Introduces an array of conceptual theories that posit different patterns of association among a variety of behavioral, psychological, and social antecedents that together can influence health outcomes. The theories covered in this course align with aggregating levels of influence at the individual, interpersonal, organizational/community and macrosocietal levels. In-class discussion and assignments will enable the learner to understand the value of theory for ethical practice, research design, and intervention development, to gain skills in applying theories for program/intervention design, implementation and evaluation.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the academic background, technical skills and field experience to conduct a health-related community assessment (CA). The course encompasses the development of data about the health status, knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, motivation, and health practices of a population or community and its socioeconomic environment. Students will work with a team to prepare a community assessment report and presentation for a community/organization through community engaged learning.

Students learn and apply basic program planning skills, including analysis of the social-ecological and behavioral determinants of a health problem or issue, community assessment, theory-informed intervention design, implementation and evaluation.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a foundation in designing and conducting an evaluation of a public health program. Students learn about various types of evaluation, with an emphasis on utilization-focused assessments. Further, students will apply the CDC Framework for Evaluation as they design and implement a small-scale public health evaluation for a community-based organization.

This data analysis course provides the student with the skills necessary to identify and analytically investigate theory-driven research questions with the goal to investigate behavioral, social and cultural factors that contribute to the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and populations using existing and new databases. In addition, students will learn how to interpret and present data, and communicate findings to a variety of audiences.

This course provides a thorough introduction to qualitative research methods in public health at multiple ecological levels. Students will be introduced to relevant aspects of qualitative research and develop their critical ability to evaluate qualitative methods. Students will undertake their own mini-qualitative studies in order to apply their skills to a public health topic.

This course provides a foundation in designing and conducting health promotion research. Students will learn about various types of research at multiple levels of the social ecological model. The goals of the course include achieving competence in designing studies based on scientifically sound research methodologies and gaining the ability to critically evaluate health promotion research.

In this course, we critically examine the history of public health to gain perspective on current health problems. Students analyze the history of public health institutions, concepts, and practices in the contexts of the history of the social determinants of health, culture, and changing ecologies of health and disease. This course also uses history to analyze health inequities with the goal of promoting health equity.

This course will introduce students to how racism operates at multiple ecological levels to create and maintain health inequities and proposed frameworks and approaches to promote health equity. Students will gain an understanding of racism as a public health issue.

This course provides an overview of racism as a driver of health inequities and interventions designed to dismantle racism to promote health equity. Racism causes harm at multiple ecological levels from the individual level (e.g., internalized racism) to the systemic level (e.g., oppressive & unjust policies & practices). This course will introduce students to how racism operates to create and maintain health inequities and proposed interventions (programs & policies) to promote health equity.

This graduate seminar introduces students in Public Health and other health sciences to Critical Race Theory (CRT) primarily as it originated in the field of Law with some consideration of its use in Education, American Studies and other disciplines (e.g., philosophy). While students will learn about CRT's origin and use outside of Public Health, the course focuses on how CRT has been used within the field of Public Health or may be used to advance health and healthcare equity. The Public Health Critical Race Praxis (PHCRP) model provides the framework around which the course is organized, the key concepts as well as the skills and approaches of the class. Key resources that PHCRP provides include a lexicon for advancing discussion of racial phenomena, a set of racism-conscious empirical approaches, and several guiding principles to encourage iterative attention to issues of equity in public health research and practice.

The Capstone seminars allow students to complete an individual project that allows them to integrate and apply knowledge, concepts, and skills learned in BSHES coursework to a topic of high public health relevance. Students can choose to take a Capstone course in Health Equity or Grant Writing. Students undertake an independent project that will result in a final 30-50 page paper and an oral presentation.

An Applied Practice Experience (APE) is a unique opportunity that enables students to apply practical skills and knowledge learned through coursework to a professional public health setting that complements the student's interests and career goals. The APE must be supervised by a Field Supervisor and requires approval from an APE Advisor designated by the student's academic department at RSPH.

Enables students to apply the principles and methods learned in an academic setting through the preparation of a scholarly document embodying original research applicable to public health, incorporating a research question that has been successfully evaluated with appropriate analytical techniques and is potentially publishable or has potential public health impact.