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 562 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-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-E 606 Grant Writing for Public Health  (3 cr.) The course is open to all graduate students. The course will introduce the grant writing format and process and teach some grantsmanship. Student will have an opportunity to exercise the grant writing process
• PBHL-E563 Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis in Health Sciences (3 cr.) This course provides graduate students with an overview of fundamental concepts and methods of systematic review and meta-analysis in health sciences. Principles and methods in conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis are illustrated through case studies of public health and clinical medicine, with emphasis on training students’ practical skills in the conduct of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in various public health and clinical settings.

• PBHL-E710 Advanced Public Health Survey Methods (3 cr.) This course provides an intensive focus on the formative phases of health survey research methodology. Topics covered will include sampling methodologies, questionnaire development, testing, revision and administration, as well as topical discussions related to research ethics and real world challenges of research. Active learning will be emphasized, particularly through the development of a research proposal based on students’ own research interests.

• 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 H514 Health Economics (3 cr.) This course is designed to improve your knowledge of the important issues in health care (through an economic lens) and how quantitative (economic) information can be used in organizational decision making. The primary course objectives are that you develop:

            1) an appreciation of how health care markets operate, particularly how price acts as an allocation mechanism;

            2) skills in measuring and interpreting these economic relationships empirically, including  the interpretation of regression equations.

• 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 644 Health Impact Assessment  (3 cr.) The goal of this course is to introduce students to the theoretical and practical aspects of health impact assessment (HIA) as a methodological tool in public health. HIA utilizes a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods and tools, designed to assess the potential health effects of a public policy, program, project, or initiative.  While HIA is still an emerging practice in the United States, in Europe, Canada, and other areas of the world, the assessment of the public health impact of public decisions have been performed regularly to support policy decisions and promote conditions required for optimal health.
• PBHL-H 657 Application of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Pub Health (3 cr.) Cost-effectiveness analysis is widely used to evaluate the performance of public health interventions, programs and policies. In this course, students will learn to frame a conceptual model, to collect and synthesize data regarding “cost” and “effectiveness”, to perform a cost-effectiveness (or cost-benefit) analysis, and to form policy and practice recommendations based on the analysis.  Legal and ethical controversies surrounding cost-effectiveness analysis will be discussed.

• 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 747 Health Policy and Management Research Seminar (12 cr.) This course is the ongoing doctoral seminar for PhD students in Health Policy and Management (HPM) as well as those earning a PhD minor in HPM.  The overarching objectives of this course is to train students to be more effective HPM researchers.  This will involve improving skills in critically appraising, developing, and defending research studies in the field.  These are broad skills that should continuously be improved throughout students’ time in a PhD program. Thus, H747 is expected to be taken multiple times while in the program.

• PBHL-H 751 Doctoral Readings in Health Policy and Management (1-3 cr.) This course is designed to expose a PhD student to published material on a specific topic or technique related to their field of study in Health Policy and Management. The material to be studied will be determined primarily by the PhD student under the direction of a faculty member with input from the student’s concentration advisor.  The PhD student is expected to work closely with the faculty member to develop a strategy to identify the material to study, plan a time frame for completion of the study and to determine the nature of the study product.  Generally the product will be a summary and interpretation of the material studied in a literature review format.  The PhD student and faculty member will complete a written agreement, which outlines the scope of work for the semester.  The concentration advisor will also sign this agreement.
• PBHL-H 752 Doctoral Research in Health Policy and Management (1-3 cr.) This course is designed to allow PhD students the opportunity to explore research questions by collecting data or using existing data related to their field of study in Health Policy and Management. The study topic will be determined primarily by the PhD student under the direction of a faculty member with input from the student’s concentration advisor.  The PhD student is expected to work closely with the faculty member to develop the study protocol, obtain IRB approval if necessary, obtain the data and collect the planned data analysis.  The time frame for completion and the nature of the study product will be determined by the PhD student, faculty member and advisor.  Generally the product will be a manuscript for submission to an appropriate journal. The PhD student and faculty member will complete a written agreement, which outlines the scope of work for the semester.  The concentration advisor will also sign this agreement.

• PBHL-H 781 Research Design in Health Policy and Management Research (3 cr.) This doctoral-level course exposes PhD students to research designs commonly used in the health policy and management (HPM) literature.  Topics covered will include overview of the research process, types of study designs including their benefits and drawbacks with a strong focus on causal inference designs developed in the field of economics and policy analysis.  At the end of the semester, students should come away with an improved grasp of the interdisciplinary language of HPM research and a deeper appreciation of the importance of research design
• PBHL-H 782 Health Services Empirical Methods (Quantitative Methods) (3 cr.) In this course, we will work towards your mastery of how to apply quantitative methods to theory-based, hypothesis-driven research.   While the course will review quantitative methods useful to health services researchers, the emphasis will be on the practical application of such methods, including issues related to data management, the use of different software packages to implement such methods, and the effective presentation of quantitative findings to a variety of audiences.  The final course deliverable will be an empirical analysis using national survey data to inform an issue of interest to the student.
• PBHL-H 783 Qualitative Methods for Health Services Research (3 cr.) The objective of this course is to introduce doctoral students to qualitative research methods. More specifically, the course will include 1) discussion of the various types of qualitative designs and methods, 2) practical applications of these methods, 3) critique of qualitative studies in the field of health services research and public health, and 4) the development of your own qualitative research ideas.
• PBHL-H 786 Healthcare Organizations Research (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-H787 Health Policy Research (3 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-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 (1-12 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-P506 Population and Public Health (3 cr.) Population health is the distribution of health outcomes within a population, the health determinants that influence distribution, and the policies and interventions that affect the The management of the health of a population requires attention to the multiple determinants of health including: medical care, public health, and the environment. As a key component of population health, this course provides a broad introduction to the principles and organization of public health.

• 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.