Fall, 0 credits, Karen Brewer [Pass/Fail]
Public Health Informatics is a new field that is concerned with the systematic application of information and computer sciences to practice, research and learning. This course is created to ensure that graduates of the program have (1) basic familiarity with the issues of technology in computers, communications and genomics in global health; (2) working knowledge of information resources available for program planning, surveillance and data management and (3) working knowledge in the use of evidence-based public health information tools that ensure use of the best practices currently and for lifelong learning. The course is divided into 2 parts (Fall and Spring) which are required by all students in the NYU Master's Program in Global Public Health program.

Spring, 0 credits, Karen Brewer [Pass/Fail]
Public Health Informatics is a new field that is concerned with the systematic application of information and computer sciences to practice, research and learning. This course is created to ensure that graduates of the program have (1) basic familiarity with the issues of technology in computers, communications and genomics in global health; (2) working knowledge of information resources available for program planning, surveillance and data management and (3) working knowledge in the use of evidence-based public health information tools that ensure use of the best practices currently and for lifelong learning. The course is divided into 2 parts (Fall and Spring) which are required by all students in the NYU Master's Program in Global Public Health program.

Fall, 3 credits, Robert Norman/Marc Scott
Cross-listed with E10.2995 (Steinhardt)
This course sequence is intended for graduate students in the epidemiology, public health and clinical research fields. This course provides both the foundations necessary for Biostatistics II and serves as a standalone introductory statistics course. It will concentrate on the interpretation and comprehension of graphical and statistical techniques that are important components of scientific literature. Mathematical ability at the level of high school algebra is required. We will also be using the statistical program SPSS to perform statistical processing and there will be assignments that require the use of this program. We will go over the necessary parts of SPSS in class sessions as needed, but you will be expected to work on these assignments on your own. SPSS is installed on the computers in the computer labs at NYU. There are three attended lab sessions per week for those seeking additional help.

Spring, 3 credits, Robert Norman/Marc Scott
Cross-listed with E10.2996 (Steinhardt), prerequisites U10.2995
This course sequence is intended for graduate students in the epidemiology, public health and clinical research fields and is the second in the Biostatistics sequence. It will concentrate on more advanced methods of statistical analysis and research design that are typical of biological and medical applications of statistics. It is assumed that the student will be familiar with statistical techniques as presented in E10.2995 - U10.2996 - D60.7040. We will again be using SPSS to perform statistical processing. It is assumed that the student has basic skills in the use of SPSS for entering data sets and performing basic analyses and graphics.

Spring, 3 credits
Cross-listed with E33.2306 (Steinhardt), prerequisites U10.2995
Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in different human populations and the application of methods to improve disease outcomes. As such, epidemiology is the basic science of public health. This course is designed to introduce students in all fields of public to the background, basic principles and methods of public health epidemiology. Topics covered include: measures of disease frequency; epidemiologic study designs, both experimental and non-experimental; understanding bias; and measures of effect and association. In addition, students will develop skills to read, interpret and evaluate health information from published epidemiological studies and mass media sources. Students must enroll in a required lab section.

Fall, 3 credits, Victor Rodwin
Governments bear significant responsibilities for assuring the health of their people. As our understanding of the social determinants of health has improved, exercising this responsibility calls for national policies that include planning for the personal health care system, addressing broader issues of population health services and links to policies that affect education, economic development, the environment, among other areas. All nations, especially developing countries and those in transition, face challenges to their national health strategies from the effects of globalization and global decision-making on issues that affect health. Government leaders must address not only health problems within their borders, but those that come across their borders. They must also interact with international organizations that affect global health. This course provides students with a comparative, cross-national overview to key issues, concepts and theories related to the planning, evaluation, financing, organization, management and reform of personal care and population-oriented health systems, worldwide.

Fall, 1.5 credits, Frederick More
This course will explore research and public policy issues related to the health and well being of the public in the international community. During the course, ethical principles will be explored in the context of goal-based, duty-based, and rights-based morality. Contemporary research studies, public policies (past and present), and private sector practices will be evaluated. Consideration will be given to important standards such as The Declaration of Helsinki, the Geneva Accords, (U.S.) National Research Act, and the Belmont Report as standards as well as the Code of Ethics for Public Health with regard to decision-making in research, public policy, and practice. The application of the ethical principles of Beneficence, Respect for Autonomy, and Justice will serve as the foundation for ethical reflection in this course. Aspects of social justice relevant in the international community will be studies, particularly applied to issues surround HIV, stem cell research, human rights, corporate conduct, and the conduct of clinical trials in developing countries. A case study approach will be used throughout the course to explore and elaborate these issues. Texts, movies, and readings will be studied to gain an understanding of global issues that influence public health principles and practice. Issues will be explored in a general manner that will apply to later reflection in concentration course work and in the integrated seminars. The course endeavors to be a vehicle which deepens understanding and expands individual student's perspectives about the impact of public health and public health policy. Time will be devoted to exploring issues of man-made and natural catastrophes as a public health issue. Special topics like confidentiality, decision-making, informed consent, using confidential information in research, and requirements.

Fall, 3 credits, Deborah Padgett
This core course examines social, psychological and cultural factors that have an impact on public health in community, national and global contexts. These factors may include: population characteristics (social class, age, gender, culture, race/ethnicity), individual beliefs and behaviors, and socio-political systems and policies that affect public health problems and their solutions. Theories and perspectives drawn from sociology, anthropology, and psychology are applied to critical issues in global public health including the AIDs epidemic, mental illness, chronic disease, community violence, war and natural disaster trauma as well as behavioral health problems such as smoking and substance abuse.

Fall, 1.5 credits, Rama Rao
In this course we examine the determinants of health starting with the endogenous factors of age, genetics and gender. Following this we will explore how the substrates of air, water, and nutrition are critical to health and are potential conduits of contamination with harmful xenobiotics. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 25% of the global disease burden is due to environmental factors and even higher for children. We will examine the difference in disease burdens and disease patterns between developed and developing countries. Namely we will examine contemporary issues in food and water security, patterns of contamination, and the origins and effects of particulates and air pollutants on human health. This first part of global environmental health reviews the determinants of health as they relate to the critical substrates of nutrition, water, and air. Healthy populations have a sufficient, uncontaminated source of each of these substrates. We will examine contemporary health issues to reveal how deficiencies, excesses, or contamination of water, food, and air may result in disease. When feasible we will compare these to past and potentially, future global health consequences.

Spring, 1.5 credits, Rama Rao
Prerequisites U10.2150
In this course we examine the determinants of health starting with the endogenous factors of age, genetics and gender. Following this we will explore how the substrates of air, water, and nutrition are critical to health and are potential conduits of contamination with harmful xenobiotics. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 25% of the global disease burden is due to environmental factors and even higher for children. We will examine the difference in disease burdens and disease patterns between developed and developing countries. Namely we will examine contemporary issues in food and water security, patterns of contamination. This half of Global Environmental Health will continue to examine the health consequences of the external natural and built environments in poorly developed, rapidly industrializing and developed worlds. This section will focus more on sustainable solutions to development and health.

Spring, 3.0 credits, Deborah Padgett
This course is devoted to flexible forms of inquiry suited to the local context of global public health research. Sometimes known as 'action research', 'rapid assessment, and 'community-based participatory research' these approaches share a commitment to working closely with and in communities to identify health risks and effective interventions for ameliorating them. Although field research may include surveys and other forms of quantitative research, the emphasis in this class will be on qualitative methods with mixed method approaches included where appropriate. The focus will be on introducing the basic content/skills of on-the-ground field research under challenging conditions, i.e., shortages of time and resources as well as cultural/ linguistic differences. There are additional aspects to learning these methods (e.g., data analysis) that require much more time and skill development than is possible in this brief introductory course. Interested students are strongly advised to take additional coursework in qualitative methods.

Fall, 1.5 credits
The Integrative Seminar is an inter-disciplinary series designed to complement the core courses and concentrations with a discussion oriented seminar that will permit exposure to global health leaders and in-depth exploration of the paradigms, perspectives, and policy challenges that shape action in global public health. The course will also include special intensive modules to build skills students will need as individuals, as part of interdisciplinary teams, and as organizational leaders who translate knowledge into effective action to improve global health. The style of the course will be heavily oriented towards peer and experiential learning. It will assume active preparation and participation of all students to facilitate the lively discussion, debate and problem solving that are critical in an area of work that is relatively new and, therefore, contains "contested knowledge".

Fall, 1.5 credits
Prerequisites U10.2122
The Integrative Seminar is an inter-disciplinary series designed to compliment the core courses and concentrations with a discussion oriented seminar that will permit exposure to global health leaders and in-depth exploration of the paradigms, perspectives, and policy challenges that shape action in global public health. The course will also include special intensive modules to build skills students will need as individuals, as part of interdisciplinary teams, and as organizational leaders who translate knowledge into effective action to improve global health. The style of the course will be heavily oriented towards peer and experiential learning. It will assume active preparation and participation of all students to facilitate the lively discussion, debate and problem solving that are critical in an area of work that is relatively new and, therefore, contains "contested knowledge".

Spring, 1.5 credits
Prerequisites U10.2123
The Integrative Seminar is an inter-disciplinary series designed to compliment the core courses and concentrations with a discussion oriented seminar that will permit exposure to global health leaders and in-depth exploration of the paradigms, perspectives, and policy challenges that shape action in global public health. The course will also include special intensive modules to build skills students will need as individuals, as part of interdisciplinary teams, and as organizational leaders who translate knowledge into effective action to improve global health. The style of the course will be heavily oriented towards peer and experiential learning. It will assume active preparation and participation of all students to facilitate the lively discussion, debate and problem solving that are critical in an area of work that is relatively new and, therefore, contains "contested knowledge".

Fall, Spring, 3.0 credits, Hila Richardson; access code required to register
This is a required course that integrates skills and knowledge from the classroom and lays the foundation of global health work experience for the capstone course. The internship must be completed before enrollment in the capstone course. The Internship consists of two components: 1) a minimum of 120 hours of direct field work in an approved public or private organization or program that is engaged in the prevention of disease, health promotion, health policy development, health service delivery or research in a global context; 2) required attendance at a day-long workshop at the end of the internship. The internship hours can be started any time after completion of the first semester of the program and for full-time students, should be completed no later than the third semester of the program. The workshop will be offered in the Spring (May) for students completing fieldwork hours in the Spring and Fall (September) for those who complete their fieldwork hours during the summer. Students register for U10.2610 for the semester in which they will attend the workshop. Using the internship guidelines provided at orientation, students will be responsible for identifying relevant organizations or programs, obtaining a mutually agreed upon assignment and submitting the internship plan at least one month before the internship begins to the Administrative Director for approval. The assignment should include a "shadowing" experience with a senior staff member for at least one working day. The assignment at the organization should be relevant to the student's career goals and cannot be the student's current job.

Fall, 1.5 credits, Lucille Pilling
Capstone is learning in action. Part of the core curriculum of the Masters program in Global Public Health, it provides students with both a critical learning experience and an opportunity to perform a public service. Over the course of an academic year, students work in teams -- either to address challenges, solve problems and identify opportunities for a client organization or to conduct research on a pressing social question. Ultimately, Capstone contributes not only to the students' education, but is a university resource for the public good. In architecture, the capstone is the crowning piece of an arch, the center stone that holds the arch together, giving it shape and strength. MPGPH's Capstone program plays a similar role, by integrating and enhancing student learning in several different arenas: a content or issue area, key process skills including project management and teamwork, and methods for gathering, analyzing and reporting data. Capstone requires students to interweave their learning in all these areas, and to do so in real time, in an unpredictable, complex real world environment. Although each student will be assigned to a team, the class will work as a learning community dedicated to the success of all the projects.

Spring, 1.5 credits, Lucille Pilling; prerequisite U10.2621
Capstone is learning in action. Part of the core curriculum of the Masters program in Global Public Health, it provides students with both a critical learning experience and an opportunity to perform a public service. Over the course of an academic year, students work in teams -- either to address challenges, solve problems and identify opportunities for a client organization or to conduct research on a pressing social question. Ultimately, Capstone contributes not only to the students' education, but is a university resource for the public good. In architecture, the capstone is the crowning piece of an arch, the center stone that holds the arch together, giving it shape and strength. MPGPH's Capstone program plays a similar role, by integrating and enhancing student learning in several different arenas: a content or issue area, key process skills including project management and teamwork, and methods for gathering, analyzing and reporting data. Capstone requires students to interweave their learning in all these areas, and to do so in real time, in an unpredictable, complex real world environment. Although each student will be assigned to a team, the class will work as a learning community dedicated to the success of all the projects.

Spring, 3.0 credits, Francesca Gany
This course will provide an overview of key topics in public health for migratory persons: demographics; specific population groups and their circumstances and rights, including refugees, immigrants, asylees, and migrants; epidemiologic issues of displaced persons, including the shifting burden of disease, nutrition, environmental and occupational concerns; health and human rights; ethics; torture and other violence; PTSD, and other acute and chronic mental health concerns. Immigrant and Migratory Health will be approached from various perspectives, including historical, demographic, epidemiologic, access(economic, legal, linguistic, cultural, and institutional), life cycle, environment, including occupation and nutrition, and policy. The course will impart to students the skills necessary to develop an integrated approach to the care of immigrant and migratory populations.

Fall, 3.0 credits
Cross-listed with E33.2410 (Steinhardt)
This course engages students in assessing, describing, selecting and evaluating community based health interventions. It traces the origins of community based approaches to improving health, examines the evolution of such approaches, and introduces students to the health promotion theories that underlie some of the most well-known community based health interventions. It considers the elements of such interventions and examines the debate about their effectiveness. In the second half of the course, students examine a variety of public health interventions addressing current health topics in the US today, focusing on factors influencing the design of interventions, the choice of methods selected, methods for assessing the magnitude of change effected by the intervention, and ethical and political issues raised by the interventions.

Fall, 3.0 credits
Cross-listed with E33.2213 (Steinhardt); Prerequisite U10.2106
Introduction to the concepts, principles, and scope of practice of public health nutrition. The course emphasizes the distinction between population-based and individual-based approaches to prevention and alleviation of diet-related conditions, and the societal, economic, environmental, and institutional barriers to improving the nutritional status and health of diverse population groups.

Summer, 3.0 credits
Cross-listed with E33.2314 (Steinhardt)
An introduction to the issues of health and health care on a global basis. The course focuses on the nature and scope of major worldwide health problems and the study of different national and international approaches to their solution.

Spring, 3.0 credits
Cross-listed with E33.2015 (Steinhardt)
Analysis of the economic and social causes and consequences of current trends in food production, marketing, and product development.

Fall, 3.0 credits
Cross-listed with E33.2318 (Steinhardt), prerequisites U10.2106, U10.2160
This course is devoted to flexible forms of inquiry suited to the local context of global public health research. Sometimes known as 'action research', 'rapid assessment, and 'community-based participatory research' these approaches share a commitment to working closely with and in communities to identify health risks and effective interventions for ameliorating them. Although field research may include surveys and other forms of quantitative research, the emphasis in this class will be on qualitative methods with mixed method approaches included where appropriate. The focus will be on introducing the basic content/skills of on-the-ground field research under challenging conditions, i.e., shortages of time and resources as well as cultural/ linguistic differences. There are additional aspects to learning these methods (e.g., data analysis) that require much more time and skill development than is possible in this brief introductory course. Interested students are strongly advised to take additional coursework in qualitative methods.

Fall, 3.0 credits, Renata Schiavo
Communication is increasingly considered as one of the most important disciplines of health care in the 21st century. Ready access to relevant, clear, reliable, culturally appropriate and audience-specific information enables consumers, patients, healthcare providers, public health professionals, policy makers, advocacy groups and others to address personal and community public health concerns far more effectively. This course will address special topics in cross-cultural health communications including socio-economic, geographical, ethnic, literacy, age, population and gender factors that influence the way health information is understood and accepted as well as people's behavior and attitudes toward health problems and their potential solutions. The course will also provide an overview of the field of health communication, and its current issues, theoretical frameworks and trends. Special emphasis will be placed on specific communication areas (including community mobilization and constituency relations), global health threats (such HIV/AIDS, obesity), communication in emergency situations, and key issues (such as health literacy, health equity and the emergence of e-health). All topics will be discussed within a multidisciplinary and participatory model for strategic health communications. Case studies, mini-lectures, guest speakers, videos, on-line resources, examples of communication channels and vehicles, and student-facilitated discussions will be used to illustrate and discuss all topics.

Spring, 3.0 credits
This course will focus on the considerable and increasing burden of disease due to chronic diseases, mental health, substance use (alcohol, tobacco, other drugs), risk factors (obesity, lack of physical activity), and injuries within the developing world. It will present methods for measuring the burden of non-communicable disease, review approaches to program and service development to modify risk factors, present lessons learned from successful developing country programs, and discuss implications for health services development and international development policies.

Spring, 3.0 credits
Cross-listed with E33.2383 (Steinhardt)
A cross-cultural framework is used to compare the health status of populations and families and factors that affect their health in societal subgroups (for example, urban, rural, poor, women and children, and the elderly). The course emphasizes the effects of secular changes in women's roles and status and other societal, economic, and environmental trends on population and family health.

Fall [alternating years], 1 - 3 credits
Cross-listed with E33.1187 (Steinhardt); prerequisite - Introductory nutrition course
Introduction to world food problems and their nutritional, economic, and social effects. Objectives: 1. Identify environmental, social, behavioral and economic factors that affect the dietary intake and nutritional status of people of various countries, and compare the ways these factors operate in countries of varying income levels. 2. Define the causes and consequence of the "nutrition transition" that occurs when populations move from conditions of undernutrition to those of overnutrition. 3. Compare international and national food consumption, nutrient requirements, and dietary recommendations. 4. Analyze and evaluate food, nutrition, and other types of policy and program approaches to improve the food security and nutritional status of specific population groups. Examples: demographics, income and price, agricultural, fortification, health, educational, and marketing among others. 5. Identify, describe, and evaluate the work of governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations concerned with international food and nutrition.

Spring, 3.0 credits, Rama Rao
This course discusses various acute public health emergencies due to manmade intentional and unintentional events, as well as to natural disasters; the distinction between the effects, preparedness and response to these events as they occur in developing versus modernized nations. The course will use case studies including specific events such as September 11, 2001 as well as the Indian Ocean Tsunami December 26, 2004. Students will understand the principles of preparedness, toxicology as it relates to terrorism, and humanitarian response. Table top exercises will be included.

Fall [alternating years], 3.0 credits
Cross-listed with E33.2192 (Steinhardt); prerequisite U10.2106
Fundamentals of nutritional epidemiology focused on the collection analysis, and interpretation of data on dietary intake and nutritional status of diverse population groups. The course emphasizes critical evaluation of dietary assessment methods and the results of research studies associating intake of foods and nutrients or food consumption patterns with the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, and other chronic diseases.

Fall/Spring/Summer, 2.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.4201 (Wagner)
Through readings, discussions, case studies, and role plays, students develop an understanding of the role of conflict and its dynamics; strategies for eliciting cooperation; the fundamentals of negotiation; the variety of conflict resolution approaches used to overcome the common barriers to negotiated resolution of conflict; communication skills; and strategies for dealing with public controversy. This course emphasizes both the theoretical and the practical. Students are encouraged to apply the principles and methods of effective conflict resolution to their own professional lives.

Fall/Spring, 2.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.4205 (Wagner); prerequisite U10.2301
Beyond the basics of negotiation lie areas of greater complexity. One such area is the realm of culture, encompassing the cross-cultural (attempting from one cultural perspective to understand or describe another), the intercultural (the interplay of cultures) and the transcultural (aspects of negotiation that are common to all cultures or, in intercultural situations, transcend them). Culture can be thought of in terms of both the relatively simple, though not unimportant, aspect of etiquette and behavior, and the more complex and profound aspect of consciousness and worldview. In the first segment of the course, we will consider a framework of cultural variables that comprise or underlie negotiation styles; and then, by way of looking at one culture in particular in greater depth, contrast four efforts to understand Chinese negotiation practices; and, finally, look at implications for the practitioner.

Fall/Spring/Summer, 2.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2110 (Wagner)
This course examines management theory and practice through a framework involving strategic thinking and strategic planning. It covers a number of important management topics, including the context of strategy, leadership, managerial uses of structure and design, and performance. Case studies of managerial practice in the public and nonprofit sectors are used throughout the course.

Fall/Spring, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2411 (Wagner); prerequisites U10.2110
This course addresses the dual issues of the nature of the policy-making process and the role of analytic activity in that process. It identifies hypotheses about the conditions under which analysis is most and least likely to have an impact on policy outcomes and the kinds of analysis that are most appropriately prepared for different types of political circumstances. Students use case studies of important federal, state, and local decisions to examine the validity of hypotheses presented by political scientists and to develop their own judgment about how to best apply analytic resources.

Fall/Spring, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2214 (Wagner); prerequisite U10.2110, microeconomics encouraged
This course is required for all students in the international specialization in both the PNP and HPAM programs. The course provides an introduction to the current thinking and practice of public sector institutional reform with a particular focus on developing and in-transition countries. Part-time students should plan to take this course next year when it will be offered in both the fall and spring semesters; at least one of the two sections will be offered in an evening time slot. The bulk of the course is devoted to an examination of key institutional reforms that are intended to promote good governance as economies liberalize and societies democratize. Major topics include institutional restructuring, civil service reform, anti-corruption, fiscal framework reform, citizen engagement mechanisms, public-private partnerships, performance evaluation and change management. In addition, the role of development aid and the institutions that provide it in supporting institutional reform are covered. The course concludes with a synthetic review of the topics covered and a case study exercise.

Fall, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2221 (Wagner)
This course examines the need for humanitarian care during conflict situations, the role of NGOs and public and international organizations in delivering political, social, and physical services. Topics focus on strengthening governance and participation, supporting democratic values, restoring basic respect for human rights, reducing poverty and balancing scarce economic opportunities, rebuilding and establishing infrastructure, as well as many others.

Fall/Spring, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2228 (Wagner); prerequisites U10.2110, U10.2314, microeconomics
This course provides students with a rich sense of the institutional and political context within which policy is made and implemented. The course aims to give students exposure to important ongoing debates in international development and their historical context. The class will provide an overview of some of the major contemporary analytical and policy debates regarding the politics of development. Topics to be covered are: States, Regimes and Industrialization; Politics of Poverty, Growth and Policy Reform; Governance, Civil Society and Development; and The Politics of Development in the Age of Globalization.

Fall/Spring, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2230 (Wagner); prerequisites U10.2995 and course in microeconomics
This course takes up issues of economic growth and social change in a comparative perspective. While some countries have achieved unprecedented rates of economic growth in the past half century, other countries have experienced setbacks. For those that have seen rapid growth, economic changes have not always translated in proportional social changes and sometimes rapid social changes have occurred in the absence of economic growth. The course begins by reviewing theories of economic growth and recent evidence. In that context, attention then turns to policy interventions to improve education, address market failures, confront rapid population growth, and strengthen safety nets.

Fall, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2211 (Wagner); prerequisite U10.2314
This course examines the inner workings of successful international public service projects and gives students the opportunity to design one or more themselves. Students will then study the characteristics of effective programs, which bring together a series of projects for mutually supportive and concerted action. Particular attention is paid to programs selected from the five areas where international public sector entities are most active: peace building, relief, development, advocacy and norm-setting. Case studies will be used in each of these areas to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between policy and implementation.

Fall, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2652 (Wagner); prerequisites Ð microeconomics and financial management
Projects are key instruments of development administration in developing countries and a widely used modality of international development assistance. The course will focus on public investment projects, with emphasis on urban and rural infrastructure and introduce students to the management of the project cycle, the logical framework approach to project planning and the techniques of financial and economic appraisal of investment projects, including risk analysis and the assessment of distributional effects and impact on poverty.

Fall/Spring, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2135 (Wagner); prerequisite Intro-level management course
Designed for public and non-profit managers rather than human resource professionals, this course gives a broad overview of HR dynamics and responsibilities. It will cover basic HR functions such as recruitment, career development, performance appraisal and rewards, providing feedback and job design. It will also explore current issues within HR management, which could include diversity and identity at work, the role of unions, or other topics. The course will include practical application through case discussions and reflection on students work experiences. While it will focus on values-based organizations, it will compare HR practices in the public, non-profit and for-profit sectors.

Fall, 4.0 credits, Jo Ivey Boufford
Cross-listed with P11.2244 (Wagner)
Traditionally, governments have the ultimate responsibility for assuring the conditions for their people to be as healthy as they can be. As our understanding of the multiple determinants of health has dramatically expanded, exercising this responsibility calls for a national health policy that goes beyond planning for the personal health care system and addresses broader issues of education, economic development, and environment among others and raises the important issue of equity within the country and their relative contributions to the health of populations.
In the face of this added complexity, countries, especially developing countries and those in transition, face challenges to their national health strategies from the effects of globalization and global decision making on issues that affect health. Government leaders must not only address health problems within their borders, but those that come across their borders, whether specific diseases like HIV/AIDS , avian influenza, or the pressures of the global labor market that lead to movement of health professionals seeking better pay and working conditions from the developing to the developed world. After discussing definitions of health in international agreements and the general influences of globalization on health and health equity, the course will explore the roles and responsibilities of national health leadership, primarily Ministries of Health, in assuring the health of their populations and the different strategies and variable capacity of national governments in developed, developing and countries in transition. We will then explore in some depth the role, functions and effectiveness of global organizations affecting health in the UN, NGO and business sectors as well as multilateral and bilateral donors and how they interact with each other and with national leadership. Finally we will look at emerging instruments for global health governance, how they operate and their effectiveness for promoting health action at the country level.

Spring [alternating years], 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2852 (Wagner); prerequisite U10.2110, microeconomics encouraged
We tend to be ethnocentric in our views of health care organization and policy. A look abroad, however, can provide insights about problems at home. In spite of differences in the organization and financing of their health care systems, most countries share a number of common problems with the United States. First, is the question of deciding - or not explicitly deciding - what proportion of GNP should be devoted to health and welfare. Second, is the problem of agreeing on appropriate criteria to allocate health and social service expenditures. Third, is the problem of how to implement established policies: through regulation, promotion of competition, budgeting, or reimbursement incentives directed at health care providers. In this class, students will be asked to become "experts" about a health system of their choice outside the United States but in a nation belonging to the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Students with a special interest in developing nations and the transitional economies of Central and Eastern Europe may choose to become an expert in a second health system, as well, but all students must choose one relatively wealthy nation that they can compare to the United States. We will examine a range of health systems with respect to their own published data, as well as data collected and analyses conducted by international organizations, e.g. the World Health Organization (WHO), OECD, the World Bank, and UNICEF. The readings, lectures and class discussions will focus on the common problems and themes noted above as they affect the organization and financing of health systems in wealthy OECD nations. We begin with a discussion of the impact of globalization on health system development and an overview of health system models around the world. Second, we examine conceptual frameworks and methods for health systems analysis, and a range of myths about health systems with universal coverage. Third, and this is the heart of the class, we apply these approaches to the empirical analysis of health systems in selected nations and examine the extent to which the available evidence supports or refutes these myths. Throughout the class, we will also consider issues of medicine, culture and public health infrastructure; and the strengths and weaknesses of alternative methods of comparative analysis in cross-national research.

Spring, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2665 (Wagner); prerequisites U10.2110
This class presents an overview of the theory and practice of planning in developing countries. A central theme is that the structure of a planning system and its success in producing good results depends heavily on the economic, political, institutional, and cultural context of a particular country. Conceptual planning models are considered and evaluated, but the focus of the class is on analyzing how planning systems can work effectively in different country contexts. Detailed case studies drawn from the work of the Institute of Public Administration and exercises based on these cases are an integral part of the class.

Spring [alternating years], 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2867 (Wagner)
All health systems in the industrialized world are grappling with problems of cost, access, equity and quality of health care, and the tradeoffs between these objectives. Reforms based on promoting markets, managed competition, public contracting, improved management, and changing financial incentives are some important issues under discussion in many countries. This seminar applies the tools of public policy analysis and draws on international comparisons of health systems to analyze efforts at health care reform. The readings, lectures, and class discussions should make students more knowledgeable about policy options and policy changes in different countries. The seminar begins with an examination of the key problems in the financing and organization of health systems. Next we focus on ideas, concepts, and theories of health care reform. We then go on to study concrete proposals, as well as implementation of health care reform in the United States and abroad in the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Fall/Spring/Summer, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2171 (Wagner); Prerequisite U10.2995, course in microeconomics strongly encouraged
Program evaluation is a critical component in designing and operating effective programs. Evaluations supply information to policymakers and program managers that can assist them in making decisions about which programs to fund, modify, expand or eliminate. Evaluation can be an accountability tool for program managers and funders. This course serves as an introduction to evaluation methodology and evaluation tools commonly used to assess publicly funded programs. Students will become familiar with the concepts, methods and applications of evaluation research; learn how to read evaluation research critically; understand how to use evaluation results to anticipate or improve program performance; and be able to propose an appropriate evaluation plan to assess the implementation and effectiveness of a program.

Fall/Spring, 4.0 credits
Cross-listed with P11.2875 (Wagner); Prerequisite U10.2371, U10.2995
This course covers selected analytic and design issues that are relevant to policy research and program evaluation. The course is not a comprehensive or exhaustive review of the field of policy-relevant research or program evaluation, nor is it a course in how to evaluate a program. The focus is on impact analysis (rather than process evaluation, performance monitoring, cost effectiveness analysis, or evaluation synthesis) To that end, there is a substantial amount of data analysis both in and out of class. There is also a significant amount of new statistical material presented. All of this is done using real world examples, to solidify the base as you build your career as a practitioner and consumer of the research that informs public policy.

Spring, 3.0 credits, Karen Day
Prerequisite U10.2106
Infectious diseases, especially HIV, TB, malaria and acute respiratory infections (ARI) contribute substantially to the global burden of disease. This course will focus on the biology, epidemiology and control of these infectious diseases. This is essential training for practitioners of global public health.

Spring, 3.0 credits, Karen Day
Prerequisite U10.2106
This course will examine the impact of genetic diversity on global health. It will provide the training to allow an investigator to explore why we are not equally susceptible to the same diseases and to incorporate pathogen genetics into epidemiologic analysis. Its aim is to provide the necessary background in genomics, bioinformatics and population genetics to practice genetic epidemiology. The course will teach basics in genomics and bioinformatics to utilize both pathogen and human genome diversity data. The principles of population genetics will be taught in the context of epidemiological analyses. Epidemiologic designs and statistical methods required for linkage studies and mapping genetic traits (both simple and complex) will be defined.

Fall, 3.0 credits, Karen Day
Prerequisite U10.2106
The emergence of new pathogens and drug resistance, as well as increased transmission opportunities caused by human migration, political instability and breakdown of healthcare infrastructure, has led to a rising prevalence of infectious disease. This course aims to provide training in the biology, epidemiology and control of emerging diseases. It will provide the necessary skills to analyze the interplay between human host and pathogen in both evolutionary ecology and statistical epidemiology frameworks. There will be a discussion of "Darwinian Medicine". Specific bioterrorism pathogens will be discussed, as well as methods of identification and predictive modeling of a bioterrorism incident. In addition to lectures, class time will include practical data handling. Discussion of both methodological and substantive epidemiology papers from the recent literature will be led by the students.

Fall, 3.0 credits, Florence Bodeau-Livinec/Karen Day
Prerequisite U10.2106
This course will develop an understanding of epidemiologic concepts and methods that will be a backbone to in depth training in specialty areas. It will provide a technical and conceptual training in study design, multivariant analysis, sample size calculations and other key epidemiologic techniques. It will build on the basic core course. Students must enroll in a required lab section.

Spring, 3.0 credits, Yihong Li
Dental, oral and craniofacial diseases and disorders are amongst the most common health problems in all regions of the world. Caries, periodontal infections, orofacial pain, temporomandibular joint diseases (TMD), and salivary gland dysfunction in the form of Sjogren's syndrome, significantly affect the quality of life of people around the world due to their high prevalence and incidence. Some of these conditions are more prevalent in certain countries or regions, while others are found virtually in all countries, but to varying degrees. Other oral health burdens are imposed by a variety of oral diseases and disorders with oral manifestations, such as HIV/AIDS, birth defects, head and face injuries, and head and neck cancers. As oral health is part of total health and is essential to quality of life, the World Health Organization, through international collaborative partnerships, gives priority to integration of oral health with general health programs at community or national levels for oral health promotion and disease prevention. This course will cover several thematic units (basic philosophy, epidemiology of oral diseases, etiologies of oral disease, social and culture risk factors, prevention of oral disease in public health), each of which will include a lecture component and a group discussion component.

Spring, 3.0 credits, Neal Herman
Children in disadvantaged communities of developing countries have rates of untreated oral diseases that range from 32-90%. In over forty of the least developed countries, many communities have no basic or emergency care for their populations. This course will allow the student to: a) understand the epidemiology of oral diseases in children, b) understand and develop ways to meet the challenge of untreated oral diseases in disadvantaged communities, c) identify significant issues that affect the oral health of children worldwide and proposed ways to improve the oral health of children, and d) acquire the skills necessary to develop oral health promotion strategies directed at children across the world.

Fall, 3.0 credits, Ralph Katz
This course will provide students with detailed knowledge regarding the efficacy of water fluoridation, the safety of water fluoridation and the swirling controversies of alleged detrimental health effects of water fluoridation since its introduction in the late 1940s. The course will present the initial community trials which established it as the major dental public health program in the U.S., as well as the evidence from around the world regarding the relationship between water fluoridation and an array of diseases and conditions, including Downs Syndrome, heart disease, aging, skin disease and cancer. Students will assess the quality of the evidence for adverse health effects, and the pattern of presentation by the anti-fluoridationists.

Fall, 3.0 credits, Gustavo Cruz
In this course the basic concepts and the importance of oral health promotion in the community are discussed. The course builds on the basic epidemiology course and other core courses as they apply to the planning and evaluation of community-based oral health programs designed to improve the oral health of a target population. It compares cross national oral health promotion programs and discusses current trends in the oral health sector as it pertains to their goals, programs, costs and achievements. Environmental, social, cultural and behavioral mediators of oral health and access to care will be discussed as well as specific approaches to prevent and promote good oral health.

Spring, 3.0 credits, Gustavo Cruz
During recent years dramatic changing patterns of oral diseases have been observed at a global level. While some oral diseases seem to be in decline among certain groups of the developed countries they are reaching epidemic levels in developing countries. A proper understanding of the social context of oral health and illness is important for the development of oral health programs. In this course we will explore issues related to oral health inequalities in developed and developing countries and how these inequalities can be influenced by the value placed in oral health by political and social organizations.

Fall, 3.0 credits, Walter Psoter
International public health careers may expose professionals to a wide variety of political, social, cultural and infrastructure conditions. Operations in some less developed countries may be even more challenging with degrees of low-level conflict. Some may chose to participate in humanitarian disasters. These conditions require an appreciation of local partners, planning details, resources, while basing public health practice on scientific principals. Using a "gold standard" NIH funded international research protocol as a framework for topical discussions, critical issues of international work will be explored, e.g., travel medicine, logistics, safety, application of scientific principals. Additionally, this pedagogical process will orientate the student to NIH grant procedures, and by the nature of the issues, challenge the student to consider practical ethical problems associated with international public health.

Fall, 3.0 credits
Cross-listed with D60.7020 (College of Dentistry)
The overall goal of this course is to provide the student with the necessary foundation for the literature based learning. Basic research designs will be introduced and epidemiological and biostatistical measures commonly used in research studies will be reviewed using a series of lectures and guided seminars.

Fall, 3.0 credits
Cross-listed with D60.7030 (College of Dentistry)
The overall goal of this course would be to provide the student with the necessary foundation for understanding clinical trials through a series of lectures and guided seminars.

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