PUBH.5010 Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health (3cr)
This course introduces core concepts of social and behavioral determinants of health and provides a foundation for the analysis of social, political and economic influences on health and their role in contributing to health inequities. The core functions of public health and essential services are discussed as well as the history of public health, its philosophy and values. Upstream and downstream reforms to addressing fundamental determinants are evaluated. The influence of behavioral and psychological factors on health and disease are analyzed.
PUBH.5020 Organizational Behavior in Health Care (3cr)
This course reviews the organizational structure of healthcare facilities and the behavior of individuals within them. Students analyze the role of administration, human resources, providers and other support staff and apply organizational, behavioral, and social science practice and theory, to the operations of the healthcare organization. Comparison is made between healthcare and non-health care types of industry to highlight the unique characteristics of healthcare workers. An emphasis is also made on leadership styles, organizational culture, and change management within the healthcare organization.
PUBH.5021 Public Health Policy (3cr)
The course focuses on expanding students' knowledge and skills for developing and evaluating contemporary public health policy in the United States and international settings. Students will gain information about the current US national health care system as it relates to emergent public health topics and priorities in the US and globally. This course will focus on competencies for designing, implementing, evaluating and advocating for evidence-based policy, program and practices.
PUBH.5060 Quantitative Methods in Health Management (3cr)
This course explores analytic methods that can be used to improve the decision making of management, clinicians and others within the healthcare industry. Students learn the conceptual foundations of quantitative analysis and common methods used in supporting decision-making; developing evidence-based practices; analyzing data and testing hypotheses. Students also learn how to use industry-standard data analysis software applications, statistical packages and common applications for the development and reporting of analytic findings.
Requirements:
CSCE Graduate Restrictions
PUBH.5061 Environmental Health (3cr)
This environmental health course explores the links between human activities and environmental systems and examines how these interactions can impact human health. The course is designed to provide knowledge and skills necessary to understand how human and industrial activities such as population growth, methods of food production, pollution of the air and water, waste, the built environment, toxic substances, pest control, and global climate change can result in human diseases and impact the environment. Understanding the links between human activities and environmental systems is essential to developing effective prevention strategies and building sustainable communities.
PUBH.5070 Leadership and Management in Public Health (3cr)
The purpose of this course is to enhance the students' ability to effectively build and lead high-performing Public Health organizations. This course will integrate fundamental principles from the behavioral and social sciences to provide students with a coherent set of strategies and techniques to effectively collaborate with internal external stakeholders as well as to influence meaningful, sustainable change. This course will also provide students opportunities to self-reflect on their own leadership styles and develop growth plans.
PUBH.5110 Health Care Finance (3cr)
Provides broad exposure to the concepts and practices of healthcare finance and healthcare financial management. Teaches a practical understanding of basic healthcare financial issues, financial reporting and analysis, and provider payment structures. The course enables students to read, analyze and use healthcare financial information in today's healthcare environment.
PUBH.5120 Operations Analysis for Quality Improvement (3cr)
This course focuses on a multi-disciplinary approach to operations analysis, process redesign and quality improvement in health care. Focus is placed on the tools, methods and processes used for improving work flow processes, patient safety and performance in a variety of health care settings. Students study the history, development and principles of quality improvement in healthcare.
Requirements:
Graduate level or permission
PUBH.5130 Assessment and Planning in Public Health (3cr)
This course presents methods, concepts and techniques required for the identification of resources and needs, and planning of public programs and advocacy efforts to meet those a community, state, national, and global levels. Students will engage in community assessment and planning activities based on ethical and professional principles. This course will enhance skills needed for a health education specialist.
PUBH.5140 Healthcare Management (3cr)
This course provides a framework for addressing common issues faced by management within a healthcare organization. Students are provided with an overview of how healthcare institutions are organized and governed, the unique roles of management, clinical staff, support staff, and human resources in the healthcare setting. Students also learn the management systems designed for efficient and effective operations.
PUBH.5150 Applied Health Economics (3cr)
Students explore the economic dimensions of healthcare by considering the input, output, production and costs of producing quality healthcare which meets demand and evaluates the behavior of supply. Students consider provider payer systems and aspects relative to private and public health insurance in determining market power and competitive markets. Common economic evaluation methods are introduced to measure health service feasibility, and promote value judgment in the realm of healthcare reform and regulatory compliance.
PUBH.5310 Health Informatics (3cr)
This course introduces healthcare professionals to the power of data and the importance of analysis. Students learn how population informatics, consumer health informatics, translational bioinformatics, and clinical research informatics are essential components in selecting the techniques and systems used for transforming clinical data into information, knowledge and improved decision-making. The past, current and future role of healthcare IT is also discussed.
PUBH.5600 Data Applications for Public Health Practice (3cr)
Working with data is foundational to public health. This class will provide a practical introduction to how to think about and utilize data for a variety of public health functions Students will investigate sources of local, national, and global public health data, including health records, surveys, and vital statistics in terms of what data is available and how to access, manage, analyze, communicate, and use these data. Students will apply informatics and data sources to population health activities. Students will gain hands on experience working with data in practical ways through data visualizations and software used for public health informatics.
PUBH.5750 Epidemiology and Biostatistics (3cr)
Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations, and the risk factors associated with diseases. This course provides an introduction to epidemiology and the associated biostatistical methods that constitute the principal quantitative methods for disease prevention. Topics include: measures of disease frequency, measures of central tendency and spread, rates and risks, precision and validity, bias, simple linear regression, and the important study designs (population surveys, cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies).
Requirements:
CSCE Graduate Restrictions
PUBH.5760 Biostatistical Programming (3cr)
This course is designed to provide familiarity with several types of statistical software commonly used in public health research. The course covers topics including: reading raw data and existing data sets; modifying data; combining data sets; applying basic statistical procedures; and sorting, summarizing, and printing data.
PUBH.5770 Biostatistics for Health Data (3cr)
This is a practical course in biostatistical methods for health research. Emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of the use and interpretation of standard biostatistical methods. Topics include probability and sampling distributions, regression and ANOVA, methods for analyzing rates and proportions, power and sample size calculations. Students will gain experience in using a statistical software package to apply and expand their data analysis skills.
PUBH.6070 Healthcare Information Systems (3cr)
This course provides a broad-range overview of the healthcare information systems industry, its history, recent developments and continuing challenges, as well as a practical understanding of healthcare information systems acquisition and implementation. Topics include EMR, Data, CMS Quality Programs, Clinical Integration and health information exchange.
PUBH.6160 Law and Ethics in Healthcare (3cr)
This course presents and overview of legal and ethical issues facing managers and providers in health care. It provides students with a foundation of health law and ethics and reviews health care legal and ethical situations and dilemmas. The goals are to provide students with practical knowledge of health law and ethics and their application to the real world of health care.
PUBH.6250 Health Policy (3cr)
This course provides students with a basic framework for health policy analysis and examines major aspects of U.S. health policy. Detailed consideration and discussion focus on the relationship of national policy to the planning, implementation and funding of healthcare services. The course covers topics such as the healthcare policy environment in the U.S, government-funded healthcare through Medicaid and Medicare, and the Massachusetts healthcare reform.
Requirements:
CSCE Graduate Restrictions
PUBH.6350 Healthcare Project Management (3cr)
This is a graduate level course providing a comprehensive foundation for project management as it applies to healthcare. Students will be introduced to the theory and concepts of project management and the tools to manage projects with a focus on healthcare. At the end of this course, students should be able to develop, execute, and control a basic project plan that is capable of supporting organizational objectives linked to measures of success for a single project.
PUBH.6390 Electronic Health Record Systems (3cr)
The course addresses Electronic Health Records (EHR) integration with patient care flow, clinical decision making and patient engagement, as well as patient registries and clinical quality reporting. Students also learn core EHR functions, strategies for EHR optimization, and how the EHR can be leveraged for population health management. The course uses industry-leading EHR software as a learning tool to demonstrate how electronic health record technologies are used in a healthcare setting.
PUBH.6660 MPH Practicum (3cr)
This practicum is the first of two culminating experiences in the MPH program that requires a student to apply theories and principles from coursework in a public health setting. A work experience is a required component of this course. Work experiences must be directly related to the student's major field of study and an integral component of the curriculum. The practicum is a planned, supervised and evaluated practice experience under the supervision of a qualified preceptor. Students meet in a seminar with a faculty member who oversees the practicum experience. Students will finish work on their final applied practice project during the practicum and integrated practical learning courses.
PUBH.6670 Integrated Practical Learning (3cr)
This course is designed as a culminating experience for students in the MPH program. Students will demonstrate the mastery of a body of public health knowledge and achievement of the MPH competencies through a high-quality written product. A work experience is a required component of this course. Work experiences must be directly related to the student's major field of study and an integral component of the curriculum.
PUBH.6750 Introduction to Manuscript Writing (3cr)
This course helps doctoral students (and high-level master's students) gain knowledge and critical practical skills in scientific writing and oral communication in public health. This includes writing dissertation proposals, dissertations, grant applications, scientific meeting abstracts, scientific manuscripts, factsheets, and presenting to scientific and non-scientific audiences. Specific content area includes study design and methodology, the structure of scientific documents, literature review, and communication strategies. Specific attention will be given to effective scientific writing and to guiding principles for ethical research.
PUBH.6820 Applied Epidemiology Methods (3cr)
This course emphasizes the design and conduct of epidemiology studies. Major topics covered include: casual inference in epidemiology, point and interval estimation for cohort and case control studies, exposure assessment for epidemiology, control of confounding, the identification and interpretation of effect modification, as well as cross-sectional designs and meta-analysis.
Requirements:
PUBH.5750 pre-req
PUBH.6850 Applied Public Health Research and Practice (3cr)
The focus of this course is to provide students with advanced skills necessary to collect quantitative and qualitative data for public health research and practice. Students will learn quantitative methods including questionnaire development, survey planning, data collection, data coding and data management. The course will prepare students to design, conduct, analyze and interpret qualitative research. Strategies for mixed methods research in social and behavioral sciences will be discussed.
PUBH.6860 Program Development and Implementation (3cr)
This course is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to systematically develop and implement public health programs. Models for program planning are utilized to inform program design. In addition to didactic work, students are guided through the creation of a program and implementation strategies to accelerate the translation of evidence into practice.
PUBH.6870 Quantitative Models for Public Health (3cr)
This course introduces quantitative models commonly used in public health research and practice. Emphasis is placed on understanding the logic and underlying assumptions of theses models. Students will gain knowledge and skills in properly selecting and applying these models in various practical settings. Topics include probability sample surveys, quantitative risk assessment, quasi experimental design, propensity matching, interrupted time series, epidemics of infectious diseases, Monte Carlo simulations, and predictive analytics.
PUBH.6871 Health Communication and Technology (3cr)
Students will explore the theories and practice of communication in public health, with a particular emphasis on the role of technology in sharing public health information. The impact of social and environmental factors on the success of health messages, and the relevance of social media and other technology to positively impact issues in population health will be analyzed. The strategic and ethical use of media in developing and implementing effective public health communications is a focus of the course. The targeting of health communication campaigns to populations for the purpose of influencing behaviors and health policy will be examined.
PUBH.6890 Advanced Regression Modeling (3cr)
This course will introduce linear, generalized linear and time-to-event regression models that are commonly used in epidemiologic research, community needs assessment and public health program/policy evaluations. Topics include regression models for continuous, binary, ordinal, multinomial, count, time-to-event, and longitudinal data.
Requirements:
PUBH 5750 and PUBH 5770 Pre-re
PUBH.6910 Advanced Program Evaluation (3cr)
The focus of this course is the development of skills needed to plan, conduct, and critique evaluations. Students will learn the major principles and methods associated with systematic evaluation of public health initiatives.