This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2025-2026 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
PHLT 580. Public Health Ethics. 1 Hour.
Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to graduate public health majors and clinical research certificate students. This course explores basic theoretical perspectives, values and principles underlying the field of public health ethics, and examines: the Public Health Code of Ethics; differences between public health ethics and medical ethics; ethical aspects of federal and state public health practices, including legal powers given to public health, and related privacy and confidentiality issues; social justice and the effects of structural bias, inequity and racism; application of ethical analysis frameworks to public health issue analysis and decision-making; barriers to the ethical practice of public health; and how to respond to unethical events.
PHLT 593. Foundations of Public Health Profession. 2 Hours.
Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Public Health program. The purpose of this course is to provide students with insight into (1) public health as a discipline and the work of public health organizations and (2) knowledge of and skill in some of the practical and professional skills necessary for the field. The course addresses public health history, philosophy and values, roles, and responsibilities, including the 10 Essential Public Health Services. Students learn about the varied roles of state, local and non-governmental agencies through sessions with public health professionals. This course also provides students with training in the appropriate policies and procedures for the conduct of human subjects research protection; basic leadership principles for effectively leading work and other teams; effective approaches for conducting difficult conversations; techniques for negotiation and conflict mediation; and approaches for effective resource management for a project or organization.
PHLT 594. MPH Practicum. 1-2 Hours.
Semester course; 1-2 practicum hours. 1-2 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of two credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Public Health program. Students typically work 120 practical hours over one semester (8 hours per week on average) in a professional public health setting and engage in selected training to develop a foundation of basic skills in areas such as communication, leadership and professionalism. The practicum placement will be made according to the student's area of interest. Students will work as members of collaborative public health teams fulfilling varied missions. Each student will have a personalized experience, which could include team tasks, shadowing public health professionals, attending meetings, data entry, descriptive data analysis, transcription of focus group discussions, creation of health promotion materials, and participating in other organizational activities that will provide a basic foundation of knowledge and experience in public health research and/or practice. Graded as satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
PHLT 600. Introduction to Public Health. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Public Health program or by permission of the instructor. Describes the public health system in the United States. Explores the disease prevention and philosophy and foundations of public health management, economics, law, ethics and education. Examines the use of epidemiology and statistics to determine personal, environmental, and occupational health problems.
PHLT 601. Contemporary and Controversial Issues in Public Health. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or online). 3 credits. This course introduces students to current issues and controversies in public health such as HIV transmission risk behavior, poverty, globalization, gun control, health care access and obesity. Students will be able to describe these controversies and argue differing perspectives on the major issues.
PHLT 604. Principles of Environmental Health. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Public Health program or by permission of the instructor. The course is designed to provide an overview of environmental health. It provides an introduction to the methods used to understand the impact of environmental hazards on human health, such as toxicology, exposure assessment and environmental epidemiology; surveys the nature and control of environmental hazards that may cause or exacerbate health issues; and touches on some hot topics and current controversies in the field. In addition to providing a broad introduction to environmental health, this course aims to teach students how to research environmental health topics and critically assess environmental health literature.
PHLT 693. Public Health Internship. 1-3 Hours.
Semester course; 1-3 field experience hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 1-3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of three credits. Prerequisites: BIOS 543, EPID 571 and SBHD 605, each with a minimum grade of B. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Public Health program. Students will spend 180 hours (60 hours per credit) in a planned, supervised experience working to support a community agency or organization. Such agencies might include a nonprofit organization such as the Institute for Public Health Innovation or a local, state or federal public health agency. Graded as satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
PHLT 694. MPH Capstone Project. 1-3 Hours.
Semester course; 1-3 field experience/independent study/research hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 1-3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of three credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Public Health program and requires submission of a program-approved capstone project proposal and agreement form and approval by the program director. Each student will complete a research project that demonstrates the application of the knowledge acquired in the M.P.H. program. The student will answer one or more relevant research or applied practice questions; the final product is a scholarly written report of publishable quality. A proposal must be submitted for approval and credits are assigned commensurate with the complexity of the project. Arrangements are made directly with a faculty member and approved by the graduate program director.