POBLACIÓN Y MUESTRA

need be described only once. If it varies by degree or specialty area, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each.

All MPH students in the Program are required to successfully complete courses with a grade of B or better in the five public health core areas as well as other required courses listed in Table 2.3.a.

Table 2.3.a. Courses Covering Basic Public Health Knowledge

Public Health Core Area Course Title Credits Semester

offered

Epidemiology PHS 7010 Fundamentals of Epidemiology 3 Fall &

Spring

Biostatistics PHS 7000 Introduction to Biostatistics 3 Fall

Environmental Health Sciences PHS 7380 Environmental Health: Principles and

Practice 3

Fall

Social-Behavioral Sciences PHS 7610 Health Promotion and Health Behavior 3 Fall

Health Care Policy and

Management PHS 7100 Health Care Policy and Management 3

Fall

Additional Requirements

PHS 7180 The Practice of Public Health 1 Fall &

Spring PHS 7050 Public Health Law, Ethics & Policy 3 Fall & Spring PHS 6600, 7150, 7170 Data Analysis Software

Course (SAS, SPSS, or GIS) 1

Fall

TOTAL 20

Course Descriptions:

PHS 7010 - Fundamentals of Epidemiology

Introduces the field of epidemiology and the methods of epidemiologic research. Students learn how to interpret, critique, and conduct epidemiologic research, including formulating a research question,

choosing a study design, collecting and analyzing data, controlling bias and confounding, and interpreting study results.

PHS 7000 - Introduction to Biostatistics

Covers the fundamentals of biostatistics including descriptive statistics, estimation, hypothesis testing, precision, sample size, correlation, problems with categorization of continuous variables, multiple comparison problems, and interpreting of statistical results.

PHS 7380 - Environmental Health: Principles and Practices

Examines interdisciplinary approaches to understanding, assessing, and controlling environmental factors that impact public health. Practical examples are used to help public health professionals understand how epidemiology, health surveillance, and exposure surveillance can be used to determine the potential for health problems that result from various environmental factors, and how monitoring and control techniques can reduce the impact of the environment on human health.

PHS 7610 - Health Promotion and Health Behavior

Explores multi-disciplinary fields that attempt to help individuals and communities prevent illness and maintain and improve health through health promotion activities. Although we recognize that there are

many factors that impact individuals and population health outcomes, this course will explore the social and behavioral aspects of health, prevailing public health theory, as well as the relationship between health behavior and community, society and the environment.

PHS 7100 - Health Care Policy and Management

Focuses on the evolution of the United States health care system from a health policy and values

perspective, emphasizing the current health care system. Reviews the new Affordable Care Act and other legislative attempts to implement a health reforms and discusses current issues surrounding the financing and organization of the delivery of health care under various economic and political frameworks.

Additional information about the way management is addressed throughout this course: While PHS 7100 focuses primarily on health policy, the course also addresses the management of specific programs and organizations. For example, in the module on Government Health Programs, the topics covered include: Should Medicare be converted to a defined contribution system? Should Medicare Advantage payments be cut? How can Medicare lead the way in performance measurement? In the module on Improving Health Through Population Health Records, a national leader in the field addresses specific ways for ―Using information technology to improve health and health care.‖

PHS 7180 – The Practice of Public Health

Introduces students to the MPH cross-cutting competencies that are needed to engage the community in public health practice and research. It includes topics related to professionalism and leadership, and to the development of cultural competency that prepares leaders to be responsive to the diverse values and cultural traditions of the communities being served. Throughout the course, leaders from different community agencies also address topics related to the management of community agencies. In addition, one module specifically addresses systems thinking and the use of teams in organizational management, and includes student Myers-Briggs assessments and discussion about using the assessment as a

management tool in organizations. In fall 2010, guest lecturers included leaders from the Thomas Jefferson Health District, Virginia Department of Health, Charlottesville Community Obesity Task Force, the Jefferson Area Board on Aging, and the Region X Community Service Board.

PHS 7050 - Public Health Law, Ethics, and Policy

Explores the legitimacy, design, and implementation of a variety of policies aiming to promote public health and reduce the social burden of disease and injury. Highlights the challenge posed by public health’s population-based perspective to traditional individual-centered, autonomy-driven approaches to bioethics and constitutional law. Other themes center on conflicts between public health and public morality and the relationship between public health and social justice. Illustrative topics include mandatory immunization, screening and reporting of infectious diseases, prevention of lead poisoning, food safety, prevention of firearm injuries, airbags and seat belts, mandatory drug testing, syringe

exchange programs, tobacco regulation, and restrictions on alcohol and tobacco advertising.

PHS 6600 – Quantitative Data Analysis in Public Health

Introduces Public Health students to tools needed to utilize SPSS for quantitative data analysis. Instruction includes lectures, case study discussions, and individual projects.

PHS 7175 – Geographic Analysis in Public Health

Geographic information systems (GIS) is a technology with unique & valuable applications for policy makers, planners, practitioners, & managers in many fields, including public health & health care. GIS software & applications enable visualizing and analyzing health data in ways never before possible. This course provides hands-on experience using GIS software in the context of health applications.

PHS 7170 – Introduction to SAS

Covers the basics of SAS programming so that students can create, run, and debug SAS programs on a PC or Unix environment to manipulate data sets into analyzable data. To achieve this, students will need to practice some SAS programming and learn how to detect, diagnose, and correct mistakes.