Director:
Edith D. Balbach, Community Health
Policy board:
Carol Baffi-Dugan, Director of Health Professions Advising
Associate Professor Harry Bernheim, Biology
Lecturer Bonnie Chakravorty, Internship coordinator
Lecturer Charlene A. Galarneau, Community Health
Lecturer Linda Sprague Martinez, Internship
Coordinator
Assistant Professor Richard Glickman-Simon, Tufts University School of
Medicine
Associate Professor David Gute, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Assistant Professor Gary McKissick, Political Science/Community
Health
Associate Professor Joanne Phillips, Classics
Pamela Schoenberg Reider, Program administrator
Associate Professor Rosemary C. R. Taylor, Sociology/Community Health
Professor Donald Wertlieb, Child Development
The Community Health Program is one of the oldest multidisciplinary programs within the university. Since 1975 CHP has provided students with a diverse, integrative experience in learning. The program's relatively small size encourages a sense of community among fellow students, faculty, and staff. As a multidisciplinary program, CHP touches on diverse aspects of health and society, and encourages the exploration of health issues from a variety of perspectives.
CHP courses span many disciplines, including anthropology, nutrition, medicine, classics, sociology, biology, psychology, history, economics, engineering, philosophy, political science, and public health. Through courses and fieldwork, CHP students analyze the following: 1) the factors that determine health and illness, 2) how communities define and try to resolve health-related problems, 3) the formation of health care policy in the United States with a comparative look at other countries, and 4) the institutions that plan, regulate, and deliver health care services.
Undergraduate Concentration Requirements
Second Major in Community Health
The major in community health offers undergraduates an opportunity to explore
issues surrounding health, health care, community and society. In addition to
a broad academic experience encompassing nine courses, students complete an
180-hour
internship for which they receive one academic credit. The major in community
health is a second major, which means students complete it in addition to
completing their primary major.
All courses submitted for credit in the major must be passed with a C- or better, with the exception of the internship. The internship (Community Health 180) must be passed with a B- or better. In completing an internship, a Tufts student is representing Tufts University to an outside agency and is helping to provide a service to Boston area communities. Students are expected to take their placement seriously, to represent CHP effectively, and to render a valuable service. For these reasons, credit for the internship is contingent on the student receiving at least a B-. No course submitted for credit in the major may be taken on a pass-fail basis.
To pursue a second major in community health, students complete ten courses that encourage a breadth and depth of learning.
There are five required courses:
Community Health 1 Introduction to Community Health
Community Health 2 Health
Care in America: Policies and Politics
Community Health/Civil Engineering 54 Fundamentals of Epidemiology
Community Health 180 Internship
Community Health 181 Internship Seminar
The five remaining electives are selected from a diverse mix of courses. All CHP majors are required to take five electives across three clusters: science of health, frameworks for understanding health, and health/health care policy. Students must at least complete one course in each cluster (see below). At least one of these five courses must be approved as a research course and at least one must be approved as a comparative or cross-cultural course. Courses approved for the research and/or cross-cultural requirements are listed following the description of the clusters.
1. SCIENCE OF HEALTH
One course in the science of health cluster. The sciences have a particular lens
for looking at health issues that focuses on the biological or technological
causes and cures for disease. Although health and health care result from a
complex mix of biological, social, political, and cultural phenomena, anyone
claiming a thorough knowledge of health issues must have some basic knowledge of
the scientific/technological framework for looking at them. Courses currently
approved for CHP credit included in this cluster are:
Biology 2 Biology and the American Social Contract (Biology majors may
not use this course to fulfill this cluster requirement.)
Biology 97 Contemporary Biosocial Problems in America
Civil and Environmental Engineering 70 Introduction to Hazardous
Materials Management
Civil and Environmental Engineering 173 Health Effects and Risk
Assessment
Civil and Environmental Engineering 158 Occupational and Environmental
Health
Civil and Environmental Engineering 194 Emerging Global Health Care
Community Health 107 Science and Practice of Medicine
Engineering Science 27 Environmental Health and Safety
Nutrition 101 Human Nutrition
2. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING HEALTH
One course in the frameworks for understanding health cluster. In Community
Health 1 and 2 students are introduced to a broad range of health concepts and
health areas. By taking at least one course in this cluster students will have
an opportunity to explore one area in greater depth. Courses currently approved
for CHP credit included in this cluster are:
Anthropology 148 Medical Anthropology
Child Development 190 Children with Special Needs
Child Development 193 Pediatric Psychology
Classics 146 The History of Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine
Classics 176 Topics in Ancient Medicine Seminar
Community Health 104 Women and Health
Community Health 108 Epidemics
Community Health 183 Religion, Health, and Healing
Community Health 55 Race, Ethnicity, and Health
History 94 Sickness and Health in America
Nutrition 222 Primary Health Care
Sociology 141 Sociology of Medicine
3. HEALTH / HEALTH CARE POLICY
One course in the health/health care policy cluster. The policy environment
controls how resources are distributed and helps to determine how communities
perceive their options. Students need to understand current U.S. and/or
international policy and have the opportunity to learn methods for developing
further understanding. Courses currently approved for CHP credit in this
cluster are:
Biology 107 Humanitarian Policy and Public Health
Child Development 182 Social Policies for Children and Families
Child Development 143 Child Life: The Child in the Health Care Setting
Community Health 106 Health, Ethics, and Policy
Community Health 185 Community Health and Drugs
Community Health 186 Seminar in International Health Policy
Community Health 187 Health Policy for Aging Populations
Economics 25 Economics of Health
Philosophy 124 Bioethics
CROSS-CULTURAL OR COMPARATIVE VIEWS OF HEALTH
CHP majors are required to take at least one course with a cross-cultural or
comparative focus that encourages understanding health in different cultures or
communities. Courses approved for this requirement fall into two broad
categories: within the United States and non-United States.
United States:
Community Health 104 Women and Health
Community Health 183 Religion, Health, and Healing
Community Health 55 Race, Ethnicity, and Health
Non-United States:
Anthropology 148 Medical Anthropology
Biology 107 Humanitarian Policy and Public Health
Classics 146 The History of Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine
Community Health 108 Epidemics
Community Health 186 Seminar in International Health Policy
Nutrition 222 Primary Health Care
RESEARCH
All CHP majors must complete a major research paper or project. This requirement
can be satisfied by taking a course with a research component, by completing a
research-based fieldwork or independent study focused on health, or by
completing a thesis focused on health issues. The approved courses are:
Biology 107 Humanitarian Policy and Public Health
Civil and Environmental Engineering 164 Epidemiologic Methods
Classics 176 Topics in Ancient Medicine Seminar
Community Health 182 Community Health Education: Theory and Practice
Community Health 183 Religion, Health, and Healing
Community Health 185 Community Health and Drugs
Community Health 186 Seminar in International Health Policy
Community Health 187 Health Policy for Aging Populations
Community Health 197/198 Seniors Honors Thesis
Sociology 102 Qualitative Methods in Action
Students may also petition to have an independent study (conducted under
Community Health 193) or a fieldwork experience (conducted under Community
Health 199) counted toward the research requirement if the student's project has
a substantial research component. Such a course will be assigned to a cluster
depending on the topic. Work completed in Sociology 102, Civil and Environmental Engineering
164,
or Community Health 197/198 will similarly be assigned to a cluster based on the topic of the research.
Students may also petition to have honors theses or independent studies from their primary major count toward the research requirement if the project involves research in a health area and a member of the CHP faculty is on the student's committee. Permission to count such a course must be obtained in advance. In accordance with university rules, students may not double count more than half of their primary major credits with their second major.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: INTERNSHIP
The internship is an integral part of the CHP. For many students, the 180-hour internship proves to
be one of the most valuable learning experiences in the program, establishing a link
between theory and practice. CHP assists students in finding an internship, and students
have considerable latitude in selecting a placement. In the Boston area, placements have
included the Greater Boston Elderly Legal Services, the Boston Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Massachusetts Coalition for
Occupational Safety and Health, Children's Hospital, neighborhood health centers, Public
Health AIDS Services, and the Five City Tobacco Collaborative. In addition to evaluating
the progress of students, site supervisors maintain contact with the CHP internship
coordinator. Students enroll in a seminar with the internship coordinator at Tufts.
Combined-Degrees Program
The Community Health Program also offers a combined bachelor's/MPH degrees program with
the Graduate Program in Public Health at Tufts University School of Medicine. Students who
are planning to pursue a career in public health have the opportunity to complete a
portion of their required course work as undergraduates, leaving them with only eight more
courses to complete the MPH program. Interested students may apply at the end of their
sophomore year, if they have completed Community Health 1 and 2. This program is
only available to CHP students.
More information may be obtained from the program office at 112 Packard Avenue or by calling 617-627-3233, or e-mail: chp@tufts.edu. Visit our Web site at http://ase.tufts.edu/commhealth.
Courses
1 Introduction to Community Health. Examines the relationship between health, health care, and community. Considers the determinants of health and illness in contemporary society. Major emphasis on how communities define and try to resolve health-related problems (e.g., hazardous waste, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, the homeless), explored through case studies. Fall. Balbach
2 Health Care in America: Policies and Politics. (Cross-listed as Political Science 192.) Problems and issues encountered in the planning, organization, and regulation of health services. Health policy formation and its implications for service delivery. Health care financing; health insurance; the changing role of physicians; technology; poverty and health; the mix of planning, regulation, and competitive strategies; and consumer organizations. Problems of implementation and administration; federal, state, and local interests. Spring. McKissick
54 Fundamentals of Epidemiology. (Cross-listed as Civil and Environmental Engineering 54.) A single course which provides students an introduction to epidemiological techniques and analyses, including such topics as incidence and prevalence, age adjustment, and other techniques appropriate for the handling of confounders, the measurement of risk through the odds ratio and relative risk, and the interpretation of epidemiological results. The course will feature applications of epidemiological techniques to topics appropriate for public and community health applications such as those found in infectious disease control, screening for personal risk factors, and the conducting of disease cluster evaluations. Gute
55 Race, Ethnicity, and Health. Examination of racial and health disparities. The nature of racial and ethnic categories, data issues, current health status of various populations, and approaches to resolving disparities including the concept and practice of cultural competence.
99 Special Topics in Community Health. Introduction to selected contemporary problems in community health. Members of the program
104 Women and Health. Theoretical approaches to women's health and women's relationship to the health care system. Historical development of women's roles as providers (both lay and professional) and as consumers of health care. Analysis of the emergence of a women's health movement, changes in the past decade, and future directions. Galarneau
106 Health, Ethics, and Policy. Critical exploration of the ethical dimensions of public health policy and practice. Ethical analyses of health promotion, epidemiological research, surveillance, and health care services in dealing with particular health concerns (e.g., smoking, violence, HIV/AIDS, and managed care). Galarneau
107 Science and Practice of Medicine. The physiological basis of medicine from the perspective of a practicing physician. Basic concepts of pathophysiology, epidemiology, and clinical medicine are applied to the care of patients with coronary artery disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, chronic pain, and other prevalent conditions. Alternatives to biomedicine. Glickman-Simon
108 Epidemics: Plagues, Peoples, and Politics. (Cross-listed as Sociology 108.) Origins, epidemiology, and evolution of epidemics, rooted in biology, behavior, social organization, culture, and political economy. Societies' efforts to contain diseases, their effects on world history, and their cultural record in literature and contemporary sources. Cases range from early plagues (syphilis, smallpox, bubonic plague) and the recurrent threats of influenza, malaria, and tuberculosis, to nineteenth-century famines, and modern scourges such as the global challenge of AIDS. Taylor
180 Internship. Supervised fieldwork with a cooperating agency. Provides an opportunity for students to work in a health organization, agency, or community group and to become acquainted with related career possibilities. Placements, handled through the internship coordinator, can be chosen in the public or private sector, at the local, state, or federal level, and are usually in the Boston area. The internship should be completed in the spring or summer of the junior year or the fall of the senior year. Open only to program students. Prerequisites: two community health courses, including Community Health 1 or 2. Chakravorty
181 Internship Seminar. Offers a structured learning experience in a supportive group setting, concurrent with the internship. Using each internship as a case study, students examine various aspects of the health care system as they analyze how their agencies address community health needs. Students are also encouraged to discuss their work experience and its relevance to their career plans. (Open only to program students.) Prerequisites: two community health courses, including Community Health 1 or 2. Chakravorty
182 Community Health Education: Theory and Practice. Theoretical principles and training practices in specific community health education skills: interpersonal communication, group facilitation, peer education, dramatic arts, design of workshops and training programs. Members of the program
183 Religion, Health, and Healing. Health/healing beliefs and practices of several religious/spiritual communities in the U.S. (may include Catholic health care, New Age spirituality/healing, Christian Science healing, and Chinese medicine). Explores these subjects from the perspective of community members and others. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Galarneau
185 Community Health and Drugs. Biological, political, cultural, and economic factors in the creation of current policies governing tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Alternative policies. Balbach
186 Seminar in International Health Policy. (Cross-listed as Sociology 186.) Health-related dilemmas faced by nations in the postwar period. Focus on how resource allocation, political institutions, and cultural myths about health and illnesses affect policy construction. Strategies to deal with infectious diseases compared with those utilized to combat mortality and morbidity from chronic illnesses. Case studies such as heart disease, infant mortality, the elderly, drug abuse, environmental regulation, and health care system problems of access, quality, and cost. Spring. Taylor
187 Seminar: Health Policy for Aging Populations. (Cross-listed as Political Science 193.) The politics of an aging society and the many challenges policy-makers face in trying to address the health and health-care needs of older populations. How demographic shifts, existing policy commitments, and technical innovations in medicine affect health policymaking. How policy-makers address concerns of subpopulations of older citizens. Special emphasis on the politics of Medicare. McKissick
188 Topics in Community Health. Selected contemporary problems in community health. Emphasis on group discussion and student reports and projects. Members of the program
189 Seminar in Health Politics. Policy and politics of health and health care. How demographic shifts, existing policy commitments, current institutional structures, and technical innovations in medicine, among others, affect health policymaking. Specific topics vary but may include obesity, ethics, and health care finance. Prerequisite: Community Health 2, junior standing, or consent. Members of the Program
193 Independent Study. Guided individual study of an approved topic. Prerequisite: consent. Members of the program
197, 198 Senior Thesis in Community Health. Guided research on a topic that has been approved as a suitable subject for an honors thesis. Members of the program
199 Fieldwork. Research in a health or health-care related setting. Prerequisite: consent. Members of the program.