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IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health

Courses

Undergraduate Courses
The abbreviation "P" refers to course prerequisites and "R" to recommended prerequisite courses. Prerequisites can be waived by the instructor of the course. The number of hours of credit is indicated in parentheses following the course title. Courses are listed in three groups: environmental health science, health services management, and public health.
  • PBHL-A 367 Environmental Science and Health Practicum (2 cr.) P: PBHL-A316 The Enviornmental Science and Health Practicum will consist of a personal career-planning component coupled with a weekly field visit to environmental science and health-related organizations in central Indiana. Students must perform satisfactorily in both parts of the practicum to receive a passing grade.
  • PBHL-H 455 Topics in Public Health (1-3 cr.) Extensive discussion of selected topics in public health. The topic may change from semester to semester, based on resource availability and student demand. May be repeated for credit.
  • PBHL-H 367 Health Services Management Practicum (2 cr.) P: PBHL-H320 and Junior Standing The Health Services Management Practicum will consist of a personal career-planning component coupled with weekly field visits to health-related organizations in central Indiana. Students must preform satisfactorily in both parts of the practicum to receive a passing grade. 
  • PBHL-H 367 Health Services Management Practicum (2 cr.) P: PBHL-H320 and Junior Standing The Health Services Management Practicum will consist of a personal career-planning component coupled with weekly field visits to health-related organizations in central Indiana. Students must perform satisfactorily in both parts of the practicum to receive a passing grade.
  • PBHL-A 326 Mathematics in the Environmental Health Sciences (3 cr.)

    A326 will present an overview of the basic mathematical skills and level of understanding necessary to generate or use environmental data across a broad range of entry level positions in the environmental health sciences.  The course will focus on direct and practical application of the mathematics commonly used in the environmental health field today.  Numerous problems, data sets, and examples will be utilized.  Specific areas of study will be the major disciplines of water flow measurement in both closed and open systems, groundwater systems, biodegradation, contaminant measurement, quality assurance and related statistics, soil systems and predictive air, soil and water models.  The course will present practical applications of some common environmental models, their theoretical basis, inputs, limitations, sensitivities of the various inputs and governing assumptions used to operate the model.  

  • PBHL-P 100 Plagues and Pandemics (3 cr.) Welcome to the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI's First Year Seminar! This First Year Seminar is a learning community in that the students, staff, and faculty all work together to make a meaningful course experience. We will cultivate our class as a community connected to IUPUI, Indianapolis and the world. In addition, we will explore the field of public health through an examination of plagues and pandemics. From cholera to HIV, we'll look at how these diseases have shaped health care, epidemiology, environmental health, emergency preparedness, health policies and laws, and individual human behaviors. This will give you a head-start on choosing academic and career paths in public health, health administration, and other health professions.
  • PBHL-H 120 Contemporary Health Issues (1-3 cr.) An examination of current public health, environmental health, and health service delivery issues in the U.S. Topics include the organization and costs of health systems, access to care, and the interrelationships between risk factors and health; also, environmental challenges facing our society and their impact on health.
  • PBHL-H 320 Health Systems Administration (3 cr.) An overview of the U.S. health care delivery system. It examines the organization, function, and role of the system; current system problems; and alternative systems or solutions.
  • PBHL-H 352 Health Finance and Budgeting (3 cr.) P: BUS-A 200 or BUS-A 201. A study of the financial management of health care facilities based on generally accepted business principles. Accounting and managerial control of cash, accounts receivable, inventory control, budgeting, and cost control, as well as accounting and evaluation of short- and long-term debt will be examined.
  • PBHL-H 353 Advanced Health Finance and Budgeting (3 cr.) P: H352. This course builds upon H352 Health Finance and Budgeting as well as examines the uses of contractual language and obligations. It uses a series of case studies to apply techniques and principles taught in PBHL-H 352.
  • PBHL-H 354 Health Care Economics (3 cr.) This course applies economics to the study of administrative and policy issues in the health care sector. Economic concepts are used to explain the system of health care financing and the organization of health care delivery in the U.S. The economic evaluation of health care programs is also discussed.
  • PBHL-H 365 Health Services Practicum (3 cr.) P: PBHL-H320; junior standing The Health Services Practicum will consist of a personal career-planning component coupled with weekly field visits to health care agencies in central Indiana. Students must perform satisfactorily in both parts of the practicum to receive a passing grade.
  • PBHL-H 401 Strategic Planning for Health Care Organizations (3 cr.) This course examines strategic planning techniques as they apply to health care organizations. Students will develop and defend a comprehensive strategic plan for a case facility. One half of the course will be conducted in a workshop format.
  • PBHL-H 411 Chronic Long-Term Care Administration (3 cr.) Administering programs across the continuum of care including nursing homes, hospice, home health, and assisted living; Medicare and Medicaid financing; quality improvement; care management; and needs of special populations, particularly, vulnerable elders.
  • PBHL-A 316 Environmental Health Science (3 cr.) A study of human interaction with the environment and potential impacts of environmental agents on health and safety. Hazards from natural sources and human activities that contaminate our air, land, water, food, homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces are examined. Environmental control activities, including pollution control technology and policy, are also examined.
  • PBHL-H 420 Health Policy (3 cr.) P: H320. This course will focus on current health policy issues within the context of the U.S. health care system. The course will familiarize students with the political environment of public policy, introduce major health care policy perspectives, and apply those analytical models to a series of health policy issues.
  • PBHL-H 441 Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration (3 cr.) An overview of the liability and legal responsibility, as well as legal recourse, that health care facilities may exercise. This course will discuss policies and standards relating to health facility administration. Also included is a discussion of financial aspects unique to the hospital/health care facility environment, such as third-party payments and federal assistance.
  • PBHL-A 322 Principles of Epidemiology (3 cr.) A basic overview of epidemiologic methodology and techniques. Both communicable and chronic disease risk factors will be discussed, along with data acquisition, analysis techniques, and current published epidemiological studies.
  • PBHL-A 416 Environmental Health Policy (3 cr.) Study of professional requirements and duties of the environmental health functions within health agencies; consideration of applicable laws and standards in each environmental health function; environmental health program planning, evaluation, implementation, and personnel responsibilities.
  • PBHL-H 472 Applied Health Care Administration (3 cr.) P: PBHL-H320 and Senior Standing. This course is a study of the complexities of multi-institutional arrangements and integrated services in the U.S. health care industry. The focus is on applying management skills to, and making comparisons of, the current driving forces among health care delivery system components.
  • PBHL-A 428 Food Science and Sanitation (3 cr.) Basic concepts of food technology with emphasis on methods and procedures in food processing to minimize contamination and to prevent food-related illness. Federal, state, and local food laws and inspection procedures will be examined.
  • PBHL-A 433 Industrial Hygiene (3 cr.) Survey of the technical and regulatory aspects of protecting the health and safety of workers. Topics include basic toxicology; skin, eye, and respiratory hazards; measuring hazardous atmospheres; ventilation systems; fire and explosion hazards; emergency response; occupational hearing loss; radiation; prevention of accidents; cumulative trauma; and personal protective equipment.
  • PBHL-A 459 Environmental Science and Health Data Analysis (3 cr.) P: PBHL-A316; SPEA0-K300; 1 semester of chemistry. Provides students with an understanding of basic principles needed to perform sampling and analysis of field and laboratory environmental data. Topics include properties of chemical and biological constituents, detection limits, calibration, quality control, precision accuracy, and statistical analysis.
  • PBHL-A 466 Public Health Field Experience (1-3 cr.) Supervised advanced training in professional and technical functions in public health; guided student activity and performance in professional public health functions. Individualized programs may be arranged to suit students’ areas of concentration.
  • PBHL-H 474 Health Administration Ethics Seminar (3 cr.) P: PBHL-H320 and Senior Standing. This course examines healthcare ethical decision making challenges from managerial perspective and explores broader policy issues associated with ethical problems in healthcare institutions. It provides an overview of general theories of ethical decision-making and through case studies, debates and research examines ethical challenges in everyday managerial activities.
  • PBHL-H 432 Health Care Marketing (3 cr.) A practical study of marketing in health care institutions, health service organizations, and health insurers. A basic foundation in marketing principles, new methods in marketing products and services, and inexpensive marketing techniques will be examined.
  • PBHL-A 460 Environmental Science and Health Data Analysis (3 cr.) P: PBHL-A459. Basic physical, chemical, and biological examinations and standards for potable water quality, wastewater treatment determinations, and stream pollution control. Basic physical, chemical, and biological (ergonometric) examinations used in industrial hygiene and air pollution control. Instruction in basic laboratory skills and techniques for performing these examinations. 
  • PBHL-A 380 Environmental Health Science Internship (3 cr.) P: Permission of Instructor. Open to interested students upon approval of the faculty. Students are placed with governmental agencies or private and not-for-profit organizations or governmental units for assignment to a defined task relevant to their educational interests in environmental health science. Tasks may involve staff work or research. May be repeated for credit. Course is graded S/F (Satisfactory/Fail).
  • PBHL-E 210 Zombie Apocalypse and Doomsday Infections (3 cr.)

    The focus is infectious diseases, the possibility of a zombie infection.  We will discuss infections that have changed the course of history. Included topics are: disease transmission, outbreak investigations, control measures, assessment, and field investigations.  Case studies on respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, emerging infectious diseases, HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis, STDs, and hepatitis.

  • PBHL-A 410 Introduction to Environmental Toxicology (3 cr.) Study of toxic mechanisms, pathology, and disease development resulting from exposure to biological and chemical agents in the environment.
  • PBHL-A 451 Air Pollution in the Community (3 cr.) A survey course covering the chemistry, transport, and fate of air pollutants related to current issues of air quality, such as photochemical smog, ozone depletion, particulate matter, and indoor air quality. Topics include the types, sources, health and environmental effects, measurement, evaluation, control, regulation, and modeling of air pollution concentrations.
  • PBHL-H 380 Health Services Management Internship (1-6 cr.) P: Permission of Instructor. Open to interested students upon approval of the faculty. Students are placed with governmental agencies or private and not-for-profit and organizations for assignment to a defined task relevant to their educational interests in health services management. Tasks may involve staff work or research. May be repeated for credit. Course is graded S/F (Satisfactory/Fail).
  • PBHL-H 373 Human Resources for Healthcare (3 cr.)

    This course introduces students to the concepts and techniques related to the human resources management and training practices within healthcare organizations.  We will examine and analyze various human resource issues unique to the health care industry.

  • PBHL-H 375 Management of Health Service Organizations (3 cr.)

    This course explores the discipline of management and its major components relating to health service organizations. This course will provide students with a foundation of basic fundamentals, principles and techniques of management which have particular relevance and application in healthcare. Students will learn about management theory and its practical application in healthcare in fundamental areas such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Other key elements of management such as communication, decision making, delegation, participatory management, leadership style, managing staff, teamwork, and change and innovation will be explored. Successful completion of this course will help provide students with a general foundation of knowledge about management and its application in health service organizations. 

    Instructional methods used will include lectures, interactive discussions, readings, in-class exercises and individual and group homework assignments using a wide range of management terms, concepts, fundamentals, theories, methods, techniques, and practices used in managing health service organizations. Special emphasis will be given to the role and application of leadership in the management of a diverse healthcare workforce, in a variety of health service settings. This course is designed to help create a foundation of knowledge and understanding of management that students will use in other courses in the public health  undergraduate programs.  

  • PBHL-A 100 Topics in Public Health: Armed Conflict, Natural Disasters & Human Health (3 cr.) This course explores the environmental public health concerns facing refugee populations from armed conflict, natural disasters, and other forced migration.  Examines the response from local and international organizations, the effects of inadequate resources, and future solutions to improve refugee health.  
  • PBHL-A 424 Environmental Health Science Technology: Managing Water and Wastes (3 cr.) P: PBHL-A316; MATH 153. Technology approach to preventing the transmission of disease among humans through water and wastes. Course focuses on drinking water treatment and distribution, water quality and pollution, wastewater treatment, storm water management, municipal solid waste, and hazardous waste management. 
  • PBHL-B 300 Introduction to Biostatistics (3 cr.) P: MATH-M118

    This is an introductory survey of statistical reasoning and analysis.  Additionally, students should have a working knowledge of personal computers and the Windows operating environment

  • PBHL-S 315 Community Health (3 cr.)

    This course provides learning opportunities for public health undergraduate students to develop an understanding of factors that distinguish personal health – individual actions that affect the health of an individual and those close to him or her -- from community health, which refers to the health status of a defined group of people and the actions, policies, structures, and conditions that promote, protect and preserve the health of communities.

  • PBHL-S 340 Cultural Competency in the Promotion of Health (3 cr.)

    This course will prepare students to conduct health related work in a multicultural environment where health and health care have varied meanings.

  • PBHL-S 372 International Perspectives on Health and Housing (3 cr.)

    This international service-learning course is designed for students who are interested in developing an in-depth understanding of the relationship between health and housing outside of the U.S. This course will provide students with an opportunity to learn and work with individuals, families and communities struggling to overcome poverty to improve well-being in Argentina through a collaborative project with Habitat for Humanity, International. This course combines didactic learning related to the social determinants of health with a short term international service experience with Habitat for Humanity that will not only explore the complex social and geopolitical factors associated with health and housing, but will provide firsthand experience in an international setting. The course will require travel to participate in a 8-10 day service learning experience within an Argentinian community where community development efforts are underway to improve the health and well being of communities impacted by poverty.

  • PBHL-S 422 Coaching for Health and Wellness (3 cr.)

    This course is designed to teach students how to coach individuals and groups attempting to improve their health behaviors. Theory, evidence-based practices, and different types of communication and interviewing styles will be explored through hands-on activities. Students will practice the learned techniques throughout the semester and will be able to apply these techniques upon completion of the course. Students planning to become health educators, health care providers, and others interested in guiding behavior change will benefit from this course.

  • PBHL-H 200 Health Care Accounting (3 cr.)

    Course will provide students with a foundation in health care accounting from long-term care to acute care.  The topics covered will include balancing sheet or statement of financial position, income statement or statement of  revenue and expenses, journals, ledgers, trial balances and discrimination of formatting financial statements between acute care and long-term care organizations.

  • PBHL-S 425 A Public Health Journey through the Social Determinants of Health (3 cr.)

    This course is designed to introduce students to an ecological perspective of health, going beyond biology and individual factors to investigate the influence on health of the social systems in which individuals live, work, and play.  The factors we will explore in this course, often referred to as the “social determinants of health” include education, income, housing, employment, neighborhood environments, discrimination, social and community networks, culture, healthcare, and others. We will review evidence supporting the biological mechanisms by which social influences have physiologic consequences expressed as disease.  We will explore the complex interplay of factors that shape health throughout life.  Students will gain an understanding of the cumulative effect of social advantage or disadvantage on health over one’s lifetime, and how these social systems contribute to well-established patterns of health inequities.  The ethical concept of social justice and its relationship to health inequities will be integrated in the course. 

  • PBHL-S 330 Theories of Health Behavior Change (3 cr.)

    This course will explore the theories of health behavior change that are used to develop health interventions for individuals and communities. Students will learn different theories, how to put them into practice, and how useful and practical they are for various populations.

  • PBHL-S 499 Capstone Experience: BSPH in Community Health (3 cr.)

    PREREQUISITE

    Students must be in their final year of the BSPH Program and have their advisor’s permission to enroll in the Capstone Experience.  Students must have a minimum  undergraduate GPA of 2.5 to enroll in the Capstone Experience.

     

    This course integrates public health theory and practice in an applied practice setting. The capstone experience is tailored to students’ expected post-baccalaureate goals. A variety of public health experiences are available, including an internship, a service-learning project, a portfolio project, a research paper, and an honors thesis.

  • PBHL-S 120 Introduction to Community Health (3 cr.) This undergraduate course will expose students to a variety of public health careers. Students will hear from public health professionals who hold a variety of positions in epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, social and behavioral sciences, public health preparedness, biostatistics, maternal-child-family health, chronic and infectious disease prevention, and health policy and management. Professionals from the private and public sectors will introduce students to the many careers in public health and to the various roles and functions of public health professionals. The course will focus on careers at all levels of education; bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctoral degree levels.
  • PBHL-H 330 Global Public Health (3 cr.)

    All public health is global in today's world. This course will explore the key global public health issues that face countries in the world with higher, middle, and lower income resources. The health policy issues that affect public health outcomes in various political, cultural, and economic environments will be analyzed.  New, innovative solutions to global public health problems will also be discussed.

  • PBHL-H 315 High-Risk Health Behavior and Harm Reduction (3 cr.)

    Some individuals and groups are more likely to engage in high-risk health behaviors than others, which is costly to them and society.  This class will focus on health risk related to sexual behavior, drug use, and homelessness.

  • PBHL-P 200 Computer Applications in Health Administration (1-3 cr.)

    This course provides an overview of standard business applications, such as Microsoft Office Suite (2010) that are routinely used in healthcare environment. An emphasis will be on applied knowledge of Word, Excel, Outlook and PPT. This course also offers guidelines on appropriate business behaviors in any healthcare setting.

  • PBHL-P 300 Organizational Behavior & Human Resources for Healthcare (1-3 cr.)

    This course introduces disciplines of organizational behavior and human resources management (HRM) and their application to the management of healthcare organizations. The course examines how to effectively manage individuals, teams and systems in the dynamic legal, social, and economic healthcare environment.

  • PBHL-P 300 Health Information Technology Management and Policy (1-3 cr.)

    This course will familiarize students with current issues associated with health information technology (IT) and their impact on the U.S. healthcare system. Health IT applications are playing an increasingly important role in assuring high quality care and have the potential to transform the nature of healthcare delivery. This course will review the evidence on the impact of Health IT from the perspectives of hospitals, physicians, patients, payers, and society.

  • PBHL-P 100 Topics in Public Health: Sex in America (1-3 cr.)

    In this course, we will explore sex in contemporary American society.  In recent decades, sexual behavior and sexuality have emerged as critical public health policy concerns.  Whether it is the emergence and dramatic spread of sexually transmitted diseases, high rates of sex-related violence, the increasing visibility of sexual minorities, or the changing nature of sexual relationships, everyone seems to be talking about sex.  Sexual expression is an essential and powerful dimension of the human experience, but most Americans struggle to fully understand and appreciate their personal sexual feelings and navigate our “hyper-sexual” society.

  • PBHL-H 345 Operations Management and Quality Improvement in Healthcare (3 cr.) This course provides an overview of the halthcare operations managment (OM), with emphasis on quality improvement.  You will apply OM principles to develop more effective operational processes, mitigate risks, and improve quality.  Discussions, case studies and assignments will focus on strategies and techniques of quality improvement processes, project managment and others.
  • PBHL-S 305 Careers in Public Health (3 cr.)

    This undergraduate course will expose students to a variety of public health careers.  Students will hear from public health professionals who hold a variety of positions in epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, social and behavioral sciences, public health preparedness, biostatistics, maternal-child-family health, chronic and infectious disease prevention, and health policy and management.   Professionals from the private and public sectors will introduce students to the many careers in public health and to the various roles and functions of public health professionals.  The course will focus on careers at all levels of education; bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctoral degree levels.

  • PBHL-S 399 Introduction to Research Methods in Public (3 cr.)

    This course examines fundamental research methods used in the field of public health. The focus is on understanding how community and clinical data are collected in scientifically valid methods and how study results are fairly interpreted. Students will learn how to critique published research to identify the strengths and limitations of the designs and approaches used, along with possible confounding factors and biases. The topics include the following components of research studies: justification for a research project, development of research questions, research designs (qualitative, quantitative), selection of participants, sampling methods, project management, and data for analysis. Methods used to complete and interpret community-based needs assessments and program evaluation will be included.

  • PBHL-S 404 Topic in Public Health: Applied Health Promotion (3 cr.)

    This course provides students with understanding, application, and practice of key methods in community health promotion including health communication, health education, health policy, and community mobilization strategies. Application of theory and implementation of methods at individual and community levels are addressed.

  • PBHL-S 410 Booms, Busts, Shapes and Shifts: Why Population Matters to Public Health (3 cr.)

    This course provides you with a basic introduction to the discipline of population studies, in terms of how its main theories, concepts, and measures can be used by public health practitioners and scholars. Emphasis is placed on contemporary population issues and their origins, although important past developments will also be examined. Online and in-class content will frequently reference both more developed countries (MDCs) and less developed countries (LDCs).        

    The course will also help you to become an informed consumer of demographic information. Toward that end, you will engage in a semester-long project in which you will learn how to access demographic data, calculate demographic measures, interpret these measures, and evaluate their usefulness. This project will provide you with practical experience using demographic techniques, which can be applied to careers in business, marketing, government, and human services. Demography is one of the more quantitative sub-fields of social science, but please don’t let this scare you. Students with basic math skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) should have no trouble. You will work on calculations online with access to web-based resources, and you may work on your online assignments in groups, if you wish. I ask that you try to bring a calculator to class each day that we meet in person (in case review is needed). 

  • PBHL-S 105 Public Health in Film and Media (3 cr.)

    This undergraduate course will expose students to a variety of public health issues portrayed in film and media. A series of selected films and documentaries, and readings, relevant to public health will be viewed, critically analyzed by students, and discussed in class. The films and readings span a wide variety of public health topics.

  • PBHL-S 320 This Stress is Killing Me: Stress and Its Effects on You (3 cr.)

    This course will teach you all about stress and its effect on your body and mind.  You will learn the biology of stress, factors that protect you from stress or make you more vulnerable to it and the experience of stress in various settings, such as work, family and community.  You will learn ideas about how to manage stress in your own life and be asked to create a plan to help better manage the stress that is in your life. 

  • PBHL-P 300 Buzzed and Stoned - The Impact of Substance Abuse on Public Health (3 cr.)

    This course will introduce students to substance abuse research from a public health perspective. We will utilize epidemiological concepts and tools to study distribution of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use; identify social-behavioral factors that predispose individuals to engage in substance abuse and discuss health behavior theories and models; and review health and drug-control policy interventions.  Students will learn key principles and concepts of substance abuse and addiction, and discuss short- and long-term effects of the primary drugs of abuse.

    Instructional methods will include lectures (in-class and/or online), interactive discussions, readings, exercises and individual and/or group assignments. This course is designed to help create a foundation of knowledge and understanding of substance abuse, utilizing public health concepts, tools, and strategies that will also be useful to students in other public health undergraduate and graduate courses.  

  • PBHL-P 300 Chasing Disease: Field Epidemiology (3 cr.)

    Describing the application of epidemiology in unexpected conditions in a population.  This course, through the use of case studies, will explore the world of disease outbreaks and the field response.  Preventing disease spread, discovery of etiology, and causal factors by using the prescribed steps of public health field epidemiology. 

  • PBHL-P 200 Navigating the Maze to Healthy Living (3 cr.)

    This course provides students with knowledge and understanding of factors influencing personal health, health behaviors, health promotion, and disease prevention.  The course emphasizes lifestyle and personal decision making as a consumer of health and health care services.

  • PBHL-S 202 Peer Health Education and Leadership (3 cr.)

    Peer Health Education and Leadership will consist of classroom and online components. Students will be engaged with in-classroom workshops facilitated by the Office of Health and Wellness Promotion staff and campus partners, focused on content education and skills training. Students will also learn, discuss, and reflect with their peers in an online environment, building a foundational understanding of health and wellness topics and aspects of leadership development