An in-depth study of selected social science perspectives/theories and their applications to population health. Topics will vary from semester to semester, with a particular emphasis on current, salient population health problems. Prereq: Graduate standing or permission of instructor. Cross-listed with PBHL 4999. Max hours: 9 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Repeatable. Max Credits: 9.

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Students will develop the knowledge and skills required to effectively use a variety of federal and statistical data sets for health research and policy analysis. Each week is devoted to one or two federal statistical datasets--data collection methods; why they are collected and what health issues they are designed to address; what population they represent and at what geographic scale. Most critically, students will be able to distinguish between questions that can be addressed with a public version of the data and questions that require restricted versions of the data that are protected by federal law and guidelines. Students will read, discuss and present research from various perspectives (Demography, Economics, Geography, Public Health, Sociology) using these data sources and apply their knowledge of data analysis from a variety of perspectives. Students will learn how to gain access to restricted data, how to protect individual anonymity with best practice disclosure avoidance techniques and will develop a research proposal for confidential research access. Note: Familiarity with SAS (preferable) or other statistical software such as SPSS or Stata and statistics or data analysis is recommended. Restriction: Restricted to degree-granting graduate programs. Cross-listed with ECON 6022, GEOG 5022, and SOCY 5022. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to degree-granting graduate programs

Examines legal, ethical, and social issues that have come about with advances in human genetics. Topics include privacy, informed consent, discrimination, forensics, medical malpractice, and property rights. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. Cross-listed with HBSC 7320, ANTH 6041. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Appraise women's experiences and selected issues related to war-time service, including women's roles during war, gender-specific policies, military sexual trauma, reintegration, and effects of deployment on mental and physical health. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree major. Term offered: summer. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Typically Offered: Summer.

Note: Students must submit a special processing form completely filled out and signed by the student and faculty member, describing the course expectations, assignments and outcomes, to the CLAS Graduate Academic Services Coordinator for approval. Term offered: fall, spring, summer. Repeatable. Max Hours: 9 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Repeatable. Max Credits: 9.

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

Features presentations by core, affiliated and adjunct faculty; alumni; distinguished guest speakers; and students nearing completion of the dissertation. The goal is to expose students to cutting-edge applications of health-related social and biological science research and to introduce students to the research interests of core and affiliated HBS faculty, advanced students, and alumni who they might otherwise not have the opportunity to meet. Note: Required for ALL first and second year students but open to all graduate students and faculty. May be taken up to three times for credit. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. Term offered: fall. Repeatable. Max Hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Repeatable. Max Credits: 3.

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Typically Offered: Fall.

Covers the following subject areas: philosophy and epistemology of the social and behavioral sciences as they are applied in public health and health care contexts; historical perspectives of Western biomedicine and public health; crosscultural perspectives on health systems; class, ethnic, and gender correlates of health and sickness; critical perspectives on Western health and health care models; and the structure and organization of health care systems. Prereq: Admission to the Health and Behavioral Sciences program or permission of the instructor. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to students admitted into the Health and Behavioral Sciences program (HBSC-PHD).

Typically Offered: Fall.

Focuses on the interplay of biology, environment, culture, and behavior in the causes and exacerbation of disease. The course includes the following topics: health in environmental and evolutionary contexts; models of causation in biomedicine and other medical systems; individual, community, and population manifestations of health and disease; and biocultural interaction in disease process. Specific case studies drawn from contemporary health problems are used to illustrate in detail the nature of these processes. Prereq: Admission to the Health and Behavioral Sciences program or permission of the instructor. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to students admitted into the Health and Behavioral Sciences program (HBSC-PHD).

Typically Offered: Fall.

This course has four principal aims: (1) to provide students a working knowledge of research methodology as applied to field research efforts; (2) to enable students to apply research methodologies to areas of particular interest in the health and behavioral sciences; (3) to expose students to data manipulation techniques common to social science quantitative research; and (4) to teach basic research proposal development techniques. Prereq: Admission to the Health and Behavioral Sciences program or permission of the instructor. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to students admitted into the Health and Behavioral Sciences program (HBSC-PHD).

Typically Offered: Spring.

Much of the data collected in the social sciences is interview- and text-based. This course explores methods for collecting and analyzing these data and theoretical paradigms that underlie these methods. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Typically Offered: Fall.

This course introduces students to multivariate regression methods - a set of statistical models that relate an outcome variable to a set of predictor variables. The course emphasizes understanding and applying regression models to address social science research questions. Prereq: Admission to the Health and Behavioral Sciences program or permission of the instructor. Max Hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to students admitted into the Health and Behavioral Sciences program (HBSC-PHD).

Population health is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that focuses on the social and behavioral determinants of health. This course helps students to navigate the assumptions and perspectives of the various disciplines that do population health research. To achieve this, the course draws on literatures from diverse disciplines on topics including the social, economic, environmental, behavioral, political, and cultural factors that shape health, disease, and healthcare access and utilization. Prereq: Admission to the Health and Behavioral Sciences program or permission of the instructor. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to students admitted into the Health and Behavioral Sciences program (HBSC-PHD).

Typically Offered: Fall.

The purpose of this course is to help students select and refine a dissertation research topic. Each student, through presentations and discussions of their work, will receive feedback from fellow students and the instructor, and will have an opportunity to improve written and oral presentation skills. Prereq: Admission to the Health and Behavioral Sciences program and HBSC 7041 with a B- or higher or permission of the instructor. Term offered: spring. Max Hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Prereq: Admission to the Health and Behavioral Sciences program and HBSC 7041 with a B- or higher.

Typically Offered: Spring.

Examines the legal, ethical, and social issues that have come about with advances in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Illustrates how lawyers, judges, bioethicists, legislators, and policy makers have addressed these issues. Prereq: Graduate standing. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate Level Students admitted into the Health and Behavioral Sciences program. Department consent required. Repeatable. Max hours: 8 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Repeatable. Max Credits: 8.

Restriction: Restricted to students admitted into the Health and Behavioral Sciences program (HBSC-PHD).

Additional Information: Report as Full Time.

This course introduces students to advanced multivariate regression methods (e.g., generalized linear models, survival models, hierarchical models). This course emphasizes the application of advanced regression methods to test social and behavioral science theories related to health. Prereq: Admission to the Health and Behavioral Sciences program or permission of the instructor. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to students admitted into the Health and Behavioral Sciences program (HBSC-PHD).

Typically Offered: Fall.

Examines the roles of technology and society in the etiology and control/prevention of adverse health outcomes associated with releases of toxic substances. Examples come from experience and the literature on occupational cancer and reproductive hazards, occupational and environmental regulation of hazardous wastes, air, and water pollution. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. Cross-listed with ENVS 6210. Max Hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Examines how GIS is used throughout the health care industry and public health. Covers environmental health, disease surveillance, and health services research. Students critically review current literature and gain hands-on experience with GIS software. Prereq: GEOG 4080 or GEOG 5080, public health background, or consent of instructor. Cross-listed with GEOG 4235, GEOG 5235. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Prereq: GEOG 4080 or GEOG 5080

Provides a basic understanding of the methods used to study the effects on human health of exposures to physical, chemical, or biological factors in the external environment. The course explains the use of epidemiologic methods through a problem solving approach to investigating environmental health case studies. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. A basic statistics class is strongly recommended for optimal success. Cross-listed with ENVS 6230. Max Hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Examines legal, ethical, and social issues that have come about with advances in human genetics. Topics include privacy, informed consent, discrimination, forensics, medical malpractice, and property rights. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. Cross-listed with HBSC 6320, ANTH 6041. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

The process of determining the likelihood and extent of harm that may result from an activity or event. Topics covered are: hazard identification, dose-response evaluation, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. The subjects of risk management, risk perception, and risk communication are also discussed. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. Cross-listed with ENVS 6200. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Typically Offered: Fall.

Introduces the field of toxicology. Emphasizes the mechanisms by which chemicals produce toxic effects and the methods for assessing toxicity. Note: Designed for students in the environmental sciences and occupational health fields. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. One year of college chemistry and one year of college biology are strongly recommended for optimal success. Cross-listed with ENVS 6220. Max Hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

A flexible seminar format for dealing with topics of special interest in the health and behavioral sciences. Topics to be considered vary from semester to semester. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree majors. Term offered: fall, spring, summer. Repeatable. Max Hours: 9 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Repeatable. Max Credits: 9.

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

Note: Students must submit a special processing form completely filled out and signed by the student and faculty member, describing the course expectations, assignments and outcomes, to the CLAS Graduate Academic Services Coordinator for approval. Prereq: Admission to the Health and Behavioral Sciences program. Term offered: fall, spring, summer. Repeatable. Max hours: 30 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade with IP

Repeatable. Max Credits: 30.

Additional Information: Report as Full Time.