Health Sciences

Department of Health Sciences

The Department of Health Sciences offers the following programs in health: 1) Bachelor of Science in Public Health; with an option of a concentration in Health Education. Students with the concentration can pursue a minor in secondary Education;  and 2) a dual-degree Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University.

Major courses provide basic knowledge and practice skills that prepare students to pursue careers in a variety of public health related professions. Membership in a national health honor society, Eta Sigma Gamma, is available to students who maintain a minimum 3.0 average.

All health courses in the major, minor, and concentration require a minimum grade of 2.0. Courses may not be taken pass/fail; courses may be repeated. Required ancillary courses must average an overall minimum of 2.0. In the Public Health/Pre-Nursing program. Students must receive a minimum grade of C in each course.

Students in this department may major or minor in public health. No student may do both.

Public Health graduates who pursued the Health Education Concentration are eligible to take the Certified Health Education Specialist exam (CHES) administered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialling (NCHEC).

 
 
 

Faculty

Mariana Calle, Professor (2012), B.S., University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; M.S., Ph.D., University of Connecticut

Elinor Fondell, Assistant Professor (2021), B.S., Stockholm University; Ph.D., Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Syamak Moattari, Department Chair, Associate Professor (2015), M.D., Shahid Beheshti Medical University; Ph.D., Boston University

Andrew J. Piazza, Associate Professor (2017), B.S., M.S., University of Florida; Ph.D., University of Alabama

Jaime F. Vallejos, Associate Professor (2017), B.S., M.D., University of Nicaragua; M.P.H., University of Massachusetts Amherst

 

Courses

HC-201 Introduction to Public Health

This course is an overview and will focus on populations, prevention, and the evidence-based practice of public health.

Every year. 3 Credits

HC-202 Introduction to Global Health

LASC Categories: GP, ICW, DIV, DAC

The course introduces students to the main concepts of public health and the critical links between public health and social and economic development. Students get an overview of the determinants of health, how health status is measured, and the influences of various factors, including cultural, historic, geographic, social, economic, and political issues on the health of individuals and communities. The course also introduces students to key concerns regarding nutrition, reproductive health, infectious disease, and chronic diseases. The course will be global in coverage but with an important focus on the developing world and on the health of the poor.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HC-203 Introduction to Epidemiology

LASC Categories: ICW, NSP, QAC, GP

Prerequisites: any Math course and HC-201.

Basic epidemiologic concepts are covered and application of concepts to everyday problems; e.g., hazards in food supplies and risks associated with lifestyle.

Every year. 3 Credits

HC-220 Health Policy

Prerequisites: HE-100

Examination of the process and factors that influence formulation, implementation and modification of health policy in the United States.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HC-228 Health Ethics

Prerequisites: HE-100 or HC-201

Ethical issues in health including genetic research, euthanasia, medical intervention and reproductive technologies as well as professional ethics.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HC-234 Multiculturalism and Health

Examination of diverse ethnic/racial and cultural beliefs beliefs and practices affecting health and illness

Spring only and every year. 3 Credits

HC-245 Introduction to Public Health Research

Prerequisites: EN-252

This course introduces students to health sciences research. Students will develop critical skills including effectively navigating and interpreting information, distinguishing between high quality and low quality sources of evidence. Students will gain an understanding of the importance of staying actively informed of current events relevant to public health and how informed public health professionals can seek out high quality news on public health as well as discern effective from misleading news relevant to public health policy. Students also will spend extensive time exploring the difference between information found on internet searches and social media versus reliable health agency information.

Spring only and every year. 3 Credits

HC-338 Peer Education Training

Prerequisites: HE-100

Emphasis on student development of practical skills to implement programming centered on peer education programs and focused on preventative health.

Other or on demand. 3 Credits

HC-340 Global Perspective in Public Health

LASC Categories: GP, ICW

Seminar course for students accepted into a global service learning trip during the academic year. It is designed to prepare students through curriculum-based learning, the components of service learning; ethical partnering with vulnerable communities, and the cultural/historical/political and economic factors that impact health and healthcare policies within the population where immersion takes places. There will be self-reflection and integration of learning through journal writing, critical thinking and exercises formal preparation for service in the host country and final paper at the end of the semester.

Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits

HC-345 Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System

Prerequisites: HC-201

This course is an overview of the U.S. health care system (USHCS) and its components. Subjects to be reviewed include how social determinants of health influence access to health care and the role of healthcare providers and their effect in the health care system. The history of USHCS, the financing of services, types of services offered as well as access and quality of these services. Understanding these topics will help formulate an understanding of how the USHCS functions and the factors involved in the delivery of healthcare services.

Fall only and every year. 3 Credits

HC-350 Group Process

Prerequisites: HE-100

A didactic and experiential examination of various theories of group dynamics and their application to the facilitation of health-related groups. Research paper.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HC-403 Department Workshop:Community Health

The subject matter of this course will be reflective of the changing issues within the field of community health.

Other or on demand. 3 Credits

HC-408 Directed Study: Public Health

Directed study offers students who because of unusual circumstances may be unable to register for a course when offered, the opportunity to complete an existing course with an established syllabus under the direction and with agreement from a faculty member.

3 Credits

HC-415 Community Health Planning and Promotion

Prerequisites: 4 courses in the major at 200 level or above.

Emphasis on community analysis; defining and verifying community health problems and establishing goals and objectives. Research paper.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HC-425 Research Seminar

LASC Categories: CAP, WAC

Prerequisites: HC-228 or PH-131, HC 203 and one of the following MA-150, PS-275 or SO-275.

Students will be required to produce a proposal for a research study based on a community public health issue.

Every year. 3 Credits

HC-430 Health Promotion Program Implementation & Evaluation

Prerequisites: HC-245 and HC-415

The success of a well-planned health promotion program depends on effective implementation and evaluation procedures. This course will review the process of program planning and explore implementation and evaluation strategies. This course will equip students to collect, analyze, interpret, and disseminate evidence of a program's effectiveness to relevant stakeholders. The course will culminate with a written evaluation plan and mock poster presentation delivered to an audience of peers.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HC-445 Pre-Practicum Seminar

Prerequisites or Corequisite: HC-415

Discussion of career opportunities in the public health field, professional development, and graduate coursework in the health sciences field. This mandatory class should be taken the semester before registering for the practicum.

Fall and Spring and every year. 1 Credit

HC-450 Practicum: Community Health

LASC Categories: CAP, WAC

Prerequisites: 24 credits in HE/HC courses and EN-102

Field experience in which students will select a community health speciality area and spend a semester pursuing their goal through participation. See HE 440 Practicum in Health.

Every year. 3-6 Credits

HE-100 Personal Health

LASC Categories: ICW

Physical, mental, and emotional aspects of well-being and how to maintain and increase the quality of one's lifestyle.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-120 Health and Nutrition

LASC Categories: ICW

Nutritional needs, weight control, healthy diets, myths, and nutritional aids to better health.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-140 Creative Arts and Health

LASC Categories: CA

An experiential and didactic introduction to the separate arts therapies: movement, art, music and language arts, emphasizing the creative process.

Every year. 3 Credits

HE-150 Health and Physical Education for the Teacher

The planning, development, implementation and evaluation of comprehensive health education programs.

Every year. 3 Credits

HE-170 Humans in Motion

Concepts of the human neuro-musculoskeletal system which provide function and health across the life span under normal and stress conditions.

Every year. 3 Credits

HE-193 First Year Seminar Health

LASC Categories: FYS

Introductory level course covering topics of special interest to first year students. Offered only as a First Year Seminar.

3 Credits

HE-200 Consumer Health

Current information and guidelines to reliable sources necessary to develop intelligent consumers capable of wisely selecting health products and services.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-205 Principles & Foundations of Health Promotion

This course serves as an introduction to the field of health education/promotion with consideration of philosophies, current trends, issues, and opportunities in the field.

Spring only and every year. 3 Credits

HE-208 Systems of Addictions Treatment

Prerequisites: HE-285 or CJ-285

This course provides an overview of counseling modalities and techniques used in addiction treatment and recovery settings, including for those with co-occurring disorders. A family systems approach will be employed to understand how the Criminal Justice System, the Mental Health System, and the larger community relate. Legal and regulatory restrictions, ethical codes, and legal sanctions also are discussed.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-210 Women's Health Issues

Overview of women's health issues: women in the health marketplace, a woman's right to control her body, media images and illness, eating disorders, therapy, alcohol, aging and the women's health movement.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-220 Mental Health Education

LASC Categories: HBS, ICW

Prerequisites: HE-100

Examination of mental health as a variable: its creation and the obstacles to good mental health and positive self-concept.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-225 Advanced Nutrition: The Prevention and Treatment of Obesity

LASC Categories: ICW

Prerequisites: HE-120

This course examines the role of nutrition in the prevention and treatment of a major public health issue: obesity. The course builds on basic nutrition principles and their application to weight management and eating behaviors. Emphasis will be on the consequences of obesity on cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Body weight regulation concepts will include, but are not limited to, body weight assessment, energy metabolism, regulation of eating behavior, energy nutrients, and the role of diet/physical activity in weight management.

Spring only and every year. 3 Credits

HE-230 Human Sexuality and Sex Education

Prerequisites: HE-100

Focus on the need for and understanding of sex education, along with the process of implementing sexuality education, with emphasis upon teacher preparation.

Every year. 3 Credits

HE-240 Writing and Learning From Experience I

LASC Categories: WAC

Prerequisites: EN-102 and instructor permission

Prepares students to write analytically about their experience and to apply their learning to courses and competencies in the major.

Every year. 3 Credits

HE-242 Writing and Learning From Experience II

LASC Categories: TLC

Prerequisites: HE-240 and Instructor permission

Integrating experiential essays inot longer narratives, developing themes and conceptual frameworks; applying experiential learning to courses, competencies in the major.

Every year. 3 Credits

HE-260 First Aid: Advanced Theory and Skill

Common emergencies, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, auto extraction, and emergency childbirth. Opportunity for instructor rating.

Fall and Spring and other or on demand. 3 Credits

HE-270 Psychopharmacology

LASC Categories: NSP

Prerequisites: PS-101

This course will explore the effects of psychotropic drugs on the brain and subsequent effects on behavior.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-275 Fitness for Life

Prerequisites: HE-120

Knowledge of health-related fitness components and their effect on total wellness; emphasis on developing personalized fitness program, namely cardiovascular endurance.

Every year. 3 Credits

HE-280 Individual Stress Management and Relaxation

Strategies and techniques for increasing stress resistance based on psychophysiological research.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-285 Drugs and Society

Drug use and abuse, and implications for the individual and society.

Fall only and every year. 3 Credits

HE-325 Sports Nutrition

LASC Categories: ICW, QAC

Prerequisites: HE-120

The course is designed to examine the role of nutrition in exercise metabolism and to explore the link between basics of exercise physiology concepts and nutrition. This course includes the application of nutrition principles to maintain optimum health and to enhance athletic performance from a healthy, adequate, and personalized diet. Sports nutrition concepts include, but are not limited to, body composition, nutritional supplements, energy balance, and nutritional needs for physically active people and athletes.

Spring only and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits

HE-330 Health Communication

Prerequisites: HE-100 or HC-201, and HC-203

This course focuses on the growing field of health communication and examines theories of interpersonal, organizational, and mass communication relevant to the professional communicator in the health field. Reviews strategies of persuasion, the relationship between knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, values, and behavior, as well as the changing nature of health and health delivery. Students will explore current health issues in varied communication contexts, such as interpersonal, group, and organizational and be introduced to Social Marketing, Social Media, Public Speaking, and Communication Toolkits.

Spring only and every year. 3 Credits

HE-340 Health Counseling

Prerequisites: PS 101

A study of the counseling implications involved in health. Awareness of the counseling process and referral.

Other or on demand. 3 Credits

HE-350 Community Health Education

LASC Categories: GP, DAC, ICW

Prerequisites: HE-100

Opportunity for exploration of on-going community health education programs, and their impact upon that community. Prerequisite: Advanced standing

Every year. 3 Credits

HE-354 Addictions Counseling of Individuals and Families

LASC Categories: ICW

Prerequisites: HE-285 or CJ-285

This course provides students with an applied understanding of counseling skills, techniques, and strategies in addiction treatment. The psychology of addictions and various treatment modalities are discussed. Engagement, assessment, treatment planning, brief and ongoing treatment, continuing care, and work with special populations are considered. Dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness practice techniques, and motivational interviewing concepts are introduced, and students apply them in role-playing scenarios. Boundaries, ethics, and counselor self-awareness are also covered.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-390 Environmental Health

Prerequisites: HE-100 or HC-201

Examination of the issues affecting the environment and their impact on our health.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-400 Special Topics

LASC Categories: ICW

Current issues in Health.

Every year. 3 Credits

HE-406 The 12 Core Functions of Addictions Counseling

Prerequisites: 4 groups Take CJ-285 or HE-285; Take CJ-208 or HE-208; Take HE-270 or PS-270; Take CJ-354 or HE-354;

This culminating course prepares students to enter the field of substance use disorders and/or addictions counseling through an intensive review of the 12 Core Functions of Addictions Counseling. Students further develop the skill sets from prior coursework to serve as a foundation for gaining practical experience in addictions counseling.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-407 Pre-Practicum Seminar in Addictions Counseling

Prerequisites: PS-101 Take HE-285 or CJ-285; Take HE-270 or PS-270; Take HE-208 or CJ-208; Take HE-354 or CJ-354; # Take HE-406 or CJ-406;
Prerequisites or Corequisite: HE-406 or CJ-406

The course is designed for students who wish to complete the course Practicum in Addictions Counseling in pursuit of CADC licensure. Students are prepared for fieldwork through practice of counseling techniques, reviews of case studies, and study of counseling theories. All core functions of addictions counseling are reviewed and reinforced, with particular emphasis on assessment, counseling, and case management. Students practice in role play using a variety of modalities while considering the needs of special populations and the opportunities and constraints of various treatment settings. Ethical and legal considerations for addictions counselors are also explored.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-408 Directed Study: Health

Directed study offers students, who because of unusual circumstances may be unable to register for a course when offered, the opportunity to complete an existing course with an established syllabus under the direction and with agreement from a faculty member.

3 Credits

HE-409 Practicum in Addictions Counseling

Prerequisites: HE-407 or CJ-407

Field experience in which students complete 150 hours of direct care experience in a substance use disorders counseling setting. To qualify for CADC licensure, the practicum must be repeated for a total of 300 hours and 6 credits. Course may be repeated.

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-440 Practicum in Health

LASC Categories: CAP, WAC

A field experience option required of all Health Studies majors. Prerequisite: Advanced standing

Fall and Spring and every year. 3 Credits

HE-450 Independent Study in Health

Creative, independent learning experiences designed and initiated by the health majors.

Fall and Spring and every year. 1-6 Credits

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Identify personal, social, and environmental determinants of population health.
  • Critically evaluate health-related information.
  • Conduct public health research.
  • Apply and evaluate evidence-based population health improvement strategies.
  • Employ community organization strategies to address determinants of health.
  • Advocate for social changes that improve population health, equity, and diversity.