Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

• PBHL-B 551 Biostatistics for Public Health I (3 cr.) This course introduces the basic principles and methods of data analysis in public health biostatistics.  Emphasis is placed on concepts such as sampling, study design, descriptive statistics, probability, hypothesis testing, chi-square tests, t-tests, analysis of variance, linear regression and correlation.  An introduction to SAS statistical software is part of this course.
• PBHL-B 652 Biostatistics for Public Health II (3 cr.) P: B551. This course introduces the advanced principles and methods of data analysis in public health biostatistics.  Emphasis is placed on public health examples as they relate to concepts such as:  Multiple regression, analysis of variance and covariance, logistic regression, nonparametric statistics, survival analysis, epidemiology statistics, and repeated measures analysis as they apply to public health practice.
• PBHL-H 501 U.S. Health Care Systems and Health Policy (3 cr.) This course is designed to help students, particularly those interested in careers as public health leaders and health care managers, develop a better understanding of critical health policies and the health policy making process as well as the overall structure and key components of our health care system.
• PBHL-E 517 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (3 cr.) This course will introduce students to basic epidemiologic concepts including determinants of health and patterns of disease in populations, population health descriptive techniques, use of health indicators and secondary data sources.  Students will gain an understanding of the role of epidemiology in developing prevention strategies and policy.  Among the topics to be covered are measures of mortality and morbidity, design and analysis of observational studies, community health assessment and program evaluation.
• PBHL-H 619 Health Economics for Public Health Professionals (3 cr.) P: 3 cr. of undergraduate economics or permission of the instructor. This course examines the principles and application of economic analysis in the health field and the economist’s approach to health care issues. It provides insights offered by economic analysis of specific health issues and problems.
• PBHL-H641 Ethics in Public Health (3 cr.) This course is an introduction to the role of ethics in population health-related programs, policymaking, professions and research. Because public health interventions focus on communities, as contrasted with individuals, they raise distinct and significant ethical questions from those raised in health services delivery (commonly addressed in fields such as medical ethics, bioethics and clinical ethics). A central question is: How should the rights of individuals be balanced against the protection or improvement of the health of the public? Through examination of current, historic and potential cases -- including infectious disease outbreaks and bioterrorism threats, community health impact assessments, soda portion restrictions, and international public health research and programs -- students will increase their understanding of the ethical and human rights concerns in public health. Students also will learn how to analyze local, national and international public health policies and programs using numerous ethics-based frameworks, and will be more empowered to be critical contributors to the development, delivery and assessment of ethically sound public health interventions in their professional careers.
• PBHL-H 658 Health Policy and Program Evaluation (3 cr.) P: S510. This course examines fundamental research methods used in the field of public health.  The focus is on understanding how community in scientifically valid methods and how study results in daily fairly interpreted.
• PBHL-H 670 Topics in Public Health (3 cr.) This course is an introduction to the role of ethics in population health-related programs, policymaking, professions and research. Because public health interventions focus on communities, as contrasted with individuals, they raise distinct and significant ethical questions from those raised in health services delivery (commonly addressed in fields such as medical ethics, bioethics and clinical ethics).
• PBHL-H 680 Seminar in Contemporary HPM Challenges (3 cr.) This seminar is the introductory seminar for HPM doctoral students and should be taken in the first or second year of your graduate study. The broad goal of the course is to help you develop your skills in analytic reasoning, critical thinking, knowledge translation, and professional self-reflection necessary for a successful research career.
• PBHL-H 740 Workshop in Health Policy and Management (3 cr.) P: Completion of all 500- and 600-level core courses or permission of instructor. This course is designed to prepare students for the H742: Practicum in Health Policy and Management. Students will be assigned to work in small groups of two or three students with health policy makers in local or state government or in private or non-profit health care organizations on a policy issue chosen by the agency. Over the course of the semester, students will conduct background research on the topic and examine prior relevant policies. This background work will be shared and discussed with the sponsoring agency.
• PBHL-H 742 Practicum in Health Policy & Management (3 cr.) While the nature of the policy work will vary across agencies, the pedagogical objective of this field experience is for Ph.D. students to get hands on experience in translating research into policy and practice.  Ph.D. students will meet as a class to discuss their work and the challenges they are facing.
• PBHL-H773 Doctoral Research Seminar in Health Policy and Management (1 cr.) The goal of this seminar is to help you chart a course for a future career conducting research in health policy and management.  The hallmark of a PhD is learning to be an effective researcher whether you are in an academic or other setting, or whether research is your primary role or it is balanced with teaching, service, and/or administration. Learning to be a researcher is not just obtaining the requisite knowledge and skills; it is a process of socialization into the research profession where you learn its culture, norms and values.  You will reflect on your professional goals and plans for your future research. You will learn strategies for building your research skills, establishing relationships with other researchers, and having an impact on knowledge development and social policy. This seminar is designed to complement the other doctoral seminars that cover other areas of health policy and management professionals’ careers.
• PBHLH774 Doctoral Research Seminar in Health Policy and Management Service (1 cr.)  This course is designed to expose PhD students to a wide range of specific service topics and issues in Public Health.  The seminar topics will be chosen by the Director of the PhD program with input from other faculty members.  The PhD students are expected to attend each seminar session, read assigned material, and participate in the seminar discussions. The PhD students will present their service projects during the seminar to obtain feedback and recommendations from the faculty and other students.
• PBHL-H 775 Doctoral Research Seminar in Health Policy and Management: Professional Role (1 cr.) This course is designed to expose PhD students to a wide range of specific research topics and issues in Public Health. The seminar topics will be chosen by the Director of the PhD program with input from other faculty members. The PhD students are expected to attend each seminar session, read assigned materials, and participate in the seminar discussions. The PhD students will present their research projects during the seminar to obtain feedback and recommendations from the faculty and other students.
• PBHL-H799 Dissertation Proposal for PhD in Health Policy and Management (4 cr.) This course will provide students with time to prepare for the qualifying examination and prepare their dissertation prospectus. The prospectus includes the information required by the IUPUI Graduate Office.
• PBHL-H 800 Doctoral Level Directed Study (3 cr.) The dissertation will be written on an original topic of research and presented as one of the final requirements for the PhD degree. The dissertation must be an original contribution to knowledge and of high scholarly merit. The candidate's research must reveal critical ability and powers of imagination and synthesis. The dissertation is written under the supervision of a research director and a research committee. The data used by the student may involve analysis of primary or secondary data.
• PBHL-S 510 Introduction to Research Methods (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. Topics include components of research studies, including: justification for a research project, developments of research questions, selections of cases and controls, sampling methods, quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques, project management, and preparing data for analysis. Methods used to complete and interpret community-based needs assessments and program evaluations will be included.
• PBHL-S615 Culture and Qualitative Methods (3 cr.)  This course provides learning opportunities for public health graduate students to develop an understanding of culture and of how qualitative methods – observations, focus groups, and in-depth interview research -- can be used to develop sensitivity to and an understanding of cultural practices. Such cultural sensitivities and competencies are basic to effective program planning, implementation, service delivery, and program evaluation. This class will provide important knowledge and opportunities related to public health practice in a community setting comprised of a multicultural population with differing health beliefs, values, behaviors and health care needs. By the end of the semester, the student will be able to define and distinguish the concepts of culture and traditions, acculturation and enculturation, traditionalism and modernism and will be able to begin to identify how to build on “best-practices” by incorporating local cultural practices in order to develop interventions aimed at and effective in influencing health behaviors. Further, the student will have active experience in conducting qualitative research in a community setting, including the opportunity to develop skills in conducting windshield surveys, participant observations, key informant interviews, and focus groups.
• S725 Preparing for Academia in Public Health (1 cr) This 1.0 credit seminar course will prepare advanced graduate students for the roles and responsibilities they may assume as faculty members.  Course content will include an overview of the higher education culture and faculty expectations for teaching, research and service.