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.

• SPH PH 803: Community-Based Participatory Research: Theory and Methods
  This course provides an overview of history, theory, and methods for working in partnership with communities to conduct research for action. Through a combination of lectures, discussion, and case-studies, we will explore the history of research as a tool of colonialism and exploitation; the role of particular communities in revolutionizing research funding and infrastructure for the benefit of and in service to communities; theoretical, ethical, and methodological considerations for research partnerships among professionally trained and academic researchers and non-academic/non-professional researchers; and specific examples from local research initiatives. The course trains students in the skills to form research questions, and to identify appropriate methods and procedures in response to such questions (e.g., photovoice, participatory mapping, and power sharing). The class is highly participatory and requires student discussion. Each session begins with a voluntary “check-in” where every student is invited to discuss key impressions and take-homes from the past week’s class and/or questions or observations from the assigned reading that students hope to discuss in the ~3-hour class period. This course may be of interest to MPH students in the EH&J or CAPDIE certificates and SPH PhD students. It may also interest students at Wheelock, the School of Theology, and the School of Social Work.
• SPH PH 825: Analysis of Emerging Infections Using the One Health Approach
  Graduate Prerequisites: EP755 (ID Epi) or consent of instructors. - This class employs One Health, a public health approach emphasizing the interconnectedness of human health, animal health, and the environment, to provide an understanding of factors involved in the natural history of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), and strategies required for sustainable control and prevention of these diseases. The number of reported EIDs is steadily increasing and some EIDs (e.g., H1N1 influenza, chikungunya, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] and, recently, SARS-CoV-2) have had enormous global public health impact. Localized outbreaks can often be quite severe, particularly in certain settings (e.g., Ebola in West Africa). EIDs are vector-borne and/or zoonotic, and a wide range of social, behavioral, and physical environmental factors contribute to their emergence. In this class, case studies of specific EIDs are used to illustrate the multi-factorial nature of disease emergence and spread. Emphasis is on understanding the natural history and pathogenesis of these EIDs, and the laboratory methods commonly used for their diagnosis and surveillance. At the course conclusion, students will be able to apply the principles they have learned to analyze and determine the factors involved in the emergence or re-emergence of an infectious disease; essential knowledge for determining appropriate control and prevention strategies.
• SPH PH 842: Research Theory and Design
  Graduate Prerequisites: SPH BS704 or EP713 or the equivalent as determined by the instructor. - This course focuses on the philosophy of science and the practice of research in public health. It compares and contrasts different approaches to scholarship and examines what makes some research interesting and important. The course will focus on developing research questions, objectives and aims in the context of what is already known/not known about an area of study. Students will develop the background and specific aims sections for a research proposal by the end of the course.
• SPH PH 843: Quantitative Methods for Health and Social Policy Research
  Graduate Prerequisites: For MS or Doctoral students who have completed BS704, EP713, PH842, an d BS720 or equivalent - How did freezes on non-essential medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic affect health outcomes for people with chronic diseases' How do state mask requirements affect the spread of COVID-19' At a time of record unemployment how does unemployment insurance affect food insecurity' In the wake of the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, how do police killings of unarmed civilians affect mental health' In this course, you will learn quantitative methods concepts that underlie how we ask and answer these types of causal questions. We and will learn by conducting statistical analyses using real-world health datasets. The course will emphasize concepts including how to ask important questions, the assumptions that go into different statistical approaches, how to conduct statistical analyses, how to interpret and present results, and the limitations of each approach. The principal goal of this course is to prepare you to ask important questions and to use quantitative methods to answer them. The assignments are designed to support your knowledge and understanding. Your understanding and participation is critical to the success of the course. I encourage you to ask questions for your own benefit and that of your peers.
• SPH PH 844: Introduction to Qualitative Analysis for Public Health and Health Services Research
  Graduate Prerequisites: The MPH core courses in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and PH842 - Qualitative methods are increasingly used either independently or as part of mixed-methods designs to answer "how" and "why" questions that other research methods may not inform. In this course, students will learn to identify different types of qualitative methods and the types of research questions and problems for which they are appropriate; different approaches to the analysis of a variety of types of qualitative data and to critically assess examples of such methods used in the literature.
• SPH PH 845: Integrated Learning Experience for MPH
  The BU MPH Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) is a valuable opportunity to synthesize and apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the degree program. Designed to bridge foundational and certificate competencies, the ILE is linked to the functional certificate while incorporating relevant content from the context certificate. Students completing two functional certificates will work with their faculty advisors to choose one ILE. This required academic component (0 credits) is a student-driven, faculty-guided experience completed in the final semester.
• SPH PH 851: Needs Assessment
  Graduate Prerequisites: Enrollment restricted to DrPH students and other degree candidates with consent of instructor. - This course examines the processes by which local and regional health status and services can be assessed and analyzed. Students will learn approaches to: quantitatively and qualitatively define public health problems; set a community agenda by prioritizing distinct public health problems; engage the community in assessing local capacity to address those problems; visualize those problems with Geographic Information Systems; and present the results of their assessment to audiences of decision makers and the public.
• SPH PH 853: Strategic Planning and Communications
  Graduate Prerequisites: Enrollment restricted to DrPH students and other degree candidates wit h consent of instructor. - This course focuses on the development and implementation of program and policy interventions that can improve public health by modifying people's health-related behaviors, and on the design and execution of effective oral and written communications to support those interventions. Working through a sequence of written assignments, students will develop: (1) a set of theory-based learning and environmental change objectives; (2) a strategic plan for a program or policy intervention designed to change an important health-related behavior; (3) a management plan for implementing and maintaining that intervention; (4) a supportive communication strategy; and (5) specific media and communications executions to operationalize that strategy. In class writing workshops and individual consultations are designed to give students ideas for their projects and interim feedback on their written assignments.
• SPH PH 854: Program and Policy Evaluation
  Graduate Prerequisites: Enrollment restricted to DrPH students and other degree candidates wit h consent of instructor. - Evaluation research is critical to the advancement of public health knowledge and the improvement of program services. This course focuses on the theory and practice of program evaluation and the development of student evaluation skills and their implementation in practice. Students will use case study materials. Students will learn to conceptualize the entire evaluation process from the development of program logic, through evaluation design, measurement, sample size calculation and an analysis plan. In addition, students will learn about cost-effectiveness analysis and meta-analysis for policy development.
• SPH PH 856: Law & Ethics for Public Health Leaders
  Graduate Prerequisites: Enrollment restricted to DrPH students and other degree candidates with consent of instructor. - Law, ethics, and human rights often determine, or heavily influence, both the range of choices open to public health policymakers and the means available to achieve public health goals. Using case studies, including rationing flu vaccine, responding to catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina, protecting and promoting women¿s health and reproductive rights in developing countries, and regulating research to prevent exploitation of subjects in resource poor countries, students will recognize and integrate legal, ethical, and human rights concepts into public health policy development.
• SPH PH 857: Health Economics and Financial Management for Public Health
  Graduate Prerequisites: Enrollment restricted to DrPH students and other degree candidates wit h consent of instructor. - This course is an applied, practitioner-oriented survey of major topics in health economics and the financial management of public health organizations and programs. It will provide students with a brief introduction to the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of health economics and financial management, but the focus will be on practical application to health care market issues, resource allocation policy problems, financial and managerial accounting, performance measurement, and economic evaluation of public health programs.
• SPH PH 859: Cases in Public Health Management
  Graduate Prerequisites: Enrollment restricted to DrPH students and other degree candidates with consent of instructor. - This course will focus on developing tools for, and perspectives on, decision-making in senior public health positions through analysis of a series of case studies. Students will adopt different roles in preparing the cases, sometimes individually and sometimes in groups. The cases will address challenges faced in human resources, facilities design, quality control, organizational change and the integration of policy and program-planning. Students will be assessed on: (1) memos prepared for their roles in individual classes; (2) the quality of their participation in class discussions of the cases; and (3) their response to a case that will be distributed as a final examination.
• SPH PH 867: Evidence-Based Policy and Budgeting
  Public Health leaders must be prepared to both influence and understand policies using evidence. The dynamic relationship between research and policy necessitates specific training in a wide range of methods. This course will build skills to prepare students to (1) assess the strength of existing evidence on a health topic and summarize the data to be used to advise policymakers; (2) understand economic implications of a proposed or existing policy using several economic evaluation approaches; (3) develop evidence-based recommendations to be delivered to policymakers in terms they find most relevant. The main goal is for students to understand when a variety of analyses and their related tools are appropriate; how to apply them when communicating with specialists; and when to deploy them in their own public health leadership practice. Specifically, students will develop skills related to: synthesizing evidence from the peer-reviewed literature; performing meta-analyses; using cost-effectiveness analysis to inform decisions about improving health through policy and decision-making; conducting budget impact analysis and social return on investment analysis; communicating complex evidence to decision-makers. This is a doctoral-level course however, advanced master's students are encouraged to enroll.
• SPH PH 870: Research Skills Seminar
  Researchers are routinely called upon to ensure research project success through the application of many professional skills beyond data collection and analysis. In this course, students will learn and apply concepts and tools relevant to research project management, budgetary concerns, data visualization, and presentation, and the communication of research results to various audiences.
• SPH PH 871: Communication Skills for Public Health Leaders
  The public health leadership seminar is one in a series of four 1-credit requirements that will serve as the main integrative pedagogic experience of the DrPH doctoral program. The purpose of this course will be to explore the many ways in which leaders must be prepared to communicate with various stakeholders including employees, stakeholders, competitors, and the media. Students will work independently and in teams to create content for co-learning sessions, will engage in cases, role play, and simulations to build and refine communication skills.
• SPH PH 872: Mentorship and Coaching in Public Health Leadership
  The public health leadership seminar is one in a series of four 1-credit requirements that will serve as the main integrative pedagogic experience of the DrPH doctoral program. The purpose of this course will be to explore reflective leadership practice through individual and group coaching sessions. Students will engage in personal reflection to identify their own personal goals for professional development as well as an awareness of barriers that may have historically prevented growth in particular areas. Using the DrPH Competencies, students will work with a coach and the program director to make an intentional plan for pursuing a challenging and strategic practicum project
• SPH PH 873: Data-Driven Decision-Making for Public Health Leaders
  The public health leadership seminar is one in a series of four 1-credit requirements that will serve as the main integrative pedagogic experience of the DrPH doctoral program. The purpose of this course will be to explore the complexities of data-driven decision-making public health leaders face. The course will be based on group discussion and interviews with senior-level public health practitioners. Student learning will be grounded in gleaning lessons learned from advanced practitioners of public health in both domestic and global settings.
• SPH PH 874: Public Health Practice within Political Contexts
  The public health leadership seminar is one in a series of four 1-credit requirements that will serve as the main integrative pedagogic experience of the DrPH doctoral program. The purpose of this course is to focus on preparing DrPH students to analyze the political context that surrounds a health topic of interest. By understanding the politics involved, students will be better prepared to craft proposals, recommendations, and policies that will not only be grounded in scientific evidence, but be more feasible given existing politics. This course will explore politics while building skills in regional data analysis and recommendation development, to prepare students for their comprehensive exam and help them conceptualize a field-relevant dissertation topic.
• SPH PH 880: Research Dissemination Seminar
  This is an upper-level applied seminar course, in which students are mentored through the development of a manuscript suitable for publication in a peer- reviewed journal. Through a combination of discussions, written assignments, and oral presentations, students will develop research questions, conduct literature reviews, perform data analyses using a real-world data, and summarize results a manuscript.
• SPH PH 885: Grant Writing for Doctoral Students
  The purpose of this course is to support BUSPH doctoral students/candidates in writing grant proposals in a systematic fashion under faculty guidance and with peer input.The fall portion will focus on general grant writing strategies,while the spring portion will focus on proposal development.Grant writing is an important skill for all doctoral students to develop,particularly those interested in becoming faculty members at academic institutions.The goal of this course is for participants to gain experience in the overall grant writing process while developing a proposal for funding to support dissertation-related research.Upon completion of the grant writing course,the expectation is that participants will submit their proposal for funding.The focus is on NIH/AHRQ F- series and R36-type grants,though students are welcome to use the course to prepare a grant for a foundation or other source of funding. Enrollment is open to BUSPH doctoral students/candidates who are at a stage in their training where they are prepared to actively develop a grant proposal for submission.Students may take the first half of the course and not the second(if they are interested in gaining general knowledge of grant writing but are not aiming to develop their own grant proposal);the first half of the course is a prerequisite for the second half of the course(i.e., students cannot take only the second half).