DrPH Preventive Care
The Department of Health Promotion and Education offers the doctor of public health (DrPH) degree with a major in preventive care. Emphasis is placed on specialized academic preparation, lifestyle intervention, research and administrative abilities in development, and evaluation of protocols designed and implemented to address a wide spectrum of health issues and, in particular, those dealing with chronic disease. These include development of assessment skills for nutrition, health risk, physical fitness, and addictive behavior; and clinical intervention skills for achieving behavioral changes. The program seeks to demonstrate and elucidate the intimate connection between mind and body.
Who should enroll
The Preventive Care Program is designed to prepare specialists in wellness and lifestyle intervention. The preventive care specialist addresses the combined influences of nutrition, exercise, stress, addictive behavior, and other lifestyle factors for an integrated strategic approach toward the promotion of health and the prevention of disease.
Learner outcomes
Upon completion of this program, the graduate should be able to:
- Assess health status, health risk, and nutritional status of individuals.
- Design and implement wellness and lifestyle intervention protocols addressing nutrition, exercise, stress, and other lifestyle and behavioral factors that are impacting health of individuals or populations.
- Provide nicotine, alcohol, and other chemical dependency interventions.
- Support comprehensive health management of individuals by providing counseling in nutrition, exercise, stress, addictions, and other lifestyle and behavioral areas; and making appropriate referrals.
- Contribute to the theory and practice of preventive care through research and evaluation in preventive care-clinical interventions.
- Develop and conduct community and professional seminars and training programs in preventive care and lifestyle management.
- Demonstrate leadership skills in collaboration with community health leaders and agencies for primary-level intervention programs.
COREQUISITE (Public Health/Biomedical Sciences)
(May be taken during the first two quarters of program, in addition to units required for degree; advanced standing for previous MPH degrees will be considered)
- ENVH 509 Principles of Environmental Health (3)
- EPDM 509 Principles of Epidemiology I (3)
- GLBH 524 Cultural Competencies and Health Disparities (2)
- HADM 509 Principles of Health Policy and Management (3)
- HPRO 501 Human Anatomy & Physiology I (4)
- HPRO 502 Human Anatomy & Physiology II (4)
- HPRO 503 Human Anatomy & Physiology III (4)
- HPRO 509 Principles of Health Behavior (3)
- HPRO 519 Pharmacology (3)
- HPRO 531 Pathology of Human Systems I (3)
- HPRO 532 Pathology of Human Systems II (3)
- HPRO 536 Program Planning and Evaluation (2)
- NUTR 509 Public Health Nutrition (or other basic nutrition course; NUTR 510 recommended) (3)
- NUTR 505 Public Health Biology (2)
- PHCJ 605 Overview of Public Health (1)
- STAT 509 or STAT 521 General Statistics (4), Biostastics (4)
General preventive care (52 units)
- HPRO 515 Mind-Body Interaction and Health Outcomes (3)
- HPRO 526 Lifestyle Diseases and Risk Reduction (3)
- HPRO 527 Obesity and Disordered Eating (3)
- HPRO 529 Preventive and Therapeutic Interventions (3)
- HPRO 553 Addiction Theory and Program Development (3)
- HPRO 573 Exercise Physiology I (3)
- HPRO 575 Immune Systems: Public Health Application 3)
- HPRO 578 Exercise Physiology II (3)
- HPRO 584 Aging and Health (3)
- HPRO 586 Introduction to Preventive Care (1)
- HPRO 587 Preventive Care-Practice Management (2)
- HPRO 588 Health Behavior Theory and Research (4)
- HPRO 606 Preventive Care Seminar (2, 2)
- NUTR 504 Nutritional Metabolism (5)
- NUTR 517 Advanced Nutrition I: Carbohydrates and Lipids (4)
- NUTR 518 Advanced Nutrition II: Proteins, Vitamins and Minerals (4)
- NUTR 564 Contemporary Issues in Vegetarian Diets (2)
Research and evaluation (20 units)
- HPRO 694 Research (6)
- PHCJ 534 Research Methods (or equivalent) (2,2)
- PHCJ 604 Research Seminar (2)
- STAT 514 Intermediate Statistics for Health-Science Data (3)
- STAT 548 Analytical Applications of SAS (2)
- or
- STAT 549 Analytical Applications of SPSS (2)
- STAT 568 Data Analysis (3)
Preventive care, Cognates or Electives (12 units)
Cognate or elective courses are to be chosen with the student’s adviser, taking into consideration the student’s previous experience and present interests. These units may be selected from courses offered by the School of Public Health or by other schools within the University; and must reflect a specific preventive care-emphasis, clinical practice focus, or additional statistical or data analysis that will be required by the student’s dissertation research.
Religion (9 units)- RELE_5__ Selective (3)
- RELR 5___ Selective (3)
- RELT 5___ Selective (3)
Research/Dissertation (12 units)
The dissertation research required by this program must be designed to address a practical problem or demonstrate the efficacy of an existing intervention in the area of wellness promotion or lifestyle modification. As a part of the dissertation, the student will be expected to produce at least one publishable paper describing the results of the research.
While enrolled in HPRO 694 Research, the student will, in consultation with faculty advisers, prepare a literature review and develop the methodology of the dissertation project. Students may not register for any of the 12 units of HPRO 698 Dissertation until they have successfully defended their proposal, and been advanced to candidacy.
- HPRO 698 Dissertation (12)
Internship (1400 clock hours)
Upon completion of the internship experience, the student will present to the faculty of the department a portfolio documenting the achievements and skills in preventive care acquired during both the didactic and the internship phases of the degree program.
- HPRO 704 Internship (1400 clock hours)
TOTAL UNITS 106
Educational Effectiveness Indicators
- Comprehensive examination
- Qualifying examination
- Internship practice hours
- Advancement to candidacy
- Dissertation defense
- Publishable research paper
- Portfolio review
- Exit interview
Requirements for Admission
Prerequisites- Graduate degree or equivalent in an appropriate field
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or MCAT within the past five years
- General chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Microbiology
- Anatomy and/or physiology
- General psychology
- Professional practice license or certification
Contact Information - Department of Health Promotion & Education
Website: www.llu.edu/llu/sph/hproE-mail: hprodept@llu.edu
Phone: (909) 558-4741
