602.721.86
Organizing for Public Health: A Systems Approach
Location
Internet
Term
2nd Term
Department
MAS Office
Credit(s)
2
Academic Year
2024 - 2025
Instruction Method
Asynchronous Online
Auditors Allowed
No
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Resources
Prerequisite
Must have completed all 1st year courses to enroll in this course
Systems thinking, (ST), is a holistic approach to analyzing how components of complex systems interact and adapt. Through systems thinking we can understand how societies organize themselves to achieve collective health goals and how different actors contribute to policy outcomes. Provides students with an understanding of how to apply ST in public health. Trains students on the fundamentals of ST theory and offers an opportunity to apply key methods and approaches to health policy and health questions. Prepares students to ask relevant research questions and apply a ST lens to describe, understand, and anticipate complex behavior. Examines how systems models can be critically appraised and communicated with others so public health policy makers can exercise a greater degree of wisdom and insight.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Identify characteristics of a system and the unintended consequences of public health system changes
- Critically appraise systems models
- Assess strengths and weaknesses of applying the systems approach to public health problems
- Use participatory modeling approaches to understand how to engage with diverse stakeholders, how unanticipated consequences emerge, and what to do about them
- Use systems diagrams and figures to show how feedback loops might lead to unanticipated consequences
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
- 15% LiveTalks
- 5% Discussion Board
- 40% Quizzes
- 40% Final Project
Enrollment Restriction
Restricted to students in an MAS certificate or degree program