Community Health Sciences - CHSC


The information below lists courses approved in this subject area effective Fall 2015. Not all courses will necessarily be offered these terms. Please consult the Schedule of Classes for a listing of courses offered for a specific term.

500-level courses require graduate standing.

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400 Public Health Concepts and Practice
3 hours. Introduction and overview of public health systems, including the philosophy, purpose, history, organization, functions, tools, activities, and results of public health practice. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

401 Behavioral Sciences in Public Health
3 hours. Provides grounding in the social and behavioral sciences to analyze public health issues, including individual, community, institutional, and societal factors influencing health and illness. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

405 Leadership in Public Health Practice
3 hours. Utilizing public health core functions, this course explores leadership style and practice through case studies and techniques which enhance leadership development. Same as HPA 405. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

411 Nutrition for Public Health Professionals
3 hours. Foundation course to introduce nutrition principles and their application to public health populations and problems. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

419 Public Health Aspects of Sexuality and Women's Health
3 hours. An overview of human sexuality from a public health perspective with special emphasis on family planning, sexuality and behavioral effects on women's health. Same as GWS 419. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

425 Public Health and Aging
3 hours. Introduction to public health issues related to aging, including psychosocial and physical dimensions of the aging process and interactions between the elderly and the health care system. Graduate or professional standing; or consent of the instructor.

430 Public Health Policy and Advocacy
3 hours. Frameworks and tools for understanding, developing and analyzing public health policy issues and processes. Credit is not given for CHSC 430 if the student has credit for HPA 430. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 400; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. MPH and Certificate students in Community Health Sciences will have priority in registration.

431 Community Assessment in Public Health
3 hours. An introduction to community assessment in support of community health improvement activities, including: concepts methods and models of community health assessment and improvement. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 400; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. MPH and Certificate students in Community Health Sciences will have priority in registration.

433 Public Health Planning and Evaluation
3 hours. Planning, implementation and evaluation of community health programs, including proposal development and evaluation and considerations for community/consumer involvement throughout the process. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in BSTT 400 and Credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 431 and Credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 480; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. MPH and Certificate students in Community Health Sciences will have priority in registration.

434 Introduction to Qualitative Methods in Public Health
3 hours. Introduction to the major methods and techniques used in qualitative research (observation, participant observation, in-depth interviews); includes field and in-class exercises, and introduces computer-assisted qualitative data analysis. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

446 Research Methods in Community Health
3 hours. Introduction to principles and techniques for scientific investigation of problems in public health research and practice. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in BSTT 400; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. MPH and Certificate students in Community Health Sciences will have priority in registration.

447 Survey Planning and Design
3 hours. Theory and applications of sample survey planning and design for conducting research in health sciences and related fields. Addresses three major topics: survey design and planning, sampling, and data collection procedures. Same as PA 447. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing and BSTT 400 and CHSC 446; or approval of the department.Recommended background: Credit in CHSC 446 or the equivalent.

456 Women's Health: A Primary Health Care Approach
3 hours. Health promotion and disease prevention in women's health. Includes community experience with community women. Primary health care approaches examined. Same as NUEL 456. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.

460 Introduction to Public Health Emergency Preparedness
3 hours. Provides an overview of and introduction to public health emergency preparedness concepts and practice.

461 Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessment Methods
4 hours. Focuses on analytic skills and assessment tools used in public health emergency preparedness and response activities.

462 Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Management
4 hours. Focuses on the management of public health emergency preparedness and response activities.

464 Survey of Developmental Disabilities
3 hours. Survey of the developmental disabilities field, including basic definitions, history of DD services, relevant public policies and legislation, service delivery systems, and research. Same as DHD 464. Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing or consent of the instructor.

470 Introduction to Rural Health Systems and Policy
3 hours. Introductory survey course focusing on rural health systems and rural health policy from an interdisciplinary perspective. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 400; and Credit or concurrent registration in EPID 403 or Credit or concurrent registration in EPID 400. Recommended Background: Experience or interest in rural public health practice.

480 Health Education and Health Promotion
3 hours. Application of theories of health education and health promotion for individual, group, and community-level behavior change. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 401; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. MPH and Certificate students in Community Health Sciences will have priority in registration. Recommended background: For CHSC students, CHSC 401 is recommended as a prerequisite.

485 Communications, Mass Media and Public Health
3 hours. Examines the development, theoretical basis, and applications of mass media strategies in public health. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

494 Special Topics in Community Health Sciences
1 TO 4 hours. Study of topics in maternal and child health, gerontology, behavioral science of health and illness, international health, community health and public health practice. May be repeated. Students may register in more than one section per term. Topics vary by semester. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor. Restricted to graduate or professional standing, or consent of the instructor.

500 Proseminar in Community Health Sciences
3 hours. Analysis of current key literature from behavioral sciences, maternal and child health, gerontology, general and miscellaneous fields of community health sciences. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 400 and 8 semester hours in student's major field.

510 Exploring Determinants and Variation in Population Health
3 hours. Introduces key theoretical frameworks, measurement tools, and relevant datasets needed to understand and describe the health status of women, children, and families at the individual and population/community level. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. Recommended background: Enrollment in the Master of Public Health or other graduate program.

511 MCH Delivery Systems: Services, Programs, and Policies
4 hours. Overview of structure, funding, and evidence base for maternal and child health (MCH) service delivery systems at the federal, state and local levels. Students are directly exposed to service delivery systems through field-based experiences. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 400 and CHSC 510; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. Recommended background: Enrollment in the Master of Public Health or other graduate program.

512 Translating Evidence for MCH Practice
3 hours. Using a life span approach within an ecological framework, examines evidence and its translation in maternal and child health (MCH) in terms of underlying theories, program and policy implementation, evaluation, and advocacy. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or consent of the instructor. Recommended Background: CHSC 510 and CHSC 511 and CHSC 543.

514 Nutritional Epidemiology
3 hours. Examination of nutritional epidemiological techniques used in the design of population-based nutrition research. Students develop research proposals using nutritional assessment, epidemiology and research skills. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 411 and EPID 403; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

518 The Epidemiology of Pediatric Diseases
3 hours. Provides students with experience in pediatric epi through review of seminal studies and available child health data. Condition-specific lectures include discussions of study design and methodological considerations specific to studying children. Same as EPID 518. Extensive computer use required. Prerequisite(s): EPID 404 and EPID 406 and BSTT 401; and graduate or professional standing; or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: EPID 501.

526 Family Perspectives on Disability
3 hours. Examines trends, theories and research methods, policies, and family centered intervention approaches for families of persons with disabilities. Same as DHD 526. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.

527 Critical Issues in Long Term Care Policy
3 hours. Examines the policy process and policy implications affecting the organization, financing, delivery, and utilization of long-term care services. Same as HPA 527. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 400 and Credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 425; and graduate or professional standing; or consent of the instructor.

528 Societal Analysis of Aging, Health and the Life Course
3 hours. Analysis of health, aging and health care issues from life course perspectives, including the application of concepts, theories and methods from both sociology and public health. Same as SOC 528. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

529 Gerontological Health/Illness Behavior
3 hours. Overview of perceptions and behaviors of older adults are examined in reference to illness prevention, health promotion and reactions to acute and chronic illness. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 425; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

534 Management and Analysis of Qualitative Data
3 hours. Emphasizes conceptual and technical skills for organizing and analyzing qualitative (textual) data from focus groups, in-depth interviews and other sources, using specialized text-analysis computer software. Extensive computer use required. Fieldwork required. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 434; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

543 MCH Policy and Advocacy
3 hours. Examines the social, economic and political dynamics which influence the development and implementation of maternal and child health (MCH) policy and US health policy in general. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 510 and Credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 511; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

544 Public Health Aspects of Adolescence and Youth
3 hours. Overview of critical health and developmental issues impacting adolescents, including youth participation in health initiatives. Crosscutting perspectives of social identity, gender, culture and social class are emphasized. Same as SOCW 546. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 446; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. Recommended background: Research, policy and/or practice and interest in adolescence and in community development and intervention studies; ethnic/minority studies; education; health and social/human service professions.

545 Reproductive and Perinatal Health
3 hours. Examines the epidemiology of key reproductive and perinatal health outcomes and cutting edge research issues. Same as EPID 545. Prerequisite(s): BSTT 400 and EPID 403; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

547 Public Health Approaches to Maternal and Child Nutrition
2 hours. Advanced seminar course integrating roles and applications of nutrition for maternal and child populations. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 411 or CHSC 510; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

548 Readings in Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology
3 hours. Advanced seminar in reproductive/perinatal epidemiology with particular emphasis on methodological issues. Same as EPID 548. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 510 and EPID 403 and EPID 404; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. Recommended background: Maternal and child health and epidemiology.

549 Advanced Applied Methods in MCH Epidemiology
3 hours. Gives conceptual and technical understanding of statistical and epidemiological methods, builds skills/proficiency in applying these. Attention is given to data handling tasks and to statistical/epidemiologic strategies for analysis and presentation. Same as EPID 549. Prerequisite(s): EPID 402 or EPID 404; and BSTT 401 and EPID 406; or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: Credit or concurrent registration in EPID 501.

550 Advanced Concepts in Community Health Sciences
3 hours. Examines health from diverse perspectives and analyzes processes central to community health practice. Prerequisite(s): Open only to Ph.D. degree students; or approval of the department.

551 Foundations of Public Health Inquiry
3 hours. Examines research paradigms, precepts of theory development, literature synthesis, and ethical principles in order to enhance the scholarliness and meaningfulness of public health inquiry. Prerequisite(s): Open only to Ph.D. degree students; or approval of the department.

553 Family Planning: Policies and Practices
2 hours. Overview and analysis of family planning concepts, including contraceptive and abortion methods, and the policies that affect their implementation. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 400 and EPID 403 and BSTT 400; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

554 International Women's Health: Current and Emerging Issues
3 hours. Examines current and emerging women's health issues globally with an emphasis on studying social and cultural factors affecting women's physical and psychosocial health. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

563 Neighborhoods and Health
3 hours. This interdisciplinary seminar explores theories and empirical evidence regarding the mechanisms by which neighborhoods affect health and contribute to health disparities. Same as NUEL 563. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing and an introductory graduate-level statistics course.

564 Community Integration in Developmental Disabiities
3 hours. Historical and contemporary issues pertaining to the empowerment and integration of persons with developmental disabilities into community settings. Same as DHD 564.

577 Survey Questionnaire Design
3 hours. Concepts and strategies for developing survey questionnaires for various modes of survey data collection. Same as PA 577. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing and CHSC 446 or CHSC 447; or approval of the department.

578 Questionnaire Design Practicum
3 hours. An applied, hands-on experience developing and evaluating a survey questionnaire in collaboration with a local not-for-profit or governmental agency. 3 hours. Students who have minimal or no prior training in questionnaire design are required to complete remedial preparation. Students must be flexible to meet at alternate times and alternate locations, including off-campus. This course does not satisfy the requirement for the MPH field experience (IPHS 650). Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; and consent of the instructor and CHSC 447 or the equivalent. Recommended background: Prior training or experience in survey research methodology.

584 Community Organizing for Health
3 hours. Focuses on facilitating community organizing processes in health promotion including theories, field work tools, feminist and international perspectives. Field work required. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 480; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

586 Health Behavior Interventions
3 hours. Examines advanced concepts and strategies for the development, implementation, and evaluation of public health interventions to change health behaviors. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 480 and credit or concurrent registration in CHSC 446; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

587 Theories of Health Behavior
3 hours. An advanced course in theories of health behavior with an emphasis on integrative applications of health behavior theories to specific populations, settings, and areas of health. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 480; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

588 Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis
3 hours. Examines recent developments in research synthesis in the behavioral, social, and medical sciences. Prerequisite(s): CHSC 480 and CHSC 446; and graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department.

594 Advanced Special Topics in Community Health Sciences
1 TO 4 hours. Advanced study of topics in community health, including maternal and child health, gerontology, behavioral science of health and illness, international health, community health, and public health practice. May be repeated. Students may register in more than one section per term. Topics vary by semester. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. Recommended background: Advanced placement in graduate program.

595 Seminar in Community Health Sciences
1 TO 3 hours. Seminar course addressing contemporary issues in community health sciences research and approaches to professional development. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. May be repeated. Topics vary by seminar. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or approval of the department. Recommended background: Advanced placement in graduate program.


Information provided by the Office of Programs and Academic Assessment.

This listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract. Every attempt is made to provide the most current and correct information. Courses listed here are subject to change without advance notice. Courses are not necessarily offered every term or year. Individual departments or units should be consulted for information regarding frequency of course offerings.