Key Courses - DrPH in Implementation and Evaluation Science
The DrPH is a fully online, 60 credit-hour program that can be completed full-time (8-11 credit hours per semester) or part-time (5-7 credit hours per semester) in three to seven years.
Electives
In addition to the courses below, students will choose electives to align further training with their unique interests (e.g., application of implementation and evaluation science or preparedness and response in the context of global health, environmental health, behavioral/social science etc.).
A minimum of 9 credit hours at the master's (500) or doctoral (700) level are required.
Foundational Curriculum
The foundational curriculum consists of 25 credit hours of coursework which all students, regardless of their selected concentration, must complete.
The DrPH foundational curriculum also includes the following courses:
- DRPH 717: Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health
- DRPH 718: Integrating Law, Ethics, and Politics into Public Health Policy
- DRPH 719: Curriculum Development for the Public Health Workforce
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH Only. This course focuses on the development of a community intervention or program designed to address a public health issue. Students will select a public health challenge and develop a system-level program plan that takes into account cultural value and practices.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH Only. This course teaches principles and methods of public health surveillance and its implications in public health practice. It concentrates on skill development in areas including the establishment of a public health surveillance program, the collation and analysis of data, data implications, program evaluation research, preparation and distribution of a surveillance report. The course also helps students recognize the importance of a direct association between a public health surveillance program and a public health action.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH Only. This course is designed to introduce students to the mixed methods paradigm in public health research and evaluation practice. The core goal of the course is to blend theory and practice in designing and conducting mixed methods research and evaluation. Students will learn the science behind developing rigorous mixed methods research, including: developing aims, determining the study design and sampling plan, constructing data collection instruments, communicating study findings, and assessing reliability, validity, and ethical issues in mixed methods studies. Ultimately, students will learn to communicate about the importance of using multiple methods of data collection to enhance translation of research and evaluation findings into improving public health practice.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH Only. Promoting health (both individual and at the population level) is inherently an interprofessional activity that requires strong leadership skills as well as integration of knowledge and methods across professions and sectors. As a health professional you will interact with experts from multiple fields, including medical doctors, nurses, public health professionals, lawyers, and educators. Communicating with individuals from other professions, even when working toward a common goal, can be challenging. This course will help you assess your leadership capacities and cultural proficiency and to enhance your performance effectively in interprofessional teams.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH Only. This course explores methods of applying behavioral and cognitive theories for effectively communicating health and behavioral change information and maximizing compliance with public health guidelines. It illustrates communication strategies using a variety of approaches including face-to-face instruction, technology-based strategies, electronic media, print-based products and adds media engagement. This course also provides students with an overview of concepts and strategies used in data presentation, social marketing, and public health information campaigns. Emphasis is placed on developing skills that enable practitioners to create and gain compliance with consumer-oriented public health interventions, advocacy strategies, and professional development initiatives. Skills covered in this course include formative research, audience segmentation, communication channel analysis, and multidimensional data presentation.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH Only. This course examines the formulation and implementation of business strategies in health care organizations, models of strategic management, and the role of stakeholders in the strategic management process. Reviews specific analytical tools used in strategy formulation, choice, and implementation, with an emphasis on real-world health care applications. Demonstrates how to use analysis tools to develop a comprehensive strategic implementation plan. Investigates when internal funding can and should be used as part of implementation and when and how to pursue external funding.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH Only. Negotiation is a critical element of everyday life in an organization and personal relations. How much will I earn in my job? How should I deal with a dissatisfied customer? How do my co-workers and I decide how we will manage a project? These are all examples of common work situations where we find ourselves negotiating with others. Yet, many know little about the strategies and conditions that lead to the most effective negotiated outcomes. The purpose of this course is to understand the basic theory and processes of negotiation so that you can negotiate successfully in a variety of organizational settings. Students will actively develop these skills by preparing for and simulating a variety of negotiations.
Concentration Curriculum
In addition to the foundational curriculum, students will complete 12 credit hours of coursework within their concentration.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH IES Track Only. This course provides an overview of implementation science theories, models and framework (TMF) and their application in the public health translation of evidence-based interventions. It covers major TMF, criteria for selection of TMFs and how to apply implementation science TMF into the adoption, implementation, sustainment or scaling of public health interventions. This course also provides students with an overview of how to identify and collect data or measures related to implementation science TMF and their constructs. The course will develop skills that enable practitioners to select an implementation science TMF and apply them to a public health project. Skills covered in this course include formative research using an implementation science TMF, applying TMF constructs into a public health program or evaluation, data collection and/or evaluation applying implementation science TMF, and data presentation of theory-based evaluation or research.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH IES Track Only. PRE-REQ Course: DRPH 710 Program Planning. This course is designed to provide doctoral students with the technical skills to monitor and evaluate interventions to assess implementation and health outcomes. Students will learn to design, conceptualize, and apply process and impact evaluations and the application of implementation science theories, methods, and frameworks.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH IES Track Only. Despite the availability of evidence-based programs and interventions, it remains challenging to move research to practice at a scale that impacts population health. Many of the challenges of moving evidence-based programs/interventions to practice include inability to identify appropriate evidence-based intervention (EBIs), lack of fit of EBIs to the delivery context or population, and factors hindering the delivery context from adopting and implementing the EBI. This course explores approaches for selecting EBIs, adapting EBIs to add contexts, and selecting strategies to maximize the delivery of EBIs in add settings to optimize their reach and public health impact. This course will provide students with foundational knowledge as well as prepare them to select, adapt, and implement evidence-based public health interventions.
Online Asynchronous. PRE-REQ: DrPH IES Track Only. This course examines a range of participatory approaches to evaluation and implementation science in public health. Emphasis is given to community engagement principles, strategies for meaningful engagement of priority populations and critical partners, and ethical issues and practical considerations in developing, implementing and disseminating evidence-based interventions that promote health equity.