MPH Curriculum and Course Descriptions

PH 301 - History of Public Health

As we grapple with an ongoing public health crisis, its important to remember that we've been here before. In this class, we explore how the health of populations became a source of public concern. And we ask, when, why, and how did governments accept the provision of health as a legitimate function of the state? How did disease-control efforts of previous eras help shape contemporary responses to the Covid? From the Black Death to the Covid-19 pandemic, this course explores the development of the field of public health and introduces students to the ways this discipline differs from other forms of medicine practice. 4 credits No pre-requisites Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Undergraduate

PH 501 - Experiential Public Health I

This one (1) credit course is the first of a three-course sequence of experiential education that introduces students to socialization in public health practice. Students will have the opportunity to learn about public health practices by participating in experiential education opportunities online, in the classroom, and in the community. Students will learn about professionalism, collaboration, and different approaches to health issues in the field of public health. 1 credit No pre-requisites Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 502 - Experiential Public Health II

"This is an interprofessional course with students in the Masters in Social Work (MSW) program in the College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA,) the PharmD students in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the graduate nursing programs in the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences (DCNHS). The course allows interactions of students in different health related professions on teams. This interactive course helps prepare students to address the health of populations through small group discussion of professional roles on a team, problem-solving activities for the team, principles of patient interviewing on the team, and an examination of the impact of culture and beliefs of the individual patient / population and the team members involved in the provision of services. The students participate in a community-based poverty simulation and prepare reflections based on their experiences. 1 credit Pre-requisite 501 Course is offered in the spring semester" Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 503 - Experiential Public Health III

"This course is the third of a three-course sequence of experiential education that prepares students to be public health professionals. The content focuses on professionalism, leadership, policy, advocacy, and ethics in the context of relevant public health topics. Students will have the opportunity to learn about public health practices by participating in experiential education opportunities online, in the classroom, and in the community. Students will learn about professionalism, collaboration, and different approaches to health issues through community engagement, professional development and Interprofessional Education (IPE). 1 credit Pre-requisite PH 502 Course is offered in the fall semester" Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 510 - Foundations of Public Health

The course introduces students to the historical, philosophical, theoretical, scientific, and ethical foundations of public health. The course broadly covers the core disciplines, functions, and essential services in public health. Students will explore how core principles and practices of public health are applied in the local, state, national, and global context. 2 credits No pre-requisites Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 512 - Soc & Behavioral Sciences PH

This course examines theories, concepts, and models from a range of social and behavioral disciplines that are used in public health research and practice. Students will analyze the strengths and limitations of these frameworks in addressing public health problems. 3 credits No pre-requisite needed Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 515 - Introduction to Biostatistics

This course provides the foundation for statistical reasoning and analytical methods for public health research. The course will cover descriptive and inferential statistics, including parametric and non-parametric methods as well as inferences for independent and paired samples. Emphasis will be placed on developing statistical software skills and effectively communicating results. 3 credit No pre-requisite This course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 517 - Public Health Biology

This foundational course covers the normal physiology of human growth, development, and aging as well as the pathophysiology of disease states with a focus on conditions of public health significance. Students will examine the mechanisms of infectious and chronic diseases as well as the role of genetics, nutrition, and health behaviors in relation to population health. 2 credits No pre-requisite Course is offered in the spring Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 518 - Environmental Health

This course examines the environment and its relationship to human health and disease. This course covers fundamental environmental health principles and concepts including agents, sources, and routes of exposure; health hazard characterization and risk assessment; dose-response relationships and causality. Students will analyze how physical, chemical, biological, and behavioral-social factors in human environments can contribute to development of adverse health conditions. 3 credits No pre-requisites Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 520 - Epidemiology I - Basic Princip

The first of two courses in epidemiology introduces students to basic principles for examining the distribution and determinants of disease in populations. The course will cover basic indicators of health, measures of disease concurrence, measures of risk and association, infectious disease and outbreak investigations, screening and surveillance. 3 credits No pre-requisites Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 522 - Health Policy Finance & Mgmt

This course will address public policy development and analysis, and its impact on public health. The course will explore how legislative/regulatory decisions must balance individual rights and public good and discuss factors that influence public health policymaking including advocacy, social justice, and ethics. This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to collect, analyze, and communicate information with key stakeholders in the policy arena. 3 credit No pre-requisite This course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 524 - Program Planning & Evaluation

The purpose of this to course is to provide students with the requisite knowledge and skills to design, develop, implement, and evaluate strategies to improve individual and community health. This course will cover how to assess need, articulate program theory, assess program processes, measure program outcomes, and analyze program effectiveness and efficiency. 2 credits No pre-requisite required Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 525 - Epidemiology II-App Epidemiolo

"This case-based course will provide opportunities for students to integrate all of the core disciplines as they respond to public health challenges. Students will explore epidemiologic study designs and analyze their strengths and limitations in providing scientific evidence for informing public health practice. Working in teams, students will develop plans for identifying and responding to a public health challenge. 3 credits Pre-requisite PH 512; PH515: PH 518; PH 520; PH 522 The course is offered in the fall semester" Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 530 - Epidemic Disease in GlobalHist

In this course, we study the social, cultural, and political history of epidemic diseases in global history from, roughly, the seventeenth century to the present. Our aims are: to uncover how societies have responded to epidemics over time, how understandings of epidemic disease itself have changed over time, and how the fight against epidemics in the past built the field of global health as it exists today. 3 credits No pre-requisite Course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 535 - Global Health II-Det&Dispariti

The goal of this course is to analyze the elements and functioning of healthcare systems of selected nations in comparison to the American healthcare system. Political, social, cultural and economic factors effecting rural and urban healthcare systems are examined from a global perspective. The strengths and weaknesses of systems are explored in relation to economics and outcomes. Role of public health politics in policy development and implementation in rural and urban areas is analyzed. 3 credit No pre-requisite This course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 538 - Concept&Resrchng Community GH

This course is designed to provide students within the global health sequence with the tools they will need in order to design, revise, conduct, and write up current and future qualitative research projects relating to global health topics. This course is experientially driven, allowing students opportunities to actually "do" research, while providing careful mentoring and engaging in in-depth discussions about ethical and methodological issues associated with qualitative approaches and with working with communities. 3 credit No pre-requisite This course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 540 - Population Health I-Conc&Meas

This course will examine theoretical models of population health as well as the conceptual basis for measuring population health status. Students will examine the methods used to monitor population health and develop the analytic skills necessary to assess, describe, and compare the health of populations. 3 credits No pre-requisite Course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 545 - Population Health II - Det&Dis

This course focuses on the environmental, social, economic, cultural, behavioral, biological, clinical, and regulatory factors that influence health. Students will develop analytic skills for investigating, characterizing, and addressing health disparities within and across populations.Students will be introduced to the concept of health equity and will be provided with a broad overview of health disparities in the United States. 3 credits No pre-requisite This course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 546 - Comm Resp Emerg Health Threats

Web-based course providing the community health nurse with essential knowledge for responding to emerging public-health threats. Emphasis is on emerging biological threats and super bugs. The role of new technologies, specifically the geographic information system (GIS), in the prevention, surveillance and control of emerging public-health threats, is also explored. Students perform a disaster risk assessment within a community and identify areas for public/community health response. Students will come on campus for a tabletop drill; the course syllabus will specify the date & time for the on-campus activity. The date is subject to change for the tabletop drill per the course instructor. All course lectures other than the tabletop activity are administered online. 3 credits No pre-requisite Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 547 - Comm Resp to Disastr Preprdnes

Web-based course that prepares the community health nurse to take a leadership role in community disaster preparedness and disaster management. The nature of disasters, their effect on the health of people and communities, and the implications for public health are appraised in relation to the role that community health nurses have in planning for and responding to natural, man-made and Na-Tech disasters. Particular emphasis is on the identification of vulnerable and at-risk populations, the coordination of resources and agency responses, the management of emergency shelters and community intervention for recovery. Students formulate a community disaster plan in response to a selected natural, man-made or Na-Tech disaster. This course is taught using an Online Hybrid (OH) format; lectures are administered both online and in a physical classroom space on campus. On-campus lecture date is TBA. No pre-requisite Course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 548 - PopHealthIII-PopStr,Pol&Impl

The content for this course takes an ecologic approach to examining the scientific literature regarding population health improvement strategies. Emphasis is placed on critical appraisal and research synthesis with the primary aim of providing the student with essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes for evidence-based practice in population health. 3 credits Pre-requisite PH 545 This course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 549 - Comm Resp Chem/Rad Incidents

This course will focus the community health response to the possible use of chemical and radiological weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Course content will include disaster response to chemical and radiation incidents. Students will learn to assess the appropriate level of response to different types of chemical disasters. Students will identify the different effects of radiation, as well as the treatment required. During the course the students will be required to respond to a simulated Hazmat incident and a simulated chemical spill. This course, along with PH 520, PH 546, and PH 547 lead to a certificate in Community Disaster Preparedness. This course is taught using an Online Hybrid (OH) format; lectures are administered both online and in a physical classroom space on campus. On-campus lecture dates TBA. 3 credits No pre-requisite Course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 550 - Topics in Global Health

PH 552 - Topics in Population Health

PH 581B - Forensic Health Essentials

This course provides an overview of various forensic disciplines, as well as forensic assessment, the collection and preservation of evidence, criminal aspects of forensics, death investigation, terrorism and DMORT, basic civil issues, such as malpractice, child custody, elder law and personal injury, promoting one's practice, and the differences between collaboration and consultation. This course is online asynchronous. 3 credits No-pre-requisites Course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 581E - Med-legal Death Investigation

Courses under this section will be offered based on availability of instructor and request of students. This course provides an overview of forensic and medicolegal issues as they relate to the investigation of an individual's death. Content includes how deaths are investigated in the United States, postmortem changes, common injury patterns and findings, cause and manner of death, special types of death investigations, and working with families. Mr. Lunn is a medical investigator and criminologist in the Denver metro area with extensive experience in the investigation of violent and high profile deaths having been an invited speaker at local, state and national trainings. In service to the profession, Mr. Lunn is a board member for the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, a committee member for the National Association of Medical Examiners, and a committee member for a NIJ scientific working group. 3 credits No pre-requisites Course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 581F - Forensic Health of Offenders

This course provides an overview of forensic health issues as they relate to perpetrators of violent crimes, including intrafamilial violence, sexual violence, stalking, workplace violence, and homicide. Content also includes forensic roles, crime classifications, wrongful convictions, relationship between animal cruelty and human violence, offender needs and rights, juvenile offenders, and correctional health. Students also receive an introduction to criminal profiling. This is an online asynchronous course. This is open to all graduate level students in any discipline. 3 credits No pre-requisites Course is offered in the spring semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 581G - Forensic Health of Victims

This course provides an overview of forensic health issues as they relate to victims of violent crimes, such as intrafamilial violence, sexual violence, stalking, workplace violence, homicide, and other issues. Content includes responding to victim responses to trauma; victim's resources; victimization of children, women, men, elders and persons with disabilities; and expert witness testimony. 3 credits No pre-requisites Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 581J - Forensic Pediatrics

Courses under this section will be offered based on availability of instructor and request of students. This course explores the intricacies of forensic pediatrics where children and adolescents are victims and/or offenders of violence. Topics include: the effects of violence on youth, interviewing and assessing children/adolescents, evidence, expert witness testimony, compassion fatigue & vicarious victimization, children of incarcerated parents, child abuse, shaken baby syndrome, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, sexual assault and exploitation, the juvenile justice system, delinquency, child delinquents, female delinquents, animal cruelty, arson, gangs, bullying, and child death investigation. Graduate students will also choose from Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, School Violence or Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Investigator modules. 3 credits No pre-requisites Course is offered in the fall semester Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 581P - Sexual Offend & Victimization

This course provides a practical examination of sexual offending and victimization. While it is open to all graduate students, it is designed for students who may work with these populations during their careers. Modules are: Underlying Framework; Types of Sexual Assault; Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking; Victim Populations & the effects of Sexual Assault on Victims; Evaluation of Sexual Assault Victims; Interventions for Sexual Assault Victims; Perpetrators of Sexual Violence; Offender Populations; Offender Assessment; Treatment and Supervision of Sex Offenders; and Prevention of Sexual Violence. 3 credits No pre-requisites Course is offered in the summer semester Levels: Graduate

PH 597 - Independent Study

PH 598 - InternPracticum&CapProject

"The Internship Practicum and Capstone Project requirement provides opportunities for applied learning of core conceptual knowledge and development of interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and cross-cutting competencies. This field experience is designed to be responsive to the interests of students, align with faculty strengths, and meet the needs of employers by offering a supervised, rigorous, in-depth, skills-based education in a real-world setting. Credits: Variable 1 - 9 credits Pre-requisite PH 525 (pre or co) This course is offered in the fall & spring semester" Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

PH 700 - Continuous Registration

YEAR 1
Fall semester
PH 501: Experiential Public Health I		1 credit
PH 510: Foundations of Public Health		2 credits
PH 512: Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health		3 credits
PH 518: Environmental Health		3 credits
PH 520: Epidemiology I: Basic Principles and Methods		3 credits
Total credits this semester		12
Spring semester
PH 502: Experiential Public Health II		1 credit
PH 515: Introduction to Biostatistics		3 credits
PH 517: Public Health Biology*		2 credits
PH 522: Health Policy, Finance and Management		3 credits
Elective sequence course I		3 credits
Total credits this semester		12
YEAR 2
Fall semester
PH 503: Experiential Public Health III		1 credit
PH 524: Program Planning and Evaluation		2 credits
PH 525: Epidemiology II: Applied Epidemiology		3 credits
Elective sequence course II		3 credits
Internship Practicum and Capstone Project		3 credits
Total credits this semester		12
Spring semester
PH 552: Topics in Population Health		3 credits
Elective sequence course III		3 credits
Internship Practicum and Capstone Project		6 credits
Total credits this semester		12
* Required foundation course for students without previous coursework in the biological sciences.
TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED FOR DEGREE		48

YEAR 1
Fall semester
PH 501: Experiential Public Health I		1 credit
PH 510: Foundations of Public Health		2 credits
PH 512: Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health		3 credits
PH 518: Environmental Health		3 credits
PH 520: Epidemiology I: Basic Principles and Methods		3 credits
Total credits this semester		12
Spring semester
PH 502: Experiential Public Health II		1 credit
PH 515: Introduction to Biostatistics		3 credits
PH 517: Public Health Biology*		2 credits
PH 522: Health Policy, Finance and Management		3 credits
Elective sequence course I		3 credits
Total credits this semester		12
YEAR 2
Fall semester
PH 503: Experiential Public Health III		1 credit
PH 524: Program Planning and Evaluation		2 credits
PH 525: Epidemiology II: Applied Epidemiology		3 credits
PH 552: Topics in Population Health		3 credits
Elective sequence course II		3 credits
Total credits this semester		12
Spring semester
Elective sequence course III		3 credits
Internship Practicum and Capstone Project		9 credits
Total credits this semester		12
* Required foundation course for students without previous coursework in the biological sciences.
TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED FOR DEGREE		48

YEAR 1
Fall semester
PH 501: Experiential Public Health I		1 credit
PH 510: Foundations of Public Health		2 credits
PH 512: Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health		3 credits
Total credits this semester		6
Spring semester
PH 502: Experiential Public Health II		1 credit
PH 517: Public Health Biology*		2 credits
PH 522: Health Policy, Finance and Management		3 credits
Total credits this semester		6
YEAR 2
Fall semester
PH 518: Environmental Health		3 credits
PH 520: Epidemiology I: Basic Principles and Methods		3 credits
Total credits this semester		6
Spring semester
PH 515: Introduction to Biostatistics		3 credits
Elective sequence course I		3 credits
Total credits this semester		6
YEAR 3
Fall semester
PH 525: Epidemiology II: Case Applications		3 credits
Elective sequence course II		3 credits
Total credits this semester		6
Spring semester
Elective sequence course III		3 credits
Internship Practicum and Capstone Project		3 credits
Total credits this semester		6
YEAR 4
Fall semester
PH 503: Experiential Public Health III		1 credit
PH 524: Program Planning and Evaluation		2 credits
Internship Practicum and Capstone Project		3 credits
Total credits this semester		6
Spring semester
PH 552: Topics in Population Health		3 credits
Internship Practicum and Capstone Project		3 credits
Total credits this semester		6
* Required foundation course for students without previous coursework in the biological sciences.
TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED FOR DEGREE		48

MPH Degree Requirements

Curriculum Plans

Course Descriptions

Elective Course Sequences

Population Health

Global Health

Disaster Management

Forensic Health

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