Senate Committee on Educational Policy

January 29, 2007

TO: Robert Mrtek, Chair

Senate Committee on Educational Policy

FROM: Margaret Grosch

Director, Programs and Academic Assessment

I am submitting for review and action by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy the attached Revision of the PhD in Public Health, Concentrations in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Epidemiology.

The revision was approved by the Committee on Educational Programs in the School of Public Health on November 27, 2006, by the Executive Committee in the School of Public Health on December 4, 2006, and by the Graduate College Executive Committee on January 12, 2007.

Attachment

Copy: B. Neuberger

Title: Revision of the PhD in Public Health, Concentrations in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Epidemiology

Sponsor: School of Public Health

Description: Revise requirements for the PhD in Public Health in the following concentrations: Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Epidemiology.

1. A core PhD course (BSTT 400, Biostatistics I) will be increased from 3 to 4 semester hours

2. An additional course will be required in the Epidemiology concentration: BSTT 505 (formerly BSTT 402) Logistic Regression and Survival Analysis (2sh). In addition, the catalog statement reflects two courses being renumbered to the 500-level (BSTT 430 renumbered to BSTT 506 and BSTT 440 renumbered to BSTT 507) and an increase in credit hours for an existing required course, EPID 501, from 3 to 4 hours.

3. An additional course is required in the Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences PhD concentration: EOHS 557, Design and Analysis of Experiments (4 sh).

In addition, the catalog statement below reflects the change in credit hours for the core course BSTT 400 from 3 to 4 hours in the following PhD in Public Health concentrations: Community Health Sciences and Health Policy and Administration. In these concentrations, the catalog statements have been revised if necessary. The distribution of hours has changed: semester hours of core required courses increased from 10 to 11 sh (resulting from the change in BSTT 400 from a 3 to 4 semester hour course) while the number of required electives was reduced by one semester hour.

In all concentrations above, the total hours required for the degree remains 96.

Justification:

1. BSTT 400 was increased by 1 semester hour to add introduction to statistical analysis data software content to the course.

2. BSTT 505 is being added to the Epidemiology Concentration to strengthen the methodologic core; there are new 500-level numbers assigned to required courses in the Epidemiology concentration as well.

3. EOHS 557 is being added to the EOHS Concentration to strengthen students’ basic understanding of the computational aspects of environmental exposure assessment. Detailed consideration of the mathematical, statistical and practical aspects of design and analysis of experiments that are encountered in physicochemical, biological and engineering investigations form the basis for scientific inquiry into occupational and environmental health research problems.

Specific Current and Proposed Requirements:

Present:

PhD in Public Health with a Concentration in Epidemiology (96 semester hours)

Core requirements for the PhD in Public Health Sciences Degree (10 sh)
EPID 403 Intro.Epid Princ & Methods 3 sh
BSTT 400 Biostatistics I (3 sh)
BSTT 401 Biostatistics II (4sh)
Division Core: (21 sh)
EPID 406 Epidemiologic Computing 3 sh
EPID 404 IntermedEpidemiologic Methods 4 sh
EPID 410 Epid of Infectious Diseases 2 sh
EPID 411 Epidemiology of Chronic Disease 3 sh
EPID 501 Advanced Quant Methods in Epid 3 sh
EPID 591 Current Epidemiologic Literature 2 sh
EPID 595 Research Seminar 1 sh
BSTT 430 Design of Clinical Trials -or-
BSTT 440 Sampling & Estimation Methods 3 sh

Thesis Research: 32 hours

Electives and/or MS coursework applied toward the PhD degree: 33

/

Proposed:

Same.

Core requirements for the PhD in Public Health Degree (11 sh)
Same
BSTT 400 Biostatistics I (4 sh)
Same
Division Core: (24 sh)
New requirement:
BSTT 505 (formerly BSTT 402)
Logistic Regression and Survival Analysis (2sh)
Same
EPID 501, Advanced QM in Epid 4 sh
Same.
BSTT 506, Same OR
BSTT 507, Same
Same.
Electives and/or MS coursework applied toward the PhD degree: 29

Existing

PhD in Public Health with a Concentration in Environmental and Occupational Health (96 semester hours)

Core requirements for the PhD in Public Health Sciences Degree (10 sh)
EPID 403 Intro.Epid Princ & Methods 3 sh
BSTT 400 Biostatistics I (3 sh)
BSTT 401 Biostatistics II (4sh)
In addition, students must take:

Division Core (12 sh)

All students are required to take at least one course in each of the following three areas:
Exposure Assessment and Measurement
EOHS 405 Environmental Calculations (2 sh)
EOHS 440 Chemistry for Environ Prof (3 sh)
EOHS 421 Fund. of Industrial Hygiene (2 sh)
EOHS 418 Analysis of Water and Wastewater Quality (2 sh)
EOHS 428 Industrial Hygiene Laboratory I (2 sh)
EOHS 438 Air Quality Laboratory (2 sh)
EOHS 542 Water Chemistry (4 sh)
EOHS 543 Environ Organic Chemistry (4 sh)
HPA 564 GIS Applications in PH (3 sh)
Health Assessment
EOHS 450 Princ Occ/Environ Medicine (2 sh)
EOHS 455 Environ / Occ Toxicology (3 sh)
EOHS 551 Occupational Diseases (4 sh)
EOHS 554 Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology (2 sh)
EOHS 555 Advanced Toxicology (3 sh)
Intervention Strategies
EOHS 411 Water Quality Management I (4 sh)
EOHS 431 Air Quality Management I (3 sh)
EOHS 461 Comm Hlth Consumer Protect (2 sh)
EOHS 482 Occupational Safety Science (2 sh)
EOHS 556 Risk Assess Envir/ Occ Health (3 sh)

Thesis Research: 32 hours

Electives and/or MS coursework applied toward the PhD degree: 42-48

/

Proposed

Same.

Core requirements for the PhD in Public Health Sciences Degree (11 sh)
Same.
BSTT 400 Biostatistics I (4 sh)
Same.

Division Core (16 sh)

New requirement: EOHS 557,
Design and Analysis of Experiments (4
sh). The new course requirement will
reduce elective hours and does not
increase the total semester hour
requirement for the program.
In addition, all students are required to take at least one course in each of the following three areas, for a total of 12 hours:

Same

Same.

Electives and/or MS coursework applied toward the PhD degree: 37

Minority Impact Statement: No impact.

Budgetary and Staff Implications: No impact.

Library Resource Implications: No impact.

Space Implications: No impact.

Proposed Effective Date: Fall, 2007

Catalog Description (Present) / (Proposed)
·  Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate.
·  Course Work At least 9 hours must be in 500-level didactic courses in the student’s major area. If a collateral area is required by the major, at least 6 hours must be in the collateral area at the 500-level. / Same.
·  Required Courses: EPID 403, BSTT 400 and 401. BSTT 400 and 401 are not required for students in the Biostatistics Concentration. Remaining courses and their distribution depend on the student’s area of concentration. PhD students select from the following areas of concentration: Biostatistics, Community Health Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Epidemiology, and Health Policy and Administration. / Same.
·  Biostatistics Concentration Requirements: EPID 403; BSTT 531, 533, 534; at least 1 semester (1 hour) of BSTT 595; 19 semester hours of electives with 8 hours selected from BSTT 541, 542, 543, 544, and 545. The remaining 11 elective hours may not include BSTT 400, 401, 402, 410, 502, 503, or 504. / Same.
·  Community Health Sciences Concentration Requirements: PhD students in Community Health Sciences must complete all of the SPH requirements for the PhD degree. In addition, students must take CHSC 400 and CHSC 551 and select HPA 400, EOHS 400, or CHSC 401. PhD students must select a major area of concentration in which at least 9 semester hours are completed at the 500-level. Adviser approval is necessary for elective course selection. In addition, PhD students must select a collateral area in which at least 6 semester hours are completed at the 500-level. The student will be tested in the collateral area as part of the preliminary examination. PhD students with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology have additional requirements. / Same.
·  Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Concentration Requirements: PhD students concentrating in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences must complete all of the SPH requirements for the PhD degree. In addition, students must complete the division core, choosing at least one course in each of the following three areas: Exposure Assessment and Measurement, Health Assessment, and Intervention Strategies. Students should see their adviser for a list of courses in each area. / ·  Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Concentration Requirements: PhD students concentrating in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences must complete all of the SPH requirements for the PhD degree, and EOHS 557. In addition, students must complete the division core, choosing at least one course in each of the following three areas: Exposure Assessment and Measurement, Health Assessment, and Intervention Strategies. Students should see their adviser for a list of courses in each area.
·  Epidemiology Concentration Requirements: PhD students concentrating in Epidemiology must complete all of the SPH requirements for the PhD degree. In addition, students must take: EPID 404, 406, 410, 411, 501, 591, 595; BSTT 430 or 440. / ·  Epidemiology Concentration Requirements: PhD students concentrating in Epidemiology must complete all of the SPH requirements for the PhD degree. In addition, students must take: EPID 404, 406, 410, 411, 501, 591, 595; BSTT 505, and BSTT 506 or 507.
·  Health Policy and Administration Concentration Requirements: PhD students in Health Policy and Administration must complete all of the SPH requirements for the PhD degree. No additional course requirements are specified. In addition, a minimum of 22 hours of course work relevant to the disciplinary area of Health Policy and Administration is taken in consultation with the faculty adviser. / ·  Health Policy and Administration Concentration Requirements: PhD students in Health Policy and Administration must complete all of the SPH requirements for the PhD degree. No additional course requirements are specified. In addition, a minimum of 21 hours of course work relevant to the disciplinary area of Health Policy and Administration is taken in consultation with the faculty adviser.
·  Dissertation Required. Students must register in IPHS 599 for at least 32 semester hours.
·  Other Requirements Students must obtain supervised experience in classroom teaching in at least one course for at least part of a semester. / Same.

Course Descriptions:

BSTT400Biostatistics I. 4 hours. Descriptive statistics, basic probability concepts, one- and two-sample statistical inference, analysis of variance, and simple linear regression. Introduction to statistical data analysis software. Prerequisites: Enrollment restricted to public health students and MHA students; other graduate, professional and advanced undergraduate students admitted by consent as space permits. To obtain consent, see the SPH registrar. (increasing credit hours from 3 to 4)

BSTT505Logistic Regression and Survival Analysis. 2 hours. Interpretation of logistic regression and survival analysis models. Running logistic and proportional hazards regression models and constructing life-tables using SAS. Prerequisites: BSTT 400 and BSTT 401. (renumbered from BSTT 402 and now required for the Epidemiology Concentration)

EOHS557Design and Analysis of Experiments. 4 hours. Detailed consideration of the mathematical, statistical and practical aspects of design and analysis of experiments that are encountered in physicochemical, biological and engineering investigations. Extensive computer use required. Prerequisites: Completion of one course in statistics, working knowledge of at least one statistical software package (SAS, Design Expert, Minitab, etc.), and consent of the instructor. Recommended background: A working knowledge of linear algebra and additional advanced course work in statistics would be very helpful. (now required for the EOHS Concentration)

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Revised 1/4/07