Required and Elective Courses, 2023-2024
Required and Elective Courses
All students in the MSPH in the Social and Behavioral Interventions Program must take the required courses listed below. All required courses must be taken for a letter grade except for courses only offered for pass/fail grading. Below you'll find the lists of required and elective courses, as well as a general student timeline and an example of how a schedule might look for someone in their first year of the program.
Required Courses 2023-24
Course No. |
Course Title |
Term |
Credits |
---|---|---|---|
General Degree Requirements |
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Academic and Research Ethics |
1 |
0 |
|
Special Studies and Research Social and Behavioral Interventions: Individualized Goals Analysis (IGA) |
1 |
1 |
|
International Travel Preparation, Safety, and Wellness |
2, 3, 4 |
1 |
|
Choose one of the following: |
|||
Fundamentals of Program Evaluation |
1, 3 |
4 |
|
Large-Scale Effectiveness Evaluations of Health Programs |
2, 4 |
4 |
|
Food, Culture, and Nutrition |
4 |
4 |
|
International Health Requirement |
|||
Foundations of International Health (must take on-campus) |
1 |
4 |
|
Biostatistics Requirements |
|||
Statistical Methods in Public Health I |
1 |
4 |
|
Statistical Methods in Public Health II |
2 |
4 |
|
Statistical Methods in Public Health III |
3 |
4 |
|
Epidemiology Requirement |
|||
Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I |
1 |
5 |
|
Social and Behavioral Interventions Requirements |
|||
SBI Program Seminar I |
1 |
1 |
|
SBI Program Seminar II |
2 |
1 |
|
SBI Program Seminar III |
3 |
1 |
|
Health Behavior Change at the Individual, Household, and Community Levels |
2 |
4 |
|
Qualitative Research Theory and Methods |
3 |
3 |
|
Qualitative Research Data Analysis |
4 |
3 |
|
Qualitative Research Practicum I |
2 |
2 |
|
Qualitative Research Practicum II |
3 |
2 |
|
Qualitative Research Practicum III |
4 |
2 |
|
Methods in Formative Research and Human-Centered Design for Intervention Development |
4 |
4 |
|
Management, Leadership, and Interprofessional Practice |
|||
Applications of Managing Health Organizations in LMICs |
1 |
3 |
|
Principles of Negotiation and Mediation for Public Health Professionals (take once) |
1, 2, 3 |
0.5 |
|
Applications of Negotiation and Mediation for Public Health Professionals (take once) |
1, 2, 3 |
0.5 |
|
Environmental Health (choose one) |
|||
Principles of Environmental Health I |
1 |
4 |
|
The Global Environment, Climate Change, and Public Health |
1 |
4 |
|
Food and Water-Borne Diseases |
3 |
3 |
|
Case Studies in Food Production and Public Health |
4 |
4 |
|
One Health Tools to Promote and Evaluate Healthy and Sustainable Communities |
4 |
3 |
|
Public Health Policy (choose one) |
|||
Food and Nutrition Policy |
1 |
2 |
|
Policy Interventions for Health Behavior Change |
2 |
3 |
|
Vaccine Policy Issues (prerequisite needed: 223.662) |
3 |
3 |
|
Women’s Health Policy |
4 |
3 |
|
Understanding and Changing International Reproductive Health Policy |
4 |
3 |
|
Public Health Biology (Choose one from Group 1 and one from Group 2) |
|||
Group 1: |
|||
Introduction to Biomedical Sciences (taught in Summer prior to term 1, July – August 2023) |
S/1 |
4 |
|
Biologic, Genetic, and Infectious Bases of Human Disease (take only once) |
S, 1, 2, 3 |
0.5 |
|
Group 2: |
|||
Fundamentals of Reproductive Biology |
1 |
3 |
|
Epidemiology and Public Health Impact of HIV and AIDS |
1, 2 |
4 |
|
Public Health Toxicology |
1, 2 |
4 |
|
Public Health Biology |
1, 4 |
3 |
|
Vaccine Development and Application (prerequisite for Vaccine Policy course) |
2 |
4 |
|
Immunology, Infection, and Disease |
2 |
3 |
|
Fundamentals of Human Physiology |
2, 4 |
4 |
|
Nutrition and Life Stages |
3 |
3 |
|
Infectious Diseases and Child Survival |
3 |
3 |
|
Food and Water-Borne Diseases |
3 |
3 |
|
Malariology |
3 |
4 |
|
Clinical Aspects of Maternal and Newborn Health |
3 |
3 |
|
Clinical Aspects of Reproductive Health |
3 |
3 |
|
Clinical and Epidemiologic Aspects of Tropical Diseases |
2, 4 |
4 |
|
Biologic Basis of Vaccine Development |
4 |
3 |
|
Brain and Behavior in Mental Disorders |
4 |
3 |
|
HIV Infection in Women, Children, and Adolescents |
4 |
4 |
|
Evaluation (choose one) |
|||
Fundamentals of Program Evaluation |
1, 3 |
4 |
|
Issues in the Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in LMICs |
2 |
4 |
|
Large-Scale Effectiveness Evaluations of Health Programs |
2, 4 |
4 |
|
Health Survey Research Methods |
2, 4 |
4 |
|
Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health II |
2 |
4 |
|
Health Systems Research and Evaluation in Developing Countries |
3 |
4 |
|
Nutrition Epidemiology |
3 |
3 |
|
Design and Conduct of Community Trials |
3 |
4 |
|
Research and Evaluation Methods for Health Policy |
3 |
3 |
|
Issues in Survey Research Design |
3 |
3 |
|
Statistical Methods in Public Health IV |
4 |
4 |
|
Introduction to Economic Evaluation |
4 |
3 |
|
Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits minimum) |
|||
An Introduction to Food Systems and Public Health |
1 |
4 |
|
Gender and Health: Foundational Theories and Applications |
1 |
3 |
|
Food and Nutrition Policy |
1 |
2 |
|
Sociological Perspectives on Health |
1 |
3 |
|
Ethnographic Fieldwork |
1 |
3 |
|
Identifying and Mitigating Misinformation to Improve Trust in Public Health |
1 |
2 |
|
Urban Policy |
1 |
3 |
|
Health Advocacy |
2, 4 |
3 |
|
Applications to Gender Analysis Within Health Research and Interventions |
2 |
2 |
|
Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Mental Health Research and Psychological Research in Low Resource Settings |
2 |
3 |
|
Understanding and Preventing Violence |
2 |
3 |
|
Health Survey Research Methods |
2 |
4 |
|
Child Health and Development |
2 |
3 |
|
Masculinity, Sexual Behavior, and Health: Adolescence and Beyond |
2 |
3 |
|
Research Design in the Social and Behavioral Sciences |
2 |
3 |
|
Applying Human-Centered Design to Solve Real-World Public Health Challenges |
2 |
3 |
|
Introduction to Community-Based Participatory Research: Principles and Methods |
2 |
3 |
|
Introduction to Persuasive Communications: Theories and Practice |
2 |
4 |
|
Policy Interventions for Health Behavior Change |
2 |
3 |
|
Bioethics, Human Rights, and Global Health |
2 |
3 |
|
Community-Driven Epidemiology and Environmental Justice |
3 |
3 |
|
Baltimore Food Systems: A Case Study of Urban Food Environments |
3 |
4 |
|
Indigenous Health |
3, 4 |
2 |
|
Mental Health Aspects of Disaster: Public Health Preparedness and Response |
3 |
2 |
|
Health Policy in LMICs |
3 |
3 |
|
Social and Behavioral Foundations of Primary Health Care |
3 |
4 |
|
Mental Health Intervention Programming in LMICs |
3 |
3 |
|
Stigma and Public Health: Issues and Interventions |
3 |
3 |
|
Social, Psychological, and Developmental Processes in Etiology of Mental Disorders |
3 |
3 |
|
Human Rights in Public Health Practice |
3 |
2 |
|
Adolescent Health and Development |
3 |
3 |
|
Gender-Based Violence Research, Practice, and Policy: Issues and Current Controversies |
3, 4 |
3 |
|
Family Planning Policies and Programs |
3 |
4 |
|
Psychosocial Factors in Health and Illness |
3 |
3 |
|
Implementation and Sustainability of Community-Based Health Programs |
3, 4 |
3 |
|
Health Literacy: Challenges and Strategies for Effective Communication |
3 |
3 |
|
Health Communication Programs I: Planning and Strategic Design (must also take 410.655) |
3 |
4 |
|
Decoloniality and Global Health Communication |
3 |
3 |
|
Global Perspectives on LGBT Health |
3 |
3 |
|
Children, Media, and Health |
3 |
3 |
|
Building Resilience During Times of Uncertainty: An Evidence-Based Guide to Strengthen Your Personal Agency |
3 |
1 |
|
Human Rights and Health Seminar |
4 |
3 |
|
Ethics of Public Health Practice in Developing Countries |
4 |
2 |
|
Global Health Dynamics in Practice |
4 |
1 |
|
Food, Culture, and Nutrition |
4 |
4 |
|
History of International Health and Development |
4 |
2 |
|
The Political Economy of Social Inequalities and Consequences for Health and Quality of Life |
4 |
3 |
|
Health Equity Research Methods to Address Social Determinants of Health |
4 |
4 |
|
International Perspectives on Women, Gender, and Health |
4 |
3 |
|
International Adolescent Health |
4 |
3 |
|
Understanding and Changing International Reproductive Health Policy |
4 |
3 |
|
Social Justice Policy, Practice, and Research |
4 |
4 |
|
The Epidemiology of LGBTQ Health |
4 |
3 |
|
Health Communication Programs II: Implementation and Evaluation (must have taken 410.654) |
4 |
4 |
|
Media Advocacy and Public Health: Theory and Practice |
4 |
3 |
|
Translating Research into Public Health Programs and Policy |
4 |
3 |
|
Entertainment Education for Behavior Change and Development |
4 |
4 |
|
Communication Network Analysis in Public Health Programs |
4 |
4 |
|
Capstone and Practicum Requirement (Year 2 only) |
|||
Social and Behavioral Interventions Practicum |
1 – 4 |
28+ |
|
MSPH Capstone Social and Behavioral Interventions |
2 – 4 |
4+ |
Elective Courses 2023-24
Course No. |
Course Title |
Term |
Credits |
---|---|---|---|
Health Care in Humanitarian Emergencies |
1, 2 |
3 |
|
Confronting the Burden of Injuries: A Global Perspective |
2 |
3 |
|
Issues in the Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Low and Middle-Income Countries |
2 |
4 |
|
Strategic Leadership Principles and Tools for Health System Transformation in Developing Countries |
2 |
4 |
|
Health Systems in and Low- and Middle-Income Countries |
2 |
3 |
|
Health Policy Analysis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries |
3 |
3 |
|
Design and Implementation of Global Digital Health Interventions |
3 |
3 |
|
Vaccine Policy Issues |
3 |
3 |
|
Migration and Health: Concepts, Rates, and Relationships |
3 |
3 |
|
Grant Writing for Public Health Practice |
3 |
2 |
|
History of International Health and Development |
3 |
2 |
|
Managing Non-Governmental Organizations in the Health Sector |
3, 4 |
3 |
|
Ethics of Public Health Practice in Developing Countries |
4 |
2 |
|
Urban Health in Developing Countries |
4 |
3 |
|
Project Development for Primary Health Care in Developing Countries |
4 |
4 |
|
International Nutrition |
4 |
3 |
|
Global Disease Control Programs and Policies |
4 |
4 |
|
Assessing Epidemiologic Impact of Human Rights Violations |
4 |
2 |
|
International Perspectives on Women, Gender, and Health |
4 |
3 |
|
International Adolescent Health |
4 |
3 |
Student Timeline
The MSPH degree can be completed in 1.5 years; all requirements should be completed within 2 years.
In the first year of their degree, MSPH students will engage in intensive coursework, complete a comprehensive departmental examination, and write their practicum proposal. The second year will consist of various elective courses, a capstone essay about an applied topic of international health, and a field-based practicum focused on a significant issue related to the health of underserved populations.
Sample Year 1 Plan
This is an example schedule for the first year of the MSPH in Social and Behavioral Interventions courses. Please note this is just an example for students to use as a guide as they develop their own schedule. Students will also select elective courses for each term.
1st Term
224.840 |
Special Studies: Individualized Goals Analysis (IGA) |
1 credit |
224.860 |
Social and Behavioral Interventions Program Seminar I |
1 credit |
550.860 |
Academic and Research Ethics at BSPH |
0 credits |
220.601 |
Foundations of International Health (taken on-campus) |
4 credits |
340.721 |
Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I |
5 credits |
140.621 |
Statistical Methods in Public Health I |
4 credits |
221.602 |
Applications in Managing Health Organizations in LMICs |
3 credits |
3rd Term
224.862 |
Social and Behavioral Interventions Program Seminar III |
1 credit |
224.690 |
Qualitative Research Theory and Methods (taken on-campus) |
3 credits |
224.698 |
Qualitative Research Practicum II |
2 credits |
140.623 |
Statistical Methods in Public Health III |
4 credits |
182.640 |
Food and Water-Borne Diseases (Environmental Health option) |
3 credits |
380.611 |
Fundamentals of Program Evaluation (Evaluation option) |
4 credits |
Total: 17 credits |
2nd Term
224.861 |
Social and Behavioral Interventions Program Seminar II |
1 credit |
224.689 |
Health Behavior Change at the Individual, Household, and Community Levels |
4 credits |
224.697 |
Qualitative Research Practicum I |
2 credits |
140.622 |
Statistical Methods in Public Health II |
4 credits |
410.668 |
Policy Interventions for Health Behavior Change (Policy option) |
3 credits |
340.717 |
Health Survey Research Methods (SBS course 1) |
4 credits |
552.623 |
Principles of Negotiations and Mediation for PH Professionals |
0.5 credits |
552.624 |
Applications of Negotiations and Mediation for PH Professionals |
0.5 credits |
Total: 19 credits |
4th Term
220.600 |
International Travel Preparation, Safety, and Wellness |
1 credit |
224.691 |
Qualitative Data Analysis (taken on-campus) |
3 credits |
224.699 |
Qualitative Research Practicum III |
2 credits |
224.692 |
Methods in Formative Research and Human-Centered Design for Intervention Development |
4 credits |
222.654 |
Food, Culture, and Nutrition (SBS course 2) |
4 credits |
223.682 |
Clinical and Epidemiological Aspects of Tropical Diseases (Biology) |
4 credits |
Total: 18 credits |