Master of Public Health Specialized in Health Systems Administration and Global Health Leadership

Introduction to Global Public Health (2 credits): This course examines major global health challenges and introduces students to core concepts and theories in global health. Students will be introduced to the diversity of determinants of health and disease including those related to the social and physical environmental and health care systems.

Theories & Models of Health Behavior (2 credits): This course will provide an overview of the psychosocial determinants of behavioral risk factors that affect health. The course will address the major psychosocial models and theories used in the field of health promotion and the role of psychosocial factors in predicting a range of health-related behaviors.

Environmental & Occupational Health (2 credits): This course provides an overview of the long-term effects of environmental and occupational health risks. The course examines a variety of environmental hazards and influential factors and interactions with public health. The course also addresses workplace, community, home, regional, and global problems.

Epidemiology (2 credits): This course offers an introduction to the principles, concepts, and methods of epidemiologic research. The course will introduce the basic measures used in epidemiology and will discuss epidemiologic study design and analysis. The course will also address special topics such as outbreak investigations, screening, and the role of epidemiology in public health.

Biostatistics A/B (4 credits): This course will cover fundamental statistical concepts related to the practice of public health: descriptive statistics; probability; sampling; statistical distributions; estimation; hypothesis testing; chi-square tests; simple and multiple linear regression; one-way ANOVA. The course will also include an introduction to statistical analysis and data management software. Prerequisites for Biostatistics B- successful completion of Biostatistics A.

Public Health In The Ai Era: Can Machines Replace Us? (2 credits): This course explores the expanding impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on public health and mental health, combining technological, ethical, and applied perspectives. We will examine existing AI applications in medicine, psychology, health promotion, and crisis management, while questioning whether these systems can—or should—replace human intervention. The course will include current case studies from Dr. Ziv Ben-Zion’s research on the benefits and limitations of emotional support chatbots. Students will develop innovative proposals for the responsible use of AI in public health, addressing issues such as privacy, transparency, and algorithmic bias—while emphasizing the balance between technological innovation and human needs. 

Human rights, ethics and public health (2 credits): This course will address a range of issues in public health ethics. The first part of the course will provide an introduction to human rights and to key ethical frameworks and concepts relevant to public health. The remainder of the course will examine the impact of health policies and programs on human rights and will consider ethical dilemmas in several areas, including: 1) Autonomy and paternalism; 2) Communicable diseases including Covid19 – screening, treatment, notification, quarantine; 3) Health promotion & disease prevention; and 4) non-communicable diseases – smoking and obesity.