Community and International Health Concentration

Introduces students to the field of public health epidemiology, emphasizing the sociocultural factors associated with the distribution and etiology of health and disease. Methodological skills including the calculation of rates, analysis of vital statistics, and programming data using a basic statistical package are covered.

This core course examines social, psychological and cultural factors that have an impact on public health in community, national and global contexts. These factors may include: population characteristics (social class, age, gender, culture, race/ethnicity), individual beliefs and behaviors, and socio-political systems and policies that affect public health problems and their solutions. Theories and perspectives drawn from sociology, anthropology, and psychology are applied to critical issues in global public health including the AIDs epidemic, mental illness, chronic disease, community violence, war and natural disaster trauma as well as behavioral health problems such as smoking and substance abuse.

This course introduces MPH students with minimal formal training in biology
to the biological and molecular context of public health. The course
provides an overview of: a) basic biological principles and mechanisms
relevant to public health practice; and b) biomedical technology as applied
in public health. The course covers basic principles of genetics,
immunology, microbiology, and cell biology in the context of global public
health. Areas covered include infectious diseases, genetic and chronic
diseases, allostatic load, environmental factors affecting health, and
prevention and treatment strategies.

This course covers basic probability, descriptive and inferential statistics, and the role of biostatistics in the practice of public health. Specific attention will be given to common probability distributions in public health and medicine, t-tests, Analysis of Variance, multiple linear and logistic regression, categorical data analysis, and nonparametric statistics. Statistical topics are presented conceptually with little derivation, and applications are demonstrated using common statistical software.

This course is devoted to flexible forms of inquiry suited to the local context of global public health research. Sometimes known as ?action research?, ?rapid assessment, and ?community-based participatory research? these approaches share a commitment to working closely with and in communities to identify health risks and effective interventions for ameliorating them. Although field research may include surveys and other forms of quantitative research, the emphasis in this class will be on qualitative methods with mixed method approaches included where appropriate. The focus will be on introducing the basic content/skills of on-the-ground field research under challenging conditions, i.e., shortages of time and resources as well as cultural/ linguistic differences. There are additional aspects to learning these methods (e.g., data analysis) that require much more time and skill development than is possible in this brief introductory course. Interested students are strongly advised to take additional coursework in qualitative methods.

Research methods for identification of population-based needs for public health intervention, development of programs to meet those needs, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention. Application of research methods to proposal writing, budget, planning, project management, and methods of program evaluation. Students research the need for a public health intervention through a formal needs assessment, conduct the intervention, evaluate its impact, and describe these events in a formal paper and presentation. This research project in the culminating experience for the program.

Public Health Informatics is a new field that is concerned with the systematic application of information and computer sciences to practice, research and learning. This course is created to ensure that graduates of the program have (1) basic familiarity with the issues of technology in computers, communications and genomics in global health; (2)

This non-credit bearing course will require students to read and discuss
important global public health books exploring the evolution of the field
of public health in global perspective from the 19th century to the
present. All MPH students will be required to complete 3 of these
non-credit bearing courses prior to graduation. For each of these course
sessions, a book will be discussed in a public lecture by its author;
students are expected to read the book in advance, responding with a
“forum”posting on the "NYU Classes” website one week in advance of the
lecture, including a question raised by the book about public health.
Questions will be collected and forwarded to our author-speakers in advance
of their public lectures. The lecture and Q&A will be chaired by a member
of the GIPH faculty and will last for two hours. Students are expected to
sign up for/ complete the reading and written response/ attend the lecture
for at least three books in the history of global public health over the
semesters in which they are earning their graduate degrees. The successful
completion of three or more of these course sessions will lead towards the
achieving this critical content as described by ASPPH for the 21st century
MPH: “History and philosophy of public health as well as its core values,
concepts, functions, and leadership roles.

Review of research and original writings related to public health. Application of research methodology to problems in public health.

Identification and evaluation of programs designed to reduce health risks among individuals and communities, with a focus on factors influencing the design of interventions, choice of methods, ways to assess the magnitude of change effected by the intervention, and ethical issues raised by the interventions.

The Integrative Seminar is an inter-disciplinary series designed to compliment the core courses and concentrations with a discussion oriented seminar that will permit exposure to global health leaders and in-depth exploration of the paradigms, perspectives, and policy challenges that shape action in global public health. The course will also include special intensive modules to build skills students will need as individuals, as part of interdisciplinary teams, and as organizational leaders who translate knowledge into effective action to improve global health. The style of the course will be heavily oriented towards peer and experiential learning. It will assume acThe Integrative Seminar is an inter-disciplinary series designed to compliment the core courses and concentrations with a discussion oriented seminar that will permit exposure to global health leaders and in-depth exploration of the paradigms, perspectives, and policy challenges that shape action in global public health. The course will also include special intensive modules to build skills students will need as individuals, as part of interdisciplinary teams, and as organizational leaders who translate knowledge into effective action to improve global health. The style of the course will be heavily oriented towards peer and experiential learning. It will assume active preparation and participation of all students to facilitate the lively discussion, debate and problem solving that are critical in an area of work that is relatively new and, therefore, contains ?contested knowledge?.

Infectious diseases, especially HIV, TB, malaria and acute respiratory infections (ARI) contribute substantially to the global burden of disease. This course will focus on the biology, epidemiology and control of these infectious diseases. This is essential training for practitioners of global public health.

An introduction to the issues of health and health care on a global basis. The course focuses on nature and scope of major worldwide health problems and the study of different national and international approaches to their solution.

This course approaches global health and justice from international human rights and humanitarian law. The course is designed to provide public policy and public health students with the basis for literacy about human rights and humanitarian law. Through lectures, case studies and practical training, students will be able to gain knowledge and skills to determine how rights violations impact health, and how to engage in using the human rights approach to improve health outcomes. Topics, including HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive rights, the right to health in war and disasters, access to medicines and the ethical obligations of public health professionals, will be used to illustrate practical applications of human rights to global health.

Common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and substance use
disorders are leading causes of disease burden in the world today, rivaling
HIV, malaria and heart disease in that respect. They are associated with
serious functional impairment, reduced quality of life, unemployment and
homelessness and exacerbate risk for, and severity of, medical illness. Yet
they tend to get lost on the global health agenda. Lack of familiarity with
interventions, measuring challenges, and stigma are, in part, to blame.
Public health approaches to common mental disorders are also only recently
demonstrating new rigor and maturity. This course provides exposure to this
increasingly relevant public health challenge from a global perspective,
with a particular focus on the epidemiology, risk factors and consequences,
individual- and population-level approaches to treatment and prevention,
and delivery of care for mental health problems in different settings
worldwide. This course will challenge students to think critically about
the existing literature in this area and about the role of culture, context
and stigma in shaping public health responses to mental disorders.

This course focuses on the integration of three public health disciplines
for emergency action: epidemiology, behavioral health/ intervention
research and public health communication to provide students with a
knowledge base and foundation of skills to be able to design and implement
strategies in disease prevention and response in outbreak situations, with
a focus on the reemergence of Polio and Ebola.

This course introduces the student to the
major health issues facing women in low resource countries and how to
analyze existing programs geared towards improving women's health. Students
will learn how biological, environmental, and societal issues affect
women's health, the outcomes of pregnancy, and child survival. Topics
include reproductive and obstetric health, women's rights, gender-based
violence, access to health education, family planning, female genital
cutting, and the public health interventions proven to positively impact
these issues. Students will intensively evaluate and analyze the
interventions created to improve the lives of women and identify key
elements that constitue an effective global women's health program.
Students will learn the necessary skills to generate solutions to the
complex circumstances affecting the health of women globally.

This course will provide an overview of key topics in public health for migratory persons: demographics; specific population groups and their circumstances and rights, including refugees, immigrants, asylees, and migrants; epidemiologic issues of displaced persons, including the shifting burden of disease, nutrition, environmental and occupational concerns; health and human rights; ethics; torture and other violence; PTSD, and other acute and chronic mental health concerns. Immigrant and Migratory Health will be approached from various perspectives, including historical, demographic, epidemiologic, access(economic, legal, linguistic, cultural, and institutional), life cycle, environment, including occupation and nutrition, and policy. The course will impart to students the skills necessary to develop an integrated approach to the care of immigrant and migratory populations.

This course will contrast US and international approaches to public health
emergency preparedness and response. Rotating among different sites within
NYU's Global Network, the course will focus on aspects of public health
emergencies systems germane to the host country. In Tel Aviv, we will focus on
the planning and deployment of international humanitarian aid missions,
preparedness and response to terrorism, public health ethical issues that
arise in conflict situations, and disaster mental health and community
resilience. The course will also review principles of surveillance,
mitigation,
preparedness, response and recovery from natural and man-made emergency
events, and cover both US and international emergency management and public
health frameworks.

Disasters, whether natural, technological, or man-made, often reveal the strength of our social fabric. They also reveal how much our health and well-being is dependent upon numerous complex systems in our lives. These systems can range from our internal cellular and micro-biological systems; through social and cultural systems; to public health and medical systems; to critical infrastructure and lifeline systems; to larger environmental and ecological systems, among others. This course will employ a number of disciplinary approaches to understanding risk, vulnerability, and resilience as we explore the theories, frameworks and methods for understanding disasters and their relationship to population health. It will be particularly valuable for students interested in public health research and practice.

The course provides an introduction about the theory, design, implementation, and evaluation of health communication programs. Several resources are used to allow students to acquire practical knowledge and skills in health communications planning and implementation. Case studies, resources, research tools and examples of different media channels are reviewed and analyzed to explore how to reach different target audiences with the most effective health communication interventions.

This course examines the core interdisciplinary theories, knowledge,
research, and methods evidenced in in understanding LGBTQ health
and disparities evidences in the LGBTQ population. The course introduces
students to the main conceptual frameworks for the study of LGBTQ
individuals, communities, and populations across the lifespan and overviews
existing knowledge about LGBTQ health in the United States and globally.
The course highlights research design, measurement, ethics, and analysis
issues in population research in LGBTQ health.

This course provides an overview of the epidemiology, public health issues
and international policies related to psychoactive drugs, including
tobacco, alcohol and prescription drugs, as well as numerous commonly used
illicit drugs. World Health Organization (WHO) and US policy and programs
provide a general reference for efforts by countries worldwide to decrease
the burdens of mortality and morbidity secondary to psychoactive drug use.
In addition, pharmacological properties and effects of drugs are reviewed
and linked to health, economic and societal problems. Best clinical
practices in prevention and treatment and controversies over management of
addiction will be discussed, along with ethical issues of interest to
health providers and public health practitioners.

This course is devoted to flexible forms of inquiry suited to the local context of global public health research. Sometimes known as ?action research?, ?rapid assessment, and ?community-based participatory research? these approaches share a commitment to working closely with and in communities to identify health risks and effective interventions for ameliorating them. Although field research may include surveys and other forms of quantitative research, the emphasis in this class will be on qualitative methods with mixed method approaches included where appropriate. The focus will be on introducing the basic content/skills of on-the-ground field research under challenging conditions, i.e., shortages of time and resources as well as cultural/ linguistic differences. There are additional aspects to learning these methods (e.g., data analysis) that require much more time and skill development than is possible in this brief introductory course. Interested students are strongly advised to take additional coursework in qualitative methods.

A hands-on approach to grant writing including development of skills in locating potential funding sources and the use of appropriate grant-writing style & technique. Students are guided through the development of a grant proposal, from locating sources of funds; through development of program objectives, background, & methods; to the peer review process.

Supervised field experience providing an opportunity to apply public health
skills in community health settings. Locations may include government
agencies, hospitals, professional associations, voluntary health agencies,
businesses, industries, and international agencies. Placement selection may
focus on special topics such as infectious or chronic disease prevention,
substance abuse, family planning, and food, environment, and health systems.