An introduction to the philosophical, historical, ecological, legislative, and ethical foundations for understanding the practice of public health in Canada. The course is delivered in a 2-week block at the beginning of the MPH program sequence on the UW main campus. For MPH student only. The course must be successfully completed by MPH students before proceeding to other courses in the MPH program sequence.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health students only
PHS 602Capstone Integrative Seminar for Public Health0.50 units
Provides an opportunity for students to integrate skills and knowledge gained through MPH core and specialization courses toward resolving a specific public health problem, either through practice in a public health setting or through investigation and analysis. Graded on a Credit/Non-Credit basis. The course is delivered in a 2-week block at the end of the MPH program sequence, on the UW main campus.
A critical analysis of health policy formulation, implementation and evaluation related to public health. The course will include discussion of the role of various regional, provincial, and national agencies in public health policy formation, among other issues. It will examine how the organization of public health in Canada compares to systems in other countries. Prerequisite PHS 601.
PHS 604Public Health and the Environment0.50 units
This course will explore the major sources and types of environmental agents posing a risk to public health, discuss and the mechanisms through which these interact with biological systems to exert adverse effects on human health. Topics covered will include modeling for predicting health effects, the risk assessment and management process, and the regulatory and legislative process for environmental health protection in Canada. Prerequisite PHS 601.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health Students only. Co-requisite: PHS 605
This course is an introduction to biostatistics for those planning a career in public health. Students will learn various biostatistical techniques, how to apply those techniques in the analysis of data from health studies, and how to interpret the results from those analyses. Topics include probability, descriptive statistics, distributions of data, exploratory data analysis, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and brief exposure to categorical data analysis and survival analysis. Emphasis will be on conceptual understanding of topics as well as carrying out various data analysis applications. (Proof of credit in an introductory university level statistics course is required.) Prerequisite PHS 601.
PHS 606Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health0.50 units
An introduction to the principles and uses of epidemiology in the practice of public health including but not limited to: descriptive and analytical epidemiology, causal inference, probability, bias and confounding.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health Students only and PHS 605
PHS 607Social, Cultural and Behavioural Aspects of Public Health I0.50 units
An introduction to the social, cultural and behavioural foundations of public health and outline the contributions of the social sciences to the planning and implementation of public health interventions. Prerequisite PHS 601.
PHS 608Health and Risk Communication in Public Health0.50 units
An overview of theories, research findings, and applications of health communication and risk communication in public health. The course examines theories of group interaction and mass communication related to community perceptions of public health problems and practices, the impact of new technologies on public health communication, intercultural issues in health communication, health literacy, social marketing, and links between health communication and public health policy. Prerequisite PHS 601.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health student's only.
PHS 609Management and Administration of Public Health Services0.50 units
Approaches to strategic planning and organizational design, key concepts of human resource management in achieving the strategic objectives of public health organizations, and the fundamentals of operation planning, budgeting, financial management and project management. Prerequisite PHS 601.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health student's only.
PHS 614Evaluation of Public Health Programs0.50 units
Methods and applications of program evaluation in public health, as a means to ensure the effectiveness, accountability and continuous improvement of public health programs. Case examples are used to illustrate methodological, political and ethical challenges of program evaluation in the public health context. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health student's only and PHS 607
PHS 617Social, Cultural and Behavioural Aspects of Public Health II0.50 units
Examines the development of various social and behavioural intervention strategies in population health promotion, and the evaluation of their impact on the health of communities, families, and individuals. Students learn how to formulate behavioural, communication, educational, advocacy, health promotion, and community-based participatory strategies for improving the health of communities and individuals and preventing disease and injury. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health student's only and PHS 607.
PHS 623Risk and Exposure Assessment in Public Health0.50 units
Methods used to assess human health risks associated with biological, chemical and physical exposures in the environment, focusing on hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. The course examines the strengths and weaknesses of various types of risk assessment approaches, the inherent uncertainties in each stage of risk assessment, and the interactive role of risk assessment and risk management in public health decision-making. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
PHS 624Environmental Toxicology in Public Health0.50 units
Introduction to the underlying principles governing the interactions of foreign chemicals with biological systems, including a description of the human health effects that can occur as a result of chemico-biological interactions in the environment. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
Fundamental principles of public health surveillance and monitoring, describe the source of public health data in Canada and other countries. Topics covered include forecasting, information management and organization, and technological innovations for assessment, evaluation and program delivery.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health students only
PHS 632Health Economics and Public Health0.50 units
An exploration of the socioeconomic determinants of health, the role of economics in public health policy, and the uses of economic evaluation methods in public health decision-making. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health students only
This course covers the principles and methods of water quality management, major water contaminants (including infectious agents) affecting public health, prevention strategies and regulatory monitoring and reporting activities in Canada.
Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
PHS 634Environmental Epidemiology in Public Health0.50 units
Epidemiological methods used to characterize the major environmental risks to public health, including major pathways for microbial and chemical contamination. Methods for estimating exposure to hazardous substances carried by ambient and indoor air, drinking water, food, food production and services systems, and methods for control to reduce the risk of air, water, and food contamination. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
PHS 635Public Health, Environment and Development0.50 units
An exploration of the complex set of relationships among development, the environment and public health at the community and global levels. Topics include the concept of sustainable development and how it relates to public health. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
PHS 636Applied Epidemiology: Advanced Concepts and Applications for Public Health0.50 units
This course employs a case-study approach to demonstrate methods for investigation and control of communicable disease outbreaks and clusters of chronic diseases and injuries. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
This course examines the application of information technologies and information systems in public health practice. Selected topics include managing information to deliver value; data standards in public health; privacy, confidentiality and security in public health; surveillance systems, informatics of toxicology and environmental public health. Course open to MPH students. Others may be admitted with consent of instructor.
The supervised public health practicum is intended to provide the student with an opportunity to apply course learning in a public health setting. The placement may involve any of the activities or functions of public health: surveillance, policy development, program evaluation, communications, etc. A contract stipulating practicum objectives, and work to be completed and evaluated to meet these objectives, must be jointly approved by the student, the student's field supervisor, the academic supervisor, and the practicum coordinator. A written report by the student, together with a letter from the field supervisor, are used by the practicum coordinator to evaluate student performance. Graded on a Credit/Non-credit basis. Course open to MPH students only. Completion of all MPH coursework required.
Prerequisite: Master of Public Health students only