Complete Course List

For an updated listing of offerings each semester, including time and location, please visit https://cdcs.ur.rochester.edu, select a term of interest, and click on “PM – Preventive Medicine” in the Subject box.

PM 401 Quantitative Methods in Public Health Research

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with many of the standard statistical techniques utilized in the health sciences. By the end of the course, students should be able to understand, interpret, and communicate about statistical topics including but not limited to: descriptive statistics; displaying data in tables and figures; types of data and distributions; sampling distributions and hypothesis testing; comparing means; correlation and regression; and contingency tables and sensitivity/specificity. This course is delivered online and may have synchronous sessions that meet during the scheduled class time. (Fall/Summer)

PM 403 Research Team Science Seminar

This course introduces graduate students to the concepts, practice, and challenges of Team Science and collaborative research environments. Students will be exposed both to team science (TS) initiatives and the science of team science (SciTS) as presented through practical examples from local research teams and researchers, focusing upon the practical implications of a team science approach to biomedical research requiring large-scale data analysis. (Spring)

PM 410 Introduction to Data Management and Analysis

This asynchronous course provides an introduction to data management and analysis using Excel, SAS and R.  Through a mixture of recorded lectures and assignments, students gain experience in workflows for creating analytical data in Excel/SAS and R. Focusing on the key skills needed in clinical research and public health, this course emphasizes the integration of data management and analysis into the research environment and the development of statistical computing skills. (Spring)

PM 412 Survey Research

This course presents the necessary elements of survey instrument development and survey research methods, with a focus on practical applications in health care research, epidemiology and social & behavioral science. The integrated perspective includes a qualitative approach to survey development and interpretation and practical methods for conducting valid and reliable survey research. Students participate in all stages of the survey research process through application of homework assignments, survey development and research project design. Grades will be determined through quizzes, participation, and a group survey project. (Fall)

PM 413 Field Methods in Epidemiology

This course will provide an overview of the practical applications of theoretical epidemiological concepts in the study of the distribution of diseases and their causes in populations. Emphasis will be on the hands-on discussion of basic methods in epidemiologic research, including literature review; study design selection; measurement of disease; selection of relevant variables; development and administration of questionnaires; quantitative data analysis; and reporting study findings. These concepts are discussed in the context of case studies and special topics such as outbreak investigations, cancer cluster investigations, and meta-analysis. This course is delivered online and may have synchronous sessions that meet during the scheduled class time. (Spring)

PM 414 History of Epidemiology

The overall objective of this course is to focus the attention and raise the awareness of students on the historical perspectives of epidemiology. The course will familiarize the student with the growth of epidemiology, as a basic science, and show the inter-relationship between epidemiologic methods and intellectual, social, political and technological progress that has occurred throughout history. All of these events are crucial to a deeper understanding how diseases have influenced history and what major contributions epidemiologists have made to medicine. This course will emphasize the relationship between epidemiology and other scientific disciplines by demonstrating the influence of methodologic techniques used by epidemiologists. Additionally, the framework of this course will foster an appreciation for the role of epidemiology in society through its impact on public health from its roots to its dynamic responsibilities in present trends. This course is delivered online and may have synchronous sessions that meet during the scheduled class time. (Spring)

PM 415 Principles of Epidemiology

PM 415 is intended to provide an overview of concepts dealing with the study of the distribution and determinants of health conditions in populations. We will define epidemiologic terms, introduce methods to describe health conditions in populations, provide an overview of ways to determine the causes of disease, and apply epidemiologic principles to the evaluation of preventive and therapeutic interventions. This will be carried out by online modules, lecture presentations, problem sets, and in-class discussions. (Fall/Spring)

PM 416 Epidemiologic Methods

This course provides an in-depth coverage of the theoretical and quantitative methodological issues associated with population based epidemiology research, including concepts of study design, selection and information bias, measurement, confounding and effect modification. The course will also cover multivariable analytic techniques including linear and logistic regression, as well as Kaplan Meier survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazards modeling.  Students will also have lectures on the use of SAS software to conduct these statistical analyses. At the end of the course students will be able to conduct a complete epidemiology study from study design to data analysis to inference. (Spring)

PM 418 Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology & Prevention

This course is designed to provide information regarding the number one cause of mortality globally: cardiovascular disease. This information will be presented in ways that span both epidemiology, research, and prevention, while taking into account pathophysiology of the disease. Learning will occur using an online format so that students are not required to be physically present. This is so that learning and timing are flexible and dynamic. This will include students and faculty interacting online for the purpose of discussing important topics. A major goal of this course is for students to emerge with passion for the prevention of life-threatening disease, its implications, improving quality of life, and the promise of research as an important pathway to achieve them. This course is delivered online and may have synchronous sessions that meet during the scheduled class time. (Fall) 

PM 419 Recruitment and Retention of Human Subjects in Clinical Research

Recruitment and retention of research subjects typically focuses on determining eligibility, minimizing risk to research subjects and designing protocols that are not overly burdensome for the respondent/subject/community. While these concerns are important, successful and sustainable recruitment and retention extends well beyond protocol design. This course focuses on models, strategies and tactics to effectively recruit and retain human subjects, in general and specific subgroups (e.g. women, minorities, vulnerable populations). Participants will critique and design methods through the lens of an ‘emic’ (insider) and an ‘etic’ (or outsider) perspective.  (Fall) 

PM 421 US Health Care System: Financing, Delivery & Performance

In this course, we examine the organization, financing, delivery, and performance of the US health care system.  The inherent tradeoffs between access to care, cost, quality, and outcomes are considered from the perspective of the main actors in the system, i.e., patients, providers (physicians, hospitals, etc.), health plans, insurers, and payers. Topics include: need for and access to care; health care insurance and financing; Medicare and Medicaid; managed care; service delivery; long-term care; public health; quality of care, the Accountable Care Act and others. The aim of the course is to help students deepen their understanding of the health care system, strengthen their ability to synthesize the literature and assess key current policy issues, and to further develop their critical thinking skills.  (Fall)

PM 422 Quality of Care & Risk Adjustment

The purpose of this course is to explore the various methods and opportunities available to track and assess outcomes of clinical practices and medical technologies. The material covered will include the framework, analytic approaches, databases and settings available for studies addressing patient outcomes, practice patterns, clinical interventions and strategies that constitute the content of health care. The course focuses on the use of patient populations and databases as laboratories for the generation of new knowledge and information. (Spring)

PM 424 Epidemiology and Prevention of Chronic Diseases

This course offers an overview of the epidemiology of selected chronic diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and chronic neurological conditions) and the methods to study them. By the end of the course, students should have sufficient understanding of the pathology, diagnostic classification, screening, risk factors and treatment of these diseases. (Alternate Spring Semesters)

PM 426 Social and Behavioral Medicine

The overall goal is to examine the public health impact of behavioral, psychosocial, cultural, and environmental factors on the development, prevention, and treatment of health problems.  This is a survey course designed to introduce students to a wide range of social and behavioral determinants of health, health behavior change, and health disparities over the life course. (Spring)

PM 428 Health Services Research Seminar

A non-credit course required of all Health Services Research doctoral and postdoctoral students. A variety of topics will be presented for discussion by faculty and students. (Fall/Spring)

PM 430 Psychology in Health Services Research  

As health services research moves from descriptive to explanatory work for informing policies and interventions, the use of theory becomes essential. Psychology provides theories for explaining individual and social behavior that can underlie many phenomena of interest. For example, psychological theories have been used to understand patient and physician communication and decision making, medical errors, healthcare disparities, and patient engagement of preventive care or persistence with treatment regimens.  This course has two objectives: (1) to introduce students to basic and health-related psychological and social-psychological theories germane to health services research, and (2) to introduce the process of creating theory-based explanations. (Fall)

PM 431 Advanced Methods in Health Services Research I

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a strong understanding of, and experience in, advanced quantitative methods for health services research. Topics covered will be longitudinal models (e.g. fixed and random effects, conditional, marginal and structural models), causal inference (e.g. difference-in-differences, propensity score methods, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, and quantile/nonlinear regression), and practical considerations for handling data (e.g. missing data, data structures, effective programming). Time permitting, we will also cover spatial methods and some topics in “Big Data”. The course will be taught by lecture and hands-on sessions. The emphasis of the course will be on applications that will be useful for students to implement in their thesis work. (Fall)

PM 438 Introduction to Biomedical Informatics

The Miriam Webster dictionary defines the term grantsmanship as "the art of obtaining grants". This definition accurately identifies the process of successfully obtaining grants as an art form requiring skill and judgment to be successful. The purpose of this course is to help learners develop this skill-set. Major topics will include a review of funding opportunities and how to find them, how to prioritize potential grant opportunities, how to develop a research idea and project proposal into a grant application, and how to approach completing the actual grant application process. This will be a moderated online course. All course materials and interactions with instructors and fellow students will be conducted online. Instructors will be available on a regular basis to answer questions and review submitted work. (Spring)

PM 442 Nutritional Epidemiology

The course is designed to give the students the tools to critically review the nutritional epidemiologic literature and to conduct epidemiologic studies of diet, nutrition, and health. Concepts on epidemiology will be applied to the assessment of diet and nutrition and to study designs exploring diet-related health conditions. (Spring)

PM 443 Foundations of Maternal & Child Health  

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of major health issues through the life course of women and children and public health responses to these issues in the U.S. and in low-income countries. The course introduces students to the field of maternal and child health from its historical development, current health priority issues, barriers to care, and public health interventions. (Fall)

PM 445 Introduction to Health Services Research and Policy

This course will provide a hands-on introduction to field of health services and policy research. We will review the nature and scope of health services and policy research, learn about organizational and systems theories, compare different conceptual frameworks for guiding health services and policy research, and discuss research studies addressing current topics of interest including: health system planning and policy, effectiveness and quality of care, efficiency of care, equity of care/disparities research. Upon completion of this course, students will:1) Be familiar with the multi-disciplinary and multi-faceted nature of health services and policy research; 2) Have a basic understanding of systems research and organizational theories; and 3) Have an understanding of the HSR research methods and their respective advantages and disadvantages. The course is delivered online and may have synchronous sessions that meet during the scheduled class time. (Fall)

PM 450 Community Health Applied Practice Experience

This course will engage students in activities that demonstrate application of Public Health science concepts and critical thinking relevant to the student’s area of interest within a range of community-based, organizational settings. Students will engage with the organization to conduct activities that meet a programmatic goal of the partnering organization in addressing Public Health issues. Upon completion of the experience, students will be able to provide evidence of application of key Public Health skills. Students will work independently with a faculty supervisor to create and implement an appropriate plan for their applied practice experience. 

(Fall/Spring/Summer) [Pre-requisite: 12 MPH course credits, including Social & Behavioral Medicine (PM 426)]

PM 451: Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases

This course will review the epidemiology of infectious diseases of national and international importance, including acute respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis, influenza, sexually transmitted diseases, parasitic diseases, vector-borne diseases, vaccine preventable diseases, and antibiotic resistance. Students will learn how to assess the public health implications of specific pathogens in the United States and worldwide.   Emphasis will be on epidemiologic methods for disease surveillance, outbreak investigations, case-control studies, cohort studies, molecular epidemiology, dynamics of transmission, impact of host immunity, and assessment of various control methods including vaccinations. (Fall)

PM 455 Foundations in Public Health Sciences

This course presents the foundational components of public health sciences. We will explore the history, philosophy, principles, and core responsibilities of public health research and practice. The course also provides the necessary foundation for further studies and approaches essential for public health practice. This course is delivered entirely online required for all MPH students. (Fall)

PM 456 Health Economics I: Introduction to Health Economics

This is an introductory course that will cover the basic principles of economics and their variations used to understand the production of health, the supply and demand for medical care and health insurance, and market competition in medical care, including the markets for health insurance, medical services, hospital services, pharmaceuticals, medical education, physicians, and nurses. The course will use graphs and calculus-based mathematical models to communicate main concepts and principles. (Fall)

PM 458 Qualitative Health Care Research

Qualitative health research involves understanding issues and problems from the point-of-view of those most directly affected. The focus is on interpretation: how do people construct and maintain meaning? An analysis of qualitative data generates highly contextualized accounts of people’s ideas and actions that can then be used to inform assessments, programs, policies, and evaluations. Several “strategies of inquiry” (ethnographic, life history, case study and grounded theory) and a variety of data collection tools (participant-observation, key informant interviews, focus groups, and narrative analysis) will be covered. Students will complete weekly exercises and work on teams conducting qualitative inquiry into a public health issue. This learning process will prepare students to write qualitative research proposals, collect and analyze data, and generate reports. (Spring)

PM 460 Master’s Essay

This research project is designed, carried out, analyzed, and written up by the student under the supervision of, and in consultation with, an essay advisor and an advisory committee.

PM 461 Program Evaluation for Public Health

Through a combination of didactic presentations, in class group exercises, online discussion and material review and case examples from the literature, the sequential steps in program development and evaluation design decisions will be discussed and critiqued. Students will conduct a review of program evaluation literature within a topic of interest and incorporate into class participation and final project. Readings from the literature and on-line sources will complement in-class course content. (Summer)

PM 463 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics: Part I

The goal of this course is to familiarize students with basic elements of probability and mathematical statistics. At the completion of this course the student will be familiar with set theory and notation, understand probability theory, be familiar with special distributions, both discrete and continuous understand how to approach functions of random variables, and understand limit theorems in statistics. (Fall)

PM 464 Introduction to Regression Analysis

The course will focus on the ordinary least squares regression, including the theory, assumptions as well as the necessary alterations required to conduct valid analysis when those assumptions are not met. The course will also cover other commonly used regression models (e.g. logistic regression). The course will provide students with analytic skills to test model assumptions, perform hypothesis testing, and interpret model parameters. (Spring)

PM 465 Advanced Multivariate Analysis

The first part of this course introduces general estimation frameworks including least squares (specifically, least squares as applied to multivariate models, and nonlinear least squares), maximum likelihood, generalized method of moments, generalized linear models and generalized estimating equations, and some corresponding variants (e.g., quasi-likelihood, Monte Carlo methods, and instrumental variables). The second part of the course focuses on the application of the preceding estimation methods to the development and analysis of qualitative and limited dependent variable models (e.g., logit, probit, multinomial/conditional/nested logit, multinomial probit, mixed logit and probit, and censored and truncated data), duration models (e.g. Kaplan-Meier product limit estimator, Cox’s proportional hazard model, and full parametric specifications), and multivariate models (e.g., multivariate regression, sample selection models, and simultaneous equation models). (Spring)

PM 466 Cancer Epidemiology

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with a basic understanding of the biology, burden, epidemiology, natural course, treatment and complications of malignancies in the United States and the etiologic factors associated with each of the most common cancers. The course will include discussion of patterns of cancer incidence, molecular, genetic and environmental aspects of etiologic factors, the pathophysiology of cancer, diagnosis and staging of cancer, and interventional approaches related to prevention, screening and treatment. Reinforcement of basic epidemiologic methods, concepts and skills using different cancers as examples will also be emphasized in the course.  Didactic material will be presented on each topic and selected papers from the literature will be reviewed and discussed. (Fall)

PM 469 Multivariate Models for Epidemiology

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a strong understanding of, and experience in, advanced quantitative methods for the analysis of epidemiologic studies. Coverage includes analytic issues (e.g., confounding and interaction) within a broad survey of important methods for multivariable analysis of epidemiologic data. Though some lectures may include somewhat technical material, the general approach and emphasis of the class is applied. (Fall)

PM 470 Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology  

This is an intermediate-level course designed to familiarize students with the conduct of environmental and occupational epidemiology studies. Students will become familiar with specific environmental and occupational research areas, as well as the unique epidemiologic or exposure methodologies used in those studies. This is not a survey course of broad content areas. The focus will be on the application and interpretation of epidemiologic methods and findings in environmental and occupational health. Students will be asked to analyze, evaluate, summarize, and present published studies used to investigate health effects related to environmental and occupational exposures. (Fall)

PM 472 Measurement and Evaluation of Research Instruments

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with a comprehensive background in the development, administration, scoring, interpretation and evaluation of research instruments for epidemiologic research purposes. A review of the principles of survey development will begin the course, however, it will rapidly move to the comparative analysis of various instrument designs as well as testing of these tools including reliability, validity, principle components, factor analysis and item response theory. (Spring)

PM 477 Advanced Data Management with SAS and R

This asynchronous course provides an introduction to advanced data management techniques, output and graphics using SAS and R. Through a mixture of recorded lectures and assignments, students gain an understanding of efficient coding techniques, SQL, macros, functions, graphs, and reports. This course is aimed at developing, enhancing and improving statistical computing skills.

PM483 Advanced Health Economics II

This course demonstrates how basic economic concepts, principles, and theories can be used to think about and illustrate various health care issues. The objectives of the course are to further develop expertise in modeling the behavior of economic agents in the health care system; understanding of the operations of the health care system; critical reading skills of the health services and health economics literature; and experience in designing, directing, and conducting a health services research study. (Spring)

PM484 Medical Decision Analysis & Cost Effectiveness Research

Decision and cost-effectiveness analyses are increasingly used to evaluate alternative choices in clinical practice and to enlighten and inform health policy determinations.  In this course, students are introduced to the methods and objectives of decision analysis and cost-effectiveness research, as well as to important study design issues that distinguish these investigations from other clinical research studies. Students will also learn decision analysis software such that they can perform analyses themselves as a class project. The course will be taught in an online hybrid format consisting of a weekly 1.5 hour classroom session supplemented by online learning and practice activities using Blackboard. (Spring)

PM 485 Introduction to Biomedical Informatics

This course serves as an introduction to biomedical informatics, as applied in research and in clinical practice. This course will provide a study of the nature of biomedical information and its capture, collection, storage, and use. Of particular interest in this course is the use of the electronic medical record (EMR) its use for research and its impact on health care delivery, the Internet and mobile computing, custom Health Care Information Systems, their development, selection and implementation, and the importance of the computing or informatics specialists in medicine and research and the various roles they can play, privacy, confidentiality and information security including health care regulatory and accreditation issues and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The course will also introduce students to concepts of Biorepositories, Big Data, Data Science, and Health Care Analytics, particularly from the perspective of the informaticist responsible for managing data sources in these domains. Where relevant, the course will introduce students to additional information technologies (e.g., cloud storage, parallel computing, data visualization) useful in informatics practice. (Fall)

PM 486 Medical Ecology

In medical ecology, human beings as biological and social entities are placed within a wider context of dynamic ecosystems that incorporate physical, biological, and sociocultural components. Worldwide there is a resurgent interest in medical ecology to offer analytic paradigms to study, track, and address both new and old risks to human health, taking into account micro- and macro-environmental conditions and processes. Medical ecology is particularly concerned with applying a systems approach to analyzing disease, with an emphasis on how change in environments relates to change in risk of exposure and incidence of disease. Many methods are used to generate and test medical ecological models, drawn from medical geography, epidemiology, biology, and the social sciences. Many of the lessons from this course come from global health, health impact of colonial relationships, and diseases of lifestyle and modernization. This course is suited for students who wish a research-oriented, multidisciplinary approach to the study of environmental impacts (broadly defined) on human health. It draws heavily on a global approach, and generates locally relevant lessons from case studies from around the world. Students are actively engaged in analyzing and generating case studies, and are expected to be comfortable with a multi-disciplinary approach (integrating social, biological, and physical sciences) to examining illness, injury, and disease. (Spring)

PM 487 Fundamentals of Science, Technology& Health Policy 

Science and Technology (S&T) continues to be an area of significant focus to drive innovation, improve public health and enhance national security in the U.S. and across the globe.  This interactive course will offer students exposure to the interaction between S&T and public policy, particularly exploring the role and impact of the Federal government in this process.  Students will also have the opportunity to explore roles for scientists in the policy making process, while gaining the ability to objectively analyze science, technology, and health policy issues and develop skills to provide policy recommendations and write policy memos. Some assignments will be tailored to individual students’ policy interests and may be reviewed by the course instructor as well as others directly familiar with the issue. (Spring)

PM 488 Experimental Therapeutics

This course is designed for individuals interested in the process for identifying novel interventions for diseases, and for their eventual introduction into humans.  Topic areas covered will include:  preclinical assessment of an intervention's ability to modulate disease, the preclinical safety data needed before initiating human experimentation, the appropriate techniques for extrapolating dosages from animals to humans; types of human experimentation (Phase 1-Phase 3 clinical trials), the level of animal and human evidence necessary to progress from one phase of experimentation to the next, and the ethical underpinnings of human experimentation. (Fall)

PM 489 Injury Epidemiology & Emergency Care Research Methods 

The course is designed to provide the student with an introduction to the fields of injury epidemiology and emergency care research.  This course will provide an overview of the epidemiology of traumatic injuries and how epidemiologic methods are applied to study injury, including issues of exposure and outcome measurement, study design and analysis.  Students will also be introduced to the unique challenges and opportunities when conducting research in the emergency care setting (e.g., emergency departments and ambulance-based pre-hospital care) including approaches to subject recruitment, consent, and risk adjustment. (Fall)

PM 493 Health Policy Lab

This 3-credit course provides a framework for developing and analyzing health policy.  The focus of the course is to provide students with a structured approach to policy making and analysis, and to facilitate training in skills required for compelling analyses. This is an online course which will have some synchronous sessions. (Fall)

PM 500 MPH Integrated Learning Experience

UR MPH students complete the Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) course credit at or near the end of their MPH program of study (e.g., in the final year or term). The ILE represents a culminating experience for the program of study and demonstrates synthesis of multiple foundational and concentration competencies. The MPH ILE experience is comprised of two parts: a) a high quality written product (i.e., the ILE Capstone Paper), and b) four training modules. This course is for MPH students who matriculated fall 2020 and later.

Updated 08/6/20