Applied Health Science (MS)

Overviews basic principles and applications of epidemiological concepts and methods in the study of public health problems in populations. The focus of the course is on the interpretation and assessment of epidemiologic research, both descriptive and analytic, and its application to public health practice and relevance to the key disciplines of public health. Examples of the use of the principles of epidemiology will be presented so that students will have sufficient understanding to apply such principles in future public health work.

Prerequisites: none

Specific managerial components will be emphasized, such as organizational patterns, fiscal administration, and personnel management common to the healthcare system. Administrative functions of policy settings, planning coordination, public issue involvement, and community relations will be included. Particular attention is given to the human side of management.

Prerequisites: none

Provides a thorough background on the practical aspects of health planning, including development, adoption, and implementation of health programs.

Prerequisites: none

Provides a solid theoretical and philosophical foundation for professional health education practice. Current and historical health education, theoretical and philosophical models, and concepts are explored. Application of these models and concepts to professional practice is emphasized.

Prerequisites: none

Focuses on advanced development of communication and advocacy skills for the health education specialist. The course provides in-depth coverage of health communication theory, application, and evidence. Students will critique a current health communication campaign.

Prerequisites: none

Reviews the basic principles and techniques used in Biostatistics and will incorporate a final project that entails analyzing data, using the SPSS program, to answer hypothesized questions, and make conclusions using the inferential statistical process.

Prerequisites: none

Examines and applies research methods common to public health topics. Course requires an extensive literature review as part of a research proposal.

Prerequisites: none

An in-depth review of significant current health concerns and controversies in health science, using the elements of reasoning as the framework for critiquing the issues.

Prerequisites: none

Promotes identification and analysis of environmental influences upon health status. Health concerns related to residential, occupational, and other environments are explored. Problems pertaining to air, water, solid waste, housing, land use, toxic waste, and sanitation are addressed.

Prerequisites: none

The course examines the foundations of emotional health and explores methods for promoting and maintaining emotional health. Emphasis is on recognition of, and enhancing awareness about, how stress affects human health and performance. Stress management techniques such as relaxation, effective communication, cognitive-behavioral approaches, eating behaviors, regular exercise, and time management are explored.

Prerequisites: none

This course investigates the physical and mental health concerns of the aging process. Explores specific health problems confronting older persons, and examines preventive health behaviors and health maintenance practices.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to provide students with practical knowledge and application techniques in assessing an individual with a chemical use/dependency problem. Various assessment techniques will be presented and discusses as to appropriate utilization. This course meets the criteria for Rule 25 training in Chemical Dependency Assessment.

Prerequisites: none

An in-depth study of specific topics of current interest in the Health Science discipline.

Prerequisites: none

Addresses the history, organization, influences, and delivery of healthcare in the United States (U.S.) and abroad. A focus will be on analyzing the factors, including the U.S. Constitution, that have shaped the healthcare system compared to other parts of the globe. Additional focus will be placed on the legal and social justice framework for urgent public health issues.

Prerequisites: none

Focuses on the determinants of health, the concept of culture, and the intersection of health issues, culture, and health status. Linkages between health and development are addressed and research methods instrumental in identifying relationships between culture and health are discussed. The course examines diverse strategies for measuring health and explores how public health efforts (domestic and global) benefit from understanding and working with cultural processes. Emphasis is on the burden of disease, risk factors, populations most affected by different disease burdens, and key measures to address the burden of disease in cost-effective ways.

Prerequisites: none

An examination of the judicial system and the development, enactment and enforcement of laws as they relate to the public's health.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to provide students with practical knowledge and application techniques in assessing an individual with a chemical use/dependency problem. Various assessment techniques will be presented and discussed as to appropriate utilization. This course meets the criteria for Rule 25 training in Chemical Dependency Assessment.

Prerequisites: none

The course examines approaches to promote health and prevent disease and injury, and explores other health related issues at the workplace. Assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation strategies are addressed. Model programs are reviewed and analyzed.

Prerequisites: none

Focuses on preventing and reducing risks associated with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in school and community settings. Emphasizes planning, implementing, assessing, and evaluating alcohol, tobacco, and other drug education in K-12 schools.

Prerequisites: none

Human health problems comprise a wide range of infectious, degenerative, and genetically-based disease factors. In addition to these factors, human disease results from a wide range of environmental and socially- caused pathologies. This course presents the basic scientific and biomedical concepts of modern public health problems and explores, in depth, mechanisms and models of the major categories of disease. The biologic principles presented in this course are foundations to developing and implementing public health disease prevention, control, or management programs in the students future.

Prerequisites: none

Designed to make students familiar with the steps of grant writing, explore the various sources of grants available to health professionals, and develop skills and competencies to successfully write grant proposals.

Prerequisites: none

Explores current issues, controversies, and concerns affecting sexual health. Relationships between social, cultural, psychological, environmental, and physical factors of sexuality will be examined.

Prerequisites: none

Focuses on the complexity of health behavior change and the skills necessary for a health promotion professional to assess, plan, and evaluate behavior change interventions for individuals and communities. Health behavior change theories and strategies will be discussed. Emphasis will be given to the impact of policy and environmental influences on behavior.

Prerequisites: none

Course requires completion of Alternate Plan Paper and oral presentation for group review.

Prerequisites: none

Credit for students working on their thesis. Permission of advisor and department chairperson required.

Prerequisites: none