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Curriculum

Concentration in Global Health: Policy and Evaluation

Global Health: Policy and Evaluation Concentration

The DrPH concentration in Global Health: Policy and Evaluation focuses on evidence-based interventions in public health to improve population health and health access globally. Students will learn methodologies related to policy and evaluation in low- and middle-income countries through the application of interdisciplinary tools and approaches to study processes in complex global health systems.

Some of the many global challenges students in the Global Health: Policy and Evaluation Concentration will address include sustainable development, environmental degradation and climate change, globalization, migration, displaced persons, diseases prevalent in low and middle-income countries, epidemics, vaccine access, injuries, emerging and reemerging diseases and risk factors such as obesity and smoking.

To address these challenges, students will be equipped to understand the relevant global actors, culture, and equity considerations; to apply global health systems and policy frameworks; to use implementation science principles in the design, implementation, and monitoring of related programs; and to utilize analytic tools to evaluate health systems performance, policies, and their reforms in global health practice settings.

This concentra­tion is well suited to those seeking leadership positions in domestic and international agencies concerned with plan­ning and implementing projects designed to meet global public health needs, particularly in LMICs.

Concentration Co-directors

The concentration co-directors for the DrPH Global Health: Policy and Evaluation concentration are:

Please click their links to learn more about their research interests, departmental and center or institute affiliations, and contact information.

Concentration Competencies

1. Assess global public health burdens and threats and formulate strategies to solve complex health issues.
2. Describe health systems frameworks, strategies, actors and tools to analyze and evaluate health systems performance and their reforms in global settings with a primary focus in LMICs.
3 Apply key policy frameworks and models in policy development and analyze the role and contribution of actors, culture, equity and context in shaping effective policies with a primary focus in LMICs.
4 Create effective evaluation plans for small and large programs, with a primary focus in LMICs with time, budgetary, human resource capacity, and ethical, data quality and availability considerations.
5. Examine theories and evaluate economic development factors/investments that affect health, apply analytic tools, and propose evidence informed strategies to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities in global settings with a primary focus in LMICs.

Concentration Curriculum

Students are expected to complete a minimum of 28 credits of concentration-specific courses*. These courses broadly address pedagogy under the following categories:

  1. Required Courses
  2. Evaluation Requirement (2 required courses)
  3. Economic Development and Health Requirement (1 course)
  4. Elective courses to meet a total of 28 concentration credits

In addition to the requirements described above, students must take additional coursework (electives) to reach a total of 28 credits of concentration-specific courses. The proposed elective courses could be taken from any of the course options listed below or from other courses at the School. Courses electives outside the options listed below will require approval of the concentration co-directors prior to registration.

*Courses taken to fulfill foundational requirements may not be applied to fulfill concentration requirements.

Course Requirements for the Global Health: Policy and Evaluation Concentration

I. Required Courses (15 credits)

Course # Course Title Credits
221.646 Health Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries 3
221.650 Health Policy Analysis in LMICs 3
221.645 Large Scale Effectiveness Evaluations of Health Programs

4

221.663 Globalization and Health: Framework for Analysis 4
TBD DrPH Global Health: Policy and Evaluation Concentration Seminar 2

II. Additional Core Courses (select two courses)

Course # Course Title Credits

180.623

OR

221.620

Infectious Disease Threats to Global Health Security

 

Applying Summary Measures of Population Health to Improve Health Systems

3

 

3

221.656

OR

410.605

OR

340.667

Conceptual and Evidential Foundations of Health Equity and Social Justice

 

Fundamental Tools for Promoting Health Equity

 

Health Equity Research Methods to Address Social Determinants of Health

3

 

3

 

3

III. Additional Evaluation Requirement:  select one course from the below

Course # Title Credits
221.626 Introduction to Household Surveys for Evaluation of Primary Health Care Programs in Low- and Middle-Resource Settings 3
221.631 Evaluation Methods for Injury Interventions 3
221.705 Monitoring and Evaluation of Health Systems Strengthening in Low- and Middle-Income Countries 3
223.632 Methods for Planning and Implementing Evaluation of Large-Scale Health Programs in Low-and Middle-Income Countries 4

IV. Elective Courses: choose from the following courses below to reach a minimum of 28 credits for the concentration

Course # Title Credits
221.617 Behavioral Economics in Health Decisions Making 2
221.639 Health Care in Humanitarian Emergencies 3
221.652 Financing Health Systems for Universal Health Coverage 3
221.654 Systems Thinking in Public Health: Applications of Key Methods and Approaches 2
223.680 Global Disease Control Programs and Policies 4
380.603 Demographic Methods for Public Health 4
410.635 Applications of Innovative Methods in Health Equity Research 2
550.601 Implementation Research and Practice 3
221.640 Design and Implementation of Incident Management Systems (IMS) in LMICs 2