grade of C

PHTH 4515. Critical Issues in Health and Public-Health Policy. (4 Hours)

Explores public policy issues and their relation to U.S. healthcare reform. Emphasizes passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ongoing challenges in the public health arena. Uses historical, political, ethical, and other critical lenses to analyze a century of evolving U.S. healthcare reform efforts and the status of ACA implementation and to assess tensions between scientific, government, and broader public perspectives about current public health policy concerns. Explores the role of harm-reduction strategies, the impact of bioterror and emergency preparedness, privacy and other challenges of disease surveillance and population health-data collection, conflict regarding alternative strategies for infectious and chronic disease management, and the implications of the ACA for the future of public health.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 2515 with a minimum grade of C ; (ENGW 3302 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3304 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3306 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3307 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3308 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3314 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3315 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C )

Attribute(s): NUpath Societies/Institutions

PHTH 4540. Health Education and Program Planning. (4 Hours)

Offers a writing-intensive course that introduces concepts central to health education and the program-planning process. Examines current public health issues that require intervention through health education or other types of prevention programs. Studies and applies models and theories used in health education and program planning. Offers students an opportunity to conduct a needs assessment; design and plan a program for a public health issue; create a mission statement for the program as well as goals, objectives, and strategies; and design the intervention, develop an evaluation plan, and create a budget and marketing plan. Prior completion of PHTH 2300 and PHTH 2350 is recommended but not required.

Prerequisite(s): ENGW 3306 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3302 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3304 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3307 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3308 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3314 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 3315 with a minimum grade of C

Attribute(s): NUpath Writing Intensive

PHTH 5120. Race, Ethnicity, and Health in the United States. (3 Hours)

Explores the role of economic, social, and individual factors in explaining racial and ethnic health disparities and examines intervention approaches to eliminate them. Topics include genetic and social constructions of race and ethnicity, measuring race and ethnicity, and the differences in prevalence and patterns of disease across groups; cultural and structural factors that affect healthcare delivery, such as discrimination, racism, and health status; and public health approaches to prevention and improving healthcare delivery.

Attribute(s): NUpath Difference/Diversity, NUpath Interpreting Culture

PHTH 5202. Introduction to Epidemiology. (3 Hours)

Introduces the principles, concepts, and methods of population-based epidemiologic research. Offers students an opportunity to understand and critically review epidemiologic studies. Lectures and discussions aim to serve as a foundation for training in epidemiology, quantitative methods, and population-based health research. The course is a required introductory course for students in the Master of Public Health program and is appropriate for students who are interested in epidemiologic research. Students not meeting course restrictions may seek permission of instructor.

PHTH 5210. Biostatistics in Public Health. (3 Hours)

Offers public health students an opportunity to obtain the fundamental concepts and methods of biostatistics as applied predominantly to public health problems and the skills to perform basic statistical calculations Emphasizes interpretation and comprehension of concepts. Topics include descriptive statistics, vital statistics, sampling, estimation and significance testing, sample size and power, correlation and regression, spatial and temporal trends, small area analysis, and statistical issues in policy development. Draws examples of statistical methods from the public health practice. Introduces use of computer statistical packages. Requires permission of instructor for students outside designated programs.

PHTH 5212. Public Health Administration and Policy. (3 Hours)

Offers students an opportunity to obtain practical knowledge concerning the planning, organization, administration, management, evaluation, and policy analysis of health programs. Surveys what we know and think about public health administration and policy and what we do in practice. Introduces the main components of public health policy and administration using notable conceptual frameworks and case studies. Requires permission of instructor for students outside designated programs.

PHTH 5214. Environmental Health. (3 Hours)

Introduces the field of environmental health, which encompasses concerns related to physical, built, and social environments. Discusses the tools used to study environmental exposures and diseases. Examines environmental health hazards, the routes by which humans are exposed to hazards, various media in which they are found, and disease outcomes associated with exposures. Offers students an opportunity to become familiar with methods used to conduct environmental health research and with the federal and state agencies responsible for protecting environmental health.

PHTH 5222. Health Advocacy. (3 Hours)

Seeks to educate students about the role of advocacy in public health while providing tools and support to address current healthcare issues. Provides information and theory about advocacy, education, and community organizing in public health practice and skills geared toward direct application. Covers various techniques related to developing and conducting an advocacy project within a community setting. Offers students an opportunity to develop, communicate, and refine a community-based advocacy program. Requires permission of instructor for students outside designated programs.

PHTH 5226. Strategic Management and Leadership in Healthcare. (3 Hours)

Focuses on management challenges facing healthcare organizations, particularly community-based agencies and their role in the public healthcare delivery system. Introduces strategic thinking and leadership approaches that must be considered for managing a successful healthcare organization. Selected topics include strategic planning; organizational development and the barriers to organizational change; relationship management with key internal and external constituencies; marketing, financial management, and contract negotiation; evolving principles of health insurance and the changing role of the consumer; and the key elements for effective organizational leadership in today’s evolving healthcare marketplace. When appropriate, outside experts are used to supplement readings, case studies, and lecture and discuss practical real-world challenges in leading various healthcare initiatives. Requires permission of instructor for students outside designated programs.

PHTH 5230. Global Health. (3 Hours)

Presents an overview of global health issues and focuses on less economically developed countries. Covers measures of disease burden; demography of disease and mortality; Millennium Development Goals (under the auspices of the United Nations); infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria and their prevention; vaccine utilization and potential implications; chronic diseases; tobacco-associated disease; nutritional challenges; behavioral modification; mother and child health; health human resources; and ethical issues in global health. LAW 7630 and PHTH 5230 are cross-listed.

PHTH 5232. Evaluating Healthcare Quality. (3 Hours)

Focuses on the conceptual and methodological foundations for evaluating the quality of care of healthcare providers—both individual providers and healthcare organizations. Aimed at students pursuing careers in public health, public policy, healthcare management, and the various health professions in the growing field of quality evaluation and improvement. Also designed to give healthcare providers an appreciation for how they may be evaluated. Examines scientific issues in the measurement of quality of care as well as key quality evaluation methods. Also covers the use of risk adjustment and other methodologies for comparing the quality of healthcare providers. Focuses on mechanisms that assess quality, including licensure, accreditation, and board certification.

PHTH 5234. Economic Perspectives on Health Policy. (3 Hours)

Uses basic economic concepts to illuminate the many factors that shape health, healthcare, and the healthcare system in the United States. Examines the role of these concepts in explaining the challenges faced in achieving three core goals of the healthcare system: increasing access, limiting cost, and improving quality. Explores how policy makers, market participants, and others can remedy access, cost, and quality deficiencies. Illustrates how economic concepts can be applied to the study of health and health behaviors.

PHTH 5300. Project Management in Public Health. (1 Hour)

Presents principles of project management as applied to public health organizations and their programs. Offers students an opportunity to learn the components of the project management life cycle, including human resource components, material resources, and related components.

PHTH 5310. Budget Principles in Public Health. (1 Hour)

Details the public health revenue and funding environment, identifies key budget development functions, and describes the importance of utilizing the budget process for sound management of the programs. Public health programs in public agencies and nonprofit organizations require managerial skills to assure that programs are implemented efficiently and effectively. Funding for public health frequently comes from governmental revenue sources—federal and state budgets or grants from government or foundations. It is critical that the funds are utilized well and appropriate to the objectives of the agency and program. Advancing the environment for public health through effective budgeting and promotion of program impact is important to support the continued funding for public health. The course takes students through these topics and offers them the opportunity to gain the practical experience of developing a budget for a public health program as the central activity.

PHTH 5320. Grant Writing in Public Health. (1 Hour)

Explores the grant funding landscape, identifies different types of funders and grants,and identifies potential funders. Offers participants an opportunity to develop their skills in grant writing and in reviewing grants, to develop a grant proposal, and to understand the submission and peer review process.

PHTH 5330. Using Publicly Available Data in Public Health. (1 Hour)

Explores the sources of publicly available public health data and how best to utilize and communicate the data for public health programming. Good data provides the foundation for public health planning and evaluation. Finding data relevant to program planning, community assessment, and evaluation is made easier through use of the many public sources of data available. Offers students an opportunity to learn about the range of public data sources and apply the learnings to a public health topic.

PHTH 5340. Writing for Peer-Reviewed Journals in Public Health. (1 Hour)

Seeks to prepare public health students to develop and improve skills in scholarly writing and submitting manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals and to demystify the process of writing for publication. It is critical that program and policy interventions be reported for replication and contribution to the evidence base. Examines the process for preparing manuscripts for publication, types of publications, how to identify the appropriate journal, and navigating editorial decision and revision processes, including rules of the publishing process. Emphasizes journals focusing on public health practice and covers technical writing for other professional interests. Offers students an opportunity to bring ideas of programs and policy interventions or areas of timely professional interest for which they may be interested in developing a publication.

PHTH 5350. Using SAS in Public Health Research. (1 Hour)

Introduces students to the SAS statistical software system to manage, report, summarize, and analyze public health data. The SAS suite can be used to provide a broad analysis of different types of data. Public health research often requires one to access, manipulate, and analyze data sets relating to individuals, groups, or healthcare systems. Explores approaches in SAS to accessing data sets, data manipulation, working with multiple data sets, summarizing and reporting data, and analytic results. Includes various statistical methods and testing procedures, such as t-tests, chi-square tests, and linear regression, to illustrate applications of SAS. The second part of the course explores more advanced programming methods including SAS macros, using the Output Delivery System (ODS), and data arrays.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 5210 with a minimum grade of B- or PHTH 5210 with a minimum grade of B-

PHTH 5540. Health Education and Program Planning. (3 Hours)

Focuses on underlying concepts of health education and explores current health education issues that require intervention. Covers program planning models and theories used in health education. Offers students an opportunity to develop a working knowledge of the planning process for health education through the analysis of case studies and by creating a program plan to address a health issue of their choice.

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1111 with a minimum grade of C or ENGL 1102 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 1111 with a minimum grade of C or ENGW 1102 with a minimum grade of C or graduate program admission

Attribute(s): NUpath Writing Intensive

PHTH 6130. Public Health Technologies: Ethics and Equity. (3 Hours)

Offers students an opportunity to develop an understanding of the multiple forms of technology that are deployed to advance both healthcare and public health and the broad range of ethical challenges and individual and community-level disparities associated with these technologies. Examines theoretical and conceptual frameworks to address disparities associated with public health technologies. Explores case studies to understand how a social justice framework can be applied to the development, implementation, and evaluation of public health technologies.

PHTH 6200. Principles and History of Urban Health. (3 Hours)

Focuses on the aspects of urban development and life that impact the health and well-being of city residents. Offers students an opportunity to learn about the impact of migration patterns, built environments, occupational stratification, and other cultural and community contextual factors that impact health status and healthcare access. Examines the level of overall health and healthcare found in urban populations, particularly the urban poor, and the disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minorities in the United States and elsewhere. Considers public policy approaches for addressing the unique health issues of urban areas. Examines urban health issues both from a national and international perspective. Requires permission of instructor for students outside designated programs.

Attribute(s): NUpath Capstone Experience

PHTH 6202. Intermediate Epidemiology. (3 Hours)

Offers an intermediate-level course covering key principles, concepts, and methods of population-based epidemiologic research. Topics include observational study designs, measures of disease occurrence and association, validity and bias, confounding, effect modification, multivariate analysis for stratification and adjustment, critical appraisal and meta-analysis, mediation analysis, missing data analysis, and concepts and methods for strengthening causal inference. Offers graduate students unique opportunities to engage in practical applications, including critical reviews of published epidemiologic journal articles, and to conduct hands-on analyses of empirical datasets using SAS statistical software. Designed to serve as a foundation for further advanced training in specialized branches of epidemiology, quantitative methods, and epidemiologic research.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 5202 with a minimum grade of B-

PHTH 6204. Society, Behavior, and Health. (3 Hours)

Explores individual, interpersonal, and social influences on health. Offers students in public health an opportunity to learn the application of the social and behavioral sciences. Examines foundations of public health, including prevention and the prevention paradox, theories of disease causation, and public health ethics. In addition, multilevel influences on health are examined, including behavioral theories and social determinants of health. Throughout the semester, attention is paid to disparities in health. Finally, we examine strategies to reduce health disparities, such as education, interventions, and policy-level changes, and discuss their relative effectiveness. Requires permission of instructor for students outside designated programs.

PHTH 6208. Urban Community Health Assessment. (3 Hours)

Offers students an opportunity to develop a basic understanding of the complex public health issues confronting urban communities across the nation. Uses a community organization and development framework for public health practice. Seeks to provide skills, tools, and experiential learning opportunities that result in community assessments that may be used in public health planning, programming, and policy. Covers key principles and methods for conducting community health assessments utilizing a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, including community epidemiology, major data sets, surveillance data, behavioral risk and other population-based surveys, as well as other primary and secondary data sources. Includes collaborative and interactive exercises, including self- and group reflection, Internet and contemporary media exploration, and in-class discussions. Requires permission of instructor for students outside designated programs.

PHTH 6210. Applied Regression Analysis. (3 Hours)

Builds upon the fundamental concepts and methods of biostatistics with applications to health disciplines. Topics include hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, linear regression, multiple regression, and logistic regression. Examples and readings are drawn from the public health literature. The SAS statistical software package is introduced and used throughout the course.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 5210 with a minimum grade of B-

PHTH 6224. Social Epidemiology. (3 Hours)

Focuses on social epidemiology, which is defined as the study of the distribution and determinants of health in populations as related to the social and economic determinants of health. Includes theories, patterns, and controversies, as well as programs and policies that can be applied to address health inequalities. Readings include articles that situate one dimension of social epidemiology with articles addressing the empirical patterns, address prevailing theories and controversies regarding the causes of the inequalities, as well as address interventions or policies that may be applied to address the inequalities.

Prerequisite(s): (PHTH 5202 with a minimum grade of B- or PHTH 5202 with a minimum grade of B- ); (PHTH 5210 with a minimum grade of B- or PHTH 5210 with a minimum grade of B- )

PHTH 6320. Qualitative Methods in Health and Illness. (3 Hours)

Discusses qualitative inquiry in general and specifically in topics related to public health and experiences of self, health, illness, and the body. Qualitative research aims to achieve in-depth and contextual understanding of people, culture, and societies and usually employs texts, interviews, published materials, images, and focus group discussions as sources of data. The course integrates theoretical and methodological readings and discussions with designing and conducting a qualitative project. Offers students an opportunity to understand meanings of health, illness, and the body in a variety of “local worlds” and reflect on their importance for informing policy, public health, research, and practice. Requires prior completion of one undergraduate- or graduate-level course in research methods.

PHTH 6400. Principles of Population Health 1. (3 Hours)

Seeks to provide students with historical background and methodological and critical-thinking tools needed to perform high-quality, interdisciplinary research in population health. Using a problem-solving and interdisciplinary framework, offers students an opportunity to gain the skills to develop research hypotheses, design research strategies, analyze data to test study hypotheses, and communicate their findings both orally and in writing. Also offers students an opportunity to gain experience in research methodology and application of basic methods for population health research, including epidemiological and biostatistical concepts. Finally, students demonstrate their mastery of these skills through problem sets and through written proposals that include communication of preliminary data.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 5210 with a minimum grade of C- or PHTH 5210 with a minimum grade of D-

PHTH 6410. Principles of Population Health 2. (3 Hours)

Continues PHTH 6400, exploring additional population health research topics and methods and applying more advanced biostatistical and epidemiological analysis methods.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 6400 with a minimum grade of C-

PHTH 6440. Advanced Methods in Biostatistics. (3 Hours)

Explores in detail the analysis of complex survey design, including adjustments for cluster sampling, weighting, and stratification. Designs that incorporate clustering of data are common in health science research. These designs are characterized by data that capture nonindependent repeated measurements on primary sampling units or that collect data with schemes more complex than simple random sampling. The statistical analyses of these types of data need to include appropriate adjustments to provide proper estimates and accurate testing. The second part of the course investigates the use of mixed regression models to analyze repeated measurements on individuals, multilevel data, and growth models.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 6210 with a minimum grade of C-

PHTH 6800. Causal Inference in Public Health Research. (3 Hours)

Exposes students to causal inference approaches, including causal diagrams and counterfactual theory. Students are also asked to draw upon their own research experiences and prior epidemiology training to evaluate public health studies. Covers how to apply the fundamental concepts of counterfactuals and causal diagrams; assess threats to validity in study designs and analysis, including confounding, selection bias, and measurement error/misclassification; evaluate the validity of a public health research study’s design and analysis with respect to addressing causal questions; and critically analyze scientific literature and apply findings to clinical or policy decisions. Offers students an opportunity to think critically and rigorously about the implications of study design and analysis toward addressing public health questions.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 6202 with a minimum grade of C-

PHTH 6910. Public Health Capstone. (3 Hours)

Offers students an opportunity for scholarly work on-site in a range of diverse public health settings reflective of their particular urban health focus. Students have an opportunity to integrate their theory and practice experiences in a major research, program planning, program implementation, policy development, management, service delivery, or evaluation project. Student-led and designed in consultation with community partners and faculty advisors, seeks to support students in the implementation and completion of their projects.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 6966 with a minimum grade of B-

PHTH 6962. Elective. (1-4 Hours)

Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.

PHTH 6966. Practicum. (3 Hours)

Provides eligible students with an opportunity for practical experience.

PHTH 7976. Directed Study. (1-3 Hours)

Offers the student the opportunity to bring individual, concentrated attention to a particular public health topic or competency area as arranged and agreed upon in advance by a faculty member and the student. This option is generally recommended when the student desires a more intensive analysis of a particular subject. May be repeated without limit.

PHTH 8960. Exam Preparation—Doctoral. (0 Hours)

Offers students an opportunity to prepare for the PhD qualifying exam under faculty supervision.

PHTH 8984. Research. (1-4 Hours)

Offers an opportunity to conduct research under faculty supervision. May be repeated without limit.

PHTH 8986. Research. (0 Hours)

Offers an opportunity to conduct research under faculty supervision. May be repeated without limit.

PHTH 9000. PhD Candidacy Achieved. (0 Hours)

Indicates successful completion of program requirements for PhD candidacy.

PHTH 9990. Dissertation Term 1. (0 Hours)

Offers doctoral students an opportunity to work with their advisors and doctoral research committees to perform their doctoral research and to write their dissertation.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 9000 with a minimum grade of S

PHTH 9991. Dissertation Term 2. (0 Hours)

Offers dissertation supervision by members of the department.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 9990 with a minimum grade of S

PHTH 9996. Dissertation Continuation. (0 Hours)

Offers continuation of dissertation research to doctoral students.

Prerequisite(s): PHTH 9991 with a minimum grade of S or Dissertation Check with a score of REQ