Fall Term
EPH 617 – Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (3 cr)
This course will introduce students to the science of prevention and health promotion. More specifically, through didactic presentations, group discussions, article readings and critiques, and a term project, this course will focus on providing students with an overview of: the top preventable causes of disease in the U.S., the etiology of disease (with a focus on the top preventable causes of disease in the U.S.) across the lifespan, the role of prevention theories in the development of preventive interventions, and the role of methodology in prevention science. The course will also provide an overview of efficacious/effective preventive interventions, including (but not limited to): family community, and school level interventions. Examples from the fields of obesity, drug use, smoking, and HIV will be used to illustrate the course learning objectives detailed below.
Requisite: Must be in either Program Plan, BSTS, EPID, EPID1, PREV, MDRP.
EPS 622 – Community Well-Being and Change: Theory and Practice (3 cr)
This course is designed to promote an understanding of the factors associated with healthy communities. It provides a comprehensive overview of the relevant skills and theories including: ecological/systems theory/models; community theories (sense of community, social capital, environmental psychology); and critical social theory, social justice, and social determinants of well-being.
EPH 626 - Health Equity (3 cr)
The goal of this course is to cover health disparities from multiple perspectives and levels of analysis. We know that the same ethnic, social, and cultural groups are characterized by disparities in many different health outcomes---including "voluntary" behaviors such as crime, violence, sexual risk taking, and substance abuse as well as "involuntary" outcomes such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. These disparities are rooted in the same structure of how groups relate to each other, in the physical built environment, in the quality of education provided to children, and in access to quality health care. We will cover all of these (and other) determinants in this course.
EPH 703 - Advanced Statistical Methods I (4 cr)
Advanced statistical methods used in analyzing data from epidemiologic investigations. Topics include Mantel-Haenszel chi-square, interaction, standardization of rates, incidence density, logistics regression, and other special topics.
Prerequisite: EPH 601.
EPH 717 - Integrating Behavior Health Theories and Models (3 cr)
This course is designed to provide an opportunity for synthesis and integration of knowledge regarding the phenomenon of health behavior. The focus is on critical examination of theoretical and empirical work in the area of health behavior from a public health perspective.
Prerequisite: EPH 617 or EPH 620.
EPH 731 - Developing, Adapting and Evaluating Interventions (3 cr)
This course builds on the substantive and methodological competencies acquired in preceding prevention science courses by preparing students to develop and adapt preventive interventions.
EPH 752 - Advanced Research Methods (3 cr)
This is a survey course in advanced quantitative methods for research and evaluation in prevention science. The course will provide students with an introduction to research methodology, matching research questions to specific methods, applying methods to real world data, and presenting the application of a method to a broader audience.
PSY 633 - Structural Equation Modeling (3 cr)
Structural models, path analysis, measurement models, and confirmatory factor analysis, particularly related to hypotheses about causal relations, change over time, and comparisons across diverse populations.
Prerequisite: PSY 632.
EPH 700 - Professional Development Seminar (1 cr)
This course covers fundamental topic areas in professional development for PhD students in the public health sciences. Topic areas include: presenting research at conferences, writing manuscripts for publication, preparing the dissertation, the PhD comprehensive exams, effective teaching and mentoring, and getting a job in academia. Through interactive workshops, in-class exercises, brief presentations and assignments, students will have an opportunity to practice and strengthen necessary skills, including effective communication (oral and written), conflict resolution, and developing collaborations.
Requisite: Academic Program Plan:BSTS, EPID, PREV.
EPH 701 - Innovations in Prevention Science Methodology (1 cr)
This course is a part of series “Innovations in Prevention Science Methodology” which covers specialized topics in prevention science that have been identified as innovating the field. This course section addresses cross-sectional and longitudinal data analyses related to finite mixture models. In general, we will cover various types of mixture distributions. Topics in finite mixture modeling include latent class (profile) analysis (with continuous and categorical variables), univariate and multivariate growth mixture analysis (with continuous and categorical variables), and model evaluations for these analytic methods. Mplus statistical software will be used. Students are expected to attend all classes and to complete all assignments.
Prerequisite: PSY 633 with a B or Higher. and Requisite: Plan BSTS or EPID or EPID1 or PREV or MDRP.
EPH 830 - Doctoral Dissertation (1 - 12 cr)
Required of all candidates for the PhD. The student will enroll for credit as determined by his/her advisor.
EPH 840 -Doctoral Dissertation- Post Candidacy (1 - 12 cr)
Required of all candidates for the PhD. The student will enroll for credit as determined by his/her advisor.
Summer Term
EPH 604 – Clinical Trials (3 cr)
Planning, design, analysis, and data management for clinical therapeutic and prophylactic trials. Illustrations are provided through case examples.
EPH 623 - Determinants of Health and Health Disparities Across the Life Course (3 cr)
This course builds on the concepts and methods examined in EPH 614, delving further into risk and protective processes related to health outcomes across the life course, from the prenatal period to older adulthood. Class readings and discussions will examine examples of common risk pathways contributing to various diseases, including pathways hypothesized to be related to health inequities and disparities, such as: economic and educational disadvantage, stress, sedentary behavior and poor behavioral regulation, social isolation. Common protective pathways that promote health are also reviewed, such as: positive parenting and family relations, and social support.
EPH 830 - Doctoral Dissertation (1 - 12 cr)
Required of all candidates for the PhD. The student will enroll for credit as determined by his/her advisor.
EPH 840 -Doctoral Dissertation- Post Candidacy (1 - 12 cr)
Required of all candidates for the PhD. The student will enroll for credit as determined by his/her advisor.
Spring Term
EPH 626 - Health Equity (3 cr)
The goal of this course is to cover health disparities from multiple perspectives and levels of analysis. We know that the same ethnic, social, and cultural groups are characterized by disparities in many different health outcomes---including "voluntary" behaviors such as crime, violence, sexual risk taking, and substance abuse as well as "involuntary" outcomes such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. These disparities are rooted in the same structure of how groups relate to each other, in the physical built environment, in the quality of education provided to children, and in access to quality health care. We will cover all of these (and other) determinants in this course.
EPH 647 - Community Based Participatory Research (3 cr)
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is methodology, increasingly popular in public health and other disciplines, which invites community collaboration throughout the research process from conceptualization of study focus to dissemination of findings. This course will provide an opportunity for medical and graduate students to better understand the process by which community members and academic researchers work collectively to address health disparities and influence social change.
Prerequisite: EPH 621 and EPH 617 or EPH 620. And Requisite: Must be in a Plan of BSTS or EPID or PREV or MDRP.
EPH 705 - Advanced Statistical Methods II (3 cr)
Continuation and elaboration of EPH 703. Advanced statistical methods used in analyzing data from epidemiologic investigations. Topics include Kappa statistics, life tables, survival analyses, logistic regression, Poisson regression, log linear models, clusters, meta-analysis, and other special topics.
Prerequisite: EPH 703.
EPH 732 - Introduction to Dissemination and Implementation Science (3 cr)
This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) Sciences. Topics include the importance and language of D&I science; designs, methods and measures; differences and similarities across clinical, public health, and policy settings; selected tools for D&I research and practice; and future issues. The focus of this course will be on implementing prevention programs, strategies.and policies that are ready for application, testing and scale up, rather than developing interventions from scratch.
EPH 656 - Qualitative Research Methods (3 cr)
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the philosophical underpinnings of qualitative research and its practical application to the field of public health. Students will 1) develop an understanding of the significance and use of qualitative research methods in public health; 2) differentiate between numerous qualitative research approaches, including phenomenology, grounded theory, and ethnography; 3) describe different methods for collecting qualitative data, including interviews and focus groups; 4) develop skills in the collection, analysis and reporting of qualitative data; and 5) develop a basic understanding of how qualitative and quantitative research may be combined in mixed methodological approaches. The course will include a combination of lectures, presentations of applied qualitative research studies by guest experts, student presentations, and assignments designed to foster students’ skills in formulating appropriate qualitative research questions, designing qualitative studies, collecting and analyzing qualitative data, and summarizing findings for publication. More specific details on the topics to be covered in this course are provided below.
PSY 634 - Hierarchical Linear Modeling (3 cr)
Multi-level modeling of nested and non-independent data. Application of multilevel modeling to social science and behavioral data, including computer laboratory exercises.
Prerequisite: PSY 632.
EPH 700 - Professional Development Seminar (1 cr)
This course covers fundamental topic areas in professional development for PhD students in the public health sciences. Topic areas include: presenting research at conferences, writing manuscripts for publication, preparing the dissertation, the PhD comprehensive exams, effective teaching and mentoring, and getting a job in academia. Through interactive workshops, in-class exercises, brief presentations and assignments, students will have an opportunity to practice and strengthen necessary skills, including effective communication (oral and written), conflict resolution, and developing collaborations.
Requisite: Academic Program Plan:BSTS, EPID, PREV.
EPH 701 - Innovations in Prevention Science Methodology (1 cr)
This course is a part of series “Innovations in Prevention Science Methodology” which covers specialized topics in prevention science that have been identified as innovating the field. This course section addresses cross-sectional and longitudinal data analyses related to finite mixture models. In general, we will cover various types of mixture distributions. Topics in finite mixture modeling include latent class (profile) analysis (with continuous and categorical variables), univariate and multivariate growth mixture analysis (with continuous and categorical variables), and model evaluations for these analytic methods. Mplus statistical software will be used. Students are expected to attend all classes and to complete all assignments.
Prerequisite: PSY 633 with a B or Higher. and Requisite: Plan BSTS or EPID or EPID1 or PREV or MDRP.
EPH 830 - Doctoral Dissertation (1 - 12 cr)
Required of all candidates for the PhD. The student will enroll for credit as determined by his/her advisor.
EPH 840 - Doctoral Dissertation- Post Candidacy (1 - 12 cr)
Required of all candidates for the PhD. The student will enroll for credit as determined by his/her advisor.
