Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health

International Health Concentration

Introduction

The mission of the NYU Community Public Health program is to improve the health of diverse population groups at the local, national and international levels. This mission is consistent with New York University’s role as a center for global education. It is accomplished by educating students to integrate the knowledge, skills, and experience fundamental to all public health disciplines and to apply the integrated knowledge to prevention of a broad range of community health problems. The program prepares students to be effective public health leaders and service providers through its commitment to excellence in education, research, and community service. It promotes public health practice and professional values through graduate-level field work with community agencies, collaboration with outside agencies, and the provision of direct service to the community.

The Concentration

International Community Health is one of three areas of concentration of the Community Public Health program. It is a 46-credit program leading to the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. The program is designed for students who seek graduate training in planning and evaluating programs designed to promote health and prevent disease in diverse population groups throughout the world. It prepares students for careers in international health agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

Program Goals

The MPH trains students to integrate the knowledge, skills, and experience fundamental to all public health disciplines and to apply this integrated knowledge to prevent health problems among diverse population groups. This goal is accomplished through training in public health fundamentals--biostatistics, epidemiology, research methods, environmental health sciences, health services administration, social and behavioral sciences, and program planning and evaluation. The program places great emphasis on the application of material learned in courses to practical experience obtained through supervised fieldwork placements.

The goals of the International Community Health concentration are to prepare health professionals to:

  • Identify and assess preventable health problems among diverse population groups in low-income and developing countries as well as among immigrant and indigenous communities within the United States.
  • Identify the social, cultural, economic, environmental, and institutional factors that contribute to the risk of health problems among diverse international populations
  • Develop educational and other population-based intervention strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve quality of life.
  • Develop policies and programs to reduce barriers to improved health status.
  • Apply population-based research findings to the development, implementation, and evaluation of health policies and programs in low-income and developing countries.

Admissions

Applicants must have at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and must have taken the GRE or MCAT within the past 5 years. Applicants can request that official GRE scores to be sent to Graduate Admissions; official MCAT scores must be submitted on paper, with the completed application. For information on admissions, financial aid and housing as well as application materials, please contact:

The Office of Graduate Admissions
New York University - Steinhardt School of Education
82 Washington Square East, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10003-6644
(212) 998-5030 - www.education.nyu.edu/graduate.admissions

The deadlines for admission to the M.P.H. program are February 1 for the Fall semester and November 1 for the Spring semester.

Degree Requirements

The International Community Health concentration leads to an MPH degree with a specialization in international community health. All students must complete 46 credits of coursework and a 180-hour internship experience. The Department strongly recommends that students acquire basic knowledge of statistics before entering the MPH program.

Foreign Language Proficiency: students in this concentration are required to demonstrate proficiency in at least one foreign language (see advisor for options for meeting this requirement).

Curriculum and Program Sequence

Curriculum (46 credits)

Department Requirement
E33.2000.003 New Graduate Student Seminar (0) [F, Sp]

Public Health Foundations (19)
E10.2995 Biostatistics I (3) [F]
E10.2996 Biostatistics II (3) [Sp] Prerequisite: E10.2995
E33.2306 Epidemiology (3) [Sp] Prerequisite: E10.2995
E33.2322 History & Principles of Public Health (3) [F]
E33.2356 Environmental Health Problems (3) [F]
P11.1830 Community Health & Medical Care (4) [F, Sp, Su]

Applied Public Health (6)
E33.2318 Assessing Community Health Needs (3) [F] Prerequisites:: E10.2996, E33.2306, E33.2361
E33.2355 Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health (3) [F]

International Community Health Specialization (12)
The following courses are required for the International Community Health concentration, however alternative courses may be taken upon advisor approval:

E33.2314 International Health and Economic Development (3) [F]
E33.2383 International Population and Family Health (3) [Sp]
Electives (6) (see below)
Foreign language proficiency (see below)

Research (6)
E33.2361 Research Methods in Public Health (3) [Sp]
E33.2349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3) [Sp] Prerequisites: E33.2318, E33.2355

Internship (3)
E33.2360 Internship and Seminar in Public Health (3) [F, Sp, Su]
(To be taken after completing at least 23 of the 46 required credits.)

Note: No master's level E33 or E10 courses may be taken pass/fail (by departmental decision, March 5, 2002).

RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES (others may be selected by advisement)

Community Health
E33.2410 Community Based Health Interventions (3)
E33.2405 Health Communication: Theory and Practice (3)
E33.2335 Advocating for Community Health (3)
E33.#### Topics in Health: (topic and course number changes each semester) (3)
P11.2106 Community Organizing (4)*
P11.2445 Urban Poverty (4)*

International Community Health
P11.2852 Comparative Analysis of Health Systems: International Perspectives (4)*
E33.2316 International Health Seminars: South Africa (6)
E33.2314 International Health and Economic Development (3) [F]
E33.2383 International Population and Family Health (3) [Sp]
P11.2211 Program Development & Management for International Organizations (4)*
P11.2210 International Organizations and Management: The UN System (4)*
P11.2216 International Organizations: NGOs (4)*
P11.2237 Urbanization in Developing Countries (4)*
P11.2867 Health Care Reform: International (4)*

Public Health Nutrition
E33.2213 Nutrition in Public Health (3) [F]
E33.2191 Culture and Foods (3) [F]
E33.2187 International Nutrition (3)
E33.2015 Food Policy (3) [Sp]
E33.2178 Nutrition Assessment Methods (3)
E33.2208 International Study in Foods & Nutrition (1-6)
E33.2042 Maternal and Child Nutrition (3) [Sp]
E33.2192 Nutritional Epidemiology (3) [F]

Public Health Electives Applicable to Any Concentration
E33.2319 Writing Grants and Funding Proposals for Health-Related Programs (3) P11.2836 Current Issues in Health Policy (4)*
P11.2650 Population Change, Immigration and Public Policy (4)*
P11.2215 Globalization and its Impact on the State (4)*
P11.2119 Marketing for Non-profit Organizations (4)*
P11.2125 Foundations for Non-profit Management (4)*
P11.2867 Health Care Reform (4)*
P11.2125 Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management (4)*
U10.2210 Migrating Populations and Health (3) [Sp]
U10.2220 Cross-Cultural Health Communication (3) [F]
U10.2230 Global Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Control (3) [Sp]
U10.2290 Acute Public Health Emergencies (3) [Sp]
U10.2410 Global Burden of Infectious Disease (3) [F]
U10.2420 Genetic Epidemiology (3) [F]
U10.2440 Emerging Diseases and Bioterrorism (3) [F]
U10.2450 Advanced Epidemiology (3) [Sp]
U10.2510 Fundamentals of International Dental Public Health Practice (3) [Sp]
U10.2520 Issues in Global Pediatric Oral Health (3) [Sp]
U10.2530 Water Fluoridation: A Half Century of Evidence and Arguments (3) [F]
U10.2540 Oral Health Promotion Planning Principles: Application to Developing Countries (3) [F]
U10.2550 Society and Oral Health Seminar (3) [Sp]
U10.2560 Public Health Research and Practice in Less Developed Countries (3) [Sp]

* Please note that asterisk (*) indicates a 4-credit course.

Internship

Practical work experience in public health programs is an essential part of the training of public health professionals. As the culminating experience of the MPH program, students are expected to be engaged in supervised fieldwork for a minimum of 180 hours. To integrate and apply knowledge of public health fundamentals, students work or intern at a selected community site as part of E33.2360 Internship and Seminar in Public Health. Students enroll in the Internship class during their last year of courses (students must complete 23 credits toward their degree to enroll in E33.2360). Registration for E33.2360 requires permission from the instructor. For details regarding the internship process, please refer to the Internship and Seminar in Public Health: A Guide for Students, Faculty and Community Agencies which can be found on our website.Field placement opportunities

In consultation with an advisor, students select field placement at a wide variety of public health agencies or programs that work with immigrant populations in New York City. Students are also encouraged to make special arrangements to work at international public health sites

Examples of recent site placements include

* Caribbean Women's Health Association
* Center for Immigrant Health
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta
* Children's Health Fund
* Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome
* Helen Keller International
* Arab-American Family Support Center
* Momentum AIDS Project
* New York City Board of Education
* New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
* New York State Department of Health
* Office of Minority Health
* UNICEF
* World Health Organization, Geneva

Program Sequence

For students matriculating FALL semester.

1st Fall semester:
E33.2000.003 New Graduate Student Seminar (0)
E10.2995 Biostatistics I (3)
E33.2322 History & Principles of Public Health (3)
E33.2355 Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health (3)
P11.1830 Community Health & Medical Care (4)

1st Spring semester:
E10.2996 Biostatistics II (3) [prerequisite: E10.2995 ]
E33.2306 Epidemiology (3) [prerequisite: E10.2995 ]
E33.2361 Research Methods in Public Health (3) [prerequisite: E10.2995 or permission of instructor]
E33.2383 International Population and Family Health (3)

2nd Fall semester:
E33.2356 Environmental Health Problems (3)
E33.2318 Assessing Community Health Needs (3) [prerequisite: E10.2996, E33.2306, E33.2361]
E33.2314 International Health and Economic Development (3)
_______ Elective ____________________________

2nd Spring semester:
E33.2349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3) [prerequisite: E33.2318, E33.2355 ]
E33.2360 Internship and Seminar in Public Health (3)
_______ Elective ____________________________

For students matriculating SPRING semester.

1st Spring semester:
E33.2000.003 New Graduate Student Seminar (0)
E33.2361 Research Methods in Public Health (3) [prerequisitie: E10.2995]
P11.1830 Community Health & Medical Care (4)
E33.2383 International Population and Family Health (3)
_______ Elective ____________________________

1st Fall semester:
E10.2995 Biostatistics I (3)
E33.2322 History & Principles of Public Health (3)
E33.2355 Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health (3)
E33.2318 Assessing Community Health Needs (3) [prerequisite: E10.2996, E33.2306, E33.2361]

2nd Spring semester:
E10.2996 Biostatistics II (3) [prerequisite: E10.2995 ]
E33.2306 Epidemiology (3) [prerequisite: E10.2995 ]
E33.2349 Program Planning and Evaluation (3) [prerequisite: E33.2318, E33.2355 ]
_______ Elective ____________________________

2nd Fall semester*
E33.2356 Environmental Health Problems (3)
E33.2360 Internship and Seminar in Public Health (3)
E33.2314 International Health and Economic Development (3)

* Students taking less than 12 credits but enrolled in E33.2360 can apply for full-time equivalency

Career Opportunities

International community public health professionals hold positions as officers, managers, directors and coordinators of international:

  • National and international health agencies and non-governmental organizations
  • Health departments, agencies, and organizations
  • Humanitarian organizations
  • United Nations-affiliated organizations
  • Health care facilities
  • Specialized health care programs serving adolescents, high-risk infants, handicapped children, elderly, and persons with specific diseases or conditions
  • Primary health care programs in low-income areas
  • Government and non-governmental health prevention and treatment programs
  • International reproductive health programs
  • Programs serving the HIV-infected population
  • Government or non-governmental programs to reduce risk factors for specific chronic diseases
  • Government and local programs to implement health planning objectives
  • Health advocacy organizations

Professional Organizations

Students are strongly encouraged to join and participate in the NYU Public Health Alliance during the program. The
NYU MPH program also strongly encourages students to become members and to regularly attend meetings of the
American Public Health Association (APHA); its New York City affiliate, the Public Health Organization of New York
(PHANYC); or the Society for Public Health Education. For information about APHA, its journal (Journal of the American
Public Health Association), its annual meeting, career opportunities in public health, links to other public health resources
and sites, and the benefits of student membership, see: www.apha.org.

For information about activities of the Public Heath Association of New York and student membership, see: http://phanyc.org.

For information about the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) at the national and local levels, see: http://sophe.org.

For information about the NYU Public Health Alliance, contact the Department at 212-998-5780 or email lisa.kroin@nyu.edu.

Language Policy

The faculty of the NYU Community Public Health program believes strongly that proficiency in at least one language
other than English is not only desirable, but essential for effective work in international health. Language facility is
increasingly viewed as prerequisite for a career in international health and is often required for employment. But even
when it is not required, it opens doors to employment opportunities.

Students who are not already fluent in a language other than English should view this requirement as an opportunity, an incentive, and an investment in a future career. We recommend doing whatever is necessary to achieve as high a level of proficiency as possible, including taking internships in international situations in which you are challenged to speak the language on a daily basis.

To fulfill the language requirement students must present to advisors one of the following documents:\

  1. A letter from a school, college, or university language instructor attesting to the ability to function or work in
    the language.
  2. A transcript or other document demonstration completion of an intermediate-level language class with a grade
    of B or better,
  3. A letter attesting to fluency in another language by virtue of upbringing, living in a foreign country, or other
    circumstances requiring a language other than English.


Suggestions for language learning opportunities follow.
NYU LANGUAGE OPPORTUNITIES
School for Continuing and Professional Studies
http://www.scps.nyu.edu/
College of Arts and Sciences language programs
See http://www.nyu.edu/cas/dept/lang.htm
Lewis Levine Language Laboratory (2ND Floor, Bobst Library)
Videos and tapes.
College Learning Center (1st Floor, Weinstein, 5 University Place
A computer room offers language software, websites, multimedia, and videos.
NYU Speaking Freely: non-credit
http://www.nyu.edu/pages/speaking.freely/

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Online courses
http://www.barnesandnobleuniversity.com/campus_writing.asp?userid=2U4FIVWQOR
http://www.studyabroadlinks.com/search/Guatemala/Learn_Spanish/
Language Schools (multiple languages)
Berlitz and Inlingua
http://www.berlitz.us/Language/languages_offered.htm
http://languagecenter.berlitz.com/RockefellerCenter/default.htm
http://languagecenter.berlitz.com/WallStreet/default.htm
http://www.inlingua.com/English/Services/Services.asp
CUNY: Borough of Manhattan Community College
http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/languages/index.html
Spanish
http://www.institutocervantes.org/
http://www.tallerlatino.org/SpanishClasses.html
http://www.123teachme.com/index.html
French: Institute Alliance Française
http://www.fiaf.org/index1.htm
International Health Internships
http://www.uccc.info/cancercenter/content/IHOP/default.asp?index=IHOP&title=Opportunities%20Abroad
http://library.umassmed.edu/ihoc/
http://www.globalhealth.org/