2024–2025 CATALOG AND STUDENT HANDBOOK COURSE DESCRIPTIONS 127 PHC4305 Practices and Policies in Public Health 40 hours, 4 credits This course is designed to examine the various aspects of public health practices and policies. Explores the concepts of planning, implementing, and evaluating health education programs. This course will also explore the process of policy development from conception to implementation, as well as ethical issues that often confront health educators. Prerequisite: None PHC5035 Epidemiology and Biostatistics 40 hours, 4 credits In this course, students learn the role of epidemiology and biostatistics in disease prevention. Students learn a variety of exposure-disease models related to disease pathways and occurrence prevention. Students learn the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiological study designs, and how to interpret the analysis to draw conclusions from these studies. Students will utilize different data sources and will learn the difference between primary and secondary data. Students will calculate disease rates and measures of association and develop skills to assess the scope and magnitude of the risk factors that influence health outcomes. Prerequisite: None PHC5103 Essentials of Public Health 40 hours, 4 credits This course includes introduction of public health concepts, overview of historical aspects of public health, and advances in the field of public health. Students learn models and tools that aid in the design of programs that promote healthy behaviors. Students understand the mission and the goals of public health, evaluate global health initiatives, and are introduced to the roles and responsibilities of various careers in this field. Prerequisite: None PHC5374 Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness 40 hours, 4 credits In this course, students learn principles of environmental health. Topics discussed include exposure assessment, environmental and occupational hazards, risk management, and disaster management. Students learn the impact environmental laws and regulatory guidelines have on global health. Prerequisite: None PHC5441 Social Determinants of Health 40 hours, 4 credits This course presents students with an overview of social determinants of health within local, national, and global populations. Students learn how to develop strategies to mitigate health disparities as well as the impact determinants have on health outcomes. Students learn the impacts that bias, cultural competency, and health literacy have on the health outcomes of diverse groups. Prerequisite: None PHC5470 Principles of Health Behavior 40 hours, 4 credits This course studies basic principles of behavior analysis and identifies areas of public health in which these principles are used. Health behavior models for culturally appropriate and theory- driven individual and community-based behavior change interventions are examined. Students analyze literature and health belief models to develop, implement, and evaluate health behavior interventions within new or existing health promotion programs. Prerequisite: None PHC6117 Public Health Leadership 40 hours, 4 credits This course utilizes the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals as the framework for self-assessment, designing a personal and professional leadership development plan, and identifying mentors and professional resources for growth. Topics include leadership strategies for interprofessional group cohesion, conflict management, and dealing with difficult people. Students examine various approaches to addressing cultural and diversity issues among work groups and in addressing various community audiences. Prerequisite: None PHC6517 Public Health Administration, Governance, and Management 40 hours, 4 credits This course focuses on the organization of public health systems, the policies governing these systems, and the delivery programs at the local, state, and federal levels. This course explores communication strategies that emphasize cultural awareness and diverse population initiatives. Topics covered include public health organization management and policies, interprofessional collaborative practices, financial management, local and state budgets, strategic planning, and quality improvement. Prerequisite: None PHC6716 Program Design and Evaluation 40 hours, 4 credits In this course, students identify a population health need and develop a program vision, goals, and process, including timelines and budgets. The course emphasizes community stakeholder engagement in the development of the program and detailing the interim and summative goals to be evaluated as the program is being implemented. The course also introduces how to develop a program proposal to align with the grant application process. Prerequisite: None PHC6724 Evidence-Based Public Health Research 40 hours, 4 credits This course builds upon epidemiological concepts about research principles and study designs related to public health. A range of research methodologies and designs are discussed, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, sampling methodologies, measurements, descriptive and inferential statistics, hypothesis testing, survey design and administration, data analysis, and interpretation. Prerequisite: PHC5030 Epidemiology for Public Health Professionals PHC6940 Master of Public Health Practicum 120 hours, 4 credits During the practicum, students work with an organization to understand its role in the improvement of public health. During the practicum, students complete a project that supports the goals of the organization and its stakeholders. At the conclusion of the practicum, students reflect on their experience and the impact of their project on the field of public health. Prerequisite: Expected to be completed in the student’s final quarter PHC6990 Master of Public Health Capstone 40 hours, 4 credits The Master of Public Health Capstone allows students to apply and synthesize the theory, knowledge, skills, and competencies they acquired in courses and the practicum. Students connect all aspects of the public health core competencies and apply them to analyzing and addressing public health initiatives. The capstone promotes the use of critical thinking, cultural competence, and evidence- based research to promote health and disease management in diverse populations. Prerequisite: Expected to be completed in the student’s final quarter PHI1520 Ethics Around the Globe 40 hours, 4 credits This course is a study of various and common ethical principles around the world and their relationships to morality and professional responsibility. Emphasis is placed on the application of ethical theories to problems faced in increasingly globalizing business and society. Prerequisite: None PHI2103 Introduction to Critical Thinking 40 hours, 4 credits A study of the rules of valid judging and reasoning, both inductive and deductive, in a traditional, language-centered context rather than a symbolic context. Logical analysis of both formal and informal fallacies, and of the consistency and logical consequences of a given set of statements. Logical analysis is applied to concrete problems dealing with our knowledge of reality. Prerequisite: ENC1101 English Composition PHT1000 Physical Therapist Assistant Fundamentals 100 hours, 6 credits PHT1000 Lecture (20 hours, 2 credits) PHT1000L Lab (80 hours, 4 credits) This course will teach the fundamentals of data collection within the physical therapist assistant’s scope of practice along with an introduction to the profession and the role as a member of the healthcare team. It places focus on the professional organizations, overview of legal and ethical issues relating to the physical therapist assistant, importance of interpersonal communication skills relating to the profession. There will be a special emphasis on minimizing risk through appropriate and safe patient handling, transfers, and gait training. Pre- or corequisites: BSC2087C Human Anatomy and Physiology I; HSC1531 Medical Terminology PHT1100 Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice and Therapeutic Interventions 60 hours, 4 credits PHT1100 Lecture (20 hours, 2 credits) PHT1100L Lab (40 hours, 2 credits) This course is an introduction to the underlying principles and clinical application of evidence-based practice and basic therapeutic interventions. It places focus on developing the student’s ability to obtain peer-reviewed research, performing basic appraisal of the evidence, and learning thermal, mechanical, and electrotherapeutic interventions used to address pain, inflammation, edema, soft tissue healing, and muscle reeducation. There is a hands-on lab component to this course. This course will prepare students to incorporate evidence-based practice and the proper integration of these basic interventions into physical therapy practice. Prerequisites: BSC2087C Human Anatomy and Physiology I; HSC1531 Medical Terminology; PHT1000 Physical Therapist Assistant Fundamentals PHT1200 Principles of Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy – Lower Quarter 70 hours, 5 credits PHT1200 Lecture (30 hours, 3 credits) PHT1200L Lab (40 hours, 2 credits) This course will teach students about the presentation of lower-quarter musculoskeletal disorders with a focus on therapeutic exercises in this region. Structure and function of the lower-quarter musculoskeletal system will be covered. There will be a focus on selecting and implementing appropriate evidence-based therapeutic exercises as they relate to musculoskeletal physical therapy practice for the lower quarter. Pre- or corequisite: PHT1100 Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice and Therapeutic Interventions ALL CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY ADDENDUM
