Public Health Core

• SPH PH 859: Cases in Public Health Management
  Graduate Prerequisites: Enrollment restricted to DrPH students and other degree candidates with consent of instructor. - This course will focus on developing tools for, and perspectives on, decision-making in senior public health positions through analysis of a series of case studies. Students will adopt different roles in preparing the cases, sometimes individually and sometimes in groups. The cases will address challenges faced in human resources, facilities design, quality control, organizational change and the integration of policy and program-planning. Students will be assessed on: (1) memos prepared for their roles in individual classes; (2) the quality of their participation in class discussions of the cases; and (3) their response to a case that will be distributed as a final examination.
• SPH PH 867: Evidence-Based Policy and Budgeting
  Public Health leaders must be prepared to both influence and understand policies using evidence. The dynamic relationship between research and policy necessitates specific training in a wide range of methods. This course will build skills to prepare students to (1) assess the strength of existing evidence on a health topic and summarize the data to be used to advise policymakers; (2) understand economic implications of a proposed or existing policy using several economic evaluation approaches; (3) develop evidence-based recommendations to be delivered to policymakers in terms they find most relevant. The main goal is for students to understand when a variety of analyses and their related tools are appropriate; how to apply them when communicating with specialists; and when to deploy them in their own public health leadership practice. Specifically, students will develop skills related to: synthesizing evidence from the peer-reviewed literature; performing meta-analyses; using cost-effectiveness analysis to inform decisions about improving health through policy and decision-making; conducting budget impact analysis and social return on investment analysis; communicating complex evidence to decision-makers. This is a doctoral-level course however, advanced master's students are encouraged to enroll.
• SPH PH 870: Research Skills Seminar
  Researchers are routinely called upon to ensure research project success through the application of many professional skills beyond data collection and analysis. In this course, students will learn and apply concepts and tools relevant to research project management, budgetary concerns, data visualization, and presentation, and the communication of research results to various audiences.
• SPH PH 871: Communication Skills for Public Health Leaders
  The public health leadership seminar is one in a series of four 1-credit requirements that will serve as the main integrative pedagogic experience of the DrPH doctoral program. The purpose of this course will be to explore the many ways in which leaders must be prepared to communicate with various stakeholders including employees, stakeholders, competitors, and the media. Students will work independently and in teams to create content for co-learning sessions, will engage in cases, role play, and simulations to build and refine communication skills.
• SPH PH 872: Mentorship and Coaching in Public Health Leadership
  The public health leadership seminar is one in a series of four 1-credit requirements that will serve as the main integrative pedagogic experience of the DrPH doctoral program. The purpose of this course will be to explore reflective leadership practice through individual and group coaching sessions. Students will engage in personal reflection to identify their own personal goals for professional development as well as an awareness of barriers that may have historically prevented growth in particular areas. Using the DrPH Competencies, students will work with a coach and the program director to make an intentional plan for pursuing a challenging and strategic practicum project
• SPH PH 873: Data-Driven Decision-Making for Public Health Leaders
  The public health leadership seminar is one in a series of four 1-credit requirements that will serve as the main integrative pedagogic experience of the DrPH doctoral program. The purpose of this course will be to explore the complexities of data-driven decision-making public health leaders face. The course will be based on group discussion and interviews with senior-level public health practitioners. Student learning will be grounded in gleaning lessons learned from advanced practitioners of public health in both domestic and global settings.
• SPH PH 874: Public Health Practice within Political Contexts
  The public health leadership seminar is one in a series of four 1-credit requirements that will serve as the main integrative pedagogic experience of the DrPH doctoral program. The purpose of this course is to focus on preparing DrPH students to analyze the political context that surrounds a health topic of interest. By understanding the politics involved, students will be better prepared to craft proposals, recommendations, and policies that will not only be grounded in scientific evidence, but be more feasible given existing politics. This course will explore politics while building skills in regional data analysis and recommendation development, to prepare students for their comprehensive exam and help them conceptualize a field-relevant dissertation topic.
• SPH PH 880: Research Dissemination Seminar
  This is an upper-level applied seminar course, in which students are mentored through the development of a manuscript suitable for publication in a peer- reviewed journal. Through a combination of discussions, written assignments, and oral presentations, students will develop research questions, conduct literature reviews, perform data analyses using a real-world data, and summarize results a manuscript.
• SPH PH 885: Grant Writing for Doctoral Students
  The purpose of this course is to support BUSPH doctoral students/candidates in writing grant proposals in a systematic fashion under faculty guidance and with peer input.The fall portion will focus on general grant writing strategies,while the spring portion will focus on proposal development.Grant writing is an important skill for all doctoral students to develop,particularly those interested in becoming faculty members at academic institutions.The goal of this course is for participants to gain experience in the overall grant writing process while developing a proposal for funding to support dissertation-related research.Upon completion of the grant writing course,the expectation is that participants will submit their proposal for funding.The focus is on NIH/AHRQ F- series and R36-type grants,though students are welcome to use the course to prepare a grant for a foundation or other source of funding. Enrollment is open to BUSPH doctoral students/candidates who are at a stage in their training where they are prepared to actively develop a grant proposal for submission.Students may take the first half of the course and not the second(if they are interested in gaining general knowledge of grant writing but are not aiming to develop their own grant proposal);the first half of the course is a prerequisite for the second half of the course(i.e., students cannot take only the second half).
• SPH PH 886: Grant Writing for Doctoral Students II
  The purpose of this course is to support BUSPH doctoral students/candidates in writing grant proposals in a systematic fashion under faculty guidance and with peer input. Following from the fall portion, which focuses on general grant writing strategies, the spring portion focuses on proposal development (i.e., writing a grant for submission). Grant writing is an important skill for all doctoral students to develop, particularly those interested in becoming faculty members at academic institutions. Despite the importance of grant writing, these skills are rarely taught in doctoral programs. The goal of this course is for participants to gain experience in the overall grant writing process while developing a proposal for funding to support dissertation-related research. Upon completion of the grant writing course, the expectation is that participants will submit their proposal for funding. The focus is on NIH/AHRQ F-series and R36-type grants, though students are welcome to use the course to prepare a grant for a foundation or other source of funding. Enrollment is open to BUSPH doctoral students/candidates who are at a stage in their training where they are prepared to actively develop a grant proposal for submission. Students may take the first half of the course and not the second (if they are interested in gaining general knowledge of grant writing but are not aiming to develop their own grant proposal); the first half of the course is a prerequisite for the second half of the course (i.e., students cannot take only the second half).
• SPH PH 890: Mentored Research Experience
  The 400-hour mentored research experience requirement gives students the opportunity to collaborate with a BUSPH faculty member.
• SPH PH 976: MPH Health Practicum
  The practicum is an applied practice experience that allows MPH students to utilize their knowledge and gain professional skills in public health. Students develop two work products demonstrating proficiency across five selected competencies, including three foundational competencies. The Career & Practicum Office assists students in finding an appropriate practicum site; students may also use their professional and personal networks to find a practicum. Students must complete at least 240 practicum hours, of which 30 hours can be fulfilled through an approved course with a practice-based component (GH 743, GH 744, PM 832, PM 835, and SB 806). The practicum requirements may include, but may not be limited to, the following: placement approval, registration for SPH PH 976 (0 credits), a learning contract, a midpoint review, and a final assessment.
• SPH PH 978: Public Health Practicum
  The course provides dual MBA-MPH students with a structured and mentored opportunity to explore the public health context and implications of their summer internship experiences. It addresses multiple foundational competencies, including using systematic approaches to develop, implement, and evaluate public health policies, programs, or services and communicating effectively in written and oral form to different audiences.
• SPH PH 986: Doctorate of Public Health Practicum
  Graduate Prerequisites: For DrPH students only. - Required practicum for DrPH students. Course is pass/fail.
• SPH PH 990: Continuing Study in DrPH Program
  Graduate Prerequisites: For DrPH students approved for dissertation only. - Must be DrPH student working on dissertation. Doctoral students who have completed all academic course requirements, must register for Continuing Study Fee every Fall and Spring semester until they have successfully defended their dissertation and graduated from SPH. Students are certified full time and charged for student health insurance, the equivalent of two credits of tuition, and all relevant fees.
• SPH PH 995S: Summer Research for Curricular Practical Training
  Graduate Prerequisites: International MS or Doctoral Student at SPH engaging in off-campus res earch - This course provides an appropriate registration status for international MS or doctoral students in any SPH department who need Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization in order to conduct off-campus research that is required in their curriculum. CPT authorization is required regardless of whether the research is part of a paid or unpaid position.