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MPH IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR GLOBAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT (GISGHD)

The GISGHD track is designed to prepare students in the application of modern geospatial technologies to global health and development practice, research, and learning. Acquiring dual skills in public health and GIS enhances the preparation of global health professionals by increasing their effectiveness and efficiency in state-of-the-art methods in problem solving and information sharing in today’s complex global climate where new health threats are emerging and existing ones are becoming more problematic.

Graduates can apply their multifaceted skills to improve analytical efficiency and decision support in a wide range of activities. These include population research on the relationship between socioeconomic factors and human health to the assessment, planning, and management of pressing global health problems such as emergency preparedness, disease distribution and surveillance, primary health services delivery, refugee program management, and general demographics needed to inform and plan public health programs.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the Health Geoinformatics Summer Institute offered from June to August to conveniently complete some or all of the required GIS courses in an intensive format during the first summer.

Learner outcomes:

Graduates in this program will acquire the professional and scientific skills to aptly plan and implement global health programs in local, state, federal health departments/agencies; in private business/industry; and in international agencies and programs. They will specifically:

1. Use GIS technology and methods for accessing and capturing spatially defined global health and development information and build a related, useful geospatial database.
2. Implement effective geospatial data display while producing and publishing customized maps and other visual displays of global health and development data.
3. Employ GIS-based methods and techniques of spatial analysis that support research and decision-making in global health program design, implementation, and evaluation.
4. Manage global health GIS projects in government, academia, and grass-roots community settings.
5. Utilize geospatial information technology and methods to shape global health practice and policy.

Indicators of educational effectiveness:

1. Class project
2. Oral presentation

Note: each of the above indicators are course specific at the discretion of the instructor.

3. Integrated capstone course
4. Standardized tests:

Students will be encouraged to participate in a qualifying test offered every year by SkillsUSA, an organization that has partnered with the geospatial industry to develop a competition program that provides universities, colleges, and their students with a way to validate their geospatial program and measure them against national standards.

DEGREE REQUIREMENT (MINIMUM 73 UNITS)

PREREQUISITE

Candidates must demonstrate computer proficiency, although no previous experience with GIS is required. Advanced placement can be considered for students with previous GIS experience/training. Required prerequisite courses are anatomy and physiology and microbiology.

Public Health Core Courses (28 units)

• ENVH 509 Principles of Environmental Health (3)
• EPDM 509 Principles of Epidemiology I (3)
• HADM 509 Principles of Health Policy and Management (3)
• HPRO 509 Health Behavior Change (3)
• RELE 534 Ethical Issues in Public Health (3)
• PHCJ 605 Overview of Public Health (1)
• STAT 509 General Statistics/ Biostatistics (4)
• HPRO 536 Program Planning and Evaluation (2)
• GLBH 514 Cultural Competence and Health Disparities (2)
• NUTR 505 Public Health Biology (2)
• PHCJ 675 Integrated Public Health Capstone (2)

Global Health Core Courses (21 units)

• EPDM 568 International Epidemiology (2)
• GLBH 545 Integrated Community Development (4)
• GLBH 564 Primary Health Care Program I (3)
• GLBH 565 International Health Programming
• Prereq to EPDM 568 (2)
• GLBH 566 Primary Health Care Programs II (3)
• GLBH 568 Primary Health Care Programs III (3)
• STAT 515 Grant and Contract Proposal Writing (3)
• GLBH 605 Seminar in Global Health (1)

GIS Core Courses (19 units)

• ENVH 521 Cartography and Map Design (2)
• ENVH 522 Principles of GIS (3)
• ENVH 523 Practical Issues in GIS (3)
• ENVH 524 GIS Software Applications and Methods (3)
• ENVH 527 Geospatial Technologies for Emergency Preparedness and Management (3)
• ENVH 535 Integration of Geospatial Data with GIS (2)
• ENVH 549 Remote Sensing Applications in the Health Sciences (3)

Electives (5 units)
Chosen in consultation with adviser

• GLBH 544 Epidemiology of Infectious Disease (3)
• GLBH 519 Principles of Disaster Management (3)
• GLBH 555 Technology in Emergency Management (3)
• ENVH 547 GIS for Public Health Practice (2)
• ENVH 536 Spatial Analytical Techniques and GIS (3)
• ENVH 537 Health Care Geographics (2)

Other Requirements

Field practicum/internship student projects

• (400 clock hours) or 6-12 month internship - Each student completes a project in which an aspect of geospatial analysis is applied to a problem in global health and development.
• Public Health Seminar