Community and Global Health (CGH)

Courses

CGH 001 Community Health 3 Credits

The interdisciplinary field of community health focuses on improving the health of communities through health promotion and disease prevention, education, policy development, and community empowerment. This course provides students with an overview of theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of community health with a focus on working in diverse communities. Students will gain an understanding of how community-level health issues relate to broader contextual issues within the community and externally.

CGH 004 Introduction to Global Health 3 Credits

In this course, students will receive an introduction to global population health. We begin with an analysis of the rise of the international community in addressing population health needs, and the international norms guiding healthcare delivery systems. We will also focus on healthcare delivery systems, innovations, and policy reforms in response to healthcare needs in several developing nations. Finally, students will understand the political, social, and more recent commercial determinants of population health in these countries.

CGH 007 Seven Dimensions of Health & Wellness 0,3 Credits

Much has been discussed in the public sphere about happiness and how an individual can achieve peak happiness. This course delves more holistically into health and wellness, moving beyond individual happiness and towards a multi-level understanding of how interactions with others and the environment impact the self. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, students will learn the seven dimensions of health and wellness, including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, cultural, environmental, and community, and how they interact to create healthy people and communities.

CGH 016 Seminar: Cultural Understanding and Health 1 Credit

This course will introduce students to the basic perspectives and skills needed to work with peoples and communities other than their own in a cross-cultural setting. An introductory understanding of culture and the components of culture, such as values, beliefs, language, and world view, will be explored specifically in relation to health and health outcomes at the individual and community-levels.

CGH 021 Culture and Health 3 Credits

This course will introduce students to the complex and dynamic relationship between culture and health in Western and non-Western populations, communities, and societies. Cross-cultural institutions such as economics, politics, kinship, religion, and language, and their roles in sickness and illness will be discussed. The relationship between traditional and modern healing systems will also be analyzed.

CGH 022 Global Perspectives on Health 3 Credits

This course is designed to introduce students to the inequalities and systems of stratification various industrialized and non-industrialized peoples and cultures around the world face when it comes to their health and wellness. Critical theoretical perspectives will be utilized, as will case studies of health inequities and inequalities, to examine connections between health and cultural and social factors such as race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and gender. Current global trends in addressing these inequities and inequalities will also be explored.

CGH 101 Careers in Community and Global Health Studies 3 Credits

In this interdisciplinary seminar, students will be exposed to individuals working in community and global health in academic positions, government and non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, medical establishments, industry, and more. Through the eyes of these professionals, students will learn of career opportunities in these growing fields of study and will begin to chart their own career paths.

CGH 102 (CEE 102) Community Health and Engineering 3 Credits

This course is an introduction to public health engineering. Students will learn to define hazards and risks to community health such as air pollution; water, sanitation, and hygiene; food; and settlement/safety. The focus of the course will be on understanding engineering controls to reduce risk and improve communicable and non-communicable disease outcomes. This course includes elements of waterborne disease control, hazardous materials management, occupational health and safety, and environmental interventions.

CGH 103 Biological & Environmental Determinants of Health 4 Credits

This course provides students with a foundational knowledge of the biological mechanisms underlying health and disease. Students will learn about the evolutionary genetic basis of disease and the major disease transitions throughout history, all driven by interactions between the genetic composition of individuals and groups and their natural and built environment. Students will become familiar with the various infectious agents causing disease and the human immune response, as well as the biological determinants of chronic diseases. Not for biology majors.

CGH 104 Sociocultural & Political Determinants of Health 4 Credits

This course will look at cultural, social, and political institutions, as well as other components of culture, society, and social structure, that affect health and the health outcomes at the individual and community-levels. Topics to be analyzed include cultural traditions, social norms, politics, laws and policies, economics, housing, transportation, and subsistence strategies, just to name a few. Additionally, specific illnesses, sicknesses, and diseases linked to cultural, social, and political institutions in the human experience will be explored.

CGH 105 Commercial Determinants of Health 4 Credits

In this course, students will learn about the role that major soda and ultra-processed food industries play in affecting public health outcomes and policy-making processes. Carefully examining the cases of the United States and developing nations, this course reveals how and why these industries influence consumption patterns in different communities, how government, civil society, and the international community is responding, and the various strategies used by industry to influence policy decisions in their favor.

CGH 106 Qualitative Methods in Health Research 3 Credits

This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of qualitative data collection and analysis methods used in community and global health research. Students will learn about data collection using participation and observation, interviews, and focus groups. Students will also learn about text analysis and presenting qualitative results. This course is not designed to provide an in-depth examination of these methods or practical experience, but rather an introduction to their uses and how they complement quantitative methods.

CGH 107 What is the US Healthcare Ecosystem? 3 Credits

This course examines the structure, functioning, financing, and performance of the U.S. healthcare system. It aims to provide a general overview of the relationships between healthcare consumers, providers, organizations, payers, and regulators. The course will cover the history of the U.S. healthcare system and the political and social environment in which it exists and compare it to systems from other countries.

CGH 108 Food Justice 3 Credits

This course examines community and population health nutrition through the lens of social and environmental justice to examine the cultural, political, and social contexts of food in the United States. Students will engage with case studies, personal experiences with food, guest speakers, and debates on critical policy issues in nutrition and food access. This course will help students to understand the complex relationship between food systems and health and offers insight into practices and movements for sustainability, sovereignty, and equity.
Prerequisites: CGH 001

CGH 109 Introduction to Health Education 3 Credits

This course introduces the major theories and models of health education at multiple levels (individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy). Particular focus will be put on the introduction, analysis, and application of health behavior theories to health promotion and education practice. The theories to be discussed will provide students with frameworks for understanding health behavior change and designing effective health education programs and interventions.
Prerequisites: CGH 001

CGH 120 (BSTA 120, EPI 120, POPH 120) Independent Study or Research in Community and Global Health 1-4 Credits

This course can be directed readings or research in Community and Global Health or an experiential learning experience that puts the student’s understanding of Community and Global Health into practice. Topics addressed will be at an intermediate level. Department permission required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 122 Indigenous Healing Traditions 3 Credits

In this course, students will be introduced to the healing traditions of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Special attention will be paid to the Native peoples and nations of the United States. Traditional Indigenous perspectives of wellness and unwellness will be explored, as well as healing rites, rituals and ceremonies from Pre-Contact times to the present-day. Indigenous health and healing in the context of colonization and the introduction of Old World diseases will also be discussed.

CGH 130 Internship in Community and Global Health 1-4 Credits

In this introductory course, students will engage in supervised work in Community and Global Health. Placements will be arranged to suit individual interests and career goals. Potential internship sites include government agencies, non-profit organizations and the private sector. A written report is required and preceptor evaluation will be required. Department permission required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 150 Special Topics in Community and Global Health 3-4 Credits

In this course, students will engage in an intensive exploration of a topic of special interest that is not covered in other courses. Topics addressed will be at an intermediate level.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 151 Special Topics in Indigenous Peoples Health 3-4 Credits

CGH 160 Community & Global Health Study Abroad 1-3 Credits

Community and Global Health focused course taken during an abroad experience.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 300 Apprentice Teaching 1-4 Credits

Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 301 Community and Global Health Field Experience I 1-3 Credits

With the assistance of their advisor, students identify a community internship or field experience site domestically or internationally and write a proposal for the experience and accompanying deliverable and capstone report. The deliverable should be an artifact (e.g., health promotion materials, website, presentation of data, etc.) that the student provides to the site and is agreed upon by the student, advisor, and internship site. A capstone report documents the experience, which should align with the student’s concentration and career plans.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 302 Community & Global Health Field Experience II 1-3 Credits

In this course, students will implement their field experience, including deliverable and capstone report, proposed in CGH 301. The deliverable will be presented to the field site in both written and oral form. The capstone report will be submitted to the student’s advisor and will be accompanied by an oral presentation to CGH students and faculty. A field site preceptor evaluation will be required. This course must be taken concurrently with or after CGH 301.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Prerequisites: CGH 301
Can be taken Concurrently: CGH 301

CGH 303 Honors Community and Global Health Field Experience I 1-4 Credits

Students identify a community internship or field experience site domestically or internationally, write a proposal for the experience and accompanying deliverable and capstone report. Deliverable is an artifact (e.g., health promotion materials, website, presentation of data, etc.) that the student provides and is agreed upon by the student, advisor, and site. The capstone report documents the experience. This course includes a weekly honors seminar, minimum major GPA 3.5 required. Students are required to complete 4 credits of this course.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 304 Honors Community and Global Health Field Experience II 1-4 Credits

Students implement their field experience, including deliverable and capstone report, proposed in CGH 303. The deliverable is presented to the field site in both written and oral form. The capstone report is submitted to the student’s advisor and accompanied by an oral presentation to CGH students and faculty. A field site preceptor evaluation is required. This course includes a weekly honors seminar, minimum GPA 3.5 in major required. Students are required to complete 4 credits of this course.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Prerequisites: CGH 303
Can be taken Concurrently: CGH 303

CGH 305 Advanced Qualitative Methods in Community and Global Health 3 Credits

This course, designed to be taken after Introductory Methods in Community and Global Health, focuses on the practical application of qualitative data collection and analysis techniques learned in the introductory course in qualitative methods within the context of applied health research. Students will design and conduct a qualitative health study. Students will also be exposed to advanced techniques in qualitative research, such as ethnography, visual methods, computer-assisted analysis, and more.
Prerequisites: CGH 106

CGH 306 Mixed Methods in Health Research 3 Credits

Students in this course will be introduced to ways in which qualitative and quantitative data can be integrated to capture a broader perspective and answer more complex research questions than either will provide alone. The course will cover formulating mixed methods research questions, collecting and analyzing different types of data, analysis across multiple mixed data sets, choosing appropriate mixed methods designed for both qualitatively- and quantitatively-driven studies, and interpreting mixed methods results.
Prerequisites: CGH 106 and BSTA 001

CGH 307 Health Survey Research Methods 3 Credits

In this course, students will explore and apply the foundational concepts and methods related to survey design and implementation. Students will be introduced to such concepts as sampling theory, question design and ordering, methods of survey data collection, bias and error in survey research, measure development and validation, and data preparation for analysis. Students will be exposed to several national health surveys, as well as surveys designed for smaller scale use.
Prerequisites: POPH 001 or CGH 001

CGH 308 Community Health Intervention Design 3 Credits

This course is designed to introduce students to development, implementation, and evaluation of health-related programs and interventions in community settings. Students will learn the theoretical foundations of intervention design and will examine evidence-based programs from multiple fields of study. Students will be introduced to aspects of intervention design such as cultural appropriateness, individual tailoring, health literacy issues, sustainability, and more.
Prerequisites: POPH 001 or CGH 01

CGH 309 Ethnomedical Traditions of the Americas 3 Credits

This course will introduce students to the rich and diverse ethnomedical traditions of various peoples and cultures in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. Indigenous, African-Diasporic, European, and Asian ethnomedical traditions will be discussed. The manners in which these ethnomedical systems diagnose and treat individuals will be explored, as well as the ways they compare to mainstream allopathic medicine. Topics commonly associated with ethnomedicine, such as herbalism, ritualized healing, and altered states of consciousness, will also be investigated.

CGH 310 Rural Communities and Health in the United States 3 Credits

This course is designed to allow students to examine health at the individual and community levels in rural America. Special attention will be paid to individuals and communities that engage in economic activities connected to rural America – ranching, farming, and natural resource extraction. In addition, populations who reside primarily in rural areas, both mainstream and non-mainstream, will be investigated. The health problems, health outcomes, access to health care, and alternative treatments will be explored.

CGH 311 Religion, Spirituality, and Health 3 Credits

This course will examine the complex and dynamic relationships among religion, spirituality, and health. Religion’s and spirituality’s roles in health promotion and disease prevention will be explored at the individual and community-levels. Social science and biomedical perspectives will be utilized to understand these relationships, as well as the perspectives of practitioners from numerous Western and Non-Western religious and spiritual traditions.
Prerequisites: POPH 001 or CGH 001

CGH 312 Curses, Possessions, and Supernatural Illnesses 3 Credits

In this course students will utilize a community health perspective to investigate the causes, symptoms, and treatments, as well as the roles, supernatural illnesses play in Western and Non-Western communities around the world. Supernatural illnesses associated with curses, hexes, ghosts, malevolent entities, and the spirit world will be examined. The cultural, social, economic, political, and legal effects these illnesses have on afflicted individuals, their families, and the communities in which they live will also be explored.
Prerequisites: POPH 001 or CGH 001

CGH 313 Health Policy and Politics 3 Credits

In this course, students learn the various methods as well as conceptual and analytical frameworks involved in the policy-making and the political processes involved. Issues of policy agenda-setting, policy diffusion, policy formulation, and implementation will be addressed, ultimately going through the ‘entire’ policy-making process. Concepts and methods in political science will be introduced as well as their application to health policy-making. This module will close with several case study illustrates from the United States and around the world.

CGH 314 Advanced Commercial Determinants of Health 3 Credits

In this upper-level course, students will learn the roles that major soda, food, tobacco, entertainment, and pharmaceutical industries play in affecting population health. This course reveals how and why these industries influence consumption, mental health, and social interactions within communities; how government, civil society, and the international community is responding; and industry's strategic response. This course is reading and writing intensive and employs comparative qualitative case study methods and analysis.
Prerequisites: CGH 105

CGH 315 Medical Mysteries 3 Credits

Everything is a mystery until it is solved, including in medicine. This course begins with an exploration of historical medical mysteries and discussion of what happened after they were solved as a foundation for understanding the present. Students will then learn what differential diagnosis is and what happens when it leaves you with nothing. The course culminates in an examination of a series of current medical mystery case studies in the realms of physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Prerequisites: CGH 103

CGH 316 Global Environmental Disasters & Policy 3 Credits

Disasters can leave individuals, communities, and nations reeling to pick up the pieces. This course will look at case studies of major global disasters, including those created by people and nature, and the global magnitude of these disasters. Students will analyze disaster preparedness policies enacted in response to these disasters and learn about the inequalities that disproportionately impact marginalized communities in the aftermath.
Prerequisites: CGH 103 and (POPH 001 or CGH 001)

CGH 320 (BSTA 320, EPI 320, POPH 320) Independent Study or Research in Community and Global Health 1-4 Credits

This course can be directed readings or research in Community and Global Health or experiential learning that puts the student's understanding of Community and Global Health into practice. Topics addressed will be at an advanced level. Department permission required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 322 Contemporary Indigenous Health 3 Credits

In this course, students will learn about the health issues Indigenous peoples of the Americas and their communities presently face. Prevalent diseases will be explored, as well as social, economic, and political issues affecting access to treatment and care. Historical and contemporary laws and policies affecting Indigenous health will also be analyzed. Additionally, Indigenous responses to contemporary health concerns will be explored including decolonization, food sovereignty, and cultural reclamation.

CGH 330 Internship in Community and Global Health 1-4 Credits

In this advanced course, students will engage in supervised work in Community and Global Health. Placements will be arranged to suit individual interests and career goals. Potential internship sites include government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. A written report is required and preceptor evaluation will be required. Department permission required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 331 Healthcare Finance 3 Credits

This foundation course will introduce students to the key financial management principles, concepts and techniques as applied to health services organizations. This course will cover financial analysis and reporting, revenue sources and reimbursement methods, working capital management, revenue cycle management, and capital budgeting techniques used in the healthcare industry.
Prerequisites: CGH 001 or POPH 001

CGH 332 Aging, Health, and Social Policy 3 Credits

This course describes and evaluates the health and social policy consequences of population aging in the U.S. and abroad. The course begins with an exploration of global trends in aging, longevity, and health. Next, we examine cross-national responses to population aging with case studies from higher, middle, and lower income countries.
Prerequisites: CGH 001 or POPH 001

CGH 334 Cross-National Comparisons of Health Systems & Policy 3 Credits

Countries around the world face a range of common problems in their public health and health care systems. These include demographic and technological changes, budget pressures. and inequalities in health and access to health care services. Policy responses to these common challenges. We will examine the health policy responses of higher and lower income nations and seek to explain why nations differ in their policy choices while exploring the pros and cons of these approaches.
Prerequisites: CGH 001 or POPH 001

CGH 335 Healthcare Operations Management 3 Credits

This course examines opportunities for operational improvement in healthcare organizations. It offers a broad survey of the concepts, techniques, and tools involved in designing and managing efficient and effective processes in healthcare settings. Topics covered include balanced scorecard, project management, decision analysis, performance improvement, capacity management, and inventory management.
Prerequisites: CGH 001 or POPH 001

CGH 350 Special Topics in Community and Global Health 3-4 Credits

In this course, students will engage in an intensive exploration of a topic of special interest that is not covered in other courses. Topics addressed will be at an advanced level.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

CGH 351 Special Topics in Indigenous Peoples Health 3-4 Credits

CGH 375 (EDUC 375, HMS 375) Community Based Participatory Research Methodology 3-4 Credits

The course provides an introduction to the core concepts of community based participatory research (CBPR) methodology applied to social science research to address public health issues. The course will equip students with strategies for developing community academic partnerships as well as to strengthen skills in research methods.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

CGH 414 Advanced Commercial Determinants of Health 3 Credits

CGH 417 (POPH 417) Teaching Community and Population Health 3 Credits

This course is designed for doctoral students in community health and population health to learn about teaching and course development. Students will learn about the pragmatic aspects of curriculum design, including syllabus design, how to select readings, assignment and exam design, grading and rubric design, creating lectures and slides, lecturing, and leading discussions for different levels of learners. Students will also gain practical experience in these areas and will create a new community or population health course.

CGH 420 (POPH 420, PUBH 420) Independent Study or Research in Community and Global Health 1-3 Credits

CGH 430 Internship in Community and Global Health 1-3 Credits

CGH 450 Special Topics in Community and Global Health 3 Credits

CGH 497 1-3 Credits

Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.