Public Health, MPH
Program Director: Jeffrey Allen, Ph.D.
Graduate Faculty
Dr. Claire Watson
Dr. Jeffrey Allen
Dr. Derien Braxton
The mission of the St. Bonaventure University Master of Public Health (MPH) program is to educate future public health leaders, in the Franciscan tradition, who will work to prevent disease and promote health of local and global populations through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Program Goals:
• Educate students to be competent, ethical and effective public health professionals
• Provide students with knowledge, and experiences, to evaluate complex public health problems
• Have students demonstrate how to translate knowledge into interventions that address health disparities
• Educate students on how to select effective communication strategies for a variety of stakeholders
• Address how economic, behavior and social issues inform public health theories, practices and policies
• Teach and apply the Franciscan values of dignity and worth for every individual
Educational Objectives: The MPH program will provide students with the opportunity to explore the history and principles of public health, international health, public health leadership, health promotion, marketing, diverse populations, environmental health and health policy within a rigorous curriculum. The students in this major will be prepared to succeed and lead in a public health environment (e.g. community health, health education, health/safety administration), advance their education and experience outside of clinical health and medicine, and/or pursue advanced studies in public health, public policy, health administration, biostatistics and epidemiology.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| MPH-510 | 3 | MPH-515 | 3 | MPH-520 | 3 |
| MPH-511 | 3 | MPH-516 | 3 | MPH-521 | 3 |
| MPH-512 | 1 | MPH-517 | 1 | ||
| MPH-513 | 1 | MPH-518 | 1 | ||
| MPH-522 | 1 | MPH-550 | 1 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 6 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| MPH-530 | 3 | MPH-540 | 3 | ||
| MPH-531 | 3 | MPH-541 | 3 | ||
| MPH-532 | 2 | MPH-542 | 1 | ||
| MPH-533 | 1 | MPH-551 | 2 | ||
| 9 | 9 | ||||
| Total Credits 42 | |||||
Graduation requirements for the Masters in Public Health:
All degree requirements must be completed satisfactorily to graduate. These include:
- A cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Successful complete of the program's 42 credits
Masters of Public Health (MPH)
MPH-510 FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES (3 Credits)
An introductory course which will provide the foundation of public health in the United States. Topics within the course will focus on community and national health and how interventions (laws, policies, healthcare) can improve the health of the population.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-511 BIOSTATISTICS IN PUBLIC HEALTH (3 Credits)
A fundamental public health course that engages students on how to apply and interpret biostatistics. Application of relevant public health studies and medical research will emphasized to make the mathematical concepts more accessible and interesting.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-512 RESEARCH METHODS (1 Credit)
A short course in research methodology which provides a review of the essentials of research design, methods, and data collection in public health. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods and community-based research, along with the attributes of each, will be discussed.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-513 INFECTIOUS DISEASE (1 Credit)
A short course designed to introduce students to the field of infectious disease. The scientific, social and historical perspective allows students to understand how infectious diseases have affected public health for centuries and the current impact on health nationally and globally.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-515 EPIDEMIOLOGY (3 Credits)
Epidemiology is an exploratory course in the distribution and determinants of health/illnesses and how to prevent or control these issues. This course will expand students' knowledge of the history, principles and methods used in epidemiology.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-516 INTERNATIONAL HEALTH (3 Credits)
International Health examines global health challenges and interventions that were designed to address them. This course will explore topics including access to healthcare, child and adolescent health, infectious and chronic diseases and health disparities. Success stories and possible solutions to these global health problems will be discussed.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-517 HEALTH PROMOTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH IDD (INTELLECTUAL & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITES) (1 Credit)
A short course designed to inform students on best practices when working with those with IDD, a population that has limited access to health care combined with increased medical challenges. The medical, social, economic and behavioral implications will be discussed and prospective public health interventions formulated.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-518 NUTRITION & FOOD SYSTEMS (1 Credit)
A short course designed to educate students on the significant impact nutrition and food systems have on public health. Key nutritional concepts will be discussed as related to under and over nutrition, malnourishment, availability of food and the influence on communicable and chronic illnesses. Nutrition programs and food systems locally, nationally and globally will be discussed and evaluated.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-520 ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH (3 Credits)
A course that focuses on how our personal and societal choices affect environmental health. Hazards related to industry, food production and the demands of a modern lifestyle will be discussed and connect with our local as well as global environmental conditions. A focus on occupational health and safety will also be included to demonstrate how the link with environment and how both can affect public health.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-521 POLICY & ETHICS IN PUBLIC HEALTH (3 Credits)
This course will examine the intersection between U.S. health policy, law and ethics. Individual vs society's rights will be debated on complex issues including health reform, controlling infectious diseases and health policies.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-522 HEALTH ECONOMICS (1 Credit)
Population-based health economics will be explored along with a market approach to health care economics. Payment systems, quality improvement and budgeting will be discussed with an emphasis on local and national health care programs and insurance providers.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-530 RURAL PUBLIC HEALTH (3 Credits)
Having the unique opportunity to learn about the impact of a rural setting on health makes this course a cornerstone in the graduate program. Students will have the opportunity to be educated on the wide variety of issues that affect individuals' health that live in rural environments. Content will focus on occupational health, delivery systems, health disparities, mental health and disease prevention; specifically related to rural settings.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-531 HEALTH PROMOTION: DESIGN & MANAGEMENT (3 Credits)
Public health professionals must be able to develop and implement health interventions. This course will prepare students with the knowledge to lead a broad range of public health programming options with applications to social science, global, community and environmental health.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-532 SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (2 Credits)
Changing health behavior is the foundation behind successful health promotion, education and prevention programs. This course will provide students with a background in social and behavioral theories to understand health behaviors and explain how these determinants can impact health.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-533 PROGRAMMING: EVALUATION (1 Credit)
A short course that follows concepts taught in the Health Promotion and Programming course. The last essential step in programming is the evaluation. Students will be able to analyze evaluation reports to determine the effectiveness of a health promotion intervention and what resources should be invested with future programs.
Corequisite(s): TAKE MPH-531
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-540 PUBLIC HEALTH MARKETING & COMMUNICATION (3 Credits)
How to effectively communicate health messaging is essential. This course will provide students with the communication and marketing knowledge and skills to plan a communication framework and how to educate the public on health issues. Health literacy, communication and persuasion theories, and communicating for policy and advocacy will be discussed.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-541 PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP (3 Credits)
An essential course for an evolving time in public health's history. The advances, challenges and a myriad of events that are affecting public health currently call for informed leaders who can manage public health organizations effectively. MPH students will learn how experts in community based prevention programs to those at the frontline of emergency preparedness navigate these incredible experiences. Content will also include systems thinking, social entrepreneurship, social media and integrated information management.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-542 INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (1 Credit)
A short course that emphasizes the role of interprofessional education (IPE) in medicine and how this translates into better practices for public health as well. The focus will be on the IPE Collaborative Core Competencies and how these are defined and applied in today's health care settings. Public Health professionals are an integral part of the IPE team when adopting these practices for population health programming and implementation.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-550 CAPSTONE:INTRODUCTION (1 Credit)
This short course provides students with the opportunity to begin their work on their capstone project in public health. Faculty will guide students in developing their 1st three chapters of their research proposal. The IRB process will be reviewed and if necessary, the student will begin the development of their application. Additionally, MPH competencies will be reviewed and assessed to evaluate students' success at this point within the graduate program.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR
MPH-551 CAPSTONE TO COMMENCEMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH (2 Credits)
The culminating course in the MPH curriculum provides students with the opportunity to complete their work on their capstone project in public health. The IRB process will be reviewed, and if necessary, the student will complete their application. Students will collect, analyze and disseminate their data through the development of their final two chapters of their research project. Successful completion of the capstone includes a formal research presentation of the student's project. MPH competencies will be reviewed and assessed through course activities and a comprehensive exam.
Restrictions: RG.UG.GR