Courses
The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.
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SAR HS 410: Field Experience: Human Physiology
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and consent of instructor - The focus of this internship course is to provide the student with an experience that is different from the classroom in which the student can apply much of the knowledge gained in previous class work. Exposure to a hospital setting, research laboratory, clinical environment and direct patient contact are within the realm of available experiences. The internship will provide the student a stronger sense of the careers available in the health professions while providing valuable first-hand experience. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community. -
SAR HS 412: Field Experience: Human Physiology II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and consent of instructor. - Continuation of HS410. Enrollment limited to students at sites that require a 2-semester commitment. -
SAR HS 415: Undergraduate Nutrition Practicum
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Senior Nutrition Majors only - Practical experience working with a Registered Dietitian or related health care professional in a community, medical or private practice setting. -
SAR HS 422: Ethics in Health Care
Available in Dublin Health Science program onlyIntroductory course developing a critical awareness of issues arising in biomedical ethics. Contemporary issues will be used to examine ethical reasoning, ethical theories, ethical principles, and cases and narratives in ethics. Special attention will be paid to developing skills of critical thinking through an examination of philosophical arguments and practical exercises. Learners are also provided with a theoretical grounding in classical and contemporary schools of ethical reasoning. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking. -
SAR HS 425: Healthcare Policy and Practice in Ireland
Available in Dublin Health Science program onlyHow can healthcare policy and practice in Ireland be described? What are its origins and how has it evolved, specifically related to cultural, political, social and economic developments? How can the current fragmented and two-tiered system be improved? These are key questions, especially following the launch in 2017 of the ten-year Sl¿intecare healthcare programme. During this course students will discuss these questions, using the six building blocks of the World Health Organisation (WHO) health system framework, comparing the Irish health systems with other health systems. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry I. -
SAR HS 426: Research Experience
Conducting scientific research is often a multi-faceted experience involving not only the actual scientific experimentation, but also the reading and synthesizing of research, writing, oral presentation and other skills. The BU HUB curriculum is a means for establishing and requiring such experiences, therefore HUB units will be awarded to "Registered-in-research" students based on the level of research experience of the undergraduate. Thus, as a student progresses through additional semesters of research, new learning outcomes are achieved. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Digital/Multimedia Expression. -
SAR HS 429: Research Experience
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Conducting scientific research is often a multi-faceted experience involving not only the actual scientific experimentation, but also the reading and synthesizing of research, writing, oral presentation and other skills. The BU HUB curriculum is a means for establishing and requiring such experiences, therefore HUB units will be awarded to "Registered-in-research" students based on the level of research experience of the undergraduate. Thus, as a student progresses through additional semesters of research, new learning outcomes are achieved. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Writing-Intensive Course. -
SAR HS 430: Global Maternal & Child Health
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Seniors only. - This course will provide a global perspective on maternal and child health. Major topics will include early life influences on later life health, maternity care practices worldwide, and the role of both human evolutionary history and sociopolitical structures in shaping health outcomes for women and children -
SAR HS 431: Topics in Global Environmental Health
In this course, students will critically examine current topics in environmental health through a global health lens. Specific course topics and content will vary by semester. As a global health senior seminar, this course will involve significant reading, active discussion, and completion of one or more projects. -
SAR HS 432: Urban Design and Global Health
Most of the world's population now lives in urbanized areas, and virtually all future population growth is expected to be urban. This course will address the impacts and opportunities of cities for public health, the environment, and global equity. We will examine the historical, social, economic, and aesthetic reasons for urban design decisions, along with the impacts of those decisions on public health. We'll consider the history and future of urban health infrastructure, as well as modern innovations in design and technology that promise to improve (or degrade) public health. Lessons from cities in the developed world will be applied to design in the developing world, and vice versa. Major topics will include transportation; nature in an urban setting; slums and healthy housing; the epidemiologic study of urban health; zoning and other land-use controls; sanitation; and the history and impacts of globalization. -
SAR HS 433: Global Health in Humanitarian Emergencies
Each year, hundreds of millions of people around the world require humanitarian assistance following catastrophes, including conflicts, natural disasters, famines, and pandemics. As climate-related disasters, protracted conflicts, and emerging infectious diseases continue to increase in scale and frequency, this number is expected to rise. A strong public health response, firmly grounded in both evidence and ethics, can help mitigate impact, reduce suffering, restore livelihoods, and save lives. This health science senior seminar covers key topics related to public health in humanitarian emergencies, including water and sanitation, livelihoods, food security, nutrition, management of diseases, shelter, and protection. Course content includes theoretical knowledge, drawing on practical examples from recent disasters, in addition to exploring ethical debates, emerging challenges, and opportunities for improved effectiveness. Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to reflect on professional goals related to global health in humanitarian emergencies and consider potential paths for further study and engagement in the field. -
SAR HS 434: Global Health Policy and Governance
The world's countries--low-income nations in particular--face numerous health challenges, including pandemics like coronavirus and AIDS, spread of infectious diseases, reducing the incidence of maternal death in childbirth, climate change, food security, strengthening national health systems and managing a complex global health architecture. This course will examine these and other global health issues with an emphasis on the forces that shape global health policies and actions with an impact on peoples' health in an increasingly complex global governance context how you as an actor in global health can intervene to improve health conditions for the poor. The course uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore the relationship between the processes of globalization and global health policy and social, political, economic and environmental determinants. -
SAR HS 436: Critical Approaches to Mental Health
This course explores how critical theories are used to understand population- level social inequities and further social justice in mental health. Students will identify the ways in which injustice has been historically upheld by social scientists and mental health professionals. This course will critically analyze both the strengths and limitations to modern psychology. The course will review theories from critical psychology, liberation psychology, feminist psychology, and transnational psychology. We will examine the impact of oppression (e.g., racism, cissexism, classism, ableism, etc.) on global mental health, as well as how individuals and communities engage in resiliency and develop tools for social and psychological liberation. -
SAR HS 438: Pathophysiology in Marginalized Individuals
Structural racism. Misogyny. Transphobic legislation. What do these things have in common? Minority stress! We currently have an epidemic of chronic, noncommunicable, and infectious diseases plaguing women, people of color, and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals subject to excessive levels of psychosocial stress and structural violence. Through group discussions, clinically relevant case studies, and examinations of the most up to date literature, students in this course can expect to gain a thorough understanding of how psychosocial stress and structural inequity affect the human body, and how interventions from the community level to the individual level may alleviate this population-specific disease burden. -
SAR HS 439: Global Health Communication and Advocacy
How we communicate something can make or break whether people actually pay attention. When it comes to public health, failures in communication can result in the spread of disease, misinformation, panic, and even death. This course focuses on developing the skills needed to communicate effectively in the global health sector, whether on a personal level, to the community, or through a national campaign. We will critically evaluate different types of communication and past and current health campaigns to see what worked well and what missed the mark. Students will get hands-one experience with using and creating a variety of communication tools such as policy memos, health pamphlets, infographics, text campaigns, mHealth, and public service announcements, among others. Topics such as strategic program design, message development, pretesting, materials production, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation will be covered. This course will also help students develop both written and oral presentation skills essential to any public health work -
SAR HS 440: Qualitative Research Strategies in Global Health
Qualitative research methods are increasingly used in public health, and provide valuable insights into the local perspectives of study populations. This course provides practical strategies and methods for using qualitative research and includes the basic assumptions, approach and rationale for making qualitative research decisions, framing qualitative research questions, and designing appropriate research strategies. Examples will be drawn from current global health issues. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
SAR HS 441: Neglected Tropical Diseases
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of viral, parasitic, and bacterial diseases that affect more than 1 billion people worldwide and disproportionately burden those with the fewest resources. They can cause significant disability, chronic illness, and death in both children and adults. The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of each of the NTDs including transmission, disease progression, treatment, epidemiology, and control strategies. In addition, we will examine their public health importance and the effects they have at the individual, community, and national level. We will also discuss societal contexts and ethics around treatment, research, advocacy, and prevention. -
SAR HS 442: Healthcare Interventions in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries
This course will introduce students to healthcare delivery in low (LICs) and lower middle income countries (LMICs). Students will become familiar with aspects of surgical interventions, pharmaceutical provision, cell phone technology, and global health programming. We will examine healthcare delivery and practices through case studies focused on the prevention and treatment of malnutrition, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. Through this course, students will learn from past and existing healthcare delivery techniques, difficulties, and successes for some of the largest global health challenges such as: cholera, malaria, HIV/AIDS, Type 1 and 2 Diabetes, tobacco use, aging populations, and malnutrition. Students will use these skills to develop healthcare delivery strategies of their own. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
SAR HS 443: Literature and Global Health
This seminar is aimed at Sargent College Health Science seniors. It will explore several public health themes through literature, including both fiction and nonfiction, plays, poetry, and film. Topics covered may include the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the interaction of the patient and the health care system, the public health and medical response in conflict and disaster settings, aging, and the role of whistle-blowers in public health. Students will get the opportunity to read critically and discuss in depth, as well as to try their hand at creative writing. -
SAR HS 444: Child Health Programs in Low Resource Settings
This health science senior seminar will explore programs and policies that impact child health in Low and Middle Income Countries. We will cover infectious diseases - including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhea - as well as major non-infectious causes of child morbidity and mortality, including nutrition, early child development and mental health. We will discuss the full life cycle of global health programs from building the evidence base through epidemiological studies through implementation science and monitoring and evaluation. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
