PHP 201. Health Professions & Society. (1 Credit)
Introductory course discussing the variety of professions influencing the healthcare environment today, specifically in US society. Students explore health care history, health disparities, healthcare delivery, and culture as it relates to healthcare practice, inter-professional collaboration and professionalism. Attention and reflection is placed upon the role of a Christian professional within healthcare today. (lin). Prerequisite: Freshman standing only, sophomore with instructor permission.
PHP 221. Health Professions Integrated Learning. (2 Credits)
The course provides students with opportunities to observe the clinical and administrative responsibilities of various health careers in addition to lectures on healthcare topics. Students engage a summative assignment considering the links between healthcare issues, personal and professional skills and Christian faith in their future healthcare practice. Sophomore only standing or consent of the instructor. (lin).
PHP 291. Health Professions Colloquium. (1 Credit)
This course provides a variety of topical discussions on issues relevant to work in the healthcare profession today. Dialogue and reflection upon the impact of the Christian faith and issues of medical ethics and care of various patient populations included. Discussion and assignments will prepare students for application to health profession programs. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior Standing.
PHP 292. Health Professions Practicum. (0 to 2 Credits)
The practicum allows students practice at integrating the scientific and social principles learned in the classroom with situations in a healthcare setting. Students observe and/or volunteer in a specific healthcare context approved by the Director of Health Professions. The practicum includes an introductory and summative assignment in which students consider their motivations and goals along with the connections between healthcare practices, personal spiritual formation, and practical skills. Prerequisite: Instructor approval required for registration.
PHP 311. Introduction to Public Health. (4 Credits)
Students will be introduced to the field of public health, including historical perspectives, current career paths, and critical public health issues in the U.S. and globally, and will learn to critically analyze public health issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. Emphasis will be given to social, cultural, and structural determinants of health, to health promotion and disease prevention interventions, and to the relationship of public health to God's promise of shalom.
PHP 312. Pandemics: Ancient and Modern. (2 Credits)
This course presents a historical perspective on great pandemics, from the Plague and other pre-modern pandemics, to HIV and Covid-19 in late 20th and early 21st century. Particular emphasis will be given to what the pandemic revealed about the world, how the pandemic shaped the world, and how Christians and the church responded to the pandemic.
PHP 373. Behavioral Medicine. (2 Credits)
Students will examine factors which influence health behaviors at the individual, community, and structural level, and explore various theories of behavior change. Using this theory as well as concepts from medical anthropology and psychology, they will analyze specific health behaviors and design behavior change interventions. This course also addresses medical ethics and cognitive and cultural influences on patient and health care provider interactions.
PHP 374. Social Determinants of Health. (2 Credits)
Students will gain in-depth understanding of social determinants of health (SDOH), defined as the conditions and environments in which people live that affect a wide range of health and quality-of-life outcomes. Particular attention will be given to how racism and other forms of systematic bias and injustice lead to health disparities, including within healthcare settings. Students will use an SDOH framework to analyze social and structural determinants of specific health issues and behaviors.
PHP 381. Concepts in Epidemiology. (4 Credits)
An introductory course of the basic science of disease prevention. Overview of epidemiologic methods and research designs to explore the variation of disease occurrence among individuals and populations and how that variation is studied to understand the causes of disease. Discussion of the biologic, behavioral, social and environmental determinants of health and disease. Description of how epidemiologic findings are applied to health maintenance and disease prevention. Cross-listed with HS 381.
PHP 492. Public Health Senior Seminar. (2 Credits)
In this senior seminar, students will integrate their various disciplinary perspectives and learnings into the practice of public health, deepen their Christian worldview as it applies to public health, and collaboratively engage in research of a contemporary public health issue. This research may be multidisciplinary, based on the disciplinary backgrounds of students, and will include review of research ethics, data collection and analysis, and synthesis and presentation of findings. Prerequisite: PHP 311 and PHP 381.
PHP 494. Nursing Capstone. (2 Credits)
The capstone seminar evaluates the historical foundation and contemporary issues within nursing and healthcare with special attention to biblical responses to these issues. The course provides opportunity to discuss and observe the field of nursing through experiential learning opportunity and study Christian perspectives on nursing practice. (lin) Prerequisite: Junior standing, registration as Liberal Arts Nursing major or consent of instructor.
General Education: SHAR
PHP 495. Independent Study. (2 to 4 Credits)
This 2- to 4-credit pass/fail course will allow a student to undertake supervised research in public health or another healthcare-related field, with an expectation of 80 hours of effort per 2-credit hour course or 160 hours of effort per 4-credit hour course. Instructor approval required.
PHP 496. Internship. (2 to 4 Credits)
Credit given in connection with an internship in public health, health professions or the healthcare environment.