Department of Public Health

Interim Chair: Professor Wilson

Public health is the science and art of protecting and improving community health through health education, promotion, research, and disease prevention strategies. Public health is the knowledge and application of multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, population-based methods of research, teaching, service, and practice involving various academic disciplines.

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Program Indiana University School of Medicine offers a comprehensive curriculum leading to the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree. This program provides students with a clear
understanding of the roles of core disciplines in public health and sufficient knowledge of the theory and terminology used by these disciplines to allow effective participation in interdisciplinary public health efforts. Students obtain specialized skills in epidemiology, health policy and management, or behavioral health science. The M.P.H. Program provides a broad, contemporary perspective for future health care leaders to focus on prevention of injury and disease in populations by addressing issues such as tobacco and drug abuse, air and water contaminants, infectious and chronic diseases, and cost-effective use of health care technologies.

C501 Program Planning in Public Health Education (3 cr.) This course is designed to illuminate health planning models and key steps in health promotion planning. Students will develop a health promotion campaign through needs assessment and brochure development.

C515 Health Education in Clinical Settings (3 cr.) Examines the role of health education and promotion within health service delivery organizations. Topics include the sociocultural construction of health and illness, the patient-provider relationship, models of behavior change and maintenance, program planning and implementation, and evaluation of health education interventions in clinical settings. Students will review selected model programs.

H617 Human Disease and Prevention (3 cr.) This course has two components. First, students acquire knowledge of selected diseases and social pathologies of importance in public health. They turn this knowledge into educational materials for public health presentations and interventions. In the second component, students evaluate different prevention interventions for the previously selected pathologies and develop formal recommendations.

E520 Introduction to Environmental Toxicology (3 cr.) This course is divided into two sections. The first deals with the routes of exposure, biotransformation, metabolism, target organs, dose-response and toxicity testing. The second part covers specific classes of compounds, regulatory risk assessment, and environmental and human risk assessment.

E536 Environmental Chemistry (3 cr.) Designed to develop an understanding of environmental chemistry, focusing on the sources, transport, and fate of chemicals in the environment. Both qualitative and quantitative problem solving will be emphasized, as well as the interdisciplinary nature of environmental chemistry. Some emphasis also will be given to specific current topics in environmental chemistry.

E560 Environmental Risk Analysis (3 cr.) Introduces the concept of risk assessment and risk management. Both scientific and regulatory issues will be addressed. Covers current regulatory methodologies for ecological risk assessment along with recent suggestions of scientific work on risk refinement issues. Quantitative techniques, case studies, guest speakers, and computer models will be utilized to lend guidance for sound decision-making processes relating to environmental risk assessments.

H500 Philosophy/Principles of Health Education (3 cr.) Explores the principles of health education and behavioral science and strategies for their application to health problems in communities and among special populations.

H501 U.S. Health Care: Systems, Policies and Ethical Challenges (3 cr.) Explores health, illness and disease trajectories and the systemic components that mold the health care system. Ideological paradigms predicting utilization and health behaviors are addressed, as are guidelines of ethical decision making/problem analysis. Formulations and implementation of organizational and governmental policies and their associated theoretical assumptions are addressed.

H502 Developing Strategic Capability in Health Care (3 cr.) Explores management roles in health care. Application of management theories, concepts, and principles and an understanding of managerial roles in organizations are emphasized. Managerial process, management theories, leadership, organizational design, and strategic management are examined.

H514 Health Economics (3 cr.) Examines the principles and applications of economic analysis in the health field and the economist’s approach to health care issues. It also provides insights offered by economic analysis of specific health issues and problems.

H517 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (3 cr.) Introduces basic epidemiologic concepts including determinants of health and patterns of disease in populations, and implications of disease processes on prevention strategies and policy development. Among the topics to be covered are measures of morbidity, and mortality, sources of data, and design of research studies and clinical trials.

H519 Environmental Science in Public Health (3 cr.) Examines national and international environmental factors that influence health such as population, toxic substances, energy, food quality, and air and water quality. Students will discuss risk analysis as well as prevention strategies.

P501 Issues in Public Health Seminar (cr. arr.) This course consists of three seminars designed to give students a conceptual framework for integrating issues addressed in the health policy and epidemiology core courses. Presentations by faculty and practitioners and discussions will enhance selected readings chosen for each theme.

P502 Issues in Public Health Seminar (cr. arr.) This course consists of a series of seminars on topics with current significance for public health practice presented by local, state, national and international faculty. Presenters will engage students in discussion on related issues, perspectives and values and expose them to approaches used to address contemporary public health problems.

P503 Public Health Community Project (cr. arr.) This course uses a community-based approach to integrate the interdisciplinary dimensions of public health practice. Small groups of students and a designated faculty advisor work on a project with a public health agency or community-based organization. Students, faculty, community leaders, and agency representatives will participate in “Presentation Day” for all projects.

P600 Epidemiologic Research Methods (3 cr.) Provides an in-depth presentation of the major research designs, analytical methods, and practical issues specifically related to conducting research in the field of epidemiology. Descriptive, observational, and experimental designs are included. In addition, issues of ethics, protocol, data quality, instrument design, and analysis are covered.

P601 Advanced Epidemiologic Methods and Applications (3 cr.) Provides students with an in-depth understanding of advanced epidemiologic concepts and techniques not covered in other classes. Topics include cutting edge techniques, philosophical issues, and insights for appropriately conducting and interpreting the findings of epidemiological studies.

P602 Internship (3 cr.) Integrates public health theory and practice in a practice setting. Students have the opportunity to apply concepts from core and concentration courses, conduct projects, and interact with a range of health professionals in a designated setting. Linked to the student’s chosen concentration, this work experience exposes the student to new issues and new ways to solve problems in greater depth and with more responsibility than the M.P.H. community project (P503). The student works with both a faculty advisor and an academically and professionally qualified preceptor in the agency.

P603 Seminar in Behavioral Health Science (1 cr.) This course provides an overview of the fundamental elements used in conducting research in public health. Topic areas include: elements of a research proposal; the basic structure of inquiry; human subjects and ethical issues; formulating behavioral health science research questions; qualitative and quantitative measurement; sampling design; data collection and analysis.

P606 Seminar in Epidemiology (1 cr.) This course provides experience in the development of an epidemiologic research grant using specific submission criteria. Topics are chosen by each student, generally the subject of their culminating research project. Students practice their grant reviewing skills by performing a critical review of a grant.

P607 Seminar in Health Policy and Management (1 cr.) This course provides an overview of the fundamental elements used in conducting research in public health. Topic areas include: elements of a research proposal; the basic structure of inquiry; human subjects and ethical issues; formulating health policy research questions; qualitative and quantitative measurement; sampling design; data collection and analysis.

P609 Infectious Disease Epidemiology (3 cr.) Examines infectious health conditions from an epidemiological perspective. Concepts include distributions, determinants, diagnosis, measures of severity, treatment modalities, surveillance measures, survival and prognosis, and quality of care measures. Research methods, prevention strategies, and screening tests will also be presented. Clinical experts will present diagnosis and treatment methods.

P610 Chronic Disease Epidemiology (3 cr.) Examines chronic health conditions from an epidemiological perspective. Concepts include distributions, determinants, diagnosis, measures of severity, treatment modalities, surveillance measures, survival and prognosis, and quality of care measures. Research methods, prevention strategies, and screening tests will also be presented. Clinical experts will present diagnosis and treatment methods.

P612 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (3 cr.) Focuses on patient-centered outcomes research in the health care field. The different types of patient-centered outcomes assessment tools and their application in determining patient health status, change in health status, and the effectiveness of health care interventions will be discussed.

P613 Bioterrorism: Public Health’s Role and Response (1-3 hrs.) This course is designed to familiarize learners with biological agents used for terrorism in the past, and agents the Centers for Disease Control consider most likely to be used at present.

P650 Readings in Public Health (hrs. and cr. arr.) Designed to expose the student to different readings in public health. The course will allow the student to apply skills learned in the public health core courses by collecting data and applying techniques. The student will be required to read critically published papers and identify research topics.

P651 Biostatistics for Public Health I (3 cr.) Introduction to biostatistics for those planning a career in public health or public health-related research. Students learn to apply statistical techniques to the processing and interpretation of data from health studies. They will study probability, descriptive statistics, study design, and linear regression, among other topics.

P652 Biostatistics for Public Health II (3 cr.) Designed to give students experience with more advanced statistical methodologies. Topics include multiple linear regression, logistical regression, survivor analysis, and Cox’s regression.

P702 Public Health Behavioral Health Science Concentration Project (3 cr.) This course provides students the opportunity to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired through course work and the public health internship. Student projects will include components of behavioral health science research and application.

P704 Public Health Epidemiology Concentration Project (3 cr.) This course provides students the opportunity to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired through course work and the public health internship by conducting an epidemiological study. Satisfactory projects include epidemiological research and applications that involve protocol development, data collection and analysis, and preparation of an oral presentation and written report.

P705 Health Policy and Management Concentration Project (3 cr.) This course provides students the opportunity to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired through course work and the public health internship. Student projects will include components of health policy analysis or management research and applications.

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