Public Health, Executive MPH

Introduction to Public Health introduces the mission, roles, issues, and context of public health, community health, and health systems. Topics include the history and mission of public health as well as a comprehensive exploration of the definition of public health including the essential services and core functions of public health. In addition, the relationships between public health, social justice, and human rights are examined. Block I introduces and explores the five disciplines of public health: Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Community Health and Prevention, Environmental and Occupational Health, and Health Management and Policy.

Department: Interdepartmental

Introduces and applies the biostatistics tools and analytical base required for population-based and community health assessment and evaluation. The focus is on providing a broad and basic understanding of biostatistics, with more advanced methods included as appropriate.

Department: Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Introduces and applies the principles of epidemiology and study design needed to support population-based and community-health assessment and evaluation. Basic and more advanced methods are covered as appropriate, with applications to public health and community contexts, and integration with the biostatistics taught in Block II.

Department: Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Health Behavior and Health Promotion introduces principles of health behavior in context of the human life cycle and covers their application to prevention and health promotion programs in a community context. This interdisciplinary block focuses on how individuals and groups approach issues of health behavior, health communication, and health promotion. The goal is to acquire basic knowledge of social and behavioral science theories, models, and research methods. The human rights framework will be introduced to analyze and create public health interventions and policies. Block IV addresses ways in which class, culture, gender, and age factors influence an individual's encounter with health-related issues throughout the course of life. Students will be expected to critically analyze the theories and models as they explore the experiences of individuals in different developmental stages, groups, and communities in a variety of settings. Students will also have the opportunity to create a behavioral intervention with a team of peers, and to simulate the experience of presenting at a professional conference.

Department: Community Health and Prevention

Community Health Assessment consists of four cases and a four-week Service-Learning workshop. Block V has an interdisciplinary foundation focused on strategies designed to provide students with the competencies needed to enhance the health of the community. During the first four weeks of Block V, concepts and theories regarding planned change and models of community organization for health promotion are critically examined. Critical in this block is the role of empowerment in the context of community health, and the central role of community residents in the identification of local issues, goals, and priorities affecting their lives and neighborhoods. The final four weeks of Block V are devoted to exploring and experiencing Service-Learning concepts in the context of public health.

Department: Community Health and Prevention

Management, Leadership, Assurance, and Health Services is a block that explores the critical elements of the assurance role of public health. Block VI is based on the premise that effectiveness of program delivery and the public health assurance require an understanding of organizations, leadership, and change in the context of economics, strategy and systems. The goal of Block VI is to learn, integrate, and apply fundamental theoretical concepts of economics, organizational theory, law, communications, and strategy within an integrated management paradigm. In addition, different organizational and management styles within the community health system are explored. This is accomplished through presentations and reinforcement of an integrated management paradigm with cases and supporting reports, symposia, and examinations designed to identify, integrate, and reinforce basic principles of management.

Department: Health Management and Policy

Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation emphasizes program development in the context of community-identified needs. The block content is built on the premise that the health assurance role of public health begins with program planning, development, implementation, and evidence-based practice. Block VII critically examines models of program planning, implementation, and evaluation and introduces students to the theoretical and practical aspects of planning and evaluating programs. Thus it includes direct service, surveillance, communication campaigns, policy development initiatives, research initiatives, and administrative activities. The multidisciplinary perspectives presented in this series of cases demonstrate the importance of individuals, communities, corporations, agencies, and institutions to intentionally and thoughtfully work together. These cases highlight the importance of integrating all aspects of a community to make for a holistic society. It is in this holistic integration that citizens will have the capacity to achieve their full potential.

Department: Community Health and Prevention

The Public Health Research Paper is an opportunity for students to work on an independent research paper in a topic area that is chosen by the student in conjunction with a faculty advisor. This paper is expected to reflect the students' year-long effort in critically analyzing the relevant literature, and carefully crafting an educated and realistic response to an identified public health issue. The paper is the culmination of the students' experience in the Executive MPH program.

Department: Interdepartmental

Environmental and Occupational Health introduces concepts, theories, and programmatic applications within the fields of environmental and occupational health. The goal of Block IX is to understand basic concepts and principles of environmental and occupational health and their application to public health practice from individual, organizational, political, legal, and community perspectives. The cases provide students with the opportunity to link environmental and occupational health issues with health promotion strategies through a systems approach.

Department: Environmental and Occupational Health

Health Policy and Advocacy: Integration introduces the fundamentals of public health law and the concepts and theories of health policy development, adoption, and evaluation. Block X covers the advocacy process and its importance to the development of sound public health policy. Systemic integration and understanding of the assessment, assurance, and policy development roles are emphasized in the community and political context. Throughout the block, students will learn about the process of policy analysis and formulation and how to influence the policy process to accomplish their objectives for policy intervention.

Department: Health Management and Policy

This is the capstone course of the Executive MPH. Students will work in small groups to conduct a case analysis and a case development assignment focusing on current public health issues which are multidisciplinary. All core disciplines will be examined as influences for the problem and possible solutions.

Department: Interdepartmental