PUBHLTHSOC 1000 - Foundations in Public Health

Required for Public Health & Society Majors and Minors

This course examines the foundations in public health using an equity and social justice approach emphasizing the interconnectedness of population and individual health. The course will cover the history and impact of public health, including the importance of health equity, social justice, and human rights, as well as the essential role of ethics in public health. The course will expose students to various public health professionals working on inter-professional teams to explore careers in public health, we will invite public health and community health experts from the St. Louis region as well as national and international guest speakers.

PUBHLTHSOC 1011 - First-Year Seminar: Environmental Justice and Public Health

First-Year Seminar

Environmental justice has become a pervasive conversation topic as the effects of climate change become more and more prominent in daily life. Yet environmental justice has a longer history, one that is closely related to the global health developments. In this course, we will explore what environmental justice means, how it functions as a form of public health and health activism more broadly, and why the future of public health so heavily depends on it. Through these questions, students will further learn about how issues of environment and health are deeply intertwined with social, racial, and gendered inequities. As we will explore together, this relationship has led to conflicting political and economic priorities as well as the deliberate placement of environmental hazards next to or within working-class, Black and Brown, and other marginalized communities. The class is limited to first-year students.

PUBHLTHSOC 2000 - Introduction to Global Health

Required for Public Health & Society Majors and Minors

Welcome to Introduction to Global Health, a course designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the multifaceted dimensions of public health both within the United States and internationally. Throughout this course, students will embark on a journey to understand how health has been defined within the global context, exploring the historical evolution of public and global health disciplines as well as contemporary issues within the field. Delving into the ethical landscape of global health research, programming, and policy, students will articulate human rights issues and examine approaches ensuring ethical interventions. The course will shed light on the intricate interplay of social determinants of health, unraveling their impact on well-being and the emergence of health inequities. By examining both successes and failures in global health interventions, students will gain a nuanced understanding of the challenges inherent in the field. Furthermore, the course will foster a comparative analysis of the organization, structure, and function of diverse healthcare systems across international settings. Finally, with a focus on morbidity and mortality, students will explore major causes, trends, and measures of infectious and chronic disease, as well as some underappreciated and emerging issues, providing a holistic perspective on the critical issues shaping the landscape of public and global health today. We will engage with class topics through a range of mediums, including book chapters, scientific papers, media pieces, podcasts, guest lectures from leaders in the field, and TED talks. It may be a big class, but students will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on key class topics during small, weekly discussion groups.  Get ready to be captivated, challenged, and inspired - because global health has never been this thrilling!

PUBHLTHSOC 3000 - Public Health Theories, Models, and Frameworks

Required for Public Health & Society Majors and Minors

This course will provide an overview of social and behavioral science and humanistic theories and frameworks that are currently used to: 1) understand health related behaviors; and 2) guide development of interventions and policies designed to promote positive health behavior including those that prevent, reduce or eliminate major public health problems. We will also explore the history of these theories and frameworks and the cultural and artistic approaches to change health and health related behaviors. We will use an ecological framework to examine theories at multiple levels of the culture and social ecology from individual to policy level, focusing on applications that will impact health at the population level.

PUBHLTHSOC 3100 - Research Methods in Understanding Health and Society

Required for Public Health & Society Majors

Research is the key to building evidence in public health. This course will provide an overview of public health research methods and the sequential research process. Core research concepts to be presented and applied include developing research questions, literature reviews, research ethics, study designs, data collection, quantitative and qualitative research methods understanding research data, and research dissemination.

PUBHLTHSOC 3210 - History of Public Health

New Elective!

Starting in the ancient period and ending in the present day, this course examines the history of public health on global scale. What we now know as “public health” did not just come out of a laboratory or clinic; it emerged from the intersection of historical developments in racialization, socioeconomic division, and gendered constructions. The course will explore a number of questions, including: how and why imperial and national politics and economics have influenced public health research and actions; what “publics” public health has served and prioritized; and how the creation of public health authority and knowledge both drew from and exploited marginalized populations. Students will choose an archival primary source about public health and craft an analytical paper about it.

PUBHLTHSOC 4000 - APEX: Advanced Practical Experience in Public Health Seminar

Required for Public Health & Society Majors

Learn more about APEX

This Advanced Practical EXperience in Public Health (APEX) course bridges the gap between public health theory and skills, providing students with the practical knowledge and experience needed for real-world public health engagement. Students will enhance their skills and knowledge through activities such as community-based research, developing health interventions, assessing community health needs, and program evaluation. Students may also collaborate with community-based organizations to address public health challenges, preparing them for the realities of public health practice.

APEX consists of two linked classes. A 1-credit once-a-week seminar and a 3-credit internship course consisting of at least 140 hours of work with a partner organization, institution, lab, or approved public health-related enterprise. Courses must be taken concurrently.

PUBHLTHSOC 4010 - Topics in Public Health & Society (Careers in Public Health)

New Elective!

There are many ways to have a meaningful career related to public health. This class will help you explore these possibilities and how they align with your skills, interests, and values. In this course you will engage in a structured process of career exploration and professional skills development for careers related to public health. Throughout the semester you will hear from a diverse group of guest speakers about their public health-related careers in different settings (including government, community organizations, and academia). You will have the opportunity to assess your strengths, interests, and competencies, and use these insights to set clear professional goals and objectives.

PUBHLTHSOC 4120 - Public Health and Medicine: Health Decision Making

Elective

PUBHLTHSOC 1000 - Foundations in Public Health

Required for Public Health & Society Majors and Minors

This course examines the foundations in public health using an equity and social justice approach emphasizing the interconnectedness of population and individual health. The course will cover the history and impact of public health, including the importance of health equity, social justice, and human rights, as well as the essential role of ethics in public health. The course will expose students to various public health professionals working on inter-professional teams to explore careers in public health, we will invite public health and community health experts from the St. Louis region as well as national and international guest speakers.

PUBHLTHSOC 2000 - Introduction to Global Health

Required for Public Health & Society Majors and Minors

PUBHLTHSOC 3000 - Public Health Theories, Models, and Frameworks

Required for Public Health & Society Majors and Minors

This course will provide an overview of social and behavioral science and humanistic theories and frameworks that are currently used to: 1) understand health related behaviors; and 2) guide development of interventions and policies designed to promote positive health behavior including those that prevent, reduce or eliminate major public health problems. We will also explore the history of these theories and frameworks and the cultural and artistic approaches to change health and health related behaviors. We will use an ecological framework to examine theories at multiple levels of the culture and social ecology from individual to policy level, focusing on applications that will impact health at the population level.

PUBHLTHSOC 3010-02 - Topics in Public Health & Society (Refugee Youth, Schools, and Public Health)

New elective!

This course examines forced migration as a public health issue, focusing on the well-being of children, adolescents, and families living through displacement. Students analyze how social, cultural, and structural conditions shape risk and resilience after migration, and how schools can protect young people or compound harm. Drawing on cases from resettlement and first-asylum contexts, the course considers when health interventions can travel across settings and when they must be adapted.

PUBHLTHSOC 3020-01 - Topics in Public Health & Society (Violence and Public Health)

New elective!

This course approaches violence as a public health issue, using an interdisciplinary public health lens to examine its causes and consequences. Through a review of a range of manifestations of interpersonal and structural violence (including gun violence, gender-based violence, and armed conflict) and their public health implications, this course will cover theories and frameworks for understanding violence, explore the epidemiology of violence, and consider what works for prevention and response. We will also look at how people and communities cultivate hope and find paths through and beyond violence.

PUBHLTHSOC 3100 - Research Methods in Understanding Health and Society

Required for Public Health & Society Majors

Research is the key to building evidence in public health. This course will provide an overview of public health research methods and the sequential research process. Core research concepts to be presented and applied include developing research questions, literature reviews, research ethics, study designs, data collection, quantitative and qualitative research methods understanding research data, and research dissemination.

PUBHLTHSOC 3700 - Introduction to Epidemiology

Elective

This course introduces core tools of epidemiology-the study of the distribution and determinants of health in populations. Students define and interpret basic measures (incidence, prevalence, risk, odds), compare common study designs (cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, randomized trials), identify threats to validity (bias, confounding, effect modification), and communicate findings clearly to non-technical audiences. No coding is required.

PUBHLTHSOC 4001 - APEX: Advanced Practical Experience in Public Health Internship

Required for Public Health & Society Majors

Through this structured, mentored, and evaluated experience, students put classroom learning into action by working on meaningful projects with local organizations, agencies or faculty research labs that address real-world public health challenges. APEX placements engage directly with the social determinants of health—including housing stability, access to education, employment opportunities, neighborhood safety, food security, healthcare access, and community support systems. Many projects are grounded in advancing equity and justice, giving students the chance to examine how structural barriers and systemic inequities influence health outcomes across communities. The APEX experience offers substantial value for students both academically and professionally. Beyond fulfilling program requirements, the APEX provides a pathway for students to apply and deepen their knowledge, cultivate new skills, and explore the intersections between public health, social justice, and community wellbeing. Students also build meaningful connections with organizations and professionals who are working to promote health equity, gaining networks and insights that will guide their academic journeys and future careers.

PUBHLTHSOC 4011 - Water and Health in the Colonial and Postcolonial World

Elective and Writing Intensive

Water supplies are becoming scarcer globally due to climate change. We use clean water- fresh and salt - in a variety of ways that provide comfort, stability, and health, making it one of the most valuable commodities on Earth. While countries in Global North are beginning to see more frequent and lengthier droughts, those in the Latin America, Africa, and South Asia have long struggled over how to distribute and use their clean water supplies. This class will examine how colonialism and its far-reaching effects have created an environment of scarce water supplies in many areas of the world. Water access is difficult to achieve, but for much of the Global South, the colonial period helped craft the problems we see today. This class will ask what colonial and postcolonial technologies' construction and use teach us about equitable clean water distribution, how social and cultural identities influence water supplies and use, and why water has been such an important element- and commodity- in our world , especially where Europeans settled and marginalized local populations.

PUBHLTHSOC 4013 - Animals, Insects, and the Making of Modern Public Health

Elective

Dogs and rabies. Mosquitoes and malaria. Cows and the smallpox vaccine. Historically and contemporarily, the study and enactment of public health is simply rife with animals and insects, both as disease vectors and as tools. Starting in the medieval period and ending in the present day, this course will examine on a global scale how animals contributed to the creation of what we call western public health. We will ask a number of interrelated questions, including what the relationship is between interspecies ecologies and the development of western public health, why animals and insects are crucial parts of health narratives, and how we can retell traditional narratives about science and medicine through these living non-humans. In the process, students will learn how to interpret and analyze different kinds of sources to craft argumentative projects.

PUBHLTHSOC 4020-02 - Topics in  Public Health & Society (Black Women’s Health and the Future of Care)

New elective!

This course examines the past, present, and possible futures of Black women’s health in the United States through the lenses of public health science, Black feminist and womanist thought, and intersectionality. Students will explore how historical and contemporary systems, including medicine, public health, science, policy, and other social institutions, have shaped the production of health knowledge, patterns of health and illness, and Black women’s experiences of care. Particular attention will be given to the ways racism intersects with gender, class, sexuality, disability, geography, and other dimensions of social position to influence health across the life course.

PUBHLTHSOC 4030-01 - Topics in Public Health & Society (Health, Human Rights, and International Justice)

Elective

Drawing from multidisciplinary material, this course will delve into the complex relationship between health, human rights, and international justice. Students will first explore the theoretical foundations of international human rights and international criminal law, while also examining relevant systems and institutions established to address serious violations of each. The course will then highlight specific health-related harms – such as starvation, reproductive violence, and certain forms of torture – to explore the central questions: When might violations of health also constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, or acts of genocide? What is the role and value of the health sciences in understanding and addressing these violations? What is the relationship between health impacts of mass atrocities at individual and population levels? To approach answers, this course will draw from medical and public health literature, international legal instruments, case studies, and guest lectures from world experts. In addition to regular discussion and debate, students will take turns facilitating class exchanges with our guest lecturers. Students will also complete short reflection papers throughout the semester and a final paper based on a case study of their choice.

Information about Academic Honors through Arts & Sciences