ID 100P: Foundations for Public Health
Prior to orientation, all incoming doctoral graduate students are required to meet the foundational public health knowledge requirement through the Foundations for Public Health online course, ID 100.
The ID 100P: Foundations for Public Health online course section was created for incoming PhD students to teach and assess basic public health knowledge for all students. Students are introduced to the principles and science of public health, the major causes of morbidity and mortality, the social determinants of health, and the ways society can respond from within and from outside the health sector.
Students become familiar with commonly used metrics and measures that make up the “language of public health” and are exposed to conceptual frameworks that help them “ask the right questions.”
Students with a prior public health degree from a CEPH-accredited program may petition to waive ID 100P. They must submit an online form along with an unofficial transcript from the CEPH-accredited program they attended. A staff member in the Office of Educational Programs reviews the transcript, verifies the degree and the program’s accreditation, and makes a decision about the petition.
PHS 2000 A & B + Lab: Quantitative Research Methods in Population Health Sciences
PHS 2000A
This is part one of a two-part core year-long quantitative methods course for the Population Health Science PhD students at the School of Public Health. The course integrates methods and concepts from the various disciplines represented by Population Health Sciences to equip students with the methodological tools to conduct their own research as well as collaborate across fields of study and areas of specialization. PHS2000A covers foundational statistical methods including linear and logistic regression, generalized linear models, survival analysis, and longitudinal data analysis. Discussion will be given to important concepts including sampling, measurement, model specification, interpretation, estimation, and diagnostics. Coursework will consist of two weekly lectures and a weekly lab session, problem sets, and exams. R is the main statistical computing software that will be used in the course.
PHS 2000B
This is part two of a two-part core year-long quantitative methods course for the Population Health Science PhD students at the School of Public Health. The course integrates methods and concepts from the various disciplines represented by Population Health Sciences to equip students with the methodological tools to conduct their own research as well as collaborate across fields of study and areas of specialization. Part two of the course focuses on scientific inference and causal reasoning in the population health sciences and will provide an overview of methods for sensitivity analysis, interaction, mediation, propensity scores, time-varying exposures, measurement and correction for measurement error, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, difference-in-difference methods, time series, missing data, multiple testing, replication, and meta-analysis. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the basic definitions, assumptions, and methodology. Students will be referred to further readings and courses to gain more detailed understanding. Coursework will consist of two weekly lectures and a weekly lab session, problem sets, and exams. Various software resources will be used throughout the course, with R being the main statistical computing platform used. The course will prepare students to critically read through the empirical population health science literature, and to implement a number of different methods in their own research.
EPI 201: Introduction to Epidemiology – Methods 1 + Lab
EPI 202: Elements of Epidemiologic Research – Methods 2 + Lab
These two Epidemiology courses are to be taken by all PHS students in the first year. This sequence equips all students with understanding of basic research concepts, causal theory, epidemiology, and study design. Students requesting a waiver should submit their request and supporting documents through a Qualtrics survey. Requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Students who have previously taken one or both of these courses during a prior degree at Harvard do not need to take any course enrollment/waiver request action. Confirmation of course completion is reflected in the transcript provided at the time of application to PHS as long as the course was completed within five years of enrollment in PHS, and Field administrators will ensure that these students receive credit toward the PHS core requirements. Five years is the length of time that a degree student has to transfer Harvard Chan courses taken as a non-degree or master’s student into the degree record.
SBS 506: An Intro to History, Politics, & Public Health: Theories of Disease Distribution & Health Inequities
In all but the most exceptional of cases, this course must be taken by all incoming PHS students in the fall of first year; however, all PHS students are required to complete this course by the end of fall in the second year at the latest. (Caveat: All SBS students are required to take the course in the first year.) The course introduces different perspectives (social, behavioral, environmental, nutritional, global, and policy) that inform public health research and education. If the course was taken at Harvard Chan prior to 2016, the student will likely need to re-take this course in order to meet the PHS core requirement.
Students who have previously taken this course during a prior degree at Harvard do not need to take any course enrollment/waiver request action. Confirmation of course completion is reflected in the transcript provided at the time of application to PHS as long as the course was completed within five years of enrollment in PHS, and Field administrators will ensure that these students receive credit toward the PHS core requirements. Five years is the length of time that a degree student has to transfer Harvard Chan courses taken as a non-degree or master’s student into their degree record.
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
(FAS-Offered Course OR HPM 548 (Harvard Chan course)
Any chosen RCR method of study from either the list above or another approved equivalent should introduce the basic ethical and regulatory requirements for conducting bench, animal, clinical, and public health research. The course must fulfill the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH) requirements for RCR instruction. All three options listed above meet NIH and NSF requirements. (The FAS-Offered Course is the one most highly recommended by a majority of PHS students.)
Please note: Different courses meeting this requirement are offered via FAS or Harvard Chan. PHS students need only choose one PHS-approved course; however, this course must be completed by the end of the second year for all students (in some cases, within the first year of study), except in circumstances where a student has already taken HPM548 during a prior Harvard Chan master’s degree program. Students may also be required to take a ‘refresher’ course to update their research conduct knowledge during year three or year four.
