COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
MPH Core (18 credit hours)
MPHO 610 - Introduction to Public Health Practice 3 hours, 3 credits
This introductory readings course provides students with an overview of the public health sector from a local, national, and global perspective.The history of public health and recent events leading to a complete transformation of service delivery are two of the topics presented.
MPHO 611 - Social and Behavioral Sciences for Public Health 3 hours, 3 credits
This course introduces those social and behavioral science concepts relevant to public health practice.Social and behavioral models that may influence population based health programs are eMPHOasized with projects designed to demonstrate their use.
MPHO 612 - Statistical Reasoning for Public Health 3 hours, 3 credits
This course introduces the application of quantitative reasoning in public health practice through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics.Students develop a project to demonstrate the application of statistical reasoning to population health concerns such as health disparities.
MPHO 613 - Environmental Sciences for Public Health Practice 3 hours, 3 credits
This course provides an introduction to the chemical, physical, and biological factors affecting human health and well-being. The application of controls to prevent disease and maximize environmental quality is eMPHOasized.
MPHO 614 - Epidemiology for Public Health Practice 3 hours, 3 credits
This course provides an introduction to the methodology used to detect the incidence and prevalence of disease in populations.The basic principles of epidemiology are presented within an applied concept; projects eMPHOasizing public health practice are assigned.
MPHO 615 - Health Services Administration in Public Health 3 hours, 3 credits.
This course covers the application of management concepts to public health systems or settings that use a public health perspective in service delivery.Special eMPHOasis is placed on experiential exercises that integrate management theory with public health practice.
Environmental Health Core (9 credit hours)
ENVH 602 - Environmental Health Administration and the Law 3 hours, 3 credits
A review of the concepts and practice of administering environmental health control programs within agencies at the federal, state and local levels. The principles of administration and leadership of programs in the private sector are also discussed.
ENVH 643 - Principles of Toxicology 3 hours, 3 credits
This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of toxicology with eMPHOasis on the interaction of environmental and industrial chemicals with humans. Exposure, dose response, kinetics and distribution of toxicants, metabolism of toxic agents, factors that affect toxicity and introductory chemical carcinogenesis are discussed
ENVH 566 - Environmental Risk Assessment and Decision Analysis 3 hours, 3 credits
The principles of quantitative health risk assessment of toxicants are presented. Qualitative and quantitative skills necessary to evaluate the probability of injury, disease, or death in the general population from exposure to environmental contaminants are discussed.
Environmental Health Electives (two courses for 6 credit hours)
The environmental health electives will be selected in concert with the MPHO in Environmental Health Program Director.These courses may include an independent study, a practicum, a grant writing course and/or advanced study in environmental health.
Culminating Courses (Coursework totaling 9 credit hours)
MPHO 690 - Public Health Practicum 3 hours, 3 credit hours
This course provides students with an opportunity to engage in public health practice in the community or in a working environment.Students who have no work experience may want to consider the practicum as an elective course.Students currently employed in the public health sector may want to use the practicum as an elective to develop a work related project.
MPHO 691 - Grant Writing for Public Health Practice 3 hours; 3 credit hours
This course provides an introduction to grants and contracts useful in public health practice.Guidelines for funding development will be examined and students will write a grant.Those students with little or no experience in grant writing are encouraged to take this course as an elective or take the capstone for 3 credit hours thereby leaving room in the course of study for MPHO 691.
MPHO 699 - Capstone Project hours determined by credit hours; 3-6 credit hours
The Capstone Project must be taken as the final course for the MPHO degree.In this course a student works with a faculty preceptor and a community preceptor to produce a product useful to public health practice in environmental health (e.g., a paper, a manuscript, a grant, complete an internship, a work related project).The student must also complete a Portfolio containing an activity log, and relevant information gathered over the course of study to demonstrate the mastery of theoretical and applied concepts.
