Courses

The course descriptions below are correct to the best of our knowledge as of June 2008. Instructors reserve the right to update and/or otherwise alter course descriptions as necessary after publication. A course description being listed in this does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular semester. Please refer to the published schedule of classes for confirmation a class is actually being taught.

Directed Studies: Directed Studies provide the opportunity for students to explore a special topic of interest under the direction of a full-time School of Public Health (SPH) faculty member. Directed studies with a non-SPH faculty member or an adjunct faculty member must be approved by and assigned to the department chair. Students registering for a directed study must complete a paper registration form and a signed directed study proposal form. Students may register for 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits in any SPH academic department. Students may not exceed 8 credits of directed study, directed research, and/or practicum coursework during their MPH degree program. Per department, the course designations for directed study are: BS 901, EH 961, EP 91I, IH 941, LW 951, MC 931, PM 931, and SB 921.

Directed Research: Directed Research projects provide the opportunity for students to explore a special topic of research interest under the direction of a full-time School of Public Health (SPH) faculty member. Directed research projects with a non-SPH faculty member or an adjunct faculty member must be approved by and assigned to the department chair. Students registering for a directed research project must complete a paper registration form and a signed directed research proposal form. Students may register for 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits in any SPH academic department. Students may not exceed 8 credits of directed study, directed research, and/or practicum coursework during their MPH degree program. Per department, the course designations for directed research are: BS 902, EH 962, EP 912, IH 942, LW 952, MC 932, PM 932, and SB 922.

SPH BS 401 Summer Institute in Biostatistics

For undergraduate students by application only. Participants in the six-week program will learn the principles of applied biostatistics from recognized experts in the field; meet practicing biostatisticians, epidemiologists and statistical geneticists and learn about their work; gain hands-on experience working with actual data collected in internationally recognized studies that have been funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; learn about opportunities for graduate study and additional training; explore an ever-growing field that is critically important in studies to improve the world we live in; and see the historical sights of Boston, meet new people, and have lots of fun. Sullivan, Chibnik. 4 cr, (undergrad credits only)

SPH BS 701 Elementary Biostatistics

This course meets the biostatistics MPH core requirement and is for students who have not had prior experience with statistics.  Topics include the collection, classification, and presentation of descriptive data; the rationale of estimation and hypothesis testing; t-tests; simple correlation and regression analysis; analysis of variance; and analysis of contingency tables. Special attention is directed to the ability to recognize and interpret statistical procedures in articles from the current literature. Students will also learn statistical computing techniques using Microsoft Excel. Students who take this course cannot take BS 703 for degree credit.  This course or BS 703 is required for all MPH students. Sullivan (A1 section), White (B1 section) 3 cr.

SPH BS 703 Biostatistics

This is the more advanced MPH biostatistics core course.  This course is recommended for students concentrating in biostatistics or epidemiology, and for students with previous exposure to statistical methods or an interest in public health research methods.  Topics include confidence intervals and hypothesis testing; sample size and power considerations; analysis of variance and multiple comparisons; correlation and regression; multiple regression and statistical control of confounding; logistic regression; and survival analysis.  This course gives students the skills to perform, present, and interpret basic statistical analyses. For the more advanced topics, the focus is on interpretative skills and critically reading the literature.  This course satisfies the core biostatistics requirement for MPH students. Biostatistics concentrators should take this course, though the course does not count towards the 16 required concentration credits. Students who take BS 703 cannot take BS 701 for degree credit. Heeren. 4 cr.

SPH BS 722 Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials

Grad prereq: the epidemiology and biostatistics MPH core requirements or consent of instructor.  This course covers the development, conduct, and interpretation of clinical trials. It is suitable for concentrators in any department.  Topics include principles and practical features such as choice of experimental design, choice of controls, sample size determination, adverse event monitoring, research ethics, informed consent, data management, and statistical analysis issues. Students write a clinical trial protocol during the semester. Cheng, Fish. 4 cr.

SPH BS 723 Introduction to Statistical Computing

Grad prereq: successful completion of the biostatistics MPH core requirement or consent of instructor (617-638-5172).  This course introduces students to statistical computing with focus on the SAS package. Emphasis is on manipulating data sets and basic statistical procedures such as t-tests, chi-square tests, and correlation. Conditions underlying the appropriate use of these statistical procedures are reviewed. Students use equipment and software available through the Boston University Medical Center.  This course is a prerequisite for BS 805, BS 820, BS 821, BS 851, BS 852, BS 853 and BS 858. Multiple sections offered each fall and spring semester. Faculty. 4 cr.

SPH BS 771 Topics in Biostatistics

Grad prereq:  varies per course.  Topic varies per semester. See specific semester schedule for details.

SPH BS 790 Data Management in Public Health Research

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirements and SPH BS 723.  The goal of this course is to provide students with the skills required to design, organize, and implement a data management system for public health research.  This course is primarily geared to the data preparation stage of statistical analysis. Without high-quality data, the statistical analysis is often difficult to carry out, and results of the statistical analysis can be invalid. Development of organizational tools, methods of data acquisition, data collection forms design, principles of database development, quality control of data, data security, and the role of technology will be discussed. Students will use Microsoft Access and SAS software packages to illustrate hands-on principles of data management. A mix of teaching methods will be employed: case studies of “real world” examples from the instructors’ and guest lecturers’ research projects; readings from peer-reviewed journals and chapters from several books; lectures; hands-on computer exercises; small group discussions. Levenson, Chaisson. 4 cr.

SPH BS 805 Intermediate Statistical Computing and Applied Regression Analysis

Grad prereq: BS 701 or BS 703 and BS 723 or consent of instructor.  This course is a sequel to BS 723. Emphasis is placed on the use of intermediate-level programming with the SAS statistical computer package to perform analyses. Computing topics include advanced data file manipulation, such as joining or merging data sets; creation of new variables; selection of subsets from the data; programming and macro construction. Statistical topics include analysis of variance and covariance, multiple linear regression, logistic regression, and survival analysis. Includes a required lab section (BS 805 B1 or BS 805 C1 for which students must register). Cabral. 4 cr.

SPH BS 810 Meta-Analysis for Public Health and Medical Research

Grad prereq: the epidemiology and biostatistics MPH core requirements and BS 723 or consent of the instructor. Meta-analysis is the statistical analysis of research findings, and meta-analytic techniques are widely used in public health, medicine and educational research.  Typically these methods are employed to provide summary results of the research in an area, but other uses include exploratory analyses to find types of subjects who best respond to a treatment or find study-level factors that affect outcomes.  The course will cover the theory and use of the most common meta-analytic methods, the interpretation and limitations of results from these methods, diagnostic procedures, and some advanced topics with a focus on Public Health application. Meta-analytic results are sometimes controversial, and we will address these controversies as well. Individual topics will include: searching for relevant studies, quantification of study results, heterogeneity of study results, fixed and random effects meta-analysis, publication bias, meta-regression, meta-analysis of diagnostic test results, and comparison of meta-analysis results to results from large clinical trials. Grading will be based on homework, an exam and a project. LaValley. 4 cr.

SPH BS 820 Logistic Regression and Survival Analysis

Grad prereq: the biostatistics and epidemiology MPH core requirements (or BS 852) and BS 723.  This course provides basic knowledge of logistic regression and analysis of survival data.  The logistic regression segment focuses on prediction of categorical outcomes.  The segment on analysis of survival data concentrates on comparing and predicting time-to-event outcomes. Both sections emphasize the use of maximum likelihood to determine estimates and test hypotheses, use of descriptive and diagnostic plots, and use of the SAS statistical package to perform analyses. LaValley. 4 cr.

SPH BS 821 Categorical Data Analysis

Grad prereq: the biostatistics MPH core requirement and BS 723 or consent of instructor.  This course focuses on the analysis of categorical and ordinal data.  Topics include the binomial and Poisson distributions, the analysis of paired categorical data, nonparametric methods for ordinal data, logistic and Poisson regression, sample size calculations for proportions and receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves.  The course emphasizes practical application and makes extensive use of the SAS programming language. Gagnon. 4 cr.

SPH BS 822 Advanced Methods of Statistical Computing

Grad prereq: SPH BS 805 and linear algebra (CAS 142 or equivalent).  This course introduces advanced statistical methods and programming techniques that allow students to examine advanced statistical models that go beyond that available with standard SAS procedures taught in BS805.  Topics include simulation studies, bootstrapping and Bayesian analysis. Students will apply these methods in homework assignments. Gagnon, Yang. 4 cr.

SPH BS 830 Design and Analysis of Microarray Data

Grad prereq: MPH biostatistics core course and BS 723 required or consent of instructor (sebas@bu.edu). Knowledge of basic biology recommended. In this course, students will be presented with the methods for the analysis of gene expression data measured through microarrays.  The course will start with a review of the basic biology of gene expression and an overview of microarray technology.  The course will then describe the statistical techniques used to compare gene expression across different conditions and it will progress to describe the analysis of more complex experiments designed to identify genes with similar functions and to build models for molecular classification.  The statistical techniques described in this course will include general methods for comparing population means, clustering, classification, and simple graphical models. Methods for computational and biological validation will be discussed. Sebastiani. 4 cr.

SPH BS 845 Applied Statistical Modeling and Programming with R

Grad prereq: the Biostatistics MPH core course requirement and SPH BS 723 or consent of instructor.  This course covers applications of modern statistical methods using R, a free and open source statistical computing package with powerful yet intuitive graphic tools. R is under more active development for new methods than other packages. We will first review data manipulation and programming in R, then cover theory and applications in R for topics such as linear and smooth regressions, survival analysis, mixed effects model, tree based methods, multivariate analysis, boot strapping and permutation. Yang, Gagnon. 4 cr.

SPH BS 851 Applied Statistics in Clinical Trials I

Grad prereq: BS 723 or equivalent or consent of instructor.  This is an intermediate statistics course, focused on statistical issues applicable to clinical trials.  Topics cover design and analysis considerations for clinical trials, such as randomization, sample size determination, and advanced methods for analyzing superiority and non-inferiority clinical trials.  This course includes lectures and computer instructions. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to have a working knowledge of how to collect and manage clinical trial data; will be able to apply superiority and non-inferiority statistical analysis to continuous, dichotomous, and time-to-event clinical trial data; and will be able to generate stratified and un-stratified randomization schedules and sample sizes required to ensure a well-designed clinical trial.  The student will also gain the overall knowledge required to interpret clinical trial statistical results. Massaro. 4 cr.


SPH BS 852 Statistical Methods for Epidemiology

Grad prereq: BS 703, BS 723 and the epidemiology MPH core requirement or consent of instructor (adrienne@bu.edu).  This course covers study design and intermediate-level data analysis techniques for handling confounding in epidemiologic studies. Confounding is carefully defined and distinguished from interaction. Course content covers stratification and multivariable techniques for controlling confounding in both matched and independent sample study designs, including analysis of covariance, logistic regression, and proportional hazards models. Students are required to apply these methods with the aid of computerized statistical packages. Cupples. 4 cr.


SPH BS 853 Applications of Generalized Linear Models

Grad prereq: the biostatistics and epidemiology MPH core course requirements and BS 805 or consent of instructor.  This course introduces statistical models for the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, of the types usually encountered in health science research.  The statistical models discussed include: Logistic regression for binary and binomial data, Nominal and Ordinal Multinomial logistic regression for multinomial data, Poisson regression for count data, and Gamma regression for data with constant coefficient of variation. All of these models are covered as special cases of the Generalized Linear Statistical Model, which provides an overarching statistical framework for these models. We will also introduce Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) as an extension to the generalized models to the case of repeated measures data.  The course emphasizes practical applications, making extensive use of SAS for data analysis. Doros. 4 cr.

SPH BS 855 Bayesian Modeling for Biomedical Research and Public Health

Grad prereq: BS 805 or MA 684 and MA 581/582 or consent.  The purpose of this course is to present Bayesian modeling techniques in a variety of data analysis applications, including both hypothesis and data driven modeling.  The course will start with an overview of Bayesian principles through simple statistical models that will be used to introduce the concept of marginal and conditional independence, graphical modeling and stochastic computations.  The course will proceed with the description of advanced Bayesian methods for estimation of odds and risk in observational studies, multiple regression modeling, loglinear and logistic regression, latent class modeling including hidden Markov models and application to model-based clustering, graphical models and Bayesian networks. Applications from genetics, genomics, and observational studies will be included.  These topics will be taught using real examples, class discussion and critical reading. Students will be asked to analyze real data sets in their homework and final project. Sebastiani. 4 cr.

SPH BS 857 Analysis of Correlated Data

Grad prereq: BS 852 or BS 805.  The purpose of this advanced seminar is to present some of the modern methods for analyzing correlated observations. Such data may arise in longitudinal studies where repeated observations are collected on study subjects or in studies in which there is a natural clustering of observations, such as a multi-center study of observations clustered within families. Students start with a review of methods for repeated measures analysis of variance and proceed to more complicated study designs.  The course presents both likelihood-based methods and quasi-likelihood methods. Marginal, random effects and transition models are discussed. Students apply these methods in homework assignments and a project. Weinberg. 4 cr. 


SPH BS 858 Statistical Genetics I

Grad prereq: SPH BS 723 or equivalent as determined by instructor (adestef@bu.edu or klunetta@bu.edu).  This course covers a variety of statistical applications to human genetic data.  The topics include collection and data management of genetic and family history information, and statistical techniques used to identify the genes contributing to a specific disease.  These statistical techniques, which include regression, likelihood ratio tests, and chi-square tests, will be conducted using SAS. DeStefano, Lunetta. 4 cr.

SPH BS 859 Applied Genetic Analysis

Grad prereq: SPH BS 858 or EP 763. Statistical tools such as linkage and association analysis are used to unravel the genetic component of complex disease. Investigators interested in the genetic analysis of complex traits need a basic understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of these methodologies.  This course will provide the student with practical, applied experience in performing linkage and association analyses, including genome-wide analyses. Special emphasis is placed on understanding assumptions and issues related to statistical methodologies for genetic analysis to identify genes influencing complex traits. Students will use specialized genetics software for homework assignments. Lunetta. 4 cr.

SPH BS 860 Statistical Genetics II

Grad prereq: SPH BS 858 or consent of instructor (dupuis@bu.edu).  This course covers current topics in statistical genetics, with emphasis on how statistical techniques can be used with various types of genetics data for mapping genes responsible/contributing to complex human diseases.  Topics such as genetics map functions, gene mapping in experimental organisms, advanced linkage analysis methods, statistical approaches for the analysis of genome-wide high density SNP scans in unrelated and family samples will be discussed. Dupuis. 4 cr.

SPH BS 861 Applied Statistics in Clinical Trials II

Grad prereq: BS 851 or consent of instructor (jmm@bu.edu).  This course covers a variety of biostatistical topics in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and device clinical trials.  Topics include presentation of statistical results to regulatory agencies for product approval, approaches to the current and unique challenges faced by statisticians in analysis of clinical trials (such as intent-to-treat analyses, interim analyses and adaptive designs, and handling of multiple endpoints) and advanced but common statistical techniques such as crossover trials. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to choose, apply, and defend an appropriate statistical technique for many of study designs and issues faced when analyzing efficacy and safety data from clinical trials. Students will also be able to present, in a written format following standard guidelines accepted by the clinical trials’ community, results of such efficacy and safety analyses to the medical reviewers and statistical reviewers of regulatory agencies. Massaro. 4 cr.

SPH BS 871 Advanced Topics in Biostatistics

Topic varies per semester. See specific semester schedule for details.

SPH EH 708 Introduction to Environmental Health

This course meets the MPH core course requirement in Environmental Health for non-Environmental Health concentrators. Environmental Health concentrators must take the concentration core course, EH 765 to meet the MPH core requirement.  This core course does not carry concentration credit; students who successfully complete this course and then wish to change to or add the environmental health concentration are able to fulfill the EH core course requirement by registering for an additional 2 credits. Contact the EH department for specifics. EH 708 is a survey of the major issues in contemporary environmental health science, policy and practice.  Topics include industrial agriculture and the food supply, climate change, drinking water, air pollution, human waste, and radiation. Each class includes approaches to assessing, controlling, and preventing these hazards. Although the course is addressed to non-scientists, it seeks to provide insight into the scientific underpinnings of current debates and draws heavily on case studies. Scammell. 2 cr.

SPH EH 710 Physiologic Principles for Public Health

This course provides students with a detailed working knowledge of the normal mechanisms of human body function. Physiological mechanisms are studied from the molecular level to the level of organ systems, and emphasis is placed on understanding how body processes are regulated and integrated so as to achieve homeostasis characteristic of a “normal” healthy individual. Students will become acquainted with both the gross and histological anatomy of major organs. For each system covered, a case study of a disease of significant public health interest is used to reinforce basic physiological principles, and to acquaint students with physiological measurements commonly used in clinical settings.  This course is recommended for all students who need a substantive understanding of human physiology for subsequent coursework.  This course will be of special value to students whom expect their career’s to involve close interaction with health care providers.  This course or PH 709 or its equivalent are required pre-requisites for SPH EH 768, Introduction to Toxicology. van Seventer. 4 cr.

SPH EH 713 Molecular Biology and Public Health

The last 10 years has seen an explosion in the discipline of molecular biology that has important implications for our current and future approach to public health.  Therefore, an understanding of the principal concepts of this field is critical to the modern public health practitioner.  The goal of this course is to equip students with the ability to understand the potential applications of genetic engineering to their health specialties. In particular, the course introduces the student to the basic concepts of cellular biology and molecular genetics and investigates the use of a number of powerful molecular techniques including, but not limited to, gene cloning, genetic engineering of animals and plants, identification of molecular bio-markers of susceptibility, and mining of the human genome database.  The implications of these advances vis-à-vis right to privacy, discrimination, and other ethical issues are also addressed. While a background in biology is helpful, this course is negotiable by any student showing a high level of enthusiasm for scientific discovery. Sherr, Schlezinger. 4 cr.

SPH EH 714 Public Health Response to Emergencies

This course addresses emergency preparedness for both intentional and natural disasters. It involves almost all of the disciplines of public health and does not focus on environmental health.  Topics include surveillance; roles of first responders; methods for mitigating the severity of emergencies; triage; community assessment of preparedness; environmental, media, and legal issues; mental health consequences of disasters; and case studies of biological and chemical emergencies. Pepper, Ishikawa. 4 cr.

SPH EH 745 Wastewater and Health/Sustainable Sanitation

Grad prereq: SPH EH 765. This course provides students with an overview of the relationship between human health, ecological health, and sanitation.  The different disposal and treatment methods for human excreta are described in their historical and political contexts. Related topics such as the land application of sewage sludge, the role of government agencies/nongovernmental organizations, and public health experts are presented as well as practical solutions toward sustainable sanitation.  This course involves a group project and a paper. Clapp, Orlando. 2 cr.

SPH EH 757 Environmental Epidemiology

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement and EH 765.  This course introduces students to epidemiologic investigations of environmental health problems.  Topics include both traditional and innovative subjects and strategies, such as the health effects associated with air and water contaminants, toxic waste sites, lead, and radiation, as well as environmental exposures that have received attention only recently, such as endocrine disruptors and electromagnetic fields.  The course emphasizes epidemiologic methods, particularly exposure assessment, modeling, cluster analysis, and sources of bias. Students gain experience in the critical review and design of related epidemiologic studies.  This course counts as concentration credit for epidemiology concentrators. Clapp. 4 cr.

SPH EH 764 Work and Health

Grad prereq: MPH environmental health core course requirement or consent of the instructor.  This course is about work, the workplace, health, and how they are related to each other. It provides students with an overview of many basic aspects of occupational health, including surveillance, screening, workers’ compensation, industrial hygiene, and the OSHA Act.  There are sessions about specific occupational hazards including work-stress, the hazard, the populations at risk, and the methods of control. While the course mainly focuses on the United States, we will examine the international aspects of some of the session topics. A workplace site visit and report are required. Other course requirements include a mid-term examination and final course paper. Pepper. 4 cr.

SPH EH 765 Survey of Environmental Health

This course meets the environmental health MPH core course requirement. All Environmental Health concentrators must take this course. Non-Environmental Health concentrators may choose between this course and EH 708, which is a less technical course. Students who take this course cannot also take EH 708 for degree credit. EH 765 covers many of the same diverse topics that are covered in EH 708.  The course considers the technical foundations of environmental hazards, their impacts on public health, and the role of social, political, and regulatory factors in assessing, controlling, and preventing environmental hazards. Students who complete EH 765 will have the necessary “tools of the trade” that will form the base for upper-level courses in the Environmental Health Department. Heiger-Bernays. 4 cr.

SPH EH 768 Introduction to Toxicology

Grad prereq: SPH PH 709 or EH 710 or one year of college biology within last 5 years with a grade of B or better, or consent (whb@bu.edu).  This introductory course presents the basic concepts of toxicology, including dose-response relationships, biological and chemical factors that influence toxicity, types of harmful effects, principles of testing for toxic effects and the underlying concepts behind toxicant-induced disease susceptibility.  Toxicants found in the environment, such as metals, pesticides and industrial pollutants, are studied.  The course assumes basic knowledge of chemistry and biology, although there are no prerequisites.  This course is required of all Environmental Health concentrators. Heiger-Bernays. 4 cr.

SPH EH 771 Topics in Environmental Health

Topics vary per semester. See specific semester schedule for details.

SPH EH 780 Great Calamities and Consequences for Public Health

Current public health practice in the United States evolved in response to public health calamities. Epidemics of infectious disease, mass poisonings, and industrial disasters have served as catalysts for new regulations and institutions of public health. For example, the sulfanilamide tragedy of 1937 was the catalyst for the current drug approval process. In addition, public and private responses to calamities have fueled the development of scientific knowledge and epidemiologic methods. For example, John Snow’s investigation of the London cholera outbreak of 1854 demonstrated the utility of observational epidemiology.  This course acquaints students with those calamities of primarily the past 200 years that were most consequential for public health practice.  The emphasis is on each calamity’s impact on knowledge of disease causation and control and on the development of public health institutions and regulations. Clapp, Webster. 4 cr.

SPH EH 783 Application of Environmental Health Principles in Practice

Grad prereq: MPH Environmental core course requirement and SPH PH 709 or college biology course within last 2 years with B or better.  This course provides an introduction to the hands-on application of environmental principles in practice.  Topics include water-borne diseases, food safety, air quality, health hazards in housing, and disaster sanitation. Emphasis is on practical issues including inspection procedures, code enforcement, and disease investigations. Students engage with practitioners through guest lectures and in the conduct of their course projects. Knowledge and skills gained are applicable at the local, state, federal, and international levels. Fidler, MacVarish. 4 cr.

SPH EH 790 Professional Writing in Environmental Health

Grad prereq: the environmental health core requirement and instructor consent after review of writing sample.  This course will teach the descriptive and analytical writing that is an essential skill of the public health professional, and which is tied to the deeper skill of critical thinking. In a participatory small group format, students will practice drafting and revising short papers to summarize an issue or argue a position.  Through weekly exercises students will write for different audiences and in different formats, including writing for the web. Course content is drawn from environmental health, but the skills learned are broadly generalizable. Does not carry Environmental Health concentration credit. Maxwell. 2 cr.

SPH EH 804 Exposure Assessment

Grad prereq: MPH Epidemiology and Environmental Health core courses.  The process of assessing exposure is a critical component of occupational and environmental epidemiology, of determining compliance with health and safety regulations, and in conducting human health risk assessments.  This course in exposure assessment covers the basic concepts and methods of study design, data collection, and data analysis/interpretation. Students analyze relevant case studies and conduct a study in which they develop their own exposure assessment strategy, collect and analyze data, prepare a final report, and present their findings. McClean. 4 cr.

SPH EH 805 Scientific Basis of Environmental and Occupational Health Standards

Grad prereq: SPH EH 765 required; highly recommend the Epidemiology and Biostatistics MPH core courses.  This course covers the relationship between scientific knowledge about health hazards and the development of public health standards to control exposure. Standards are reviewed, covering hazards in the environment, at the work place, and in the food supply. For each hazard, the relevant scientific literature is reviewed.  Then, the legal basis of the standard is discussed. Finally, the relationship between scientific knowledge, the law, and the existing standard is analyzed.  The course is designed so that students may apply their understanding of the scientific, legal, and economic principles of environmental health developed in other courses. Boden. 4 cr.

SPH EH 806 Development and the Environment

This course explores many critical environmental health issues that are linked to patterns of industrial and market development, with a special focus on developing countries. Specific examples that are discussed include food and agriculture, environmental impacts of industrialization, pest control strategies, and the effects of global climate on health.  The course discusses the contestation over ideas, methods, and resources for sustainable development and equitable health outcomes. It emphasizes throughout the relationships between human health, development, and the environment. Clapp, Orlando. 4 cr.

SPH EH 807 Urban Environmental Health

Grad prereq: EH 765 or EH 708 is highly recommended. Most of the United States’ population lives in or around cities.  The urban environment includes the often degraded natural environment, industry, and housing and social conditions such as poverty and violence that affect health.  This course examines key urban physical and social health hazards including lead, asthma, overweight and obesity, poor housing, transportation, sprawl, racial segregation, and income inequality. It highlights solutions to current problems such as community empowerment, urban gardens, lead-safe yards, and integrated pest management in low-income housing. We include an environmental justice field trip in the Dudley St. Neighborhood Initiative area in Roxbury. Students will select and research a topic on urban environmental health as a final paper and for presentation in class. Hynes, Lopez. 4 cr.

SPH EH 810 Surveillance Methods and Applications in Environmental Health

Grad prereq: EH 765 and the epidemiology MPH core course requirement.  Tracking of environmental hazards and diseases, with the potential for preventing future exposures, is a core function in public health that is undertaken by local, state, and federal agencies.  This course gives students interested in environmental epidemiology or community health the skills and practical knowledge to work successfully in such surveillance efforts.  The course covers the basic concepts and methods of surveillance, including epidemiologic measures of incidence and mortality, and graphing and mapping methods used to describe and display surveillance data. Further class sessions consider topical applications of surveillance principles and methods (such as cancer surveillance and birth defects surveillance.) and offer hands-on experience using a surveillance dataset for Massachusetts. Maxwell, Clapp. 4 cr.

SPH EH 811 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Public Health

Grad prereq: SPH BS 703, EP 712 and EH 765 or permission.  This course is an introductory-level course for a novice GIS user. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a useful tool in the public health field.  This course provides students with the skills needed to apply GIS in their careers.  Topics covered include basic mapping, development of geographical datasets, and data analysis from applications of GIS in different disciplines of public health. substantial portion of the course will be devoted to computer lab sessions.  The course will use ArcGIS software. Vieira. 4 cr.

SPH EH 818 The Built Environment: Design Solutions for Public Health

Grad prereq: the environmental health MPH core course (recommend also SPH EH 807) or consent of instructor. Recent concerns about health and the environment have prompted a reconnection of public health with urban planning.  This course examines how the built environment, including blocks, neighborhoods and metropolitan areas, impacts health including obesity, physical activity and mental health. Current and past policies and programs such as zoning, urban renewal, highway construction, new urbanism and smart growth are critiqued using the frameworks of health, architecture and planning.  The goal is to understand how patterns of development influence health and how urban form can be modified to promote healthier living. Lopez. 4 cr.

SPH EH 820 Mathematical Modeling for Public Health and Medicine

Grad prereq: one year college calculus or consent of instructors. Mathematical modeling of biological processes and population dynamics is an important tool in pure and applied research.  This course teaches the basic concepts of deterministic modeling, with emphasis on problems of public health and medical importance such as models of physiologic processes (e.g., Michaelis-Menten kinetics), population models, and models of disease spread and contagion. Mathematical prerequisites are kept to a minimum, with the necessary linear algebra (matrices, eigenvectors, eigenvalues), qualitative methods of ordinary differential equations (stability, phase-plane methods), and difference equations being introduced as needed. Webster, Ozonoff. 4 cr.

SPH EH 840 Intermediate Toxicology

Grad prereq: EH 765 and EH 768 or equivalent with consent of instructor.  This advanced-level course is an extension in detail and content of EH 768.  The course uses a case study approach to teach the molecular mechanisms by which compounds exert their toxicity in addition to dose-response analyses that are applicable to regulatory toxicology.  The course emphasizes toxicogenetic differences within the human population. Experimental methods from which toxicological data are generated are presented and discussed for each of the case studies. Major topics include cellular mechanisms of action of toxicants as they relate to oncogenesis, neurotoxicology, and immunotoxicology, and the use of these data in regulatory toxicology. Heiger-Bernays, Webster, 4 cr.

SPH EH 866 Risk Assessment Methods

Grad prereq: EH 765 and EH 768. Recommended:  The MPH biostatistics core course requirement. Students learn practical application of risk assessment methods to various environmental problems.  The focus of the course is on human health risk assessment and teaches students to quantify the risk of adverse health effects from exposures to chemicals in the environment. Students also can apply what they learn to evaluations of biological and radiological exposures.  The strengths and weaknesses of risk assessment methods, the inherent uncertainties in each step, and the relationship between risk assessment and risk management are discussed. Heiger-Bernays, Vorhees. 4 cr.

SPH EH 871 Advanced Topics in Environmental Health

Grad prereq: varies per course.  Topic varies per semester. See semester schedule for details.

SPH EH 914 Environmental Health Doctoral Seminar

Grad prereq: EH Doctoral students only. Consent of instructor.  This is a doctoral-level seminar course. A new central topic in environmental health is covered each semester.  Topics include carcinogenesis/mutagenesis, vaccine development and application, molecular epidemiology, microbial pathogenesis, etc. Each semester proceeds from an historical perspective, and includes both basic science and policy issues. Students are assigned readings from the literature for presentation as a formal lecture, with related discussion to be led by the student. Staff. 1 cr.

SPH EH 980 Continuing Study

Grad prereq: must be doctoral student working on dissertation. Doctoral students who have completed all academic course requirements, must register for Continuing Study every Fall and Spring semester until they have successfully defended their dissertation and applied to graduate from SPH. All students registered for continuing study will attend EH Doctoral Seminars scheduled by the Director of Doctoral Education for EH. Students are charged for 2 credits equivalent of tuition and for medical insurance.  They are certified full time. Faculty. 0 cr.

SPH EP 711 Introduction to Epidemiology

This course or EP 712 satisfies the epidemiology core course requirement for MPH students. Students who take this course cannot also take EP 712 for degree credit.  This course does not count for concentration credit and is recommended for students who are not Epidemiology concentrators.  The purpose of this course is to introduce the basic principles and methods of epidemiology and demonstrate their applicability in the field of public health. A further objective is to provide an introduction to the basic skills needed to critically interpret the epidemiologic literature relevant to public health professionals. A1 Section: LaMorte; B1 Section: Lawler. 3 cr.

SPH EP 712 Epidemiologic Methods

This course or EP 711 satisfies the epidemiology core course requirement for MPH students; Epidemiology concentrators are advised to take EP 712 to meet the core course requirement. Students who take EP 712 cannot also take EP 711 for degree credit. EP 712 covers the same materials as the EP 711 core course, but does so in greater depth, with more emphasis on methodologic issues, and increased focus on critical assessment of contemporary substantive epidemiologic research.  This course is intended for those students who have interest in a more intensive exploration of the basic principles of epidemiology, with greater rigor and with a quantitative orientation.  This course is recommended for students who intend to concentrate in Epidemiology or Biostatistics and others whose public health interests entail quantitative skills.  This course does not count for concentration credit. Brooks, Heaton. 4 cr.

SPH EP 721 Survey Methods for Public Health

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement. Recommended:  The biostatistics MPH core requirement is recommended.  This course stresses the theory and practice of conducting high quality survey research in health fields. Classes are a mixture of lectures, examples from real world studies, and skill exercises.  Topics include research design, question construction, sampling, data collection methods, interviewing, coding, reliability, validity and preparing data for analysis.  The course is appropriate for those who will do research as well as those who will be research consumers. Mangione. 4 cr.

SPH EP 730 Survey of Vaccine Preventable Diseases

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement.  This course takes a practical approach to current issues in the prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases.  Topics include vaccine testing, efficacy measurement, impact, adverse reactions, and herd effects. Specific diseases are discussed in the context of concepts that they illustrate.  The focus is on current developments, outbreaks, controversies, and problems, and on epidemiologic methods and policy considerations in addressing them.  This course will not be offered in academic year 2008-2009. Faculty. 2 cr.

SPH EP 745 Pharmacopidemiology: Topics & Controversies

Grad prereq: the MPH epidemiology core course requirement. Pharmacoepidemiologic principles of study design and interpretation will be illustrated in a case-study format of real world examples.  Topics include drug regulation, the study of intended and unintended effects, postmarketing surveillance, and monitoring for birth defects.  The goal is for students to be able to evaluate the epidemiologic evidence related to drug safety using historical and recent examples like thalidomide, hormone replacement therapy, and  Vioxx. Coogan, Louik. 4 cr.

SPH EP 751 Cardiovascular Epidemiology

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement.  The goal of this course is to enable students to understand major aspects of cardiovascular epidemiology and current strategies for primary and secondary prevention of major cardiovascular diseases (i.e. stroke, heart attack, heart failure or hypertension).  The course concentrates on physiologic mechanisms leading to atherosclerosis; traditional and novel CHD risk factors; prediction’s model for CVD; and the role of lifestyle, dietary, and genetic factors on the development of CVD. In addition, relevant historical breakthrough and current controversies in CVD are discussed using the latest publication from lay press and peer-reviewed journals. A fair amount of time is devoted to acquiring skills in scientific writing and data interpretation.  These latter skills are used by the students to design and complete a CVD epidemiology project on a topic of their choosing. Each student (group of students) then presents his/her completed project in class during the last 2 sessions of the course.  The course is taught by the course Director and other senior investigators who are experts in different areas of cardiovascular disease. Djousse. 4 cr.

SPH EP 752 Cancer Epidemiology

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement.  This course provides an overview of the important concepts fundamental to the understanding, design, and conduct of cancer epidemiology studies.  The course commences with the descriptive epidemiology of cancer, including time trends in incidence and mortality, and geographic and demographic variation in cancer rates. An overview of the biology of cancer, and a review of the major epidemiologic concepts critical to cancer epidemiology is covered.  The descriptive and analytic epidemiology of major cancer sites, including breast, lung, colon, prostate, cervix and melanoma, is discussed, as well as major risk factors for cancer, including tobacco, nutrition, infections, and environmental exposures.  The course format consists of a series of lectures by faculty and guests, discussion sessions, and directed readings from the current literature. Students are required to pursue a cancer-related topic of their choosing in depth, developing a proposal for an epidemiologic study that will further current knowledge based on their literature review of the topic. Hatch, Prout. 4 cr.

SPH EP 753 Cancer Prevention as a Public Health Problem

Grad prereq: the Epidemiology MPH core requirement. By means of lectures, seminars, and student presentations, this course reviews multidisciplinary approaches to the application of cancer prevention knowledge to individuals and communities. Students analyze and present case examples of approaches to the control of a given cancer or a given carcinogen.Prout, Schroy. 4 cr.

SPH EP 755 Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement and PH 709 or equivalent or consent.  This course presents the methods of studying common infectious diseases in populations. It includes the determinants of these diseases, their distribution within populations, and their control.  There are lecture presentations regarding specific diseases and agents. Implications for social policy and preventive approaches are discussed. Analysis of actual infectious disease outbreaks with classroom discussion of prepared homework is included. Horsburgh. 4 cr.

SPH EP 758 Nutritional Epidemiology

Grad prereq: the MPH Epidemiology and Biostatistics core courses.  The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the discipline of nutritional epidemiology. In the class, we will focus on methodological issues relating to design, dietary assessment, and data analysis of studies on diet and disease. We will also review some of the literature relating nutrition to certain disease states, including coronary heart disease and cancer, in which we highlight methodological issues and interpretation of findings in nutritional epidemiologic research. Students completing this course will understand the basic principles of nutritional epidemiology and will be able to apply them in reading the literature and participating in nutrition research projects.  This is a small, intermediate-level epidemiology class, which combines lectures with in-class discussion of classic and cutting-edge research articles. In addition, one-on-one meetings are set up with students throughout the semester to provide focused attention and facilitate mastery of the material. Newby. 4 cr.

SPH EP 759 Reproductive Epidemiology

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement.  This course surveys current knowledge concerning the epidemiology of reproductive heath across the lifespan.  Topics vary from year to year but may include infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, menopause, uterine fibroids, gynecologic cancers, and male reproductive health.  The course emphasizes epidemiologic methods and gives the student experience in the critical review and design of epidemiologic studies in this area. Aschengrau. 4 cr.

SPH EP 760 Applying Epidemiology to the Study of Aging

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement.  The elderly are the most rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population. Conducting research on this group requires special considerations in the design and implementation of epidemiologic studies.  This course will introduce students to the current state of knowledge and methodologic issues in epidemiologic research on aging populations.  The course will combine critical reviews from the literature, evaluation of epidemiologic data, homework exercises using data from epidemiologic studies of elderly samples, and presentations by guest lecturers who are conducting studies of aging populations. By the end of the course, students prepare and present a research proposal that illustrates important conceptual and methodological design issues in aging research. Fredman. 4 cr.

SPH EP 762 Clinical Epidemiology

Grad prereq: the biostatistics and epidemiology MPH core requirements.  This course introduces students to topics and methods in clinical epidemiology. Covered topics include those traditionally regarded within the purview of clinical epidemiology such as the evaluation of diagnostic tests (sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and ROC curves), decision analysis, cost effectiveness analysis, outcomes assessment, and meta-analysis. At the conclusion of the course, students will understand concepts of clinical epidemiology, know the indications for using each clinical epidemiology method, and be prepared to critically evaluate studies that employ these methods. Since this course uses numerous clinical examples, it is not recommended for those with no clinical experience. Felson, Meenan. 4 cr.

SPH EP 763 Genetic Epidemiology

Grad prereq: the biostatistics and epidemiology MPH core requirements or consent of instructor.  This course familiarizes students with general methods and principles of genetic epidemiology.  Topics include basic human genetics, population genetics, pedigree analysis, linkage analysis in humans, twin studies, effects of inbreeding, genetics of common diseases, genetic association studies, and forensic genetics.  The course emphasizes practical applications of existing methods to designing and executing genetic studies and to genetic counseling.  This involves some critical evaluation of the scientific literature. Farrer. 4 cr.

SPH EP 764 The Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the Developed and Developing World

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement.  This course is designed to introduce students to an important and growing field—the epidemiology of AIDS. It is designed for those students who have a keen interest in HIV/AIDS in both the developed and developing world.  This course will survey state-of-the art knowledge of the epidemiology of HIV and will emphasize epidemiologic principles and methods including: estimation of the incidence of HIV infection and AIDS, study design, and sources of bias. It will also give the student experience in the critical review of epidemiologic studies in this area. Horsburgh, Semrau. 2 cr.

SPH EP 765 The Epidemiology of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement.  This course takes a practical approach to current issues in the prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases.  Topics include vaccine testing, efficacy measurement, impact, safety, adverse reactions, herd effects, delivery programs, and public acceptability. Specific diseases are discussed in the context of concepts that they illustrate.  The focus is on current developments, outbreaks, controversies, and problems, and on epidemiologic methods and policy considerations in addressing them. Faculty. 4 cr.

SPH EP 771 Topics in Epidemiology

Topic varies by semester. See semester specific schedule for details.

SPH EP 788 The Epidemiology of  Tuberculosis

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement.  This course surveys state-of-the-art knowledge of the epidemiology of tuberculosis (including molecular techniques) and emphasizes epidemiologic principles and methods such as estimation of the incidence of primary tuberculosis, estimation of the incidence of reactivation tuberculosis, study design, and sources of bias. Students gain experience in the critical review of epidemiologic studies in this area and in the design and evaluation of clinical trials. Horsburgh. 4 cr.

SPH EP 813 Intermediate Epidemiology

Grad prereq: EP 712 and the biostatistics MPH core requirement. Consent of instructor is needed if student took EP 711 (sstuver@bu.edu).  The purpose of this course is to further develop the methodologic concepts underlying the science of epidemiology.  The material covered is intended to broaden and extend the student’s understanding of the elements of study design, data analysis, and inference in epidemiologic research, including issues related to causation, bias, and confounding.  The primary aims of the course are to provide working knowledge of the fundamentals of epidemiology as well as to serve as a foundation for more advanced study of epidemiologic methods.  The course consists of lectures and workshop sessions.  The workshop sessions are designed to reinforce the concepts/topics covered in the lectures. Stuver. 4 cr.

SPH EP 817 A Guided Epidemiologic Study

Grad prereq: EP 813 or EP 854 and BS 723 and consent of the instructor, lfredman@bu.edu or mwerler@slone.bu.edu.  This is an upper-level, hands-on seminar course, which teaches a small group of students how to develop and conduct a hypothesis-based study, using datasets that are currently available to the instructors.  Through a combination of workshops, written assignments, and oral presentations, students develop hypotheses, conduct literature reviews, perform data analyses, and write each section of a manuscript.  The final project requires the student to integrate all sections into a complete paper for journal submission.  This course prepares students to write thesis proposals and manuscripts. Fredman, Werler. 4 cr.

SPH EP 830 Drug Epidemiology

Grad prereq: SPH EP 813 and BS 703 or consent of instructor.  This course (formerly EP 756) focuses on the research methods particular to the field of drug epidemiology.  This course covers post-marketing drug safety research methods using observational data to detect adverse reactions of drugs as used in daily practice; it does not cover clinical trials. Students achieve sufficient familiarity with the field to be able to design an appropriate drug epidemiology study using the data resources referred to during the course.  The role of spontaneous reporting of adverse reactions, the FDA, the drug industry, and academia are discussed.  The class includes lectures by experts working in the field, critiques of literature, a project where students design a study to answer a question in the field of pharmacoepidemiology and a written final exam. Jick. 4 cr.

SPH EP 854 Modern Epidemiology

Grad prereq: SPH EP 712. Consent required for students who have completed any other introductory epidemiology course (tlash@bu.edu).  This course covers the theory and application of key principles and methods of epidemiologic research in depth.  The topics include causal models, confounding, randomization, interaction, statistical analysis and inference, and causal inference. Special emphasis is given to the meaning and interpretation of p-values, confidence intervals, and likelihoods. Alternative approaches are identified for selecting and interpreting measures of disease frequency and measures of effect. Guidance is offered for determining objectives and strategies in study design and analysis, especially for case-control research. Methods are presented for the assessment and control of confounding, misclassification bias, and selection bias. Strengths and weaknesses of standardization, pooling, modeling, and exposure-response analysis are reviewed. Lash. 4 cr.

SPH EP 855 Advanced Epidemiology Seminar: Issues in Study Design

Grad prereq: DSc student; MPH students must have completed EP 854 and have consent of the instructor.  This course is structured around reading and discussing both historical and current methodological papers.  The first section of the course focuses on papers by early theoreticians and methodologists.  The second section focuses on contemporary methodologic questions. Substantive areas may evolve and vary over time. Recent topics have included case-control studies, study efficiency, measures of effect, exposure misclassification, sensitivity analysis, casual diagrams, and direct and indirect effects. Brooks. 4 cr.

SPH EP 856 Selected Topics in Epidemiologic Methods

Grad prereq: BS 703 and EP 813 or consent of instructor. Course focuses on advanced design and analysis topics.  Three to five topics will be covered from the following list of topics: Case-crossover/case-specular design and analysis; G-estimation/IPTW/marginal structural models/nested marginal structural models; Bias analysis; Propensity scores/disease scores/other scoring; Instrumental variables and aggregate analysis; Hierarchical modeling; Bayesian analysis; Missing data methods; Longitudinal data analysis. For each topic, there will be a week of reading and review on the theory, a week introducing an applied example, followed by a week of group or individual work during which the example problem will be solved by conventional and then also the advanced method. We will reconvene for a last week when the results of the analytic work will be reviewed and compared across groups and individuals. Faculty. 4 cr.

SPH EP 857 Design and Conduct of Cohort Studies

Grad prereq: SPH EP 712 AND EP 813 or EP 854.  This is a third-level epidemiologic methods course intended for advanced Masters and Doctoral students who desire to build depth and nuance in their understanding of cohort study design and conduct.  The course will build on classic and state-of-the-art papers which focus in depth on various topics such as selection of appropriate measure of excess risk and intermediate endpoints (theory and practice). For each topic, methodologic readings will be linked back to concrete examples of cohort study design, with special emphasis on practical aspects of study conduct. Applebaum. 2 cr.

SPH EP 858 Design and Conduct of Case-Control Studies

Grad prereq: SPH EP 813 or EP 854.  This course will develop students’ practical knowledge of the design and conduct of case-control studies. It will cover the relationship between cohort and case-control studies and study design issues, including identification of a study base, selection of cases and controls, collection of exposure information, sources of bias, and matching. Published papers will be used to illustrate design, bias, and analytic issues through reading and discussion. Each class includes a lecture and discussion of assigned articles. Werler. 2 cr.

SPH EP 871 Advanced Topics in Epidemiology

Topic varies by semester. See semester specific schedule for details.

SPH EP 915 Research Methodology and Medical Literature

Grad prereq: the biostatistics and epidemiology MPH core requirements.  This course provides the student with a rigorous approach to critical reading of the medical literature. Each week articles reporting on research using varied designs and methods are reviewed in order to illustrate the application of epidemiologic principles. By the end of the course, the student is able to critique an article and identify its strengths and weaknesses. MPH students may take EP 915 or EP 914 or their combination for no more than 4 credits. Freund, Saper. 2 cr.

SPH EP 980 Continuing Study

Grad prereq: MSc or DSc in Epidemiology degree candidates who have completed all academic course requirements for degree. DSc and MSc in Epidemiology students who have completed all academic course requirements must register for Continuing Study every Fall and Spring semester until they have successfully defended their theses/dissertations and applied to graduate from SPH. Aschengrau, Lash. 0 cr (students are charged for two credits plus medical insurance; certified as full time)

SPH HC 840, 841, and 842 The Program in International Health Practice (PIHP) in the Philippines

Grad prereq: MPH core courses required in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Social and Behavioral Sciences, plus either IH 704 or IH 700. Students must have taken at least 12 credits of courses at the School of Public Health. Offered in both Fall (early Aug to mid-Dec) and Spring (mid-Jan to early June).  This Program provides students a unique opportunity to study public health and obtain field experience in a developing country. Students take part in three elements: attend classes in Manila, at the University of the Philippines, College of Public Health; take a faculty-led community health and finance study tour outside of Manila, to learn how rural communities finance health programs; and lastly, student participate in an in-depth 5-week field practice activity, which fulfills the practicum requirement.  This 16-credit (8 elective/8 IH) program is particularly appropriate for International Health concentrators seeking to grow their developing country experience and may also appeal to concentrators in other departments with an international health interest. (Application required by April 15 for the Fall and October 15 for Spring.) Anzalone. 16 cr.

SPH IH 700 Health in Lower Income and Transitional Countries: Issues and Approaches

The intent of this course is to introduce MPH students with little or no experience in lower income countries to 1) the health problems and related issues particular to such countries, and 2) to expose participants to themes and concepts that are critical in understanding health in lower income countries. Although the course is highly recommended for concentrators in International Health, especially for students without extensive international experience, it is also suitable for any student who wants an introduction to international health.  The course addresses health issues in low-income areas such as India, China, and Africa and also in transitional countries including the former Soviet Union.  The course emphasizes participation and discussion. Staff. 4 cr.

SPH IH 701 Principles in International Health

Grad prereq: students who have successfully completed IH 700 or IH 704 may not take IH 701. Class meets in Summer as part of Summer Institute in International Health.  This course offers participants a lively exploration of the major public health problems and issues that public health professionals face when working in countries with developing and transitional economies. Participants learn how the global political environment has led to the enormous health inequities observed around the world, and the measures taken over the last 150 years to address these inequities. Participants will develop and apply the skills needed to analyze the causes and patterns of disease in countries with the highest disease burdens and lowest life expectancies.  They will understand how to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of interventions to alleviate important public health problems.  The course covers key areas of concern to resource-constrained countries, including maternal and child health, reproductive health, nutrition, and mental health. Additionally, the organization of health services, responses to common infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, and the management of chronic diseases will be explored. Bryant. 4 cr.

SPH IH 702 Skills in Critical Analysis and Evidence Based Writing for Public Health Professionals

 This introductory course will develop students’ abilities to read the public health literature critically and to integrate evidence into a well-crafted policy memo.  The class will focus on critical analysis of a case study focused on two research articles analyzing interventions to prevent HIV transmission.  Through in-class discussions students will explore why the studies drew different conclusions. Course assignments will allow students to hone the applied critical analysis and writing skills they will need as public health professionals. Beard, Thea. 2 cr.

SPH IH 704 The Organization, Delivery, and Financing of Medical Care Services: An International Perspective

This course gives students an understanding of the elements common to all medical care systems and the factors which influence the shape, cost, performance, and quality of health systems. Examples are drawn from countries whose wealth and stage of development vary widely.  The interaction between the public and private components of the health sector is explored. Equity in health services is a crosscutting theme. Students learn about the organization, delivery, and financing of medical care and the strengths and weaknesses of alternative approaches to health care finance and delivery.  The major problems in health care facing low- and middle-income countries and the strategic options available to these countries are addressed.  The course is taught in an interactive lecture format. All International Health concentrators, including domestic students, and MPH students who are not U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or Health Services concentrators may substitute this course for the health services MPH core requirement course, PM 702. Students may not take IH 704 and PM 702 for MPH degree credit. Bicknell, Beard. 4 cr.

SPH IH 707 Kenya: Field Practicum in Public Health and Environment

This five-week summer course in Kenya focuses on environmental and community health as it relates to the indigenous Maasai residing at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro.  The Maasai community faces many new health challenges resulting, in part, from a recent shift from nomadism to pastoralism.  This change in lifestyle has been associated with a rise in sanitation-related and water-borne diseases, infant and childhood diseases, and HIV/AIDS. Participants in this program will be trained in survey techniques, field-based data collection, analysis, report writing and presentation.  The focus of the 2008 research will be collecting and analyzing data relating to water and sanitation and hygienic practices in the Maasai communities. Results of the data collecting and analysis will be presented to local Maasai leaders and other stakeholders. MacLeod, Semrau. 6 cr.

SPH IH 719 Community-based Approaches to Health and Development

Grad prereq: recommended SPH IH 700 or IH 704.  This class meets in Summer I as part of the Summer Institute in International Health. Public health principles are rooted in the belief that at all levels of government and society there is a relationship between health, development, social equity, and freedom.  This course explores how principles of health and development are translated into political and community action. Areas of emphasis include sustainable development, community-based primary health research and care; environmental justice, gender and power, community problem-solving for better health, and political advocacy. Health problems in resource-poor environments often appear insurmountable and overwhelming to public health practitioners.  This course provides multiple examples of successful interventions and techniques to empower participants to take action. Cox,  Anzalone. 4 cr.

SPH IH 720 Social and Behavioral Sciences in International Public Health

Public health professionals know what behaviors contribute to health; however, they know less about why people fail to adopt healthy practices.  This course is based on the premise that the more we understand about why people behave the way they do, the more successful we will be as we develop and implement programs and policies designed to improve health. In this course students are introduced to a variety of health behavior theories, are asked to critique each theory and are expected to apply theory to practice. Students will identify appropriate behavior change strategies based upon their understanding of the determinants of behavior. Students will also be introduced to basic qualitative research methods.  This course uses psychology, sociology and anthropology to improve our understanding of the determinants of health behavior. While students are introduced to the basics of each discipline, the focus of this course is on anthropology. Students wanting a more psychological and sociological approach to the behavioral sciences should take IH 720 Spring semester or SB 721. All IH concentrators and international nonresident students who are not SB concentrators may substitute IH 720 (either Fall or Spring semesters) for the behavioral sciences MPH core requirement, SB 721. Students who have taken SB 721 may not take this course for degree credit. Dearden. 4 cr.

SPH IH 731 Leadership and Negotiations

It is surprisingly difficult to lead, structure, maintain, reinvigorate, and negotiate one’s way through organizations, especially during times of downsizing, change, and uncertainty.  This course investigates how to do so by drawing on a variety of interdisciplinary approaches. Students enhance their skills in collaborative problem solving and leadership by analyzing and proposing solutions to organizational and managerial challenges. Core topics are drawn from a continuum of current issues facing leaders and followers, such as leadership styles, conflict resolution, and negotiations. Case studies, practical experiential exercises, and self-discovery questionnaires are used throughout this course. Students are required to do a presentation and a research paper. Javitch. 4 cr.

SPH IH 733 Managing Teams and Groups for the New or Emerging Leader

Every leader, manager, or supervisor undoubtedly has many goals to achieve and roles to fulfill. One major challenge is to successfully work with various internal and external groups and constituencies. Meetings with task forces, staffs, district health boards, relief camp workers, NGOs, community, and governmental groups, and facilitating retreats are just a few of the opportunities for an effective leader/facilitator to impact an audience.  These tasks require that person to call upon skills and knowledge in positive interpersonal relations, effective problem analysis, negotiation and conflict resolution, giving positive and negative feedback, and motivating civil service employees.  This course is designed to equip students with these skills that are necessary to work effectively as a member and as a leader/facilitator of teams.  To acquire these skills, each student will have the opportunity to form and lead a team to present at least one case. In addition, each student will gain practice facilitating group exercises. Javitch. 2 cr.

SPH IH 735 Power, Gender, and Ethnicity: Issues in Inequity and Health

This course explores the socio-cultural, economic, and political contexts in which people live their lives and how these, and local and large-scale forces of structural violence (inequity, ad-hoc apartheid and marginalization, racism and gender discrimination) impact health and development. Course readings and discussions examine how these forces and what has come to be called “commerciogenic pathology” constitute immediate and fundamental risk factors and must therefore be considered and addressed as part of any effort to improve the public’s health. Faculty. 2 cr.

SPH IH 737 International Organizational Behavior: A Cross Cultural Approach

 The purpose of this course is to begin and/or enhance the process of learning to work and interact successfully with individuals and groups in non-American cultures. Health care delivery and accessibility differ in various parts of the world; so do the quality, cost, management, and vision of health care.  This course emphasizes the major influence of country or ethnic culture on organizational behavior and will present a selection of these topics: leadership, team building, organizational change, influence and power and motivation. Javitch. 2 cr.

SPH IH 741 International Health Consultation Techniques

This course will prepare students for consulting and technical assistance assignments in developing countries. Students learn to analyze the pros and cons of potential consulting assignments and prepare proposals.  The potential conflicts between donors/sponsors and the agency receiving the consulting services will be considered. Assignments considered include financial analysis, operational improvements, training and program evaluation. Cross cultural issues and the problems of operating in remote areas are discussed.  This course is for foreign nationals returning to their own countries and US citizens/residents who will seek international assignments with USAID contractors or NGOs. During this intensive one week course, students prepare a proposal in response to an actual RFP (Request for Proposal) and a presentation summarizing findings of a major planning assignment Students interested in consulting in the US should take PM 741 with Professor Deane in summer or fall. Feeley. 2 cr.

SPH IH 742 Medical Anthropology in Public Health

Grad prereq: IH 720 or SB 721. Medical anthropology is a social science discipline with practical applications for public health.  The socio-cultural environment is a major factor in the etiology of public health problems, which are investigated using primarily qualitative methods.  This course has a significant qualitative research project component. While examining issues related to culture and health, this course is not limited to cultural factors alone but considers the health consequences of the total context in which people (have to) live their lives.  Thus it also examines the larger forces outside individuals’ control through analyses of social, political, cultural, and political conditions, and the degree of agency and power people have in relation to these conditions seen as fundamental determinants of health.  The focus of the course is global, so it is relevant to both domestic and international public health issues. Lectures and discussion are complemented by design and implementation of a group qualitative research project in the local community. Messersmith. 4 cr.

SPH IH 745 Monitoring and Evaluation of International Health Programs

There is consensus within the international public health community that inadequate project monitoring and evaluation (M and E) represents a major constraint in programmatic efforts to address the problems we face.  The absence of sound M and E processes in large numbers of public health projects, despite continued evidence of their value in assessing and improving project performance, suggests that many project planners and managers may not yet have the necessary skills or understanding to develop and operate such systems.  This course is designed to help address this need.  This course provides a detailed analysis of program monitoring and evaluation with an emphasis on public health and nutrition-related projects. By reading relevant literature and using case studies, students will gain an understanding of the language and tools of program evaluation.  The course will focus both on theory and practical utilization, and will consist of presentations, discussions, and applied exercises involving the preparation and critiquing of monitoring and evaluation plans.  This class meets in the summer as part of the Summer Institute in International Health. Levinson. 4 cr.

SPH IH 753 Beyond Reproductive Health: Women’s Health in Developing Countries

While reproductive health problems are major contributors to the burden of disease among women, in this course we will examine a variety of other causes of mortality and morbidity among women in developing countries. We will also investigate the many ways in which social factors affect women’s exposure to health hazards and access to health care.  Topics will include occupational health, smoking, mental health, infectious and chronic diseases, and violence.  This course is suitable for new MPH students. Maine. 2 cr.

SPH IH 755 Managing Disasters and Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

This course will provide students with a solid introductory understanding of disasters and complex emergencies and introduce practical responses and interventions. By the end of the course, students will be able to describe human and natural emergencies and their main causes, articulate and conduct public health assessments, prioritize needs, and plan immediate and long-term interventions. Class discussions will also focus on analyzing and anticipating the consequences of emergencies. Onyango. 3 cr.

SPH IH 757 Fighting Corruption Through Accountability and Transparency

Corruption and lack of accountability in government are concerns in all countries, but they are especially critical problems in developing and transitioning countries where public resources are already scarce and corruption can cripple growth and development.  The focus on preventing corruption and promoting accountability has been heightened in recent years by the worldwide movement toward decentralization as a health reform strategy. Decentralization provides more opportunities for corruption while at the same time empowering district and provincial health professionals to design innovative systems for increasing accountability and transparency. In international health work, most public health practitioners will encounter corruption at some point and will need to make ethical and management decisions about how to work within corrupt systems and how to prevent corruption from occurring.  This course is designed to introduce participants to the problem of corruption and provide them with skills for assessing vulnerabilities to corruption in the health sector. Participants will acquire the confidence, knowledge, and skills needed to become effective advocates for anti-corruption strategies and health system reforms.  This class meets in Summer as part of the Summer Institute in International Health. Vian. 2 cr.

SPH IH 758 Applied Mental Health in Low-Resource Countries

This course introduces mental health as an integral part of global health research and program development.  Topics to be covered include: burden of disease and overview of mental health issues in low-resource countries; overview of epidemiology of mental illness; strategies for identifying and assessing mental health cross-culturally; techniques for instrument development and validation in developing countries; and an introduction to cultural issues in developing, modifying and disseminating prevention and intervention strategies. Special attention is paid to cross-cultural challenges in conducting appropriate mental health research in low-resource settings. Murray. 2 cr.

SPH IH 762 Essentials of Economics and Financing for International Health

This course is an introduction to the essential concepts and tools of health economics and financing with application to the particular challenges facing transitional and developing countries.  The course does not assume prior training in economics and will provide an introduction to the conceptual underpinnings of health economics, highlighting those concepts that will be most useful in applied policy settings. Case studies will focus on practical application to current international health financing policy problems. Cashin. 4 cr.

SPH IH 766 Reproductive and Sexual Health in Disaster Settings

Of the millions of people displaced by armed conflict around the world, 65–80% are women and children. In recent armed conflicts, women have been the targets of exploitation, rape, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, and other types of violence.  These violent acts have implications on women’s reproductive health.  This course will expose participants to the issues affecting the reproductive and sexual health of women in conflict and post-conflict situations.  The context of recent conflicts and their effects on women’s health will be analyzed. Other topics will include: common reproductive health morbidities in conflict situations, reproductive health assessments, programming, monitoring and evaluations, gender-based violence, and rape as a weapon of war. Specific examples will be drawn from the wars that occurred in former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Southern Sudan, and the ongoing war in Darfur, Western Sudan.  This course complements the Managing Disasters and Complex Humanitarian Emergencies certificate program. Participants in that program are highly encouraged to enroll in this course.  This class meets in Summer as part of the Summer Institute in International Health. Onyango. 3 cr.

SPH IH 770 Poverty, Health, and Development

Grad prereq: successful completion of graduate or undergraduate courses in economics and statistics and a working knowledge of Excel software. “Poverty, Health, and Development” is the core international public health course for master’s students in the new Boston University-wide Global Development Policy Program.  The course also serves as an elective course for students in public health.  The goal of this course is for students to explore the relationships between poverty, health, and development in low-income countries. While not a methods course per se, methods in public health, economics, statistics, and quantitative impact evaluation will be introduced and used throughout the course. Larson. 4 cr.

SPH IH 771 Topics in International Health

In Fall 2008, topic is “Health in Lower Income and  Transitional Countries: Issues and Approaches.” Students who have taken PH 511, IH 700, IH 701, or IH 704 may not take IH 771 in Fall 2008.  The intent of this course is to introduce IH concentrators with little or no experience in lower income countries to 1) the health problems and related issues particular to such countries, and 2) to expose participants to themes and concepts that are critical in understanding health in lower income countries. Simon. 2 cr.

SPH IH 772 Pilot Course in Summer Institute in International Health

Content varies per semester. See specific semester schedule for details. Faculty. 3 cr.

SPH IH 773 Financial Management for International Health

Health care managers must be prepared to talk about financial issues, analyze and interpret data, and make decisions using financial information.  This course develops competencies in cost analysis, pricing, budgeting, and reading financial reports in international health settings where financial systems are weak and data not easily available. In addition to using principles of differential and full cost analysis, students gain skills in breakeven analysis and calculating mark-ups. Examples are drawn from hospitals, clinics, and revolving drug funds from developing countries. Students who took IH 763 cannot take IH 773 for degree credit. Vian. 4 cr.

SPH IH 776 Pilot Course in Summer Institute in International Health

Content varies per semester. See specific semester schedule for details. Faculty. 2 cr.

SPH IH 777 International Health Culminating Experience Seminar

Grad prereq: IH concentrator in last semester.  This seminar course has two main purposes: first, to enable participants to respond to one another’s work, examine issues in the writing process, make improvements from draft to draft, and complete a well-researched, well-argued concentration paper; second, to explore issues in international health that are the focus of their research and emerge with a greater understanding of the questions they raise for policy and practice. Papers go through three drafts, and students will have the opportunity to give and receive feedback in peer review sessions. Background readings and regular participation in class critiques and discussions are required. Beard, Feeley. 2 cr.

SPH IH 778 Pilot Course in Summer Institute in International Health

Content varies per semester. See specific semester schedule for details. Faculty. 4 cr. In Summer 2008, the topic was Design and Implementation of International Health Programs. Developing a careful program design centered on an evidence-based needs analysis is the first step to successful program development. Without a sound plan of action, misdirection and inefficient use of staff time and funds can spoil the most conceptually innovative program. In addition, effective implementation, in accordance with good design, requires having the right resources efficiently employed in a well-organized and timely fashion. Participants will hear first-hand what works and what does not work from professionals and experts in the field who have experienced both and successes as well as the pitfalls that are encountered when implementing a project in a resource-constrained environment. Participants will learn from case studies, in-class exercises, and individual and group assignments how to design, obtain funding for, implement, and report on a public health intervention of their choosing. (Course may be taught in the 2008–2009 academic year with a different number).

SPH IH 780 Global Tobacco Control

This course is designed to prepare participants with state-of-the-art understanding on issues related to global tobacco control. Given the huge medical and socio-economic impact of tobacco use, there is an urgent need for worldwide implementation of effective tobacco control strategies.  The course will provide a critical examination of tobacco control issues from different perspectives including public health practice, epidemiological, psychological, political, economic, and environmental. Participants will learn how to design, implement, and evaluate a tobacco control program based on the need of their own region or country. Abdullah. 3 cr.

SPH IH 785 Health Financing Policy and Health System Performance

The course introduces a framework for understanding health systems and their performance, describing and analyzing health financing systems, and analyzing the effect of health financing policy in health system performance in transitional and developing countries. Options for health care resource generation, pooling, benefits and coverage, and purchasing and provider payment will be discussed and evaluated. Students will gain particular insight into the lessons learned developing social health insurance systems in Russia and the Former Soviet Union.  The analytical framework will be applied to country case studies to better understand the influence of contextual factors on the complex relationship between health financing policy and health system performance. Feeley, Sheiman. 4 cr.

SPH IH 790 S Leading Organizations to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals for Health

The challenge of the UN Millennium Development Declaration is to promote “a comprehensive approach and a coordinated strategy, tackling many problems simultaneously across a broad front.” Meeting this challenge will require inspired managers with strong leadership skills.  Through collaboration with Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a leading management and health NGO, this course will prepare health managers and consultants to lead organizations to face priority health challenges and achieve results. Participants will learn practical skills for mobilizing and aligning groups in the complex conditions of health in the developing world.  The curriculum will integrate the leadership practices of scanning, focusing, aligning/mobilizing, and inspiring with the management practices of planning, organizing, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the practices, values, and methods needed to lead and manage groups and organizations to face a priority health challenge and achieve results.  Throughout the course, participants will interact virtually with field-based MSH teams in Africa, Asia and/or Latin America to solve real-world program issues.  This class meets in summer as part of the Summer Institute in International Health. Wolff. 8 cr.

SPH IH 795 Global AIDS Epidemic: Social and Economic Determinants, Impact, and Responses

Grad prereq: IH 720 or SB 721 and the MPH epidemiology core course requirement. AIDS is one of the most important pandemics and human development challenges of our time.  This course explores the determinants and impacts of the AIDS pandemic and examines best practices in prevention, care and treatment and impact mitigation. Students will explore the relationship between human rights, gender and vulnerability to HIV; examine effective multi-sectoral responses; and evaluate the benefits and limitations of major multi- and bi-lateral AIDS initiatives. Students will also examine the major debates in the AIDS field and explore different, at times contradictory, perspectives. Messersmith. 4 cr.

SPH IH 805 Controversies in Global Control and Eradication of Infectious Diseases

Grad prereq: BS 701 biostatistics and EP 711 epidemiology MPH core requirements.  This is an advanced-level seminar course taught by two infectious disease-trained physicians. It focuses on areas of active controversy regarding past and current eradication/control campaigns.  This class will consider the biological, epidemiological, sociological, political, ethical, and programmatic features that allowed the smallpox eradication campaign to succeed and the malaria elimination campaign to fail. Other diseases that are currently candidates for global eradication campaigns that will be covered in this class include polio, dracunculiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis. Public health policy decisions ultimately rest on basic and clinical scientific research.  This course approaches this topic through a series of focused readings drawn from the primary scientific literature. Our goal is to prepare students to better participate in these debates themselves. Gill, Hamer. 2 cr.

SPH IH 808 Research Proposal Development: A Practical Approach to Team Grant Writing

Grad prereq: the epidemiology and biostatistics MPH core requirements.  The main objective of this course is to equip students to develop a research project in a developing country.  The scope of the proposal can include baseline data collection for needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation of an existing program, or identification of predictors associated with health or disease outcomes. Students learn practical skills associated with writing a proposal including creating project objectives, sampling methods, calculating sample-size, developing a work plan and budgeting. Students work in teams throughout the semester to develop the proposal. Proposals from this class have successfully competed for funding. MacLeod. 4 cr.

SPH IH 809 Essential Quantitative Techniques in Population Analysis in Public Health

Grad prereq: the epidemiology MPH core requirement or consent of instructor.  This course provides students with an understanding of important quantitative demographic techniques commonly utilized in analysis of populations and their health. It specifically equips students with basic skills that enable them to use these techniques for population projections and analysis, research, public health planning, management, and evaluation. A range of subjects and issues are explored which include censuses and demographic surveys, sources of demographic data, and data accuracy and errors. Vital statistics, mortality, natality/fertility, migration, population distribution and composition (age, sex, geographic) and their implications for public health planning are examined. Life tables, life expectancy, and population growth and projection are addressed. Additionally, students use current computer software programs to reinforce the concepts covered and to provide hands-on, practical experience using examples derived from actual populations in both the developing world and the developed world. MacLeod. 2 cr.

SPH IH 811 Applied Research Methods in International Health

Grad prereq: the biostatistics and epidemiology MPH core requirements.  This course teaches both quantitative and qualitative research methods, using the summer certificate program participants as study population. Students will work in teams to develop research objectives and questions, and to answer these research questions using multiple methods including a cross-sectional survey and a variety of qualitative methods. For the cross-sectional survey, each team will design a questionnaire, administer it, and enter and analyze the data. For the qualitative methods, participants will select a data collection method, design an appropriate data collection instrument and then conduct the in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), observations and/or pile sort methods. Each group member must conduct at least one qualitative data collection technique. During the analysis, the cross-sectional survey records will be linked and students will have the opportunity to examine the data collected by other groups. Finally, the participants will analyze the data, integrating the results of the cross-sectional survey and the qualitative research, and produce and present a report with findings and recommendations. MacLeod and Faculty. 4 cr.

SPH IH 820 Global Issues in Pharmaceutical Policy and Programming

Prereq: PM 742 or consent of instructor. Pharmaceutical policies are changing rapidly in developing countries. Ensuring access, maintaining quality, and promoting rational drug use are the priorities.  This course examines national drug policies, selection issues, medicine pricing and availability, financing, health insurance, donations, and the role of the private sector and approaches to improving drug use.  The impact of global treaties and particularly the  TRIPS agreement WTO and access to AIDS drugs will be addressed.  The course will also examine the role of global and bilateral donor programs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.  The course will utilize a seminar format and will require substantial reading to prepare for small group discussions and activities. Waning. 4 cr.

SPH IH 854 Using Excel for Health Program Decisions: Advanced Computer Modeling

Grad prereq: SPH IH 763 or IH 773 taken concurrently. No web reg; screening test and instructor approval required. Spreadsheet modeling is an important tool that can help health managers make financial projections, analyze “what if” scenarios, streamline data collection and analysis, and evaluate organizational performance.  This course provides an opportunity to master advanced functionality of Excel software. Students gain skills in designing and building computer models to estimate revenues and expenses, analyze costs, design provider payment systems and insurance programs, and provide data for decisions. Lewis, Anzalone, and Vian. 2 cr.

SPH IH 866 Controversies in International Health; Does Evidence Support Policy

Grad prereq: the MPH core course requirements in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Services, and Social and Behavioral Sciences or consent.  This course provides a valuable opportunity for advanced MPH and DrPH students to: a) learn about current controversies in international public health; and b) hone their skills in analytic thinking.  Too often, a lack of evidence-based, critical thinking leads to public health programs that are politically convenient, simplistic or outmoded.  The class will challenge some of the “conventional wisdom” in public health policies, and push students to develop their own views based on careful consideration of the available evidence. Feeley. 2 cr.

SPH IH 870 Managing Disasters and Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

The incidence and severity of public health emergencies due to violent armed conflict and natural disasters continues to affect large numbers of people and even larger amounts of property. Complex humanitarian emergencies (CHEs) now affect most regions of the world, and the violent and chaotic nature of CHEs has produced an enormous burden on relief efforts due to population displacement, morbidity, and mortality.  This course prepares participants to function effectively in emergency relief situations.  Topics covered include causes and consequences of disasters, initial responses, and meeting basic needs such as food, water, healthcare, and shelter. Specific attention will be paid to potential public health problems and interventions.  This program also emphasizes critical field management, coordination, logistical skills, project design, and monitoring and evaluation. Methods to phase out emergency relief efforts and manage the transition to longer-term sustainable development are also explored.  This class meets in summer as part of the Summer Institute in International Health. Onyango. 8 cr.

SPH IH 871 Advanced Topics in International Health

Topics vary per semester; see specific semester schedule for details. In Spring 2008 topic was: Essentials of Evaluation-Informing International Health and Development Programs and Policies.  This course introduces students to approaches and methods to evaluate international health and development programs and polices. Students will learn the skills to design and conduct rigorous evaluations using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods. Students will work in teams to apply their evaluation skills to real-world cases. Students will design evaluation strategies, analyze data, and present their results in a way that researchers, program managers, policy makers and other key stakeholders can use. (Course may be taught in the 2008–2009 academic year with a different number.)

SPH IH 880 Chronic Diseases in the Developing World: A Public Health Pandemic

Grad prereq: EP 711 or consent (asma@bu.edu); IH 704 recommended.  This course addresses the public health impact and control of chronic diseases in developing countries—a pandemic of international public health concern. Students will have the opportunity to review the global burden of chronic diseases and associated risk factors, and understand preventive strategies of major chronic diseases (i.e. cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma, mental health) in international settings. It will also offer students the essential skills needed to design, implement, and evaluate chronic disease control programs in resource poor settings with examples from both successful and unsuccessful programs.  The course emphasizes what we know and how we know about chronic disease problems in developing countries, and what can we do to solve them. Abdullah. 4 cr.

SPH IH 881 Evidence-based Strategies for International Reproductive Health Programs

Grad prereq: IH 700 or IH 704 or PM 702 and the MPH epidemiology core course.  This course focuses on the evidence underpinning strategies to address major reproductive health (RH) problems among adults in developing countries. For each RH problem, we will consider the key factors contributing to possible solutions – e.g., biological, social, epidemiological, health system, political and technological factors.  Topics will include: maternal mortality, cervical cancer, family planning, abortion, HIV/AIDS, and infertility. Students will chose a specific topic and write a paper evaluating the evidence base for public health programs. Maine. 4 cr.


SPH IH 883 Reproductive Health Programming in Developing Countries

This course, taught by a team of international public health professionals, explores the issues facing managers of family planning and reproductive health programs in developing countries.  Topics include: key areas of reproductive health programs, factors governing acceptance of RH/FP services, and the elements of effective programs (access to and quality of services, a supportive policy environment, logistics management, sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation). Emphasis is placed on shared learning through case studies and group discussion. Deschenes-Desmond. 2 cr.

SPH IH 885 Global Trade, Intellectual Property and Public Health

For upper-level MPH or DrPH students with instructor consent. On the broadest level, any person interested in international public health, needs to know about globalization and trade. Globalization rewards creative and technically skilled workers and places its largest pressures on lower-skilled workers. A specific example of globalization is that of India and their embrace of new intellectual property (IP) laws.  The implementation of these IP and trade rules lies somewhere between outright opposition to reforming global IP rules and an unthinking acceptance that doing so will encourage biomedical innovation and improved health outcomes.  The effects of stronger IP standards on health and innovation in medicines and diagnostics are ambiguous and thus need to be subjected to empirical analysis.  This course will explore the complex and ambiguous relationship between global trade, intellectual property and its impact on public health. Kaplan. 2 cr.

SPH IH 887 Planning and Managing Maternal and Child Health Programs in Developing Countries (with an emphasis on child health)

This course provides a practical framework to enable students to design, manage, and evaluate services for children and women.  The course covers the major health challenges with a focus on children and explores specific interventions to address these challenges.  Topics covered include diarrheal disease, acute respiratory infection, immunization, malaria, micronutrient deficiencies, HIV/AIDS, safe motherhood and neonatal health.  The final six weeks of the course will give students the opportunity to identify the technical, political, organizational, and environmental factors necessary for a successful program. Students will work in teams to respond to an RFP for improving the health of women, children, or newborns in a developing country.  Teams will attend a bidder’s conference and then prepare and present a written and oral proposal to an outside grants committee. Wolff. 4 cr.

SPH IH 888 Seminar on International Health Policy Issues

Grad prereq: MPH student with more than 16 earned credits or DrPH student.  This seminar focuses on policy formulation related to public health problems in low- and middle-income countries and is intended for students who have some experience. How is policy formulated in different settings? Who sets the policy agenda? Why do some issues get the attention of policy-makers, while other equally important issues fail to gain traction? And what approaches can be used to improve the chances of a particular policy being adopted? Students will carry out a policy analysis on a policy issue of their choice, using the policy analysis approaches and tools presented in class. Foster. 2 cr.

SPH IH 890 Quantitative Methods and Modeling for Public Health Decision Making

Grad prereq: MPH core courses in Biostatistics and Epidemiology and Environmental Health and strong background in mathematics or permission of instructor. In designing health interventions and programs, decision makers must structure and clarify complex policy issues and explore the implications of different courses of action in the face of growing dynamic complexity and uncertainty.  This course introduces three model-based analytical methods, system dynamics, risk analysis and decision analysis, to equip students with analytical skills necessary to formulate and use models for policy analysis.  The course develops hands-on skills in two practical modeling building and simulation softwares, Stella and Crystal Ball, for application of the methods to health policy problems of their choice. Examples of public health applications include infectious disease control and prevention, including HIV/AIDS, obesity prevention, cocaine epidemic, and health effects of exposure to environmental chemicals.  The course is suited for students interested in career opportunities in health policy research and analysis. Tozan. 4 cr.

SPH LW 707 Essentials of Public Health Law

This MPH core course provides a general introduction to the role of law in the design and implementation of public health programs and the protection of the health interests of individuals and groups in society. It is designed for students who do not have prior experience or education in law, and covers the structure, concepts, and process of decision making on health matters in legislative, administrative, and judicial bodies. SPH LW 751 Public Health Law, a more in-depth introduction to health law, also satisfies the MPH core course requirement. Health Law concentrators, law students, and lawyers are required to complete LW 751 and should not take this course. International nonresident students are exempted from fulfilling the health law MPH core requirement. Students who take this course cannot take LW 751 for degree credit. Faculty. 2 cr.

SPH LW 709 Health Care Rationing: Needs and Options

Grad prereq: PM 702 and LW 751 or LW 707. Health care services are “rationed,” or distributed in a limited way, in all nations. As the health care environment changes rapidly, competition for resources becomes more intense, insurers continue to consolidate and control many markets, and greater limitations on available funds for health care become a certainty, issues of potential or extant rationing in the United States take on a new urgency. How health care is or might be rationed here, what criteria exist and should be used, what effects are intended, and who should control the process are all increasingly pressing questions.  There is much to learn from past practice as well as current concerns and proposals. Rationing of care is examined in its historical, ethical, philosophical, policy, clinical, logistical, social, legal, and administrative contexts. Students participate in class discussion, make an oral presentation, and complete a take-home exam. Extensive readings are involved. Attendance at all sessions is required. Friedman. 2 cr.

SPH LW 721 Introduction to Human Rights and Health

Health is closely linked to the realization of human rights.  This course explores the relationship between human rights and health by examining international declarations and the meaning of “human rights” and “health.”  The course also assesses the role of states, the United Nations, and NGO’s in respecting, protecting, and fulfilling human rights. We will examine vulnerable populations such as women, children, and refugees, and analyze specific case studies that illuminate the problems, prospects, and potential methods of promoting health by realizing human rights on the national and international levels. Annas, Grodin. 2 cr.

SPH LW 725 Ethical Issues in Medicine and Public Health

This course reviews the nature and scope of moral dilemmas and problematic decision making in public health, medicine, and health care. After a survey of ethical theory, the course focuses on a broad range of ethical concerns raised by the theory and practice of public health and medicine: the nature of health, disease and illness, health promotion and disease prevention; rights, access, and the limits of health care; the physician-patient relationship; truthtelling and confidentiality.  Through a series of case studies, the course examines specific topics: the bioethics movement and its critiques; human experimentation; the role of institutional review boards; the concept and exercise of informed, voluntary consent; abortion, reproduction, genetic counseling and screening; euthanasia, death and dying; ethics committees; and international and cross-cultural perspectives. Grodin. 4 cr.

SPH LW 740 Human Rights and Health

Health is closely linked to the realization of human rights. Preventable illness, infant mortality, and premature death, for example, are closely tied to societal discrimination and violation of human rights.  This course explores the relationship between human rights and health by examining relevant international declarations in historical context, exploring the meaning of “human rights” and “health,” and analyzing specific case studies that illuminate the problems, prospects, and potential methods of promoting health by promoting human rights on the national and international levels.  This course is appropriate for both graduate and undergraduate students.  Annas. 4 cr.

SPH LW 751 Public Health Law

This course introduces students to the legal system and to major legal issues and problems confronting the public health professional. By analyzing judicial decisions, students learn about legal analysis and conflict resolution and avoidance.  Thus they learn to see the legal system as a tool that can be used to advance, rather than impede, the implementation of specific public health policies.  Topics covered include state public health powers, federal activity in public health, medical malpractice, privacy and confidentiality of medical information, mental health law, abortion and sterilization, patients’ rights, emergency medical care delivery, legal status of allied health professionals, human experimentation, and rights of the terminally ill.  This course is a prerequisite for most other Health Law courses. Students who take this course cannot take LW707 for degree credit. Health Law concentrators must complete this course to fulfill the health law MPH core requirement. Annas, Glantz. 4 cr.

SPH LW 800 Genetics, Law, and Public Health

Grad prereq: LW 707 or LW 751 or JD 867, or permission of instructor.  This seminar gives students the opportunity to examine the legal and policy issues that arise when genetic techniques and genetic information are incorporated into public health research and practice.  Topics covered include DNA banking for population health research, genetic privacy, screening newborns, regulation of genetic tests, access to genetic testing, and fair uses of genetic information.  Throughout the course, students will write papers analyzing hypothetical cases. Roche. 4 cr.

SPH LW 805 Regulation of Research with Human Beings

Grad prereq: LW 707 or LW 751 or JD 867, or permission of instructor.  The goal of this course is to provide students with the ability to identify and analyze the complex legal and ethical issues associated with conducting public health research with human subjects.  Through readings, class discussion, class activities and writing assignments students will develop skills in interpreting and applying federal regulations, international conventions and ethical principles to various types of research projects, analyzing problems and dilemmas not adequately covered by law and evaluating how well our regulatory system protects human subjects. Roche, Glantz. 4 cr.

SPH LW 825 Ethical Dimensions of Public Health Policy

Grad prereq: LW 751 and LW 725.  This seminar explores the interface of bioethics and public policy. After an introduction to the foundational questions and problems of bioethics, and an exploration into the historical views of birth, life, and death, the class uses a series of paradigmatic cases to better understand when, if, and how to crate public health policy. Case studies include abortion; selective fetal termination; assisted reproductive technologies; genetic testing, screening, and therapy; fetal-maternal conflicts; the human genome project; human death; brain death; personal death; persistent vegetative coma; termination of life support; euthanasia; assisted suicide; and eugenics.  The ultimate goal of this course is to analyze how bioethics can inform broad public policy in pluralistic society. Readings are from both classical and contemporary writings in ethics, law, medicine, public health policy, and human rights. Grodin. 4 cr.

SPH LW 830 Health Insurance, Managed Care and the Law

Grad prereq: LW 751 or JD 867.  The seminar, taught at BU School of Law with JD 992, examines the legal principles governing health benefits in a changing health care system.  The course analyzes and compares federal and state regulatory systems governing public (Medicare and Medicaid) and private health benefit plans.  Topics include basic concepts of insurance, types of plans (including indemnity insurance, managed care, consumer choice, disease management, and pharmacy benefit plans), provider contracts, plan design and administration, claims determination, patient complaints, and quality of care. Special attention is paid to the effect of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act on state regulation and accountability to patients. Students will analyze current health insurance laws, including the Massachusetts health reform legislation, as well as proposals for regulating or expanding access to insurance. Mariner. 4 cr.

SPH LW 840 Health Law, Bioethics, and Human Rights

Grad prereq: LW 751 or JD 867 or permission of the instructor. Health law, bioethics, and human rights are converging in challenging ways, especially at the national level (in both legislation and constitutional adjudication), and the international law level.  This seminar will explore the convergence and its meaning for the law and society through specific case studies including post-9/11 proposals for mass quarantine; torture and force-feeding justifications in the GWOT; genetic engineering and the new reproductive technologies; the relationship between abortion and the death penalty; and the meaning of the “right to health.” Annas. 4 cr.

SPH LW 850 Legal Strategies to Reduce Health Risks

Grad prereq: LW 751 or JD 867. Recommended: Environmental Health, epidemiology and social and behavioral sciences MPH core courses.  This research seminar offers a systematic framework for determining when and how to use law to prevent or control health risks posed by diseases, bioterrorism, consumer products, personal behavior, and occupational hazards. Students will analyze and compare the suitability different legal strategies, such as criminal and civil prohibitions, isolation and quarantine, licensure, mandatory product standards, tort liability, disclosure requirements, and advertising restrictions. Emphasis is on the legal requirements for initiating and enforcing specific federal and state regulatory methods, their effectiveness, and differences between regulating personal behavior and commercial entities. Students will conduct guided research to develop a legal strategy to address a contemporary health risk. Mariner. 4 cr.

SPH LW 854 Mental Health Law

Grad prereq: LW 707 or LW 751.  This course explores the interaction of the fields of law and psychiatry. Subjects discussed include an overview of clinical psychiatry, institutionalization, deinstitutionalization, the insanity defense, incompetence to stand trial, the right to treatment and the right to refuse treatment, involuntary commitment, dangerousness, the meaning of mental illness, the use of invasive treatments, psychotherapy, privacy, and professional ethics. Legal cases make up most of the course material. Glantz. 4 cr.

SPH MC 725 Women, Children, and Adolescents: Public Health Approaches

This course introduces students to the principles and practices of public health as they are applied to the health and development of women, infants, children and adolescents. MC 725 is the first required course in the MCH sequence. It is also suitable for other students wishing to gain an understanding of key public health issues, programs, and policies affecting women and children in the United States. We will focus on current and emerging health issues and controversies to gain greater understanding of the challenges facing the maternal and child health field.  The course does not aim to provide a comprehensive overview rather, we will use select topics to illustrate how problems are understood, their distribution in diverse populations, and the content and quality of programs designed to address them. For each topic, we will begin by exploring its biological and developmental context and then expand our understandings to critically examine current programs and policies.  Throughout the course, special attention is given to the impact of poverty, poor access to health care, and racial inequities on the health of families, as well as to the strengths that individuals and communities bring to the creation of solutions. Students will also gain hands-on knowledge of public health programs through site visits and interviews with public health practitioners. Rorie, Elliott. 4 cr.

SPH MC 759 Perinatal Epidemiology

Issues related to the perinatal period from the framework of epidemiologic methods will be examined in this course through critical review of epidemiologic studies and exploration of designs issues for this population.  The course will examine the effect of both perinatal exposures and programmatic strategies on maternal and infant health. It will address classification issues related to commonly used data sources in perinatal epidemiology and challenges in assessing pregnancy exposures and outcomes.  The final course project will require a written description of a study design on a perinatal issue. Although students will learn skills similar to those acquired in Reproductive Epidemiology (EP 759), such as critically reviewing epidemiologic study designs, the issues discussed will differ and be focused on pregnancy and the neonatal period. Barger. 4 cr.

SPH MC 763 Maternal and Child Health Policymaking

This course explores the process by which U.S. national and state policymakers allocate resources to mothers and children. Beginning with an analysis of the evolution of U.S. maternal and child health (MCH) policy, it utilizes general policy models and case studies to examine the special features of legislative, executive, administrative, and judicial policymaking in MCH.  The course examines how policymaking in MCH has traditionally been characterized by a greater reliance on regulatory and judicial bodies, as well as the frequent use of mothers and children as political symbols.  This course is taught in seminar format with weekly readings and student-led discussion. DeClercq. 2 cr.

SPH MC 770 S A1 Children with Special Health Care Needs

The course presents an overview of issues related to the design and delivery of services for children with special health care needs and their families in the United States. It addresses the nature and extent of chronic illness and disability among children, the demographics of childhood disability, the legislative framework for health and social services for this population, and the organization and implementation of services at local, state and federal levels.  Throughout the course, the central role of family in the child’s life and the importance of family-centered service systems are emphasized.  The challenge of balancing complex care needs with needs related to childhood social and cognitive development is highlighted. Students are given opportunities to enhance skills in the areas of needs assessment, program and policy development, and evaluation through class discussion, readings, and assignments. Allen. 4 cr. Summer I

SPH MC 771 Topics in Maternal and Child Health: In Fall 2OO8 Adolescents: Public Health Dream or Nightmare?

Grad prereq: none required; recommended: the MPH Social and Behavioral Sciences and Epidemiology core courses.  This course equips public health students from all departments and disciplines to take on the analytic and programmatic challenges presented by adolescents.  The course begins with a synthesis of perspectives on adolescence: biologic, behavioral, cultural, economic, and public health. A wide range of data sources and analysis serve as the basis to frame current debates on specific issues.  The course continues within-depth treatment of several key challenges to public health researchers and practitioners: obesity and eating disorders; sexuality, gender and LGBTQ health; teen pregnancy and birth; health disparities and access to health care. For each topic we examine the epidemiologic landscape and the theoretical and empirical evidence base for public health interventions across the spectrum of models, ranging from individual behavior change to community-based youth development,  The course includes field observations, site visits, and multiple opportunities to interact with practitioners of adolescent health and advocacy. By the end, students will demonstrate: 1) deepened understanding of adolescents as asset-rich and risk-ridden members of families and communities, and 2) sharpened skills in evidence analysis and public speaking. Godley. 4 cr.

SPH MC 775 Health Disparities and Vulnerable Populations

This course is focused on strengthening public health students’ knowledge, skills and ability to construct a critical appraisal of the determinants, distribution, causes, mechanisms, systems and consequences of health disparities.  The course requirements, including the class presentations, help students in acquiring intermediate skills in design of public health interventions targeted toward understanding, reducing and ultimately eliminating health disparities among and across MCH populations. Students will gain program evaluation skills through evaluation of allocation of resources and provision of health services in a specific community-based program.  The course is designed to help students translate current knowledge and research into specific public health strategies.  This class also carries concentration credit in Social and Behavioral Sciences. Rorie. 4 cr.

SPH MC 782 B1 Women and Substance Use: Issues and Promising Practices

Grad prereq: MC 725 or MC 760 or consent.  This course offers a window on the experiential context in which women—including adolescent girls—develop substance abuse problems, and the health and social consequences for them and for their families. We will examine the complex, dynamic interaction of risk and resilience as it affects individuals, families, and communities, and learn about the interplay between substance abuse and co-existing mental health problems.  The course will cover effective practices for screening and clinical assessment, gender-specific and family-centered treatment, prevention of relapse, and the importance of addressing co-morbidities as part of public health strategies.  Throughout the course, we will consider special MCH populations, such as pregnant women.  The course will conclude with an examination of practices that communities and states have identified as effective or promising for the improvement of the health of families affected by substance abuse and mental health problems. By the end of the course, students will demonstrate a deeper understanding of the complexity and inter-relatedness of personal and social environments in which substance abuse and mental health issues occur within families and strategies and policies for prevention, detection, and treatment. A research paper will be required. Hutchins. 2 cr.

SPH MC 785 Reproductive Health Advocacy

Grad prereq: SPH LW 707 or equivalent (concurrent or completed) or consent of instructor.  This course prepares students to design, lead, or collaborate in advocacy efforts around reproductive health policy in the United States.  The course focuses on an array of issues related to women’s fertility and its regulation (e.g., abortion, emergency contraception), using multiple frameworks—public health, law, social history, religion, and politics. Students apply critical analysis, writing and presentation skills to the construction of effective advocacy arguments.  The course begins with an overview of the social and political history of fertility control and current reproductive health services and policies. We then examine debates at the state and national levels in preparation for advocacy skill-building and practice.  These classes include a visit to the State House, meeting with legislators and senior aides to discuss the particular challenges inherent in proposing and passing reproductive health-related legislation, and interaction with a panel of advocacy organizations who employ diverse strategies to achieve their goals of reproductive rights and justice. Students then participate in mock hearings, crafting testimony to reflect assigned positions on issues under debate in states, and develop an op-ed article, demonstrating ability to construct a well-written argument to support their position on a topic of their choice to a public audience. Interested students may append the course with directed study or practicum with Prof. McCloskey to complete a project at a reproductive health advocacy organization. McCloskey. 2 cr.

SPH MC 810 Community Needs Assessment

Grad prereq: MC 725 or MC 760.  This course examines the process by which maternal and child health status and services in the United States can be assessed and analyzed at the community level. Quantitative and qualitative methods are used to define maternal and child health problems.  The strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to the documentation of the health care needs of pregnant women, mothers, and children of all ages are studied. Students complete a written community-based needs assessment of a maternal and child health problem of their choosing and present their findings to the class. Students have an opportunity to analyze secondary data sources to describe a community and document local maternal and child health status, and to assess the community’s capacity to address the problems described. Barger. 4 cr.

SPH MC 820 MCH Planning and Program Development

Grad prereq: SPH MC 810  This course helps students develop skills in program planning and development.  The class moves through the planning and program development process step-by-step, culminating in the development of a complete programmatic grant proposal as the course final. Class meetings build from the initial steps of problem definition, assessment of needs and development of a logic model, through design of an intervention, evaluation planning, incorporation of appropriate strategies for engaging relevant stakeholders, design of program outreach materials, and development of a program budget. Assignments are progressive: as new components are added to student proposals, previous components are revised and refined.  The class emphasizes teamwork as well as development of individual skills. Students learn to critique one another’s proposals in workshop sessions scheduled at key junctures in the course. Students are expected to have completed MC 810 before taking 820, and to focus on the topics of their 810 needs assessments in developing proposals in 820. Exceptions are possible, however, for students from concentrations other than MCH and occasionally for students who can draw on substantial experience around a particular MCH topic. Allen. 4 cr.

SPH MC 825 Maternal and Child Health Research and Evaluation

Grad prereq: consent of instructor (617-638-5375 or mkotelch@bu.edu).  This course introduces students to research and evaluation skills as applied to issues within the MCH field. It focuses on three components of MCH epidemiology: primary data collection (survey design); secondary computer-based data analysis; and program evaluation, as well as current research challenges and resources within the MCH field. Students develop an MCH research project of their choosing within an intensive tutorial setting. MCH epidemiology internet modules are used to supplement class activities. Kotelchuck. 4 cr.

SPH MC 831 Infant, Child, and Adolescent Mental Health: Integrating Developmental Science and Public Health

Grad prereq: MC 725 for MCH concentrators; all others: the MPH Social Behavioral Sciences and Epidemiology core course requirements or consent of the instructor.  This course draws on the knowledge base of developmental science to deepen students’ understanding of children’s emotional well-being and mental health. Students acquire practical knowledge regarding the epidemiology and etiology of mental health problems in childhood and appropriate treatment or intervention approaches. Controversial topics (e.g., autism; ADHD; antidepressants) are examined from a public health perspective. Students are introduced to the landscape of mental health services for children and explore directions for promising prevention and intervention efforts. Elwy. 4 cr.

SPH MC 840 Women and Health Policy: Gender, Evidence, and Politics

Grad prereq: MC 725, SB 802 or consent of intructor.  This course promotes critical thinking and problem-solving on current issues in women’s health through the analysis of theory and empirical evidence, program and policy development.  Topics explored during the first half of the course include: what women in the U.S. need, want, and receive with respect to health care services and preventive education; the role of women as health activists, consumers, and providers; the meaning of gender, race, class, and culture in the provider-patient relationship; the assumptions and agendas that have shaped the field of women’s health; and the implications of that history for policy-making today. During the second half of the course, case studies are used to consider whether or not the questions currently being asked in women’s health are the right questions and whether or not current resources are being directed appropriately.  Topics examined in depth include mammography, lesbian health, hormone replacement therapy, depression, and aging. Students complete the course with sharpened skills for making arguments and promoting their ideas orally and in writing to audiences as diverse as legislators, the media, private foundations, public health policy-makers, and the general public. Bernstein. 4 cr.

SPH MC 845 Perinatal Health Services

Grad prereq: MC 725.  This seminar will focus on the contribution of perinatal health services and policies to improving birth outcomes and maternal well-being.  This seminar will not address the identification of underlying causes or risks for poor birth outcomes, but rather will address the amelioration of known risks through organized public health programs and policies. A wide range of current prenatal health initiatives will be examined, including the CDC’s preconceptional and interconception care initiatives; comprehensive prenatal care (including home visiting) initiatives; community-based initiatives such as Healthy Start; the Institute of Medicine’s and March of Dimes’ prematurity prevention campaigns; internatal (and maternal longitudinal health) care interventions; and European reproductive health practices and policies. For each of these initiatives, we will examine the evidenced-based science underlying them; their programmatic and institutional structure; their practical implementation and management; the accessibility and barriers for participants; their financing, their political support and opposition; and their potential for improving birth outcomes and maternal well-being and reducing racial/ethnic disparities.  The special emphasis of this course will be on the practical implementation and delivery of the program services.  This course will primarily focus on U.S. perinatal health services, but similar international programs will also be examined. Kotelchuck. 2 cr.

SPH MC 871 Advanced Topics in Maternal and Child Health

Topics vary by semester; see the semester specific schedule for details.

General Public Health Courses

Open to all students who meet graduate prerequisites as applicable.

SPH PH 709 The Biology of Public Health

This course, designed for students who have little or no background in the biological sciences, provides a foundation in the biological mechanisms and principles underlying major public health problems.  This course or its equivalent or EH 710 are required pre-requisites for SPH EH 768, Introduction to  Toxicology. In PH 709, Selected public health problems are explored from a biological perspective in order to provide fundamental information about infectious and non-infectious agents of disease, disease transmission, biological defense mechanisms, co-evolution of man and microbes, the effects of nutritional deficiency and excess, effects of respiratory exposures, the biology of cancer, aging, and other topics. Each student completing this course should be able to participate knowledgeably in a discussion of public health problems with a basic understanding of the terminology, the underlying biological mechanisms of major public health problems, the biological impact of disease, and the major biological issues that influence the success of interventions. LaMorte. 4 cr.

SPH PH 710 Public Health Information and Communications Systems

This seminar course explores how contemporary information processing and communications technologies can support public health practice. Weekly readings, typically written by public health professionals, emphasize managerial, legal, political, intergovernmental, and social aspects of implementing and using automated systems to acquire, share, and disseminate public health information. Each student researches, writes, and presents orally a semester project that applies information management principles to a public health problem chosen by the student with the instructor’s approval. No prior computer training is required. Appropriate for new MPH students and others with interest in the topic. Snow. 4 cr.

SPH PH 805 The Role of Human and Environmental Factors in Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases

EPI 711 or 712, EH 710, PH 709, or prior coursework providing similar background and approved by the instructors.  Those students who do not have such a background may take this course with the consent of the instructors.  The goal of this course is to give students a basic understanding of the human (i.e., economic, political, and sociological) and environmental factors involved in the natural history of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Specific infectious diseases, including avian influenza, SARS, dengue, chikungunya, and enterohemorrhagic E. coli, will be employed as case studies to illustrate the mechanisms of disease emergence. Knowledge of the epidemiology of the specific infectious diseases under discussion along with a basic understanding of their pathogenesis are essential for appreciating how an infectious disease emerges or re-emerges. At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to apply the principles they have learned to analyze and determine the factors involved in the new emergence or re-emergence of an infectious disease; knowledge which is ultimately essential for determining appropriate disease control and prevention strategies.  This course carries International Health, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health credit. Hamer, van Seventer. 2 cr.

MPH Practicum Courses

SPH PH 970 Public Health Practicum

Grad prereq: MPH students only. Minimum of 12 credits hours completed. Consent and signature of Practice Office.  This course presents an opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning in a public health practice setting through participation in a structured practicum experience. Course components include: 1) placement in local, state, federal or international agency/organization that addresses significant public health problems for a minimum of 56 practicum work hours; 2) a learning contract that includes specific scope of work, activities, & timeline for accomplishing the objectives; 3) faculty preceptor oversight; 4) agency supervision; 5) midpoint review; 6) written abstract; 7) poster presentation and integration seminar; 8) evaluations. Practicum is graded pass/fail. Fidler. 0 cr.

SPH PH 971 Public Health Practicum

Grad prereq: MPH/MSW students only. Minimum of 12 credits hours completed. Consent and signature of Practice Office.  This course presents an opportunity for students to use their second year SSW field placement to fulfill the MPH practicum requirement. Course components include one, 2-hour seminar and an individualized learning experience (choice of seminars or reflective essay, focusing on social work and/or public health practices). Practicum is graded pass/fail. MSW/MPH students may also register for PH 970. Cox. 1 cr.

SPH PH 972 Public Health Practicum

Minimum of 12 credits hours completed. Consent and signature of Practice Office.  This course presents an opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning in a public health practice setting through participation in a structured practicum experience. Course components include: 1) placement in local, state, federal or international agency/organization that addresses significant public health problems for a minimum of 56 practicum work hours; 2) a learning contract that includes specific scope of work, activities, & timeline for accomplishing the objectives; 3) faculty preceptor oversight; 4) agency supervision; 5) midpoint review; 6) written abstract; 7) poster presentation and integration seminar; 8) evaluations. Practicum is graded pass/fail. Fidler. 2 cr.

SPH PH 974 Public Health Practicum

Minimum of 12 credits hours completed. Consent and signature of Practice Office.  This course presents an opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning in a public health practice setting through participation in a structured practicum experience. 1) placement in local, state, federal or international agency/organization that addresses significant public health problems for a minimum of 112 practicum work hours; 2) a learning contract that includes specific scope of work, activities, & timeline for accomplishing the objectives; 3) faculty preceptor oversight; 4) agency supervision; 5) midpoint review; 6) written abstract; 7) poster presentation and integration seminar; 8) evaluations. Practicum is graded pass/fail. Fidler. 4 cr.

SPH PH 984 Public Health Practicum

Grad prereq: MPH students only. Minimum of 12 credits hours completed. Consent of supervising faculty and signature of Practice Office.  This four-credit directed practicum option and is available for the student who will produce an enhanced academic product suitable for publication or for presentation upon completion of the practicum. In order to choose this option, the student must also identify a BUSPH faculty member with whom to work. Expectations and guidelines for the academic product must be discussed with the faculty preceptor at the onset of the practicum.  The student must demonstrate the capacity to complete such a project.  The faculty member should commit to such a project only if he/she is willing to co-author with the student on the practicum product.  The faculty member must also commit to meeting with the student several times during the course of the practicum semester. 1) placement in local, state, federal or international agency/organization that addresses significant public health problems for a minimum of 112 practicum work hours; 2) a learning contract that includes specific scope of work, activities, & timeline for accomplishing the activities; 3) faculty preceptor oversight; 4) agency supervision; 5) midpoint review; 6) written abstract; 7) poster presentation and integration seminar; 8) evaluations 9) completion of chosen academic product. Practicum is graded. Faculty. 4 cr.

DrPH Program Courses

SPH PH 850 Social and Cultural Factors Affecting the Health of Populations

Grad prereq: enrollment in the DrPH degree program or consent of instructor.  This course explores the social and cultural determinants of public health.  The concepts and approaches of social epidemiology are examined. Seminar participants explore how social science disciplines are useful in analyzing and solving public health challenges. Students will develop an overview of available research on the socio-economic, racial/ethnic, and gender gradients in health domestically and internationally. Structural violence as a social force will be emphasized.  The course emphasizes the relationships among methodological strategies, theory development, and the evolution of social policy. Finally, the relationship between these social and cultural determinants and public health interventions will be explored. Boehmer. 4 cr.

SPH PH 851 Needs Assessment

Grad prereq: enrollment in the DrPH program or consent of instructor.  This course examines the processes by which local and regional health status and services can be assessed and analyzed. Students will learn approaches to: quantitatively and qualitatively defining public health problems; setting a community agenda by prioritizing distinct public health problems; engage the community in assessing local capacity to address those problems; visualizing those problems with Geographic Information Systems; and presenting the results of their assessment to audiences of decision makers and the public. DeClercq. 4 cr.

SPH PH 852 Research Methods for Public Health Practice

Grad prereq: enrollment in the DrPH program or consent of instructor.  This course introduces students to the principles underlying the types of scientific studies that inform health programs methods such as cross-sectional surveys, qualitative studies, and randomized controlled trials. Issues related to sampling, instrument selection, variable construction, research ethics, and community involvement will among those explored in the course. Instruction is primarily through discussion of the advantages and limitations of real life studies that have informed health programming, and through a student project to design a feasible study to address an issue of interest to the students. In this way, students will learn about the advantages and limitations of various study designs.  The goal of the course is to enable participants to review scientific studies and critically assess their relevance to their area of public health practice. Bernstein, Kuruvilla. 4 cr.

SPH PH 853 Health Program Development and Management

Grad prereq: for DrPH students; others with written consent of instructor.  This course provides an applied, practitioner-oriented survey of major topics involving the management and finance of public health organizations and programs.  The goal is for students to develop an understanding of the underlying conceptual frameworks, theoretical structure, principal issues involved, and knowledge and skills required in the management and financing of governmental and non-profit organizations that provide, and oversee the provision of, public health services.  The course draws upon the theories of public sector management, economics, public finance, and expenditure, financial and managerial accounting for governments and non-profits and financial administration. DeJong. 4 cr.

SPH PH 854 Program and Policy Evaluation

Grad prereq: DrPH students only or consent of instructor (lfinison@bu.edu). Evaluation research is critical to the advancement of public health knowledge and the improvement of program services.  This course focuses on the theory and practice of program evaluation and the development of student evaluation skills and their implementation in practice. Students will use case materials taken from current evaluation projects. Students will learn to conceptualize the entire evaluation process from the development of program logic, through evaluation design, measurement, sample size calculation and an analysis plan. In addition, students will learn about the implications of cost-effectiveness analysis and meta-analysis for policy development. Finison. 4 cr.

SPH PH 855 Analytic Methods for Public Health Practice

Grad prereq: DrPH students only or consent of instructor (mlava@bu.edu). In this course students will learn and practice analyzing quantitative data and consider how such data might be used in public health decision making.  The course explores major domestic and international datasets examining their purpose, structure, and content. Student examples and homework will involve analyzing data from a large national health survey. In addition, students will be expected to research additional datasets for purposes of presenting the findings to the class. Key issues in the analysis and interpretation of public health data will be addressed and the translation of findings into programs and policies will be examined. LaValley. 4 cr.

SPH PH 856 Law and Ethics in Public Health Policy Development

Grad prereq: DrPH students and other students with instructor and DrPH program director consent only. Law, ethics, and human rights often either determine or heavily influence both the range of choices open to public health policymakers and the means available to achieve public health goals. Using case studies, including rationing flu vaccine, responding to catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina, protecting and promoting women’s health and reproductive rights in developing countries, and regulating research to prevent exploitation of subjects in resource poor countries, students will recognize and integrate legal, ethical, and human rights concepts into public health policy development. Glantz. 2 cr.

SPH PH 857 Economics and Finance for Public Health

Grad prereq: DrPH students who have completed PH 851.  This course is an applied, practitioner-oriented survey of major topics in health economics and the financial management of public health organizations and programs. It will provide students with a brief introduction to the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of health economics and financial management, but the focus will be on practical application to health care market issues, resource allocation policy problems, financial and managerial accounting, performance measurement, and economic evaluation of public health programs.  The course will use a combination of lectures, group discussions, in-class exercises, take-home assignments, and case studies to forge the link between the theoretical material and its practical application. Examples and case studies will be taken from a range of real-life domestic and international experience. Sabin, Vian. 4 cr.

SPH PH 860 Public Health Leadership

Grad prereq: enrollment in the DrPH program or consent of instructor; required of all DrPH students.  The public health leadership seminar will be the main integrative pedagogic experience of the DrPH doctoral program. It will provide a place for combining and applying knowledge from previous courses and field experience to address substantial complex multidimensional public health programs. It will also address crosscutting issues that may not be covered in any single DrPH core or departmental course.  This integrative leadership doctoral seminar will model/demonstrate the multidimensional approaches and cross-cutting leadership needed to address a complex public health practice issue, including student’s dissertation project.  The seminar will also provide an opportunity to meet/learn from/and interact with senior public health officials/practitioners. Required for all DrPH students. Declercq. 1 cr.

SPH PH 986 DrPH Public Health Practicum

Grad prereq: for DrPH students only, graded pass/fail, and requires learning contract and signature of instructor on registration form. Students will build on both their existing practice experience and the knowledge gained in the DrPH core courses to learn how to identify and respond to leadership challenges in public health. Placements, developed in partnership with the student’s practice mentor, will focus on providing students with new experience in practicing public health at a higher level than their previous work, typically focusing on policy making. Students will prepare a report that may also serve as the basis for a problem-based dissertation proposal. Declercq. 0 cr.

SPH PH 990 Continuing Study

Grad prereq: must be a DrPH student approved for dissertation work. Doctoral students who have completed all academic course requirements must register for Continuing Study every Fall and Spring semester until they have successfully defended their dissertation and applied to graduate from SPH. Students are charged for 2 credits equivalent of tuition and for medical insurance.  There is no grade awarded and students are certified full time. Declercq. 0 cr.

Health Policy & Management Department

SPH PM 702 Introduction to Health Policy and Management

Close to 90 percent of the $2.4 trillion spent on health care in this nation in 2008 is being used to provide medical services to individuals. High costs, declining coverage, stresses on many caregivers, tradeoffs among quality and cost and access, and growing political tensions afflict U.S. health care.  These problems affect all of us who work in public health.  This course analyzes these problems, their causes, and ways to solve them. Specifically, how can our vast human and financial resources be marshaled and managed to improve health care delivery for all Americans?  To answer this question, the course examines how people are covered, how care is organized and delivered, how caregivers are paid, management, politics, ethics, and more. It considers hospitals, physicians and other caregivers, long-term care, prescription drugs, and mental health.  This course meets the health policy and management MPH core requirement. It is the prerequisite for most others in the department. International, nonresident students who are not Health Policy and Management concentrators and all International Health concentrators may substitute IH 704. Students who have taken IH 704 may not take PM 702 for degree credit. Sager. 3 cr.

SPH PM 715 The Impact of Insurance on Health Care

Grad prereq: PM 702.  This course examines the efforts of employers, as purchasers of health care, to shape the delivery, cost, and quality of health care. It describes the origins of job-based health insurance in the United States, how is insurance linked to American culture and tradition (is it an accident or natural to our political/economic ethos), how insurance works in health care, the ways in which health care realities can conflict with the requirements of traditional insurance, the employer-sponsored “consumer-driven” health plans that reduce first-dollar coverage and thereby attempt to make patients more cost conscious in their health care use, and efforts by employers to induce hospitals, doctors, and other caregivers to improve quality and safety while containing costs. Faculty. 2 cr.

SPH PM 721 Organizational Behavior and Health Management

Grad prereq: PM 702.  This course provides a framework for understanding, diagnosing, and taking actions to improve individual, group, and system-wide effectiveness in health services organizations.  The conceptual framework is derived from the organizational behavior literature and applied to health services organizations. Some of the topics this course addresses and integrates are leadership, motivation, corporate culture, teams, organization design and coordination, and organization change. Case studies, brief lectures, student presentations, and experiential exercises are used throughout this course. Young. 4 cr.

SPH PM 733 Health Program Management

Grad prereq: SPH PM 702.  This course is a general introduction to management in health care settings, coupled with exposure to practical business knowledge and skills.  The goal of the course is to better equip present and future health care managers to plan effectively, anticipate challenges, marshal resources, and provide the integration that is necessary for health care organizations to meet their goals. In addition to insights into the key aspects of health care management, students will have opportunities to become more comfortable with the technical aspects of management while gaining an appreciation for the complexities and ambiguities of implementation in real-world health care settings.  The course will emphasize two aspects of management: the activities and skills of the manager that are essential to success, and the basic functional areas of the organization within which s/he operates. Skills will be addressed first, and the lessons learned will then be applied to the functional areas. Skill development will be approached from a pragmatic, real-world perspective. Principles and abstract concepts will be discussed briefly and will be tied back to practice through the use of examples, case studies, problem-solving, experimental exercises, and reflection. Students will consider many of the factors that can result in challenging obstacles in the management of health care organizations with practical examples.  The course explores these issues in a range of settings including the public, private and nonprofit sectors, and in organizations of varying scale. White, Minichiello. 4 cr.

SPH PM 734 Principles of Nonprofit Accounting

This course combines didactic and case study approaches to the fundamentals of nonprofit accounting, with emphasis on health care institutions.  Topics covered include accrual accounting, fund accounting, budgeting, and cost concepts. Analysis and interpretation of financial statements for decision making by the nonfinancial manager are stressed. Faculty. 4 cr.

SPH PM 735 Health Care Finance

Grad prereq: PM 702 or consent of instructor.  This course describes how money works in health care, presents a variety of useful analytic techniques, and explores methods of using money to shape more accessible, affordable, and effective health care. We examine current financial crises and managerial problems in health care and their proposed solutions. No financial or accounting background is assumed. Sager. 4 cr.

SPH PM 736 Human Resource Management in Public Health

Grad prereq: recommended: PM 702.  This course provides students with a skills-based orientation to human resource management, especially in a public health or human services setting. Core concepts such as workplace assessment, motivators, human resource planning and recruitment, decentralization, criteria-based position descriptions and performance appraisals, and union management issues are presented via case studies that amplify a systems-oriented public health approach. Using case examples that illustrate basic principles, students develop strategies to improve retention, manage and coordinate human resource problems with the organizational culture in many public health and human service organizations. Workplace enhancers affecting retention, innovative management models, current regulatory and service issues that affect reimbursement, wage and practice in multiple settings are introduced in lecture, discussion, group, and case analysis. Parker. 4 cr.

SPH PM 741 Consultation Techniques

This course prepares the student to be a consultant with a health policy and management perspective.  The course covers key concepts in how to identify and market your expertise to a potential consulting client, evaluate client demands and needs so as to develop a winning proposal, select and apply appropriate tools to successfully address a range of common types of consulting engagements.  The course offers guidance for avoidance of common pitfalls of client relationship management as well as how to maximize the benefits of these relationships. Further, it provides an overview of the healthcare management consulting industry today.  The course will provide guidance on writing your resume to fit what consulting firms are seeking, as well as identifying and evaluating consulting firm employment options, and developing your own consulting practice. Evaluation of case examples of proposals, reports and ethical dilemmas as well as development of a MS PowerPoint marketing proposal are a part of class assignments.  This course assists students in determining whether consulting may be a suitable personal pursuit and how to effectively select and direct consultants as a healthcare manager. Deane. 2 cr.

SPH PM 742 Introduction to Pharmaceutical Assessment, Management, and Policy (Introduction to PAMP)

This course provides an introduction and overview of the pharmaceutical sector in a public health context. It is a required course for students who enroll in the Pharmaceutical Assessment, Management, and Policy (PAMP) program.  Topics include definition and classification of drugs, drug development, description of decision makers and stakeholders that comprise the pharmaceutical sector, and the role and interplay of regulators, policy makers, and professional organizations. Access to medicines will be presented in a framework that addresses selection (including efficacy and effectiveness), financing, health systems, use and safety of medicines. Kaplan. 2 cr.

SPH PM 744 Introduction to Health Facility Planning and Design

This course explores the factors that drive the planning, design, and construction of health care facilities. Key concepts, such as converting market demand to workloads, workloads to space programs and programs into functional designs—while considering quality, cost, and schedule aspects—will be discussed. By understanding the processes that planning and design professionals use to translate ideas into “bricks and mortar,” students will learn how “educated” owners develop successful healthcare facilities. Rettig, Breslin. 2 cr.

SPH PM 752 Disability and Public Health

Grad prereq: PM 702. Although the public health field has been slow to respond to the needs of persons with disability, public health initiatives are becoming increasingly important to monitor disability trends, to track societal progress, influence future disability policy initiatives, prevent primary and secondary disability, and reduce disparities in health and well being in our population.  This course is designed to help students interested in disability to begin to explore this topic from a public health perspective. We will examine selected topics in depth to provide a student with an introduction to the topic. Jette. 2 cr.

SPH PM 755 The Shape of Health Care Delivery

Grad prereq: PM 702. What types of hospitals, doctors, nurses, long-term care, mental health, and other caregivers are available in the United States? How are they organized? Are they in the right places? Is the supply of caregivers appropriate?  To what extent does the shape of care delivery address the needs of patients and of caregivers themselves? How did these patterns of care delivery evolve over time, and what market, regulatory, political, and other forces shape the delivery of care today? What are the main strengths and weaknesses of health care delivery in the United States? What problems in care delivery and organization have been identified and what are their causes? What remedies have been proposed, and how well have they worked so far? What are the possible roles of physicians, patients, managers, businesspeople, and regulators in improving the overall supply and types of caregivers, their locations, and how they are organized? In what way could coordination among physicians, hospital, long-term care, mental health services, and other types of care be improved? In what ways is care delivery influenced by methods of payment, and by efforts to improve coverage, control cost, and raise the appropriateness and quality of care? And reciprocally, in what ways does the shape of care delivery influence payment methods and efforts to improve health care? Sager, Faculty. 4 cr.

SPH PM 758 Introduction to Mental Health Services: History and Current Trends in Mental Health Care and Treatment

Grad prereq: PM 702 or consent of instructor.  The purpose of this course is to develop a basic understanding of the mental health service delivery system and its relationship to public health and to the health care delivery system.  Topics include a description of mental health services, epidemiology of mental health disorders, the current delivery system, mental health managed care, innovations in mental health services, and mental health policy, financing, and standards of treatment. Other issues such as parity, consumer and family advocacy movements, and issues relevant to children and adolescents are also discussed. Duckworth. 2 cr.

SPH PM 771 Topics in Health Policy and Management

Topic varies per semester. See semester specific schedule for details. In fall 2008, the topic is “PAMP Capstone.”  This course will attempt to synthesize and integrate key areas of study from health policy and management, epidemiology, biostatistics and international health.  The course will use a case study approach designed to apply the knowledge base from prior course work targeted to real world decision making problems related to pharmaceuticals.

SPH PM 776 Management Skills for Solving Practical Problems

Grad prereq: SPH PM 702 or consent of instructor. Students tackle a variety of problems that health care managers face, skills useful in solving these problems, and opportunities to practice applying those skills.  The aim of the course is to provide skills and confidence that students can use to face and solve problems on their own.  The course employs a case method, in which students analyze managerial and interpersonal problems they themselves and other managers face. Successful health care managers, mostly alumni of the class, present problems they faced and how they tackled them.  The class also introduces students to systems thinking as a way to map and manage the underlying dynamics that produce managerial problems. Specific skills relevant to the case problems are developed through reading assignments, written case analysis, interactive class exercises, real-world practice, and lectures. Parker. 4 cr.

SPH PM 810 Introduction to American Government for Public Health

This course is a brief introduction to the institutions, processes, and politics of federal institutions; how they were designed and how they actually operate today. Concepts of power, representation, interests are explored. Cases in the course focus on public health policies. Students learn to use the internet to find how particular public health issues are handled by the federal government. Rosenbloom. 2 cr. 


SPH PM 811 Health Services Research and Methods

Grad prereq: the biostatistics MPH core requirement and PM 702.  This course emphasizes an application-oriented approach to the study of health services research with the goal of informing health care policy. Emphasis is on definition of the problem, scale of the study, research methods, and analysis. A foundation is covered among the following possible areas: measurement issues (reliability and validity), secondary data analysis, clinical trials, sampling, survey methods, qualitative methods, and economics (cost-effectiveness). Students are expected to prepare a grant proposal on a contemporary topic of their own choosing with health policy implications. Kazis, Cabral. 4 cr.

SPH PM 814 Contemporary Theoretical and Empirical Issues in Health Services Research

Grad prereq: admission to Health Services Research MSc/DSc program or consent of instructor.  This cornerstone course for the MSc/DSc programs in Health Services Research provides a rigorous introduction to the issues, policies, and research questions in the field. Namely, how do institutions, organizations and policy decisions affect the quality, quantity and availability of health care? And, how is research informing the debate? Readings are drawn from research reports and articles.  The course challenges students to explain current health care problems and trends in light of competing theories and empirical evidence. Clark. 4 cr.

SPH PM 815 Statistical Methods for Health Services Research

Grad prereq: PM 702, the biostatistics MPH core requirement, and one of the following: BS 723, BS 820, BS 821, BS 851, BS 852 or consent of the instructor. Competence in applied statistical methods and concepts is becoming increasingly important to health service researchers. Because the conclusions and recommendations stemming from health studies rely so heavily on the results of proper data collection and their appropriate statistical analysis, a working knowledge of health services statistics is one of the most useful tools a health researcher can acquire.  This course provides an understanding of how statistical techniques are used in health policy and health services research.  The foundations of data analysis are demonstrated, leading to topics such as data distributions, significance tests, sample size determination, power analysis, analysis of variance, simple and multiple regression, model specification, correlation and collinearity, heteroscedasticity, measurement error and logistic and probit regression.  The approach is practical, instructing students using SAS software to perform basic exercises and guiding them through readings from the field that apply basic techniques.  The main goal of the course is to provide students with the ability to comprehend health policy readings drawn from the health services and health economics literature, bearing on issues such as health expenditure growth, medical insurance, and government regulation. Stefos. 4 cr.

SPH PM 818 Health Information Technology

Grad prereq: PM 702.  Taught at BU School of Management with GSM HM 817.  This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to evaluate and manage information technology in heath care organizations. In particular it focuses on the role of IT in driving organizational change and supporting quality improvement and elimination of medical errors.  Topics include electronic health records, computerized provider order entry, interoperability, management decision support, and provider pay for performance. Restuccia. 4 cr.

SPH PM 821 Advanced Health Services Research Methods

Grad prereq: SPH BS 723 and PM 811.  This course builds on SPH PM 811 by providing advanced methods and their applications to studies of health care outcomes, quality, and economics. Methods covered include: advanced measurement techniques such as item response theory and applications through computer adaptive testing, selecting the research design, meta-analysis, advanced statistics applied to grant proposals, and econometric methods using instrumental variables. Students develop an original paper based upon a secondary data analysis. Kazis, Cabral. 3 cr.

SPH PM 824 Theory and Research on Organizations

Grad prereq: admission to Health Services Research MSc/DSc program or consent of instructor.  The purposes of this course are first to develop the students’ understanding of major theoretical perspectives on health care organizations, and second to develop their abilities to apply these theories to conduct theory-based research on health care organizations.  The course achieves this understanding through an in-depth review of contemporary literature addressing each major theoretical perspective and through written assignments and discussions of the contrasts among the major theoretical perspectives on organizations.  To develop their abilities to apply the theories, students also design organizational research based upon the different theories. Charns. 4 cr.

SPH PM 826 Health, Illness, and The Use of Health Services

Grad prereq: PM 814 or consent of instructor.  This course provides an introduction to social and behavioral science research that would serve as a basis for inquiry in health economics (e.g., consumer behavior, decision making) and health outcomes (e.g., adaptation to chronic disease, patient satisfaction). Its goal is to develop an understanding of the social context of health services, focusing on how people perceive a need for health services, seek them, engage in transactions with health care providers as “patients” or “consumers” and live with the outcomes. Clark. 4 cr.

SPH PM 827 Strategic Management of Healthcare Organizations

Grad prereq: PM 702 or IH 704 or consent of instructor.  This course examines key strategic issues that health care organizations face that affect their competitive position and performance.  Through the course students learn to select and apply analytic frameworks from economics, management, and law to resolve these strategic issues. Students develop skills in strategic planning and management that includes industry and competitive analysis. Young. 4 cr.

SPH PM 828 Advanced Seminar in Qualitative Methods for Health Services Research

Grad prereq: SPH SB 818 or consent of instructor.  This course will focus on the use of qualitative methods in understanding outcomes of care, such as patient-centered perspectives on illness and health care; processes of care, such as doctor-patient interactions and communication; and the organization of care, such as the impact of different organizational structures on the quality of care. Students will develop skills in the use of qualitative methods in health services research, including the procedures of focus groups, the use of in-depth interviews, naturalistic observations of health care practices, and ethnographic studies of health care organizations and client communities.  The course is part of the DSc program in Health Services Research, but will be of interest to other students who wish to learn about utilizing qualitative methods in their research. Bokhour. 4 cr.

SPH PM 830 Developing Patient-Based Health Status and Outcomes Measures

Grad prereq: PM 811 or consent of instructor. Contemporary health services research relies heavily on patient-based measures of health status and other outcomes of health care.  This course covers techniques for defining health status constructs to be measured and the content of questionnaires, psychometric procedures of scale development and evaluation, as well as the theoretical bases of patient-based health status assessment in the context of outcomes research. Practical issues of selecting and applying measures in designing health outcomes research are addressed. Eisen. 4 cr.

SPH PM 833 Health Economics

Grad prereq: PM 702 or consent of instructor.  This course develops the lens and tools of basic microeconomic analysis and applies them to key health policy issues, emphasizing the trade-offs involved in various choices within the health care economy.  The debate between pro-market and government regulatory approaches is examined.  The main focus is on domestic health economics; however, analytic methods developed in the course are applicable to foreign health care systems. Carey. 4 cr.

SPH PM 834 Health Regulation and Planning

Grad prereq: PM 702. Past failures of competitive markets in health care led to demands for public planning and regulation. But these, in turn, have not been very successful in ameliorating cost, coverage, or quality problems. Employing cases of successful and failed public interventions in health care, this course dissects what has worked and why. It provides frameworks and skills that can be used to address real world health care problems. Sager. 4 cr.

SPH PM 836 Survey of Managed Care

Grad prereq: PM 702.  This course gives a comprehensive overview of managed care and its impact on U.S. health care.  The course begins by examining early managed care organizations (MCOs) and evaluates the impact of increasing costs and concern about poor quality associated with the traditional fee-for-service system on the rapid growth of MCOs beginning in the 1980s. Students explore the impact of managed care on the role and relationships of primary care, specialist physicians, and hospitals. Specific programs to reduce costs and improve quality are evaluated with a focus of their impact on the patient as well as the physician-patient relationship.  The course integrates a discussion of the key management challenges facing managed care and larger health policy issues. Buyse. 2 cr.

SPH PM 837 Evaluating Health Care Quality

Grad prereq: PM 702 or consent of instructor.  This course covers methods for describing, evaluating, and managing the quality of health care services. Examples are drawn from various settings, e.g., acute care, home health care, and ambulatory care. Berlowitz. 4 cr.

SPH PM 838 Health Politics and Public Policy

Grad prereq: PM 702 or consent of instructor.  This course examines selected major health policy issues affecting public and private health organizations. It discusses the political processes and institutions shaping these policies, and seeks answers to who gets what from whom, when, where, and why in health policy. Jehlen. 2 cr.

SPH PM 840 Analysis of Current Health Policy Issues

Grad prereq: PM 702 and completion of the core epidemiology and biostatistics requirements.  The purpose of this course is to arm students with the skills to debate, define, and defend health policy proposals. We will explore, in depth, several current health policy problems.  The course will take an analytic case approach, identifying policy options and tools, then gathering information and applying data to evaluate outcomes, costs; winners and losers.  This is a capstone course meant to be taken in the student’s last semester. Burgess. 4 cr.

SPH PM 842 Health Economics for Health Services Research

Grad prereq: one semester of college-level calculus and one semester of college/graduate-level statistics or biostatistics.  This course provides an understanding of principles of microeconomics and applied microeconomic analysis of public health policy issues sufficient to comprehend and conduct health services research.  The over-arching philosophical issues facing the post health care reform world and the arguments defining the debate between pro-market and government regulatory approaches are addressed.  The main focus is on domestic health economics; however, analytic methods developed in the course are applicable to foreign health care systems.  There is a lab component. Students may not take both PM 833 and PM 842 for degree credit. Burgess. 4 cr.

SPH PM 845 Econometrics in Health Services Research

Grad prereq: PM 814 and the MPH biostatistics core course requirement or consent.  This course provides an understanding of how mathematical techniques designed for working with economic data are used in health services research.  The statistical foundations of econometrics are demonstrated, leading to topics including simple and multiple regression, tests of significance, model specification, violations of basic assumptions, and measurement error.  The approach is a practical one that instructs students in using SAS software to perform basic econometric exercises and that guides them through readings from the field that apply the basic techniques.  The main goal of the course is to provide students with the ability to comprehend econometrics readings drawn from the health services and health economics literature bearing on issues such as health expenditure growth, medical insurance, and government regulation. Stefos. 4 cr.

SPH PM 850 Organizing for Health System Change

Grad prereq: PM 702.  This course examines the role of consumer organizing and advocacy in the reforming U.S. health system. It provides students with a basic understanding of the strategies consumers have employed to expand access to care, shape the delivery system, and improve the quality of care. Students have the opportunity to develop analytical skills related to policy, politics, and organizing, including media relations and legislative lobbying.  Topics include state and national efforts to create a system of universal coverage and strategies to reduce the cost and expand access to prescription drugs. Class is held in a seminar format. Restuccia, Miller. 2 cr.

SPH PM 855 Cost Effectiveness Analysis and Decision Analysis

Grad prereq: PM 833 and BS 703 or EP 712.  This course offers an introduction to the uses and conduct of cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) as decision making aids in the health and medical fields. It provides students with an understanding of the roles and limitations of CEAs and criteria for evaluating these studies. Important theoretical and practical issues encountered in measuring costs and effectiveness, evaluating outcomes, discounting, and dealing with uncertainty are discussed. Discussions on framing and reporting of CEAs focus on the purpose of the analysis and the effective communication of its findings. Case studies demonstrate the use of CEAs in the areas of prevention, drug treatment, and new technologies. Burgess. 4 cr.

SPH PM 871 Advanced Topics in Health Policy and Management

Topic varies per semester. See semester specific schedule for details.

SPH PM 980 Continuing Study in Health Services Research

Grad prereq: enrollment in either the Master of Science or Doctor of Science in Health Services Research program. Master of Science and Doctor of Science in Health Services Research students who have completed all academic course requirements, must register for Continuing Study every Fall and Spring semester until they have successfully defended their theses or dissertations and applied to graduate from SPH. Students are charged for two credits plus medical insurance and are certified as full time students. Burgess. 0 cr.

SPH SB 710 Nutrition and Public Health

This course examines the principles of public health nutrition and explores the nutritional status of individuals throughout their life cycle. Faculty focus on nutrition assessment, the development of nutrition policy, the role of diet in obesity and chronic diseases of an affluent society, nutrition program planning, and national and local nutrition surveillance. In addition, the course reviews the components of administering nutrition services on a local, national, and international level.  The impact of overall socioeconomic development on nutrition and health status, infectious disease, and public health policy is considered. No previous coursework in nutrition is required; a basic introduction to nutrition is provided. Balsam. 4 cr.

SPH SB 715 Teaching Public Health

This classroom based, web-enhanced course is designed for students planning to teach or train in structured or informal settings as part of their professional career. Surveying learning theory, educational principles and techniques, the participants develop a short course in an area of interest, based on a systematic approach to educational design. After specifying the performance expected of course graduates, students develop behavioral objectives, an evaluation plan and a student centered course syllabus. Along with the design and development of instruction, students have an opportunity to practice “up front” teaching skills with feedback from the participants. Vanderschmidt, Screnci, Segal. 4 cr.

SPH SB 721 Social and Behavioral Sciences for Public Health

This survey course introduces MPH students to social and behavioral sciences within the context of public health scholarship, research, and practice.  The basic aim of the course is to teach students the social and behavioral science fundamentals (principles, theories, research, and techniques) that can and should be used to inform the identification, definition, assessment, and resolution of public health problems.  The course focuses on providing a framework for considering the important questions in a thoughtful and evidence-based manner such that students will be able to critically analyze public health problems and determine the appropriate social and behavioral sciences principles, theories, and research that will be most effective and useful in intervening to address that particular public health problem.  The course considers alternative paradigms for understanding and intervening to resolve public health problems in a critical way, drawing heavily upon the public health literature in which these various perspectives have been vigorously debated and discussed. Siegel. 3 cr.

SPH SB 730 Stress as a Public Health Problem

Research on the impact of excessive psychological stress indicates that it plays a significant role in physical and psychological health, in rising incidence of substance use and violence in communities, in increased absenteeism and decreased productivity in the work place, and increased medical costs.  This course examines the impact of psychological, biological, environmental and social stressors on health, illness, health-risking behavior and its economic and public health consequences. Education and intervention strategies and programs involving community awareness and participation are evaluated.  Through literature review, lecture, and discussion, students examine the biopsychosocial approach to stress and heath and explore its application to health care and public health. Dolan. 2 cr.

SPH SB 732 Nutrition, Aging, and the Elder Population

This course explores the nutritional needs of elderly adults and describes the various physiological, psychological, and social changes that occur with aging that affect dietary and nutritional status.  The techniques of nutritional assessment of elders in both the community and clinical settings are discussed.  The nutritional needs of older adults are linked with recommendations designed to maintain optimal health into older age. Students learn about the major federal and state nutrition programs that target elders and are able to identify strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in services. Preparation of a brief policy memo on a topic of current interest and/or controversy related to elderly nutrition is required. Balsam. 2 cr.

SPH SB 733 Mass Communication and Public Health

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721.  This course explores the use of mass communication as a tool for health promotion. It begins by examining the structure and function of the mass media and the role of mass media in shaping the social and cultural environment regarding health issues and behaviors.  The course then presents the theory and basic elements of the range of mass media approaches available to the public health practitioner (public service announcements, public communication campaigns, integration of mass media into community-based health promotion strategies, advertising, entertainment programming, social marketing, and media advocacy). Students discuss the strengths and limitations of each approach and gain experience in applying principles to specific public health problems. Students also develop basic skills necessary to be able to collaborate with health communication and media specialists in public health organizations and agencies. Students work in groups on a final project in which they develop and present a proposal for a plan for a health promotion initiative that uses mass media. Siegel. 4 cr.

SPH SB 750 Family Violence and the Practice of Public Health

Grad prereq: SB 721 recommended.  This course provides an overview, from a public health/prevention perspective, of the problem of family violence, focusing on child abuse and neglect, domestic or intimate partner abuse and elder abuse.  The “Spectrum of Prevention” model will be utilized to provide a conceptual framework for primary and secondary prevention. Students who have completed this course will be prepared to undertake scholarly, community-based consulting or evaluation work in the field. Small-group discussion, case analyses, and interviews with providers whose daily work is in the field foster the examination of issues related to epidemiology, behavioral dynamics, prevention, intervention, public policy, and research in family violence. Decker. 4 cr.

SPH SB 751 Sexual Violence: Public Health Perspectives in Intervention and Prevention

This course provides a social-ecological overview of sexual violence, focusing on individual, familial, and societal factors that impact this pervasive public health problem. Students who have completed this course will be prepared to approach meaningful scholarly, community-based, consulting or evaluation work in the field. Small group discussion, case analyses, and interviews with providers whose daily work is in the field will foster the examination of issues related to epidemiology, behavioral dynamics, prevention, intervention, public policy, and research in sexual violence. Rothman. 4 cr.

SPH SB 771 Topics in Social & Behavioral Sciences

Topics vary per semester. See semester specific schedule for details.

SPH SB 780 Social Factors in Mental Health and Illness

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721 required; the Epidemiology MPH core course recommended.  This course provides an introduction to mental health and mental illness. A number of perspectives on mental health and illness are presented including biological, genetic and psychological approaches. Although students are introduced to the basic concepts of psychiatric epidemiology, the course focuses primarily on the role of social factors in the etiology, course and treatment of mental illness. Students learn about the social consequences of mental illness, such as stigma, and explore ways to prevent these consequences.  The social and political contexts within which mental health and mental illness occur are discussed as well as the role of public health and public health professionals. Kogan. 4 cr.

SPH SB 802 Public Health and Women: Social and Behavioral Approaches

Grad prereq: SB 721.  This course focuses on public health concepts as they apply to the identification of special health needs of women and the design of health promotion and disease prevention strategies to meet these needs.  The course combines theoretical and empirical readings with the application of concepts to existing prevention and intervention programs.  The objectives of this course are to enhance students’ understanding of the major causes of health problems among women, gender-specific theoretical frameworks, the impact of social and behavioral influences on women’s health and the relationship between sociopolitical trends and health services for women.  The course combines lecture and discussion formats with fieldwork. Raj. 4 cr.

SPH SB 804 Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721 and the epidemiology MPH core requirement.  This course examines the extensive sociological theory and epidemiologic research on socioeconomic inequalities in health. One of the most striking and consistent findings in social epidemiology is the association between socioeconomic position and health.  The main objective of this course is to enhance students’ understanding of how social forces shape exposure to and experience of most diseases and risk factors for health.  The course primarily draws on evidence from the US, while also incorporating data from other industrialized countries.  The course also devotes special attention to conceptual and measurement issues, the social context of health, contextual multilevel analysis, and ecological and life course perspectives. Albers. 4 cr.

SPH SB 805 Race, Ethnicity, and Health

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721.This course examines conceptual and measurement issues related to race/ethnicity in health, public health research and practice, as well as the role of socioeconomic status and other contextual factors in health status and access to health care.  The major objectives of this course are to increase students’ understanding of: major health problems and utilization of health care among various racial/ethnic populations; the conceptual and measurement issues related to race/ethnicity; and social and political factors that shape health status and access to, and quality of, health care. Raj. 4 cr.

SPH SB 806 Communications Strategies for Public Health

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721.  This core course focuses on the development and execution of a planned communications strategy for a public health organization that is responsible for a community-based intervention.  The course also features a review of basic theory and research that can inform the health communications process. Working through a sequence of written assignments, students outline an intervention plan and then prepare several materials to execute a communications strategy, including a pitch letter, press release, commentary/editorial, letter to the editor, and a scheduled press event. Writing workshops in class are designed to give students ideas for their projects and interim feedback on their written assignments. DeJong. 4 cr.

SPH SB 807 The Health of LGBT Populations

Grad prereq: the MPH biostatistics and epidemiology core courses and SPH SB721 or consent.  This course explores the current knowledge about the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations. Students will develop an understanding of the historical milestones in identifying LGBT populations and how social science disciplines went about explaining these populations’ health. Students will learn to critically examine the current knowledge in health disparities due to sexual orientation and gender identity.  The course is divided into two sections. In the first section, the basic issues, definitions, and perspectives, derived from the social and behavioral sciences are taught, as they are needed for the critical examination of available findings related to LGBT health and behaviors. In the second section, we will focus on a selection of LGBT health behaviors and outcomes and examine the current evidence on known health disparities of LGBTs. Boehmer. 2 cr.

SPH SB 808 Merging Clinical & Population-Based Perspectives in Public Health Practice:  Tension & Resolution

Clinicians and public health professionals rarely share common definitions of health or illness, and they often have competing interests, conflicting agendas, and different strategic approaches to health care problems.  This course explores contradictions and tensions between two perspectives that limit the effectiveness of both personal medical care and public health activities. Students observe population-based programs within an emergency department setting and explore the policy implications of collaborative, integrated models. Bernstein, Bernstein. 4 cr.

SPH SB 809 Intervention Design and Development to Reduce Health Disparities

Grad prereq: the MPH biostatistics and epidemiology core courses and SPH SB 721 or consent.  This course will review current knowledge on the design and implementation of interventions to reduce health disparities and will provide students with plans and tools for creating and evaluating their own interventions to reduce or eliminate disparities. First, we will define health disparities from a broad variety of settings.  Then we will review a model for intervention design applied to health disparity settings. We will apply study design and methodology to the evaluation of interventions. We will work through the steps of the intervention process, focusing on both the evidence needed at each step and the practical actions important to intervention success. Each step will include a critical analysis of the literature on intervention design and development. Finally, students will design their own intervention and evaluation plan to target the health disparity of their choice. Bowen. 2 cr.

SPH SB 813 Designing and Evaluating Websites for Public Health Interventions

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721  The class is designed to ground students in current eHealth trends and issues, and to guide them through the critical steps in conceptualizing, designing, and evaluating theory-guided and user-centered web-based health communication interventions. During the semester each student will develop a proposal for a health website as well as basic prototype web pages. Although the course emphasis is on the design process and not web development technology, students will be introduced to the Dreamweaver web authoring tool at a beginning level. Arnold. 4 cr.

SPH SB 818 Qualitative Research Methods

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721.  This course is designed to provide students with experience in the use and application of qualitative research methods for public health activities including needs assessments, research studies, intervention strategies, and program evaluations. Students are introduced to the quantitative versus qualitative data debate in social science research. Emphasis is placed on the practice of qualitative research and each student designs and conducts a research project.  Throughout the semester students’ field proposals, problems, process, and progress are discussed as are methodological issues including objectivity, sampling, data collection, ethics, and data analysis. Strunin. 4 cr.

SPH SB 820 Assessment and Planning for Health Promotion

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721 and the epidemiology MPH core requirement. EP 711/712 may be taken concurrently with SB 820.  This course will introduce students to neighborhoods of Boston and provide opportunities for acquiring and practicing assessment and intervention planning skills. We will explore methods for determining which subpopulations within a community are the most appropriate targets for intervention and which health risk and protective factors are associated with health outcomes of interest. Students will learn to consult large datasets (such as the U.S. Census, hospitalization data, vital records, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) to determine health promotion needs. Students will also practice conducting literature reviews. Consideration is given to qualitative assessment, though the focus of the course is on applying quantitative skills, learning to present data clearly and accurately, and communicating effectively using a scientific writing style.  The course sets the stage for intervention design and evaluation, and is a prerequisite for SB 821 & SB 822 for SB concentrators matriculated before fall 2007. Merrigan. 4 cr.

SPH SB 821 Intervention Strategies for Health Promotion

Grad prereq: for students matriculated prior to Fall 2007, SPH SB 820. Students new to concentration in Fall 2007 and later, SB 721 and assessment selective recommended.  This course focuses on strategic planning for public health practice. Working through a sequence of written assignments, students develop a strategic plan for a program intervention designed to change health behavior. Work in class and during individual consultations is designed to give students practice with elements of the strategic planning process, ideas for their project, and interim feedback on their written assignments. Students in SB 821 may take SB 822 simultaneously, although this is not generally recommended. Faculty. 4 cr.

SPH SB 822 Quantitative Methods for Program Evaluation

Grad prereq: for non-concentrators, the epidemiology and biostatistics MPH core requirements and SB 721. SB concentrators matriculated before Fall 2007 must have also taken SB 820 and SB 821. SB 821 may be taken concurrently. SB concentrators who matriculated in the Fall of 2007 or later, SB 721 and an intervention selective recommended as the course pre-requisites.  This course provides an overview of the major principles and methods associated with systematic evaluation of public health programs.  The overall goal is to help students develop skills needed to plan, conduct, critique, and use evaluation research.  The course covers: program logic models; formative, process and outcome evaluations; internal, external, measurement and statistical validity; threats to internal validity; probability and nonprobability sampling; operationalization of variables; and analysis of evaluation designs. Raj. 4 cr.

SPH SB 833 Designing and Implementing a Public Health Communication Campaign

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721. What does it take to design a health communication campaign? Who is involved? What media should you use? What works? Should you hire an ad agency, do it yourself, and/or engage the participation of members of your target audience?  These are just a few of the questions that will be addressed by students of SB 833. In “Designing …” students will develop and implement a mock health communication campaign on a topic selected by the class.  The process will include topic research, audience selection, writing a communication plan, brand and message creation. Students will “sell” their idea by responding to an RFP.  Then, students will break into groups to implement their plan.  They may create or facilitate the creation of websites, marketing materials, video, and/or any other products deemed effective and feasible. Kronenberg. 4 cr.

SPH SB 860 Strategies for Public Health Advocacy

Grad prereq: SPH SB 721.  This course is for advanced master’s students and doctoral students. It will explore the role public health practitioners can play in advocating for programs and policies to improve the public’s health that have been demonstrated to be effective through peer reviewed scientific research. Students will analyze the process of advocating for policy and program change based on scientific evidence at the city, state and federal level through the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. Siegel. 4 cr.

SPH SB 871 Advanced Topics in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Topics vary by semester. See semester specific schedule for details.

SPH SB 888 Advanced Intervention & Evaluation Research Seminar

Grad prereq: only DrPH students who have successfully completed PH 851 and PH 853 may enroll. MPH students must obtain the instructor’s consent.  The purpose of this seminar is to provide those DrPH students and advanced MPH students with the skills for developing public health interventions and conducting rigorous program evaluations.  The seminar is comprised of three sections: descriptive epidemiology and biology of a public health problem; the development of an intervention program for the public health problem described in the first section; and the development of a rigorous trial of the intervention developed in the second section.  The seminar is structured around group discussion of a series of weekly exercise assignments and one-on-one meetings with faculty.  The exercises are designed to help students develop a Background and Significance section and a Research Methods section, pursuant to the Specifications of a grant application for the NIH. Bowen. 4 cr.

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