BIOS 6030 - Principles of Biostatistics, 3 credits
Major environmental health problems, including water quality, wastewater, occupational health, trace elements in the environment, municipal and hazardous waste, food protection, vector control, and air quality are discussed.
Note: BIOS 6030 - Principles of Biostatistics is a required prerequisite for GEHS 7500 - Air Sampling and Analysis.
GEHS 6030 - Survey of Environmental Health, 3 credits
Major environmental health problems, including water quality, wastewater, occupational health, trace elements in the environment, municipal and hazardous waste, food protection, vector control, and air quality are discussed.
GEHS 6050 - Population Behavior and Environmental Public Health, 3 credits
Changes in the human ecosystem during the last decades have altered human health and behaviors. This course teaches students how human ecology affects behavior. The influence of select group of human ecological factors and population behaviors as related to public health and its practice. Various topics addressed include environmental aspects of justice, social, economic, and ethical issues, exposures to biological, chemical and physical agents through air, food, water and work environment, the perceived and actual risks of these exposures, and behavioral modification to prevent exposure and promote public health and wellness. This course focuses on Risk Reduction and Health Promotion.
GEHS 6150 - Occupational Health Services, 2 credits
This course is designed to provide the student with an overview of the occupational health services and systems needed for the practice of occupational medicine and preventive medicine. The course will provide a description and analysis of occupational health care organizations, systems and contemporary public policy issues. It will comprehensively introduce and review past and present occupational health service systems and facilities and will provide fundamental knowledge of the present organization, mission and function of these systems and facilities. Some comparisons in key areas will also be made to other healthcare systems. Course is offered via Distance Learning only, alternate summers.
GEHS 6300 - Radiological Health, 3 credits
This course is an introductory course in health physics, medical uses and university uses of ionizing radiation. The course includes radiation protection for both workers and general public. GEHS 6300 is a course designed to review the basics of atomic and nuclear physics and cover subjects in the field of radiation protection. The course is designed to meet the needs of students in the Industrial Hygiene Program as required by ABET. Topics include nuclear reaction terminology, the interaction of alpha particles, electrons, and photons with matter, basic instrumentation for radiation protection, and the use of Poisson counting statistics, radiation medicine issues including radiation epidemiology, internal dissymmetry, use of the LLNL code Hotspot for dispersion calculations, and various advanced topics, including nuclear weapons effects. The text by Dr. Bevalacqua was written for students preparing for Part I of the ABHP exam. It should also be valuable to those students studying for the CIH exam. The text contains over 700 health physics problems with solutions. Because of this unique resource the course is heavily problem related.
GEHS 6320 - Workplace Wellness, 3 credits
Health, as it relates to the workplace, is created by two major forces; what employees bring with them into the workplace (e.g. personal resources, health practices, beliefs and attitudes) and the impact of the workplace on employees (e.g. organization of work in both a physical and psychological sense). Health promotion focuses on the elements that make up a healthy workplace and includes the physical environment, health practices and social environment & personal resources. This course focuses on the total well-being of individuals and groups within a corporate and community context. It emphasizes a holistic approach to achieving workplace, community, and personal wellness.
GEHS 6430 - Disaster and Emergency Communication, 3 credits
The course is a fast-paced, interactive course that focuses on the essential knowledge and tools needed to navigate the harsh realities of communicating to the public, media, and stakeholders during an intense public emergency, including terrorism. The course content will meet the crisis communication training needs of distinct groups (e.g., public health professionals, medical and health professionals, emergency response officials, community and civic leaders, the private business sector and volunteer organizations) at the community, regional and national level.
GEHS 6540 - Principles of Occupational Health, 3 credits
This course targets mid-career professionals who work in occupational health and safety programs. The course addresses the occupational medicine aspects of health and safety programs including the leading occupational disease hazards, their evaluation and control. Concepts of exposure in the workplace and related evaluation and control by engineering and physical health hazards such as noise, heat, and radiation are included. The course uses an interactive format and case studies.
GEHS 6600 - Principles of Toxicology, 3 credits
Introduction to the principles of mammalian toxicology. Exposure, dose-response, kinetics and distribution of toxicants, metabolism of toxic agents, factors that affect toxicity, introductory chemical carcinogenesis are discussed. Prerequisite: Some knowledge of biology and chemistry is desirable.
GEHS 6620 - Physical agents and Ergonomic Hazards in the Workplace, 3 credits
Problems associated with occupational exposures to physical agents are discussed. Health effects, evaluation and control of exposure to ultraviolet, infra-red, laser, microwave irradiation, noise, heat, and abnormal pressures are covered in detail. Prerequisite: GEHS 6720 - Principles of Industrial Hygiene.
GEHS 6700 - Principles of Safety, 2 credits
This course is designed to give the student an introduction in the field of safety and prevention management. Broad areas and topics that are covered are management and accountability, policy development and evaluation, hazard identification, job safety analysis, safety training, applied engineering principles (slips, falls, cuts, electrocution, material handling, excavations, confined spaces crane use), emergency operations planning and social-behavioral aspects of safety.
GEHS 6720 - Principles of Industrial Hygiene, 3 credits
Respirators, pulmonary function testing, details of OSHA including major health standards and policy decisions, the Toxic Substance Control Act, and management of industry, are discussed in detail. Areas of particular concern to the class will be added.
Note: GEHS 6720 - Principles of Industrial Hygiene is a required prerequisite for GEHS 6620 - Physical agents and Ergonomic Hazards in the Workplace and for GEHS 7110 - Industrial Ventilation and Hazard Control.
GEHS 6910 - Environmental Aspects of Disaster Response, 3 credits
This course examines the fundamentals of the environmental health and consequence management infrastructure through the lens of a disaster situation. Environmental health challenges that arise during emergencies are explored and operational models unique to disasters are developed.
GEHS 6920 - Environmental Monitoring, Sampling and Analysis in a Disaster, 3 credits
This course is designed to provide students with knowledge and tools for sampling and monitoring of the environment following a disaster such as floods, hurricanes, earth quakes, explosions. During this course, students will also be exposed to field sampling and become familiar with laboratory instruments used for chemical, biological and physical agents sampling analysis.
GEHS 6930 - Populations Issues During Disasters, 3 credits
The United States is among other global communities that attempt to prepare its citizens for potential mass casualty events such as natural disasters, terrorism, or a pandemic flu outbreak. This course introduces disaster theory and overviews the United States’ National Response Framework. Core population health issues that present during the management of disasters are examined. Developing preparedness at the local level is emphasized. Fundamental concepts of emergency management and leadership are discussed.
GEHS 6950 - Psychosocial Aspects of Environmental Health Disasters, 3 credits
The course covers the theoretical development, history, and empirical studies of the psychosocial dynamics and sequelae of disasters. Characteristics of environmental health disasters, reactions and risk factors, as well as trends in disaster mental health are examined. Emphasis is placed on inclusion of psychosocial considerations in the planning, preparation, and very early intervention phases of a disaster. Vulnerable populations are of particular interest in highly interactive case-based learning through reflection labs for application in situations such as natural disaster, environmental health crises, pandemic illness, or threats to national security. Baseline resilience planning is required of all students planning to work in disaster or emergency response fields.
GEHS 7110 - Industrial Ventilation and Hazard Control, 3 credits
Fundamentals of design and operation of ventilation systems as a means for controlling airborne toxic materials in the workplace are discussed. Basic air flow, dilution ventilation, hood design, duct design, and balancing, fans, air cleaners, and testing of ventilation systems are discussed in detail. Emphasis is on design principles for local exhaust systems. Students are expected to complete a design project. Prerequisite: GEHS 6720 - Principles of Industrial Hygiene.
GEHS 6220 - Health and Safety Training and Evaluation, 2 credits
This course addresses a systems approach to developing and evaluating health and safety training programs. Principles and techniques are presented for effectively assessing training needs, developing learning objectives, designing training programs, identifying and developing training evaluation measures and designing evaluation studies. Practical experience with the topics is encouraged by case studies and class exercises involving health and safety training program development and evaluation. Computer-based training issues are emphasized.
GEHS 7230 - Fundamentals of Project Management for EH&S, 3 credits
This course focuses on management of environmental health and safety risks, as well as measurement and evaluation of industrial hygiene and safety performance. Specific course topics include environmental and hazardous materials management, emergency planning and response, crisis communication, accident investigation, the development and interpretation of risk assessments, risk perception and communication, economics and risk/benefit analysis, comparative risk assessment, laws and regulations pertaining to risk assessment, and management and the design of risk management plans. Report writing and interpretation are emphasized.
GEHS 7240 - Applying Systems Thinking to EH&S, 3 credits
This course complements and supplements GEHS 7230, Fundamentals of Project Management for EH&S. It is an introduction to methods of systematically integrating health and safety programs into standard management systems used by organizations. Topics emphasized include leadership, strategic planning, project management, management of multidisciplinary teams, regulatory affairs management, voluntary standards systems, professional ethics, labor relations, and "selling" health and safety initiatives to all levels of the organization and the public. Systems thinking is emphasized throughout the course. No prerequisites required.
GEHS 7250 - Current Issues in Industrial Hygiene and Safety, 3 credits
Current topics in industrial hygiene and safety are presented to provide practicing health and safety professionals with updates on new and emerging topics in the field. The course consists of weekly meetings that include discussions of the topic, Internet exercises to research new articles and case studies. Students are expected to conduct mini literature reviews of the topic and to participate in the discussion of their research or experience. Emphasis will be placed on the application of findings to health and safety programs. Nine topics of current interest will be selected each year. Examples include: ergonomics issues, indoor air quality, cumulative traumas, process safety, traffic and transportation safety, confined space, regulatory compliance, risk assessment, and blood-borne pathogens (required course in occupational health and safety management, possible elective for other programs). Topics that are relevant to Disaster Management issues are included in the context of industrial safety and hygiene.
GEHS 7260 - Financial Aspects of EH&S, 3 credits
The governing purpose of this class is to teach students how to use economic and financial analyses to manage EHS programs by teaching them how to develop analytic and inductive reasoning skills that are prerequisites for becoming a successful manager. The course will address some basic financial managing concepts that midlevel EHS managers and professionals will commonly use or be exposed to in a business setting. These concepts include cost behaviors, profit analysis, budgeting, financial ratios, project economics and return investment analysis.
GEHS 7280 - International Management Standards for EH&S, 3 credits
This course is designed to introduce the most important EHS management systems for multinational companies from the US and other countries. The course introduces students to ISO-harmonized management systems. Students gain skills in making the transition from traditional numeric specifications of governmental command-and-control regulations to ISO-harmonizing auditing systems, involving root cause analyses of system requirements.
GEHS 7310 - Occupational Laws and Regulations, 2 credits
This course is designed to introduce the most important EHS management systems for multinational companies from the US and other countries. The course introduces students to ISO-harmonized management systems. Students gain skills in making the transition from traditional numeric specifications of governmental command-and-control regulations to ISO-harmonizing auditing systems, involving root cause analyses of system requirements.
GEHS 7500 - Air Sampling and Analysis*, 3 credits
Principles and techniques for evaluating exposure to airborne contaminants are presented in lectures, and practiced in two-hour laboratory sessions per week. Topics covered include air flow measurement, generation of controlled test atmospheres, total and respirable dust sampling, determination of particle size distribution, optical and electron microscopy, sampling of gases and vapors, and chemicals. Prerequisite: BIOS 6030 - Introductory Biostatistics.
* This course requires a one week on campus laboratory section. Dates for on campus lab posted in calendar
GEHS 7620 - Health Risk Assessment, 3 credits
The action and mechanism of prototypical toxicants are studied in detail. The importance of mechanism of toxicity of various compounds and extension of this knowledge to toxicants is emphasized. Students are expected to use current toxicological literature. Prerequisite: GEHS 6600 Principles of Toxicology.
GEHS 7910 - Environmental Disaster Response Planning and Implementation, 3 credits
This is an elective course that teaches students how to identify the critical public health system infrastructure that is likely to be affected during and following a natural and human made disaster. Environmental health issues can arise in the wake of a disaster. Systematic planning and post disaster implementation of the plan can be effective in mitigating the problems that arose in the face of these disasters. This is an advanced course designed to be the culminating course in the Disaster Management Track integrating previous courses within the track. The course is aimed at advancing the student’s knowledge of disaster management gained through 600 level courses to the actual application of those principles using real life, frontline scenarios.
EPID 6030 - Epidemiological Methods I, 3 credits
This course enables students to interpret epidemiologic data and understand the approaches used in the epidemiologic investigation of occupational diseases. Attention is given to the application of epidemiologic methods to the evaluation of health, industrial hygiene and safety data.
GHSD 6030 - Introduction to Health Systems, Management and Policy, 3 credits
Concepts and principles of management as they are applied in the functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, controlling and evaluating in health services organizations. Includes study of managerial roles, styles, activities, and decision-making, as well as the relations hip between management and organizational effectiveness. This course will be most useful to students intending to work in the United States.
TRMD 6010 - Biological Basis of Disease, 3 credits
This course provides a foundation of knowledge about the human body in health and disease. It gives an overview of important concepts of the biological mechanisms of disease at the cellular, individual, and societal levels. At the cellular level, the course summarizes DNA and cellular function, genomics, immunology, and vaccination. At the individual and societal levels, the course addresses the most important infectious and non-infectious causes of death worldwide, providing background on their pathophysiology, clinical aspects, patterns of disease occurrence, risk factors, and methods of prevention.
GCHB 6030 - Social and Behavioral Aspects of Global Health, 3 credits
This course covers the behavioral, social, and cultural aspects of health and disease. Students learn how behavioral and social theories are relevant to health promotion and disease prevention efforts, and in behavior based safety efforts. They also learn how factors that protect or erode health operate at multiple levels (including individual, community, societal, and global levels), and how interventions are developed to improve health by addressing critical factors at each of these levels. The course also addresses the roles of culture, race, and ethnicity in the conceptualization of health and illness.
SPHL 7950 - Culminating Experience, 0 credits
As a part of the MPH and MSPH degree requirements, all students must complete a Culminating Experience in addition to their coursework. Distance learning students must satisfy the requirements for the Culminating Experience by writing a Public Health Analysis Manuscript. Distance learning MSPH students can only satisfy the Culminating Experience requirement by writing the Public Health Analysis Manuscript while working in conjunction with Dr. Roy Rando. MPH students should contact the Director of Distance Learning, Kathy Carneiro, for mentoring and assistance in completing this requirement. Specific competencies for the Culminating Experience may be found here.
SPHL 9980-01 - Practicum, 0 credits
The Practicum is designed to demonstrate application of core public health knowledge in practice. Specific competencies for the Culminating Experience may be found here. Students should contact the Director of Distance Learning, Kathy Carneiro, to discuss practicum requirements the semester before they intend to graduate.
