Course information contained within the Bulletin is accurate at the time of publication in August 2023 but is subject to change. For the most up-to-date course information, please refer to the Course Catalog.
SBS 5001. Fundamentals of Public Health. 3 Credit Hours.
This course encompasses historical and sociocultural approaches to understanding public health and bioethics. Emphasis is on understanding public health systems from the dawn of history to the 21st century and the evolution of bioethical issues including the application of bioethical principles, regulations, and strategies in research and health practice. This seminar emphasizes the integration of conceptual and experiential learning. This is reflected in the course design and in teaching and learning processes.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: College of Public Health, Social Work.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 5002. Program Planning, Theory, and Practice. 3 Credit Hours.
Program Planning, Theory, and Practice is a core course in the MPH curriculum that includes content critical to the development of public health practitioners and researchers. It covers all aspects of the public health program planning cycle: (1) the identification of community stakeholders and conducting needs assessments; (2) using scientific literature and best practices to inform program development; and (3) implementation and evaluation of community programs. The course will introduce major models of human health behavior and use theory and evidence to guide students as they develop a public health program. Final program proposals include measurable goals and objectives, activities, and an evaluation plan, with a focus on cultural competence and tailoring to meet the needs of the community. Upon completion of the course, students will have the tools to design and evaluate public health programs in the community.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 5004. Understanding Stress and Change. 3 Credit Hours.
This course focuses on the impact of stress on physical and emotional health and quality of life. It focuses on the causes, types, and physiology of stress and stress reduction methods, including relaxation, biofeedback, fear control, cognitive restructuring, and social psychological interventions in community settings.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 5008. Global Health: People, Planet, Place. 3 Credit Hours.
This course introduces students to key global health concepts related to population health, environmental health, maternal and child health, emerging infectious diseases, communicable diseases, and chronic diseases. Throughout the course students will explore commonalities and differences in disease burden between global regions. The global burden of disease will be examined through the lens of social, political, and economic determinants. The course will feature case studies of current global health challenges through course activities, assignments, videos, and readings to provide a real-world context. Global health experts will be featured to share their stories, experiences, and lessons learned from the field.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 5009. Risk Communication and Public Health. 3 Credit Hours.
The goal of this course is to demonstrate how health communication professionals can create and implement risk communication plans related to either possible or actual public health hazards (anything that can cause morbidity or mortality). This course focuses on risk communication within the context of terrorism, infectious disease outbreaks, and health problems that occur because of natural disasters. It will include core principles of risk communication, examine special challenges of risk communication with diverse audiences, and prepare students to create a crisis and emergency risk communication plan.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 5015. Public Health Nutrition. 3 Credit Hours.
This seminar course explores nutrition as a science and platform for public health promotion and disease prevention. The fundamental contribution of nutrition to public health as well as the potential of food and nutrition policy, programs, and interventions to reduce risk and promote health are examined.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 5102. Theoretical Foundations of Health Behavior. 3 Credit Hours.
Theories of decision-making related to health behavior. Emphasis on the dynamic interaction of attitudes, values, situational factors and other factors that influence health promoting and health damaging behavior.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: College of Public Health, Social Work.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 5105. Maternal and Child Health. 3 Credit Hours.
This seminar on maternal and child health (MCH) focuses on health problems and diseases affecting pregnant and postpartum women and their children from the individual, community, and national perspectives. The course highlights the impact of common health problems and their functional outcomes in terms of morbidity, mortality, psychological well being, reproduction and growth. Students will examine social, behavioral, systems and broader population determinants of maternal and childhood diseases, as well as interventions and programs designed to address MCH problems.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 5500. Seminar in Current Issues in Public Health. 3 Credit Hours.
Seminar topics rotate to address current issues in public health research, policy and practice.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: College of Public Health, Social Work.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
SBS 8001. Research Methods in Public Health. 3 Credit Hours.
This course provides fundamental graduate-level research methods training germane to the social and behavioral sciences. Students will examine how to formulate research problem statements and hypotheses, select appropriate and sound methods for data collection, and critically evaluate research designs in social and behavioral science research. It concentrates on fundamental concepts in research design and measurement that help prepare students to plan and implement theoretically-informed and methodologically-sound scientific studies and to critically evaluate and discuss social and behavioral science research. The course emphasizes ethical and practical methods of studying and evaluating causal relations (efficacy and internal validity); determining generalizability of observations (effectiveness, external and ecological validity); and accurate and reliable measurement and conceptualization of variables (construct validity).
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: College of Public Health, Social Work.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of B- in (SBS 5002 or SBS 5102), EPBI 5002 (may be taken concurrently), and (EPBI 5201 (may be taken concurrently) or EPBI 5101 (may be taken concurrently))
SBS 8005. Health Promotion in Vulnerable Populations. 3 Credit Hours.
Health inequities - unequal, unfair, and preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by vulnerable populations - are well documented in the United States. This course will review, critically appraise and discuss theory and research on the physical, mental, and social vulnerabilities contributing to the poor health of subgroups of the American populace, with a focus on challenges and approaches to engaging hard-to-reach populations in intervention research aimed at improving health outcomes. Specifically, this course will cover theoretical frameworks, methodological and recruitment challenges and strategies, approaches to intervening at the individual, community, and system levels, and approaches to developing and adapting interventions. Students will develop a deep understanding of the potential causes of and solutions to health inequities in the US.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 8006. Addictions and Dependencies. 3 Credit Hours.
This graduate level course explores current narratives and policies around substance use, dependency and addiction using a public health lens incorporating compassion, person first framing and harm reduction along the continuum of prevention, treatment, and recovery for persons experiencing chaotic drug use. Students will engage with current and seminal texts across multiple platforms, e.g., investigative journalism, peer reviewed journals, book chapters, podcasts, videos and lecture and delve into hot topics in the substance use landscape. Assignments may include student made content videos, program critiques, persuasive essays and policy reviews.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: College of Public Health, Social Work.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 8009. Health Psychology. 3 Credit Hours.
Through class lecture, readings, and discussions, students will learn how characteristics of persons (e.g., personality, behavior, coping, and biological reactivity) and their environments (e.g., stress and social support) influence health outcomes at the individual and population level. In addition, the course examines the potential of health psychology to explain population-level health problems and to ameliorate public health problems through behavioral and community-based interventions.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: College of Public Health, Social Work.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 8018. Obesity: From Genes to Junk Food. 3 Credit Hours.
The course will broadly explore the etiology, treatment, and prevention of obesity from a multilevel systems perspective. Genetic, epigenetic, physiological, and psycho-social influences will be considered at the level of the individual. These influences will also be considered within family, school, and work-site contexts. Macro-level influences include government policies and programs, media, food industry influences, and community resources. Critical thinking skills and scholarly exchange will be emphasized through classroom discussion and weekly presentations/critiques of emerging science in each topic area.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of B- in (EPBI 5101, PBHL 5101, EPBI 5201, or PBHL 5201)
SBS 8105. Health Communication. 3 Credit Hours.
This course examines multiple communication levels, channels, media, and communication technologies as they relate to developing and implementing public health communication interventions. Levels of communication processes and effects in the following will be covered: 1) intrapersonal health communication related to personality, attitudes, cognitive style, and culture; 2) interpersonal communication in the patient-caregiver relationship including communication style, decision making, and dynamics of stress and conflict; 3) mass communication processes including media campaigns and social marketing to promote good health and disease prevention; and 4) risk and crisis communication across settings and strategies.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SBS 8111. Public Health Program Planning. 3 Credit Hours.
This course covers program planning in public health practice. It analyzes national health objectives and their applications at the state and community levels. One emphasis is on program planning as a change strategy to alter knowledge, attitudes, and health behavior to achieve positive health outcomes.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of B- in (EPBI 5101 (may be taken concurrently), PBHL 5101 (may be taken concurrently), EPBI 5201 (may be taken concurrently), or PBHL 5201 (may be taken concurrently)), (EPBI 5002 (may be taken concurrently) or PBHL 5002 (may be taken concurrently)), and (SBS 5102 (may be taken concurrently) or PBHL 5102 (may be taken concurrently))
SBS 8112. Creating Novel Interventions in Public Health. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is a core course in the PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences curriculum and an elective available to MPH and other graduate students in the College of Public Health. This course will guide students' efforts to build a stronger foundational knowledge of empirical evidence about a public health problem, and to synthesize that evidence with public health theories and principles of behavior change to understand how to improve strategies to address the problem. Students will use inductive strategies and deductive logic to develop and defend conceptual models that (a) represent risk and protective factors influencing a chosen problem and (b) exemplify the potential efficacy of an intervention strategy that either highlights current state-of-art practice (masters students) or that advances (doctoral students) the current state-of-art approaches to that problem. The culmination of sequential assignments includes student presentations highlighting current public health challenges in their topical areas and a testable intervention strategy framed conceptually by health behavior theory. Students are expected to prepare for each class and participate actively. Note: Prior to fall 2023, the course title was "Concepts and Methods to Improve Public Health Interventions."
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of B- in (SBS 8009 or SBS 5002)
SBS 9083. Readings and Conference in Public Health. 1 to 3 Credit Hour.
This is an advanced tutorial in public health with an appropriate faculty member. Note: Registration requires a written contract with the supervising faculty member and approval of the student's advisor and of the Director of Graduate Programs.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
SBS 9289. MPH Fieldwork I. 3 Credit Hours.
This course entails a fieldwork project or internship in a public health agency. It includes seminars, oral and written reports of progress, and joint supervision by a preceptor and faculty member.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of B- in EPBI 5101, HPM 5006, SBS 5001, (SBS 5002 or SBS 5102), and (EPBI 5006 or (EPBI 5002 and EPBI 5005))
SBS 9291. Dietetics Experiential Learning. 3 Credit Hours.
Students will complete three assignments that draw on their experiences in the clinical and food service setting and present their work to the class. In addition, students will participate in journal clubs and role play activities that help develop management and ethical practice skills. Preceptors will evaluate the application of these skills in a real life setting and provide feedback that does not impact the student's grade. This course will give students the space to reflect on their experiences, and tie academic learning to experiential learning and learn from each other.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of B- in SBS 5214 and SBS 5211.
SBS 9389. MPH Fieldwork II. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is an evaluation of the fieldwork project or internship using a full range of research methodologies. Data are collected, analyzed, and reported in a comprehensive final report. Oral and/or poster presentations are presented to public health organizations. The course includes a final oral defense of the project or internship.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of B- in SBS 9289, (SBS 5002 or SBS 5102), ((EPBI 5002 and EPBI 5005) or EPBI 5006), and (EPBI 5201 or EPBI 5101)
SBS 9994. Preliminary Examinations. 1 Credit Hour.
This course supports preparation for taking the preliminary examinations in the Health Policy and Social and Behavioral Sciences Ph.D. programs. To enroll, students must have completed all required coursework for the Ph.D. and obtain the approval of the Ph.D. Program Director. Students must be enrolled to take the required preliminary examinations.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
SBS 9998. Dissertation Proposal Research. 2 Credit Hours.
This course supports preparation of the dissertation proposal. The course is required for students who have passed the preliminary examinations for their PhD program and who have not yet defended the dissertation proposal.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Degree Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Degrees: Doctor of Philosophy.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of P in SBS 9994.
SBS 9999. Dissertation Research. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.
This course is limited to Ph.D. candidates who have completed and defended a dissertation proposal that is filed with the Graduate School by the last day to add a course in the semester. Continuous registration in 9999 fall and spring is required until the dissertation is successfully defended.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Dissertation Writing Student.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
