USC Schedule of Classes

Overview and application of behavioral theories to the field of health education and promotion. Examines the determinants of health behaviro and strategies for change at the individual, group and community level.

Historical development of the American health care system; determinants of health care utilization; role of health care providers; health policy; public health services; and health care finance.

Concepts of biostatistics; appropriate uses and common misuses of health statistics; practice in the application of statistical procedures; introduction to statistical software including EXCEL, SPSS, nQuery. Laboratory.

Major parametric and non-parametric statistical tools used in biomedical research, computer packages including SAS. Includes laboratory. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

Exploratory data analysis, detection of outliers, fitting data with linear and nonlinear regression models, computer packages including S-PLUS and SPSS.

Terminology/uses of epidemiology and demography; sources/uses of population data; types of epidemiologic studies; risk assessment; common sources of bias in population studies; principles of screening. Recommended preparation: algebra

Overview of issues concerning the design and implementation of STI prevention and control programs. Epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and partner management strategies for common STIs in the U.S. Recommended preparation: PM 501, PM 512

International variations in health status with a focus on the impact of socioeconomic status, politics, environment, education and gender in etiology of illness, access to health care, progression of disease, and recovery.

Core concepts, methods and values of public health program planning and evaluation, including community needs assessment, writing objectives, designing health promotion programs, process and outcome evaluation. Recommended preparation: PM 500

An overview of environmental health, identifying issues in assessing effects of exposure on health and potential interventions for reducing adverse health risks. Prerequisite: PM 512

With a physiological overview, dfferentiates genetic and environmental disease; emphasis on the relationships between lifestyle, behavior, and health.

Overview of causative factors and demographic distribution of major chronic diseases in the western world. Epidemiologic concepts, methods and research design as applied to chronic disease prevention will be emphasized. Prerequisite: PM 512.

Examination of major policy issues in the US health care delivery system to understand policy options in reforming health care and reducing health care disparities.

The contents include: R objects, control structure, data input and output, subsetting objects, data manipulation and aggregations, character manipulation, graphics, and writing user-defined functions. Recommended preparation: Knowledge of one programming language other than R or a half-year experience programming in R.

Survey of effective community organizing and mobilization efforts in the U.S. and abroad, using participatory, organizational, community empowerment and public-private partnership models.

Introduction to business and management concepts, tools, and practices in the context of domestic and global healthcare delivery, public health, and allied health industries.

Current public health issues and research topics relating to 21st century challenges and threats. Lessons learned and best practices to strengthen public health systems and enhance public health readiness and preparedness.

Programming using SAS Software, including branching, sub-setting, PDV, looping, by-group processing, array, combining data functions, ODS, and macros.

Introduction to the core concepts and methods of planning and implementing health-related programs and research in resource-constrained settings.

Overview of statistical issues and solutions to high dimensional data analysis. Use of Bioconductor and R, with applications in molecular biology. Recommended preparation: PM 511a.

Investigates the way health is organized and administered at the global level by integrating students directly into the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the World Health Organization.

Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Field placement in a community agency, such as a county hospital department or community-based organization. Open to MPH candidates only. Graded CR/NC. Recommended preparation: completion of all coursework.

Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Field placement in a public health agency, such as a county hospital department or community-based organization. Recommended preparation: Completion of all MPH coursework. Graded CR/NC.

Provides the culminating, integrative curricular experience for students enrolled in the Master of Public Health program. Recommended preparation: Completion of all MPH coursework.

Special topics relevant to the study of selected issues and areas of health behavior research or other aspects of preventive medicine.

Health research/evaluation philosophies, approaches and development of skills for development and critique of health behavior research projects/studies. Recommended preparation PM 511.

Multidisciplinary approach to clinical and translational research.

Independent research at an advanced level on a problem in the field of Health Behavior. Recommended preparation PM 604. Graded CR/NC.

Independent research at an advanced level on a problem in the field of Health Behavior. Graded CR/NC.

Independent research at an advanced level on a problem in the field of Health Behavior. Graded CR/NC.

Independent research at an advanced level on a problem in the field of Health Behavior.

Independent research at an advanced level on a problem in the field of health behavior. Graded CR/NC.

Short seminar presentations and discussions on issues accompanying the development of the field of health behavior and implementation of research in this field. Graded CR/NC.

Research applicable to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.