Many of the Health Services (HSERV) courses offered in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health are also popular electives for students in majors such as Public Health/Global Health, Epidemiology and more. We’ve highlighted a few of our courses below, click here for the full list of courses offered in the department, searchable by topic and/or quarter offered.
HSERV 204:
Communicating about Health: Current Issues & Perspectives
Hendrika W Meischke
Provides an overview of health communication topics and perspectives for students who are interested in pursuing careers in the health industry and those with a research interest in health communication such as caregivers, health care administrators, marketing and public relations professionals, media planners, public health promoters, and educators, researchers and others.
HSERV 476:
Introduction to Applied Qualitative Methods in Public Health
Megha Ramaswamy
Covers qualitative methods in public health research and practice, including exploratory and descriptive studies, human subjects and ethics review, frameworks, theory and hypothesis generation, content and thematic analysis, sampling approaches, and interviews, focus groups, document review, observations, and photovoice. Students apply practical skills to code, analyze, interpret, and visually present qualitative data.
HSERV 490/590:
Indigenous Determinants of Health
Derek Jennings
The purpose of this course is to share the breadth, depth, and diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native and other Indigenous peoples’ health and the health systems that serve them along the resilience continuum (survival to thrivance). This course is framed by Indigenous determinants of health and public health social determinants of health to provide students with the knowledge and experience for application in their public health practice. Topics covered will center determinants of health and wellness within tribal nations and Indigenous communities.
HSERV 507:
Health Communication & Marketing for Health Promotion: Theory and Practice
Hendrika W Meischke
Provides an introduction to the field of health communication and social marketing. Focuses on how persuasive communication and marketing are most effectively used to improve population health and reduce inequities. Students develop and present a health communication campaign proposal.
HSERV 514:
Social Determinants of Population Health and Health Disparities
Jenna van Draanen
Explores the elements and actions of a population health approach, including conceptualizing the determinants of health, synthesizing knowledge about major social determinants, and applying knowledge to improve population health and reduce health disparities. Enrollment priority for Health Services PhD students. Offered jointly with EPI 547.
HSERV 525:
Advanced Health Services Research Methods III: Causal Inference Using Observational Data
Anirban Basu
Focuses on reviewing statistical methods developed for “micro” (individual-level) data on behavior (choices or exposures) and outcomes in order to make causal inference about the role of a choice or an exposure on outcomes. Prerequisite: either HSERV 523, BIOST 511, BIOST 512, BIOST 513, or permission of instructor. Offered jointly with HEOR 551.
HSERV 527:
Survey Research Methods
Christian Helfrich
Provides students with skills in questionnaire development and survey methods. Students develop a questionnaire and design a survey research proposal on a health-related or social topic.
HSERV 587:
Health Policy Economics
Paul A Fishman
Applies economic theory to selected topics in healthcare, including information, risk and insurance, industry organization, government regulation, and public health issues. Emphasizes policy implications of these applications. Offered jointly with ECON 547.