Foundations for Public Health

ID 100 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to public health and establish a solid foundation for your education, experience and engagement over the next year. In the summer portion of the course, you will be introduced to the principles and science of public health, the major causes of morbidity and mortality, the social determinants of health, and the ways society can respond from the health sector and from outside the health sector. You will become familiar with commonly used metrics and measures that make up the "language of public health" and be exposed to conceptual frameworks that will help you to “ask the right questions”. In the fall portion of the course, we will adopt a case-based approach to explore some of the most important interdisciplinary health problems facing populations – locally and globally. Adopting an ecologic perspective, we will pay particular attention to transnational risks and global governance – preparing you to engage academically and professionally with the most consequential challenges of our times – from pandemic risk to climate change.