Master of Public Health (MPH)

How to Read Course Descriptions

The bolded first line begins with a capitalized abbreviation that designates the subject area followed by the course number and title. The number of credits earned by taking the courses is also displayed.

The course description is a brief summary of the purpose of the course and the topics covered. Any requisite courses are listed and could include the following:

Courses showing the abbreviation “COREQ” require simultaneous registration with each course named as a corequisite.
The abbreviation “PRE-or-COREQ” means that each course named may have been taken prior to or may be taken concurrently with the course for which it is required.
Courses showing the abbreviation “PREREQ” require the courses named as prerequisites to have been taken previously.

If the course can be applied towards a General Education Objective, the applicable Objective is listed.

To assist with your academic planning, courses in the Undergraduate Catalog are designated according to the semester they are usually offered. Unanticipated faculty vacancies and academic program changes may affect future course scheduling. Therefore, students should always contact the academic department to verify future course offerings, especially when specific courses are needed for graduation.

The following letters which appear after the course descriptions indicate the anticipated course scheduling:

F = Fall Semester, every year
S = Spring Semester, every year
Se = Sequential; a series of courses is presented until all have been taught.
Su = Summer Semester, every year
EF, ES, ESu = Even-numbered years, Fall, Spring, or Summer Semester
OF, OS, OSu = Odd-numbered years, Fall, Spring, or Summer Semester
D = Students should contact the Department to ask when this course will be offered.
R1 = Course is rotated every year, either Fall or Spring
R2 = Course is rotated every two years, either Fall or Spring
R3 = Course is rotated every three years, either Fall or Spring

How to Read Course Descriptions

Courses

MPH 5503 Health Topics: The Rural West: 3 semester hours.

Survey a variety of of health topics specific to rural communities in the West. Critically examine social, cultural, economic and political factors that shape the way health is addressed and explained, Develop a personalized career plan that addresses key take-aways from the course. F, Su

MPH 5507 Rural Health Systems: 3 semester hours.

Explore the wide variety of public health and healthcare delivery models currently operating in the rural west. Critically assess the connects and disconnects between Federally Qualified Health Centers, Critical Access Hospitals, Indian Health Services, public health departments, community-based organizations, workforce, telehealth systems and informal networks. F, Su

MPH 5511 Partnering for Rural Health: 3 semester hours.

Develop leadership and team-building skills with traditional and non-traditional partners in rural communities. Apply those skills by developing a funding proposal for a community or organization in a rural setting. S

MPH 5540 Research and Writing in Health I: 1 semester hour.

An introduction to the MPH program, critical thinking, principles of research design in the health sciences, and academic writing.

MPH 5585 Independent Study in Public Health: 1-3 semester hours.

Individual work under staff guidance. Field and/or library research on specific health education problems of interest to majors and minors. May be repeated up to 6 credits. PREREQ: Permission of instructor.

MPH 5599 Experimental Course: 1-6 semester hours.

The content of this course is not described in the catalog. Title and number of credits are announced in the Class Schedule. Experimental courses may be offered no more than three times with the same title and content. May be repeated.

MPH 6601 Applications in Epidemiology: 3 semester hours.

Facilitates an epidemiological approach to problem solving in the health sciences through practical application of field epidemiology concepts and methods. PREREQ: Permission of instructor if student is not in the MPH program.

MPH 6602 Biostatistics: 3 semester hours.

This course will equip students with a conceptual understanding of the calculation and interpretation of inferential statistics in public health research. PREREQ: Permission of instructor if student is not in the MPH program.

MPH 6604 Social and Cultural Perspectives in Public Health: 3 semester hours.

Exploration of multicultural health beliefs, health disparities and needs of our society focusing on local cultures to develop culturally competent interventions. Learn about ethical issues, social justice, community systems, coalition building, and development of community partnerships.

MPH 6605 Leadership Policy and Administration: 3 semester hours.

Development of leadership and administrative skills which contribute to implementation of effective public health policies and programs. Students will learn strategic planning, facilitation techniques, communication strategies, budget development, and management. Equivalent to HE 6605.

MPH 6606 Environmental and Occupational Health: 3 semester hours.

Understanding the interaction of humans with their environment and the implications of human actions. Learn about assessment and control of health risks posed by chemical and biological contaminants and physical exposures (noise, heat, and radiation) in occupational and non-occupational environments.

MPH 6608 Technological Applications in Public Health: 3 semester hours.

Introduction and application of software programs utilized in public health practice. Examples include SPSS, MS Excel, GIS, EpiInfo, MS Publisher. PREREQ: MPH 6602.

MPH 6609 Seminar in Public and Community Health: 3 semester hours.

Study of topics, trends and challenges within public health.

MPH 6620 Health Program Planning and Evaluation: 3 semester hours.

Theory and processes of assessment, planning, implementing, and evaluating health education, promotion, and disease prevention programs. Principles taught in this course will be applied to community situations. Equivalent to HE 6620.

MPH 6632 Community Health: 3 semester hours.

A study of the role of health education/health promotion in the community setting. Emphasis on methods to build coalitions to address community health concerns and on the role of needs assessment.

MPH 6640 Research and Writing in Health: 2 semester hours.

Application of principles of research design in the health sciences. Requires preparation of a thesis/project proposal. Equivalent to HE 6640. PREREQ: MPH 6660

MPH 6650 Thesis: 1-6 semester hours.

Completion of a thesis/manuscript. Practical application of knowledge/skills in a public health setting. May be repeated. Graded S/U. PREREQ: MPH 6601, MPH 6602, MPH 6620, and MPH 6640.

MPH 6651 Public Health Project: 1-6 semester hours.

Completion of a public health project. Practical application of knowledge/skills in a public health setting. May be repeated. Graded S/U. PREPREQ: MPH 6601, MPH 6602, MPH 6620, and MPH 6640.

MPH 6655 Public Health Internship: 3 semester hours.

Application of skills in a public health agency, organization or other entity to provide the student with practical experience in the field. May be repeated.

MPH 6660 Behavior Change Theory and Applications: 3 semester hours.

Provides a basic understanding of the social, emotional, and lifestyle factors related to health behavior. Strategies designed to identify barriers to behavior and to enhance the health of selected populations are examined. Equivalent to HE 6660. PREREQ: Permission of instructor.

MPH 6699 Experimental Course: 1-6 semester hours.