Core Courses in the Master of Health Science Program

 All students enrolled in Master of Health Science degree programs are required to complete an 18-credit set of graduate core courses.  Several of these courses, including Health Science Inquiry (MHLTHSCI 505), Applied Statistical Methods (MHLTHSCI/KINES 552), Program Evaluation in the Health Sciences (MHLTHSCI 555), and Applications of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in Public Health (MHLTHSCI 579), combine to give MHS graduates an excellent understanding of how research and evaluation are conducted in the public health arena.  Health Care Systems Organization and Administration (MHLTHSCI 520) gives a thorough overview of the health services delivery system in the United States, and Ethics of Health Policy (MHLTHSCI 535) addresses a number of fundamental concerns (such as health policy decision-making, quality of care issues) in the service delivery and public health sectors.  The Assessment (Capstone Course; MHLTHSCI 600) ties together what students have learned in the graduate core courses, and allows students to demonstrate their expertise across a variety of domains.

Because we consider each course in the graduate core to be so important, we do not allow substitutions for these courses except in extraordinary circumstances.

* Prerequisites include MHLTHSCI 505
** Prerequisites include introductory course in epidemiology and MHLTHSCI 552 or equivalent.

Environmental Health Emphasis, Master of Health Science Program

The Environmental Health emphasis area of the MHS program is intended to train experts in the assessment of natural and created resources that affect public health.  These resources include the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink, as well as our workplaces and municipal services.  Advanced Environmental Health (MHLTHSCI 510) gives an excellent overview of important issues in environmental health, including coverage of food and water quality protection, hazardous waste management, and decision-making models to promote effective management.  Risk Management in the Health Sciences (MHLTHSCI 560) addresses the variety of mechanisms through which health professionals minimize vulnerabilities and potential hazards, and Environmental Regulatory Policy and Administration (PUBADM 541) focuses on the organizations and policies that affect natural resource administration and use.  Health Promotion (MHLTHSCI 570) introduces students to a discussion of implementation and evaluation of public health programs across a variety of domains, including environmental health, and Science, Democracy, and Environment (PUBADM 542) focuses explicitly on environmental politics and policy.  Students completing an Environmental Health emphasis also choose one additional three-credit elective course related to their area of study.

Students applying to the MHS program with an emphasis in Environmental Health are expected to have a strong background in natural science, usually with a B.S. degree in Environmental Health, Biology, or Chemistry.  To determine whether they have taken sufficient natural science coursework prior to applying, students should contact the Graduate Program Director.

Students who earn a masters degree with an emphasis in environmental health are trained to work in a variety of settings, including private industry, non-profit organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.  A list of organizations that past graduates have worked for, or are qualified to work for, include:

• Ada County Highway Department
• Ada County Landfill
• Boise State University Campus Environmental Health
• Centra Consulting, Inc.
• Central District Health Department
• Eastern Idaho Health Department
• Friends of Children and Families Head Start
• Gem County Mosquito Abatement
• Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
• Motive Power
• Rocky Mountain Environmental Consultants
• Sorrento Lactalis
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Peace Corps
• U.S. Public Health Service

NOTE: All applicants for the environmental health emphasis must have met the science requirements for a bachelor’s degree in environmental health. Persons who have no experience in environmental health will also be required to take MHLTHSCI 590 Practicum.

 Featured Faculty:  Dr. Dale Stephenson

Dr. Stephenson is an outstanding faculty member who teaches a variety of the courses in the Environmental Health emphasis area, including Occupational Safety and Health (MHLTHSCI 515), Hazardous Waste Management (MHLTHSCI 542), and a host of special topics courses.  He earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Health from Colorado State University in 1991, and has conducted a great deal of research on a variety of topics related to air quality, occupational health, aerosol technology, and exposure assessment.  He and his students have published research on their projects in a variety of journals, including Chemical Health and Safety, the Environmental Health Journal, the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, and the Journal of Applied Environmental and Occupational Hygiene.  He and his students have also presented research at a number of scientific conferences, including the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, meetings of the National Environmental Health Association, and the National Occupational Health Research Agenda Symposium.

Consistent with the applied mission of the College of Health Sciences, much Dr. Stephenson’s research has been conducted to assist local, state, regional, and national governments address important environmental health concerns.  Examples of his applied research include studies of the air quality in Denali and Yellowstone National Parks, as well as air quality throughout the Treasure Valley.  He has involved several of his MHS graduate students in these efforts, and they have produced noteworthy accomplishments.  Former student Eric Sirs completed a masters thesis entitled “Assessment of EPA compliance with underground storage tank regulations in the Pacific Northwest,” and former student Wendy Campbell completed a masters thesis entitled “Assessment of occupational exposure to snowmobile emissions at Yellowstone National Park.”

Featured Faculty:  Dr. Uwe Reischl

Dr. Uwe Reischl is another outstanding faculty member who teaches a variety of courses in the MHS program (including Health Care Systems and Organization [MHLTHSCI 520], Health Economics [ECON 440G], and Public Health Disaster Preparedness Planning [MHLTHSCI 597]).  Dr. Reischl has some of the most extensive and interesting training experiences of any faculty member at BSU.  He has earned two Ph.D.s, one in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of California-Berkeley, and the other a joint Ph.D.-M.D. in Medicine from the University of Ulm (Germany).  He has taught at universities throughout the United States (for example, in California, Michigan, and Florida), served as the president of a corporation, and served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.  His excellent research, spanning four decades, has addressed numerous topics, ranging from fire safety technology to workplace injury prevention.  His research has been published in a variety of journals, including the American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Fire Technology, and the Journal of Population Studies.  He has presented his research at numerous national and international conferences, including several Congresses of the German Occupational and Environmental Association, a Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, and an International Meeting on Occupational Health.  Until recently, Dr. Reischl served as the Director of the Center for Health Policy at BSU, and conducted a large number of grant- and contract-funded research studies with a variety of state and local agencies and organizations.

General Health Research Emphasis, Master of Health Science Program

The General Health Research emphasis of the MHS program is intended to train experts in the assessment of factors related to the health of communities and their residents, as well as the effectiveness of programs and services designed to improve public health.  Public health researchers are constantly tasked with identifying risk factors associated with disease, disability, and infection, as well as with developing scientifically-supported programs and services to improve health and well-being; the coursework in the General Health Research emphasis area is designed to train such researchers for success in these endeavors.  Advanced Social Statistics (SOC 500) and Qualitative Social Research Methods (SOC 502) together provide students with an excellent understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods and statistics, and particularly an understanding of how statistical methods can be employed to assess and evaluate threats to public health.  Risk Management in the Health Sciences (MHLTHSCI 560) focuses on how threats to public health can be minimized, and includes evaluation of pertinent research on this topic.  Health Promotion (MHLTHSCI 570) addresses public health interventions across a variety of domains, and includes coverage of contemporary research in this area.

 Students who earn a masters degree with an emphasis in General Health Research are trained to work in a variety of settings, including consulting agencies, non-profit organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.  A list of organizations that past graduates have worked for, or are qualified to work for, include:

• Blue Cross
• Central District Health Department
• Clearwater Research
• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
• Idaho Hospital Association
• Regence Blue Shield
• St. Alphonsus and St. Luke’s Hospitals
• Various universities, including Boise State University

Featured Faculty:  Dr. Lee Hannah

Dr. Hannah is an exceptionally well-trained member of the MHS faculty.  She earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Florida, and is an active member of the veterinary community.  She also has also earned a Master of Public Health degree with an emphasis in epidemiology, and a Master of Science degree with an emphasis in program development and evaluation.  She has worked extensively in the field of epidemiology, including with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.  Dr. Hannah teaches many of the research-related courses in the MHS program, including Epidemiology for Health Professionals (MHLTHSCI 501), Program Evaluation in Health Delivery Settings (MHLTHSCI 555), and Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MHLTHSCI 579), as well as special topics courses such as Chronic Illness, Current Topics in Epidemiology, and Infectious Disease Epidemiology.  She maintains a very active research program, and has particular interest in work related to antibiotic resistance, childhood obesity, chronic illnesses, alcohol and drug use, and health care quality.  She and her students have published research in a variety of scholarly journals, including the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, the American Journal of Infection Control, Infectious Control and Hospital Epidemiology, and the Journal of the American Medical Association.  She and her students have also presented research at a number of scholarly conferences, including annual conferences of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, and the Public Health Professional Conference.

Dr. Hannah’s applied research has included work in nursing homes and dialysis facilities, and has focused on heart failure, telemedicine, and antibiotic use.  She is currently the primary investigator on a grant funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that is focused on the prevention of alcohol and drug use by young adults in the workplace.  Her past students have completed master’s theses on a variety of important health topics, such as school wellness programs and breastfeeding.

Featured Faculty:  Dr. Bonnie Lind

Dr. Bonnie Lind is a very accomplished health researcher who earned her masters degree in Biostatistics and a doctorate in Health Services Research, both from the University of Washington.  Currently the Director of Research for the Idaho Nursing Workforce Center at BSU, among the classes she teaches or co-teaches for the MHS program are Applied Statistical Methods (MHLTHSCI 552) and Applications in Biostatistics and Epidemiology in Public Health (MHLTHSCI 579).  Dr. Lind has a broad background in public health research, having worked on large-scale, longitudinal assessments of cardiovascular disease epidemiology, and has managed studies and coordinated data collection, data management, and quality control on a number of projects.  She has authored or co-authored numerous papers in the medical literature, including articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Medical Care, and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Health Policy Emphasis, Master of Health Science Program

The Health Policy emphasis area is a particularly interdisciplinary area of the MHS program.  Intended to broadly train health advocates to work in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, this emphasis area features courses taught by faculty in the Master of Public Administration program, as well as faculty in Economics and Health Sciences.  The interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum in this emphasis area ensures that students will develop an excellent understanding not only of mainstream public health concepts, but also of how to influence policymaking decisions on a number of levels.  Administration in the Public Sector (PUBADM 500) provides a strong overview of important issues in public administration, and Public Policy Process (PUBADM 501) focuses on how decisions and policies are made within governmental and other institutions.  Organization Theory (PUBADM 502) focuses on theories of organizational behavior and management in the public and non-profit organizations, and Health Economics (ECON 440G) addresses economics and ethics in the health care delivery system.  Current Issues in Health Policy (MHLTHSCI 550) provides the explicit link to public health, with its focus on access to and quality of health care in the public sector.

 Applicants who wish to complete a MHS degree with an emphasis in Health Policy must be approved by both the MHS program director and the director of the Master of Public Administration program.

 The interdisciplinary curriculum and other training experiences in the Health Policy emphasis area prepare graduates to effectively work in numerous settings, particularly in the public and non-profit sectors.  A list of organizations that past graduates have worked for, or are qualified to work for, include:

• Blue Cross
• Coram Healthcare
• Focus Bio-Inova, Inc.
• Healthwise, Inc.
• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
• Primary Care Health Clinic
• Southwest District Health Department
• St. Alphonsus and St. Luke’s Hospitals
• Veteran Administration Medical Center

Featured Faculty:  Dr. Patti Fredrickson

Dr. Fredrickson is an outstanding member of the BSU faculty, who, although she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration/Department of Political Science, works closely with MHS students who are interested in health policy issues.  Having earned her M.P.A. at the University of Idaho and her Ph.D. at Washington State University, Dr. Frederickson has taught a number of courses enrolling MHS students, including Public Personnel Administration (PUBADM 505) and Grant Writing (MHLTHSCI 572).  Her research interests center on civic engagement in the public administration sector, and she has published widely in a number of books, technical reports, and other outlets.  Her research has been presented at a variety of scientific conferences, including meetings of the American Society of Public Administration, and the Western Political Science Association.  She has also worked in a consulting capacity, often on health-related topics, for state agencies, charitable foundations, and law enforcement organizations.

Health Promotion Emphasis, Master of Health Science Program

The Health Promotion emphasis area includes a number of courses and experiential opportunities designed to broadly train experts to promote health in various sectors of public life.  Emphasis is placed on preventing disease and disability in healthy populations, and encouraging healthy behaviors and lifestyle choices.  Health promotion professionals are employed in a variety of settings, including schools, fitness and wellness centers, nursing homes, and a number of public and non-profit service agencies, and address important health issues such as nutrition, exercise, tobacco, alcohol, and substance use, and health care utilization.  The courses in this emphasis area prepare students to work in these settings and to address these issues.  Current Issues in Health Policy (MHLTHSCI 550) addresses a variety of issues related to health promotion, and particularly focuses on the health care system in terms of access to and quality of health care.  Health Promotion (MHLTHSCI 570) focuses on the development and implementation of programs designed to improve public health across a variety of dimensions, including nutrition, exercise, and substance use and abuse.  Community Psychology (PSYC 438G) addresses mental health promotion, focusing particularly on preventing the development of mental health problems through community interventions.  Students completing an emphasis in Health Promotion are also allowed to select one of several courses that enable them to tailor their education to the type of work they would like to do in the future.  These courses include: Marketing for Health Professionals (MHLTHSCI 529), which is particularly valuable for those who plan to work in education or health communication; Grant Writing (MHLTHSCI 572), which helps prepare professionals to solicit external funding for health-related programs and research; the Psychology of Health (PSYC 331G), which broadly addresses psychological mechanisms involved in health-related behavior change; Public Budgeting and Financial Administration (PUBADM 504), which is particularly suited for professionals who will manage publicly-funded health programs; and Qualitative Social Research Methods (SOC 502), which will enhance the training of those who plan to engage in health promotion research.

 As noted above, health promotion is a broad field, and graduate training in this area prepares professionals to work in a variety of different occupational settings.  A list of organizations that past graduates have worked for, or are qualified to work for, include:

• Boise School District
• Boise State University Wellness Center
• Healthwise
• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare

Featured Faculty:  Dr. Sarah Toevs

Dr. Sarah Toevs has been responsible for many of the successes of the MHS program, having served as the Director of the program from 2001 to 2006.  During this time, the program grew rapidly in the number of students and graduates and also in terms of its prestige.  She oversaw the development of a number of new curricular and programmatic offerings, and is credited for making the program as student-friendly as it is.  Dr. Toevs earned her Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Education from the University of Utah, and has taught a number of the courses in the MHS program, including Health Sciences Inquiry (MHLTHSCI 505) and the capstone Assessment (MHLTHSCI 600) course.  Dr. Toevs has research interests in research design and program evaluation, and is actively engaged in community-based research and evaluation activities with a variety of organizations, including the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, Family Medical Residency of Idaho, and Terry Reilly Health Services.  She has authored or co-authored numerous project-specific reports and papers in health promotion, leadership, and oral health publications, and is an active member of both the American and Idaho Public Health Associations.  Although she recently stepped down as Director of the MHS program to assume loftier administrative positions (she is both the Chair of the Department of Community and Environmental Health and the Associate Dean of the College of Health Sciences), she remains an active member of the MHS program faculty, a mentor for graduate students, and a Scholar with the Center for Health Policy.

Featured Faculty:  Dr. Caile Spear

Dr. Caile Speak is an active member of the MHS program faculty who has worked with many graduate students in her area of interest, health promotion.  She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas, and has research interests in the areas of community health, service-learning, and abstinence education.  Her work has been published in a variety of scientific journals, including the American Journal of Health Behavior, the American Journal of Health Studies, the California Journal of Health Promotion, and the Journal of Health Education.  Graduate students who have worked with her have completed research on a variety of topics of both regional and national importance, including an evaluation of payment policies for weight loss surgery, an evaluation of abstinence-only education strategies for reducing teen pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases, an assessment of the impact of youth action council participation, and a study of policy and environmental supports for cardiovascular health in Idaho worksites.  Dr. Spear is widely recognized for her efforts to involve her students in community-based research, and is a leader on campus in service-learning efforts.

Health Services Leadership Emphasis, Master of Health Science Program

The Health Services Leadership emphasis area has been created to help leaders in the public health field, or students interested in leadership positions in public health, master many of the skills conducive to success in their work.  Much like the Health Policy emphasis area, the Health Services Leadership emphasis area is highly interdisciplinary; students in this area take courses taught by experienced faculty in a number of academic departments, including Dispute Resolution, Economics, and Health Science.  The curriculum in this area is developed to broadly train health services leaders to successfully address issues related to interpersonal dynamics in the workplace, the economics of health care delivery system, and key principles of leadership and management.  Interpersonal dynamics, particularly as they relate to conflict management in health-related organizations, are explicitly addressed in the three one-credit course sequence offered by the Dispute Resolution Program; these courses include Human Factors in Conflict Resolution (DISPUT 501), Negotiation Theory and Practice (DISPUT 502), and Conflict Intervention Methods (DISPUT 503).  Health Economics (ECON 440G) focuses on economics and ethics in the health care delivery system, and addresses the health leader’s role in affecting these issues.  Management for Health Professionals (MHLTHSCI 522) and Leadership for Health Professionals (MHLTHSCI 525) both focus explicitly on the development of skills needed by the health services leader, with the management course concentrating primarily on management strategies (for program planning, staff development, ect.), and the Leadership course concentrating more heavily on the role of the leader in accomplishing organizational goals.

Students who complete the emphasis in Health Services Leadership are trained to engage in effective leadership throughout the private, public, and non-profit sectors.  A list of organizations that past graduates have worked for, or are qualified to work for, include:

• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
• King County Drug Court
• Pocatello Regional Hospital
• St. Alphonsus and St. Luke’s Hospitals

Featured Faculty:  Dr. Ed Baker

Dr. Baker is an outstanding faculty member of the MHS program, with a range of training and expertise that makes him a true expert on health services leadership and other public health issues.  Having earned his graduate degrees in Educational Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and Temple University, Dr. Baker has worked for a number of years in both academia and in healthcare consulting and research.  In the MHS program, Dr. Baker has taught a number of courses, including Applied Statistical Methods, Health Economics (ECON 440G), and Marketing for Health Professionals (MHLTHSCI 529).  His award-winning research, much of it on topics related to evaluating and improving health care outcomes, has been published in journals such as Educational Leadership, the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, the Journal of Special Education, and Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, and has been presented at the American Academy of Family Physicians Scientific Assembly, at numerous meetings of the American Educational Research Association, and at a meeting of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association.  In recognition of his research expertise, Dr. Baker was recently appointed the new Director of the Center for Health Policy. 

Dr. Baker consistently involves graduate students in his research, much of which is contract-funded and therefore often provides students with opportunities for graduate research assistantships.  Graduate students working with him have also conducted excellent thesis and project research on a variety of public health topics, including patient satisfaction with community clinic services, an assessment of cost offsets in substance abuse treatment, a comprehensive survey of rural Idaho health clinics, and an evaluation of marketing practices in rural Idaho hospitals.