Department of Health Sciences

 

Health Sciences Learning Outcomes

BS in Health Sciences

Outcomes for the Health Sciences Major

Upon satisfactory completion of the Health Sciences Program, Graduates should be able to:

  1. Elements and Functions of the US Healthcare System:

    Critique how the healthcare system and public policies impacts healthcare access, quality, and outcomes.

  2. Role of Public Health:

    Apply the core values, concepts, and functions of public health to address a major public health challenge.

  3. Social Determinants of Health:

    Explain the socio-economic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities

  4. Research Methods and Analytic Strategies:

    Describe the basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use and analysis.

  5. Program Implementation:

    Design a project that uses the fundamental concepts of program implementation including planning, assessment, and evaluation to address a public health challenge.

MS in Exercise Science

Outcomes

In additional to general education purpose, the Exercise Science Master’s Program seeks to assist students in meeting the following learning goals with associated student learning outcomes:

Learning Goal 1: Synthesize and apply advanced principles and concepts in exercise science

  • 1.1: Apply advanced principles of exercise physiology including acute and chronic responses to endurance and resistance training of the cardiopulmonary, respiratory and musculoskeletal systems.
  • 1.2: Describe the role of physical activity and exercise in health, well-being and disease states.
  • 1.3: Integrate scientific rational and proven guidelines for the assessment and development of physical activity and exercise programs.

Learning Goal 2: Analyze scientific research in exercise science

  • 2.1: Utilize the fundamental principles and concepts of conducting scientific research.
  • 2.2: Integrate and apply exercise science principles to design and conduct a research study.
  • 2.3: Be able to demonstrate proficiency in written, oral and visual communication skills for scientific communications.

Learning Goal 3: Describe the role of physical activity in public health

  • 3.1: Describe the fundamental concepts and principles of public health
  • 3.2: Plan and develop primary prevention programs or interventions for specific populations.
  • 3.3: Construct an assessment plan for prevention in a community.

Master of Public Health (MPH)

The MPH Program in Urban Health has identified the following core public health and urban health competencies, which guide all program activities:

General Public Health Competencies

Analytic/Assessment Skills

  • Assess the health status of populations and their related determinants of health and illness
  • Selects variables that measure public health conditions
  • Interprets qualitative and quantitative data
  • Utilizes data to address scientific, political, ethical, and social public health issues

Policy Development/Program Planning Skills

  • Articulates the implications of policy options

Communication Skills

  • Communicates in writing and orally, in person, and through electronic means, with linguistic and cultural proficiency
  • Applies communication strategies in interactions with individuals and groups

Cultural Competency Skills

  • Explains the dynamic forces that contribute to cultural diversity

Public Health Sciences Skills

  • Describes the scientific foundation of the field of public health
  • Applies the basic public health sciences (including, but not limited to: biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health services administration, and social and behavioral health sciences) to public health policies and programs
  • Determines the limitations of research findings

The MPH Program has one area of specialization, which is “Urban Health”. The specific competencies selected for this specialization mirror the general competencies the guide the entire program and have been amended to take into account the health of urban populations:

Urban Health Competencies

Analytic/Assessment Skills

  • Describes the characteristics of an urban population-based health problem
  • References sources of urban public health data and information Policy

Development/Program Planning Skills

  • Articulates policy options to address an urban health issue

Communication Skills

  • Solicits input from individuals and organizations in urban environments
  • Presents demographic, statistical, programmatic, and scientific information for use by professional and lay audiences

Cultural Competency Skills

  • Considers the role of cultural, social, and behavioral factors in the accessibility, availability, acceptability and delivery of urban public health services

Community Dimensions of Practice Skills

  • Establishes linkages with key stakeholders in an urban environment

Public Health Sciences Skills

  • Conducts a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence related to an urban public health issue, concern, or intervention
  • Retrieves scientific evidence from a variety of text and electronic sources

Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills

  • Promotes individual, team, and organizational learning opportunities

All graduates fulfill the competencies that guide the MPH Program.

MS in Health Informatics

After completion of the Health Informatics MS program, graduates will be able to:

  1. Produce systems, tools, processes, and analyses to collect, retain, interpret, visualize, and disseminate all types of healthcare data, including clinical, administrative, financial, consumer, and business intelligence, and place it into context.
  2. Manage the collection, retention, analysis, visualization, and dissemination of all types of healthcare data including clinical, administrative, financial, consumer, and business intelligence.
  3. Implement and explain the impact of data, systems, and processes to enhance interaction between clinical, administrative, and other potential users.
  4. Describe our national imperative that health care must be patient-centered, as well as the demographic and cultural changes, cost of care, technology advancements, and policy adjustments that have contributed to a more patient-empowered shift in care over the last century.

PhD in Population Health

After completion of the Population Health PhD program, graduates will be able to:

  1. Apply knowledge of population health theories and principles.
  2. Explain theories of population health and demonstrate how such theories impact population health assessment.
  3. Use research methods and analytic strategies to contribute to body of knowledge.
  4. Implement fundamentals of epidemiology, biostatistics, data analysis, research design and program evaluation.
  5. Conduct high quality research on population health related topics, such as social, nutritional, pharmacological and environmental epidemiology; program evaluation; epidemiological, biostatistical, and health assessment methods development; exercise physiology; health economics; and health policy.
  6. Publish research papers in top-quality academic journals and present findings at conferences.
  7. Build and develop one’s own expertise in a research domain through active research and teaching in the classroom.