This course will examine public health principles and concepts. It will provide a broad framework for understanding public health’s role in community health, prevention, and medicine. Using the five core public health knowledge areas and the ten essential public health services as a foundation, students will explore public health infrastructure, surveillance, social determinants of health, policy, and emerging issues. In addition, the course will weave public health areas such as chronic disease, infectious disease, environmental health, maternal and child health, and injury into discussions and assignments.
FC 5. Compare the organization, structure and function of public health across international settings
FC 19. Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation
Students are expected to complete all course requirements outlined below. Each course is worth 100 points, and student work is evaluated based on achievement of learning objectives as measured by criteria outlined in the respective scoring rubrics for assignments and discussion boards.
Quizzes: Quizzes will test you on your knowledge of key concepts and terminology covered each week.
Class Discussions: Discussion forums are an essential part of the online course experience. Discussion prompts build on readings, lectures and course content, and allow students to contribute to the learning experience through collaboration with the instructor and peers. Initial and response posts to the discussion prompts should be substantive, organized and professional, and statements should be supported by references from course materials as well as outside sources. Read the prompts carefully and use the rubrics to confirm how discussions will be graded.
Writing Assignments: In Weeks 1, 3 and 6, you are asked to write 500 word essays on topics relevant to the week’s content. These should be organized using writing best practices, including clear introductions with thesis statements that are supported by the body of the essay and a conclusion that leaves your reader with a clear understanding of your primary arguments. Your arguments should be supported by the appropriate body of literature (peer-reviewed, reports, or data) cited in AMA style.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Assignment | Points/Percent of Grade |
---|---|
Week 1 Assignment: Importance of Evidence in Writing | 7 |
Week 1 Quiz | 5 |
Week 1 Professional Development: Tracking Spreadsheet | 1 |
Week 2 Discussion Board: Morbidity and Mortality | 7 |
Week 2 Quiz | 5 |
Week 2 Professional Development: Email Templates | 1 |
Week 3 Assignment: Social Determinants of Health | 7 |
Week 3 Quiz | 5 |
Week 4 Discussion Board: Healthcare Costs | 7 |
Week 4 Quiz | 5 |
Week 5 Discussion Board: Environmental Exposure | 7 |
Week 5 Quiz | 5 |
Week 6 Assignment: Antimicrobial Resistance from a One Health Perspective | 7 |
Week 6 Quiz | 5 |
Week 7 Discussion Board: Global Health Collaboration | 7 |
Week 7 Quiz | 5 |
Week 7 Professional Development: Informational Interview Notes | 3 |
Week 8 Quiz | 4 |
Week 8 Professional Development: Presentation and Discussion | 7 |
Total | 100 points |
Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Each week opens on Wednesday at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (ET). Each week closes on Wednesday at 11:59 PM ET, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday at 11:59 PM ET. Specific due dates can be found within the Brightspace Calendar feature in your.
Week 1: Jun 23 – Jun 30
Week 2: Jun 30 – Jul 7
Week 3: Jul 7 – Jul 14
Week 4: Jul 14 – Jul 21
Week 5: Jul 21 – Jul 28
Week 6: Jul 28 – Aug 4
Week 7: Aug 4 – Aug 11
Week 8: Aug 11 – Aug 15
The assignment/discussion descriptions mentioned below are summaries. Please make sure to review the full assignment prompts in Brightspace. There may be additional readings/videos that are not mentioned in this weekly summary. Make sure to carefully review each module in Brightspace.
Quiz
Select a common cause of morbidity or mortality in the US that is of interest to you. Search the MMWR series and select a recent MMWR that focuses on your disease or condition of interest. Describe the key information included in the publication in your own words (avoid using direct quotes), and answer the following questions:
Explain what the exposure was, who was affected, possible effects (short and long-term), how it happened, and why you think it happened. Also include any upstream solutions, including the role of any government agencies, you believe would solve the current exposure problem and keep it from happening again. A well-known example of this is the lead exposure in Flint, Michigan, but there are many others, so select a different incident of environmental exposure.
Response Post: Compare and contrast the exposure you discussed to that of a classmate. Include in your response a comparison of the national, state and local public health and regulatory agencies that would be involved in responding to the two exposures. Also, critique your classmate’s solutions, including suggestions to improve or change their approach.
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Public Health page
UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.
Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.
Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.