Students will gain an understanding of public health as a broad, collective enterprise that seeks to extend the benefits of current biomedical, environmental, social, and behavioral knowledge in ways that maximize its impact on the health status of a population. The course will provide an overview of the public health approach including epidemiology, disease surveillance, sustainable solutions, social determinants of health, and disease prevention. Through active learning, students will learn skills in identifying and addressing an ever-expanding list of health problems that call for collective action to protect, promote and improve our nation's health, primarily through preventive strategies. Specific topics will include: food safety, toxics reduction, HIV/AIDS & COVID-19, vaccines, and tobacco control and prevention. PH510 is a requirement for obtaining an undergraduate minor in public health. It is appropriate for undergraduates and others who are not in an SPH degree program. It does not carry degree credit for MPH students. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking. (Credits: 4)

This course will provide students with an overview of the complex social, economic, political, environmental, and biological factors that structure the origins, consequences, and possible treatments of illness worldwide, as well as the promotion of health. Students will learn about the major themes and concepts shaping the interdisciplinary field of global health, and will gain an understanding of solutions to health challenges that have been successfully implemented in different parts of the world. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)

What we eat and our underlying nutritional status is inextricably linked to almost every major health outcome. Under-nutrition increases the risk of maternal and child mortality, death due to infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, and also has important consequences for child development, education and ultimately economic development. Over-nutrition is on the rise globally; the burden of obesity, diabetes and diet-related chronic diseases are beginning to overwhelm health systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. This course will provide a framework for understanding the relationship between nutrition and global health. Topics include: the epidemiology of nutrition-related risk factors for poor health worldwide; methods for measuring nutritional status in low-resource settings; interventions to improve nutrition globally; and evaluating the impact of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs and policies. (Credits: 4)

This course provides an overview of critical issues in mental health and mental illness worldwide from a public health perspective. Globally, mental and neurological conditions are the leading cause of disability, and the World Health Organization estimates depression to be the largest contributor to the global disease burden by 2030. The burden of mental disorders on low- and middle-income countries is especially great while a large treatment gap persists. The course covers the concept of mental health, conceptualization and classification of disorders, cultural context, social determinants, causes and consequences of mental health disorders, strategies for intervention, policy development and implementation, human rights, women's mental health and research priorities. Special attention will be paid to the unmet need for mental health care globally (using case studies), disparities in access and use of services, stigma and attitudes towards treatment seeking. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II. (Credits: 4)

This course will introduce students to healthcare delivery in low (LICs) and lower middle income countries (LMICs). Students will become familiar with aspects of surgical interventions, pharmaceutical provision, cell phone technology, and global health programming. We will examine healthcare delivery and practices through case studies focused on the prevention and treatment of malnutrition, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. Through this course, students will learn from past and existing healthcare delivery techniques, difficulties, and successes for some of the largest global health challenges such as: cholera, malaria, HIV/AIDS, Type 1 and 2 Diabetes, tobacco use, aging populations, and malnutrition. Students will use these skills to develop healthcare delivery strategies of their own. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)

This course will examine the four most common preventable non-infectious diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, upper respiratory diseases), which accounted for nearly 60% of all deaths in the world and 80% in the developing world. Estimates predict that the "second wave" of non-infectious diseases in the coming years will have a detrimental impact on global health and economies. Despite the enormous global burden of non-infectious (or non-communicable) diseases, adequate programs for prevention and treatment do not exist and challenges faced are complex. This course will focus on the preventable risk factors (diet, exercise, tobacco, alcohol, lifestyle, etc), growing burden of disease, and current issues and challenges in control of the four most common diseases, and include discussion, field trips to examine the issues, and the ability for students to be a part of the solution through design of their own intervention. (Credits: 4)

This course will focus on the social determinants of health--the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, age and die. We will examine case studies from around the globe that reveal the ways in which health inequities are shaped by the distribution of resources, money, and power at the local, national and global level, and the critical role played by social policies in reducing or exacerbating these inequities. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Social Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)

Global Health and the World Health Organization is designed for students with an interest in the theory and practice of health management in developing countries. There are no prerequisites: students with a background in international relations, politics, and economics will all find that the course touches on issues relevant to their main field of study. The course is divided into six topics, including nutrition, maternal and child health, and infectious diseases. Policy issues involving research into the causes of illness and the treatment of disease in the developing world will also be discussed. The course will be directed and partly taught by Dr Philip Jenkins, who has worked on public health issues at the World Health Organization for eighteen years. There will also be many specialized guest lectures by international experts from the World Health Organization or other health-care organizations based in Geneva and field-trips to some of these organizations. This course is for undergraduates enrolled through the Geneva Internship Program only. (Credits: 4)

This course introduces students to the global health organizations active in the field of public health by examining the international character of health, particularly with the emergence of HIV/AIDS, multinational droughts and famine, humanitarian crisis?, and the threat of infectious pandemics. This course will place an emphasis on issues involved in best coordinating the efforts of agencies involved to achieve the greatest benefit for afflicted people. Through a series of lectures with international health specialists and structured visits to international aid institutions students will learn about the administration of international health organizations, the international difficulties arising from third party relief work, social determinants of health, healthcare and gender issues, and global pharmaceutical trade. For students in Geneva Internship Program only. Does not carry graduate credit at SPH. (Credits: 4)

This course will introduce students to issues of public health importance in developing countries. For each disease or public health problem considered, the class will explore its epidemiology, natural history, risk factors and contributing causes, and responses of the public health community at local, national, regional, and international levels. The course includes six sections: Core Concepts, Child Health and Nutrition, Infectious Diseases, Women?s Health and HIV/AIDS, Chronic and Non-communicable Diseases, and Concluding Sessions. PH511 is appropriate for undergraduates and others who are not in an SPH degree program. Students who complete PH511 as undergraduates should not also take IH703. (Credits: 4)

Examines the distribution of health and diseases across the population, and the factors that impact health. Which group of people is more likely to experience a heart attack or develop diabetes? Do our level of education, race or income impact our health and our life expectancy? This course studies how we approach understanding disease distribution within the population. Through in class presentations, real world examples, exercises and discussions students become proficient in research methods, disease screening, and infectious disease outbreak investigation. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II. (Credits: 4)

First semester of a two-semester sequence of empirical techniques used in economic analysis. Statistical concepts are presented and applied to a variety of economics problems. Extensive use of the statistical software package STATA will be made. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Quantitative Reasoning I. (Credits: 4)

CAS MA 113 may not be taken for credit by any student who has completed any MA course numbered 300 or higher. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, MA 115, or MA 213. Basic concepts of estimation and tests of hypotheses, ideas from probability; one-, two-, and multiple-sample problems. Applications will be in social sciences and students will be able to understand the basics of using a sample to predict uncertainty. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Quantitative Reasoning II. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. (Credits: 4)

CAS MA 115 may not be taken for credit by any student who has completed any MA course numbered 300 or higher. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, MA 115, or MA 213. Numerical and graphical summaries of univariate and bivariate data. Basic probability, random variables, binomial distribution, normal distribution. One- sample statistical inference for normal means and binomial probabilities. Primarily for students in the social sciences with limited mathematics preparation. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Quantitative Reasoning II. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. (Credits: 4)

Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, MA 115, or MA 213. Elementary treatment of probability densities, means, variances, correlation, independence, the central limit theorem, confidence intervals, and p-values. Students will be able to answer questions such as how can a pollster use a sample to predict the uncertainty of an election? Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Teamwork/Collaboration. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)

Introduction to the logic and processes involved in descriptive and inferential statistics for psychology. Topics include statistical inference, significance, t-tests, ANOVAs, correlation, regression, and statistical software analysis. This is a hybrid class - class time is reserved for hands on activities. Does not count toward the principal courses required for the major or minor. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning I. (Credits: 4)

Exposes students to the fundamentals of probability, decision analysis, and statistics, and their application to business. Topics include probability, decision analysis, distributions, sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, and chi-square. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Quantitative Reasoning I. (Credits: 4)

Social, cultural, and intercultural factors in health and illness. Training and socialization of medical professionals, roots of medical power and authority, organization and operation of health care facilities. U.S. health care system and its main problems. Comparison of health care systems in the U.S. and in other countries. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning. (Credits: 4)

What is global health? Who are the main actors in global health debates? This seminar explores the politics of global health, providing students with sociological tools, concepts, and knowledge to help make sense of conflict in contemporary global health debates. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Writing-Intensive Course, Research and Information Literacy. (Credits: 4)

This course provides a dynamic introduction to the health sector, beginning with the burden and distribution of disease and current patterns of expenditures. While the primary emphasis will be on the U.S. healthcare system, a global context will be developed. The basic elements of insurance and payment, service organization and delivery, and life sciences products (drugs, biologics, diagnostics, and devices) will be described, and placed in the context of the unique economic structure of the sector. The intense challenges of the sector will be explored, including ethical, social and organizational dilemmas that arise as well as business opportunities that emerge. The roles that government policy, rapid technology growth, and practice development play as drivers of system change will be addressed throughout. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Social Inquiry II. (Credits: 4)

The U.S. healthcare system has undergone sweeping change as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. Knowledge of how the reform law has affected health care organizations, health professionals, consumers, and American businesses is essential for everyone, especially those planning careers in management or business. This rigorous seminar, which counts toward the Questrom Health & Life Sciences concentration and the Questrom Law concentration, provides an in-depth look at the economic, political, social and organizational challenges that face the nation as elements of the ACA are being dismantled by the Trump administration. Students read and analyze articles, issue briefs, and legal opinions from diverse perspectives to learn how the U.S. healthcare system came to be and how it will change in the future. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Social Inquiry II. (Credits: 4)

The focus of this interdisciplinary course is on increasing the student's understanding of the health care system, the social, environmental, and behavioral factors that affect health care, and on increasing the student's ability to work in interdisciplinary teams. The student will actively engage in individual work, group discussion and teamwork through written, oral, and web site assignments. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Writing-Intensive Course. (Credits: 4)

Environmental health is associated with recognizing, assessing, understanding and controlling the impacts of people in their environment and the impacts of the environment on the public health. The complexity of the problems requires multidisciplinary approaches. This course will provide an introduction to the principles, methods, and issues related to global environmental health. This course examines health issues, scientific understanding of causes, and possible future approaches to control of the major environmental health problems internationally. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. (Credits: 4)

Students will conduct a detailed "aisle by aisle" review of foods available in today's marketplace with special attention to functional foods, foods for special dietary use, and foods modified through technology. Students will gain an understanding of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act and become familiar with methods for evaluating dietary supplements with regard to product quality, safety and effectiveness. The influence of nutrition marketing on consumer purchasing patterns will be explored. Students will apply the knowledge and skills gained throughout the course by comparing the nutrient content of specific foods and dietary supplements to the nutrient needs of consumers according to the Dietary Reference Intakes. (Credits: 4)

(Credits: 4)

This study abroad course introduces students to the Mediterranean lifestyle and its relationship to health promotion/disease prevention. Students are exposed to Italian food culture, agriculture, food industry and the scientific evidence demonstrating the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Effective Summer 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation. (Credits: 4)

Available in Dublin Health Science program onlyHow can healthcare policy and practice in Ireland be described? What are its origins and how has it evolved, specifically related to cultural, political, social and economic developments? How can the current fragmented and two-tiered system be improved? These are key questions, especially following the launch in 2017 of the ten-year Sl?intecare healthcare programme. During this course students will discuss these questions, using the six building blocks of the World Health Organisation (WHO) health system framework, comparing the Irish health systems with other health systems. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry I. (Credits: 4)

(Credits: 4)

Qualitative research methods are increasingly used in public health, and provide valuable insights into the local perspectives of study populations. This course provides practical strategies and methods for using qualitative research and includes the basic assumptions, approach and rationale for making qualitative research decisions, framing qualitative research questions, and designing appropriate research strategies. Examples will be drawn from current global health issues. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of viral, parasitic, and bacterial diseases that affect more than 1 billion people worldwide and disproportionately burden those with the fewest resources. They can cause significant disability, chronic illness, and death in both children and adults. The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of each of the NTDs including transmission, disease progression, treatment, epidemiology, and control strategies. In addition, we will examine their public health importance and the effects they have at the individual, community, and national level. We will also discuss societal contexts and ethics around treatment, research, advocacy, and prevention. (Credits: 4)

This health science senior seminar will explore programs and policies that impact child health in Low and Middle Income Countries. We will cover infectious diseases - including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhea - as well as major non-infectious causes of child morbidity and mortality, including nutrition, early child development and mental health. We will discuss the full life cycle of global health programs from building the evidence base through epidemiological studies through implementation science and monitoring and evaluation. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)

Emerging infectious diseases include relatively new pathogens, new strains of existing pathogens, the spread of a known pathogen into previously unaffected locations or populations, or a significant evolutionary change in an existing pathogen. Students become familiar with the impact of these diseases on global health, medical practice, international commerce, and development. The course addresses preparedness, surveillance, and response to emerging infectious diseases in our increasingly globalized world. (Credits: 4)

Health systems play an important role in improving life and well-being. Yet there is a profound gap between the potential of health systems and their actual performance. Today, countries around the globe face difficult choices and increasing challenges in organizing, delivering, and funding high- quality health care. In this course students will: understand the components, determinants, and approaches to the structure and outcomes of health care systems in low- and middle-income countries; learn trends in global health care reform and reform outcomes in country-specific contexts; and gain basic knowledge and skills to understand health care systems evaluations with a goal toward designing effective policy strategies that would improve health system performance. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II, Creativity/Innovation. (Credits: 4)

Our knowledge of sex and sexuality is derived in large part from the sociocultural and religious context of our society and the specific community and families in which we have been raised. In this class we will use a variety of teaching methods to allow you to discover how much you really know about basic sexual health information, including current public health sexual health issues. Then you will acquire an understanding of the issues based on current thinking from the biologic and social sciences. After covering the basics of each topic, we will explore some of the contextual factors, such as history, culture, or economics that affect framing of the issues and discuss the direct public health ramifications. The course will also help you develop your skills in communication, debate, teaching, and podcasting about sexual health from a public health perspective. (Credits: 4)

This course introduces students to the principles and practices of public health and maternal and child health. Using the life course perspective, the course examines how infants, children, women and families develop in the context of biologic and social determinants of health, as they play out over a lifetime and across generations. Selected current topics--such as asthma, adolescent pregnancy, infant mortality, and childhood obesity--are studied in depth and used to illustrate how problems are understood, their distribution in diverse populations, and the content and quality of programs required to address them. Throughout the course, special attention is given to the impact of poverty, poor access to health care, and racial inequalities on the health of families, as well as to the strengths that individuals and communities bring to the creation of solutions. By the end of the course students will be able to formulate an MCH-related public health question, conduct and write a literature review, and write a policy memo. MC725 is the first required course in the MCH sequence. (Credits: 4)

Global Health and the World Health Organization is designed for students with an interest in the theory and practice of health management in developing countries. There are no prerequisites: students with a background in international relations, politics, and economics will all find that the course touches on issues relevant to their main field of study. The course is divided into six topics, including nutrition, maternal and child health, and infectious diseases. Policy issues involving research into the causes of illness and the treatment of disease in the developing world will also be discussed. The course will be directed and partly taught by Dr Philip Jenkins, who has worked on public health issues at the World Health Organization for eighteen years. There will also be many specialized guest lectures by international experts from the World Health Organization or other health-care organizations based in Geneva and field-trips to some of these organizations. This course is for undergraduates enrolled through the Geneva Internship Program only. (Credits: 4)

This course introduces students to the global health organizations active in the field of public health by examining the international character of health, particularly with the emergence of HIV/AIDS, multinational droughts and famine, humanitarian crisis?, and the threat of infectious pandemics. This course will place an emphasis on issues involved in best coordinating the efforts of agencies involved to achieve the greatest benefit for afflicted people. Through a series of lectures with international health specialists and structured visits to international aid institutions students will learn about the administration of international health organizations, the international difficulties arising from third party relief work, social determinants of health, healthcare and gender issues, and global pharmaceutical trade. For students in Geneva Internship Program only. Does not carry graduate credit at SPH. (Credits: 4)

This course will introduce students to issues of public health importance in developing countries. For each disease or public health problem considered, the class will explore its epidemiology, natural history, risk factors and contributing causes, and responses of the public health community at local, national, regional, and international levels. The course includes six sections: Core Concepts, Child Health and Nutrition, Infectious Diseases, Women?s Health and HIV/AIDS, Chronic and Non-communicable Diseases, and Concluding Sessions. PH511 is appropriate for undergraduates and others who are not in an SPH degree program. Students who complete PH511 as undergraduates should not also take IH703. (Credits: 4)

Almost 90 percent of the $2.8 trillion spent on health care in this nation in 2012 was used to provide medical services to individuals. High costs, unequal coverage and access, 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 money is raised and caregivers are paid, management, politics, ethics, and more. It considers hospitals, physicians and other caregivers, long-term care, prescription drugs, and mental health. NOTE: This course meets the health policy and management MPH core requirement. It is the prerequisite for most others in the department. Peace Corps/MI students who are not HPM concentrators, students studying on F-1 or J-1 visas, students who are not permanent residents of the U.S. and who are not Health Policy and Management concentrators, and all International Health concentrators may substitute IH704. (Credits: 3)

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. (Credits: 3)