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Strive for healthier communities
Public health is a fast-paced, critical component of our healthcare system that promotes and protects the health of people and their communities. The Principles of Public Health course offers fundamental guidelines and practices to improve each community’s well-being and prevent health problems. At a most basic level, these health initiatives include promoting good hygiene, ensuring clean water, preventing diseases, and encouraging people to learn about and adopt healthy lifestyles.
The online public health course provides a historical context for the development of the public health field, reviews the public health infrastructure and workforce, and explores the application of evidence-based health practices that address the public health issues our communities face today.
MSU Denver’s Principles of Public Health course offers career paths in government, nonprofit organizations, healthcare, and education. After successfully completing this public health course, you can jump right into the workforce with an entry-level position or continue on to a degree in Public Health at MSU Denver.
This course serves as an ideal starting point for those eager to pursue careers in public health and can stack into an MSU Denver credential or degree.
Why take this course?
Flexible schedule
The course can be completed in 4-8 weeks and is self-paced online.
Career advisement
Receive a personal advising session with an industry leader.
High job demand
Gain a competitive edge.
Career pathways in Public Health
Approximate return on investment for each public health academic pathway
Pathway 1: Enter the workforce quickly. Complete the Principles of Public Health online course and immediately enter the workforce with job titles like Clinical Data Coordinator, Outreach Worker, Health Medical Scribe, Research Assistant, Administration Tech, and Community Health Worker.
- Median salary is $35,000 year.
Pathway 2: Go deeper and convert your noncredit community health worker course to credit, and take and pass additional classes. This makes you eligible to sit for the Colorado state assessment (launching in 2025). After passing, you can apply for positions like Access Representative, Admissions Coordinator, Case Manager, Medicaid Service Coordinator, Patient Access Coordinator, Patient Access Specialist, Patient Advocate, Patient Navigator, Patient Resource Worker, and Patient Service Representative.
- The median salary is $48,000 per year.
Pathway 3: Continue your academic journey and earn a degree in public health, which allows you to increase your earning potential. You can find positions like Policy Associate, Community Partnerships Coordinator, Infection Control Coordinator, Infection Prevention Program Coordinator, Health Data Science Coordinator, Health Educator, and Environmental Protection Specialist.
- Median salary is $60,000 a year.
Pathway 4: Continue your academic journey and earn a Graduate Certificate in Community Health Education. This will provide you with additional opportunities in management and leadership in the public health field.
- Median salary is $63,000 a year.
Take advantage of the opportunity provided with online public health courses to upskill your resume to advance in your career or discover a new passion.
About the online Principles of Public Health course
The Principles of Public Health course will introduce you to the field of public health by providing a broad overview of strategies and interventions that regulate population-level health. The course will examine health disparities, quality, and accessibility as well as the best practices that have been taken by the public health workforce to promote health equity and healthy lifestyles, taking a focused approach to current issues and strategies in the field.
The course also provides an overview of the history and achievements of public health. You’ll learn health laws, policies, and principles of ethics in public health practice in relation to public health issues, and more.
The course is $450, with a $35 transaction fee per payment. There are no books to purchase.
- Registration opens in December
- Course begins – February 3, 2025
- Last day to register – February 10, 2025
- Course ends – April 4, 2025
Once you successfully complete the Principles of Public Health online course, you can immediately enter the workforce with newly learned skills. You will receive a digital badge embedded with the competencies learned. You can include this badge on your resume, LinkedIn page, portfolio, or share it with an employer. Students will also receive a certificate of completion.
Students can also expand their education by converting the course to three credits and continue to an MSU Denver certificate or degree, bolster their resume, advance their career, or uncover a new passion in the realm of public health principles. See FAQs for more information.
Learning objectives:
- Identify the key features of the historical development of public health, including the most important achievements of public health.
- Distinguish differences between federal, state, and local public health organizations.
- Describe a public health approach using a structured framework and apply it to a new public health problem.
- Identify characteristics of reputable sources of evidence-based public health literature.
- Describe the basic principles of epidemiology, including rates, risk factors, disease determinants, causation, and statistical analysis.
- Learn the categories of health determinants, basic health behavior models, and behavior change frameworks and theories.
- Identify the scope of health law, and policy, and learn the principles of ethics in public health in relation to a public health issue.
- Identify the needs of vulnerable as well as at-risk populations in relation to the most important public health problems.
Competencies to be gained:
- Students will be able to describe the history and philosophy of public health principles as well as its core values, concepts, and functions across the globe and in society.
- Students will be able to communicate concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches, and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations.
- Students will be able to define basic concepts of public health investigation, population health data, and health behavior theory models, and analyze the application of evidence-based approaches essential to public health practice.
About your Principles of Public Health course instructor
Shane Walker
Shane Walker, MHA, was born and raised in Colorado. He enjoys doing typical Colorado activities such as snowboarding, fishing, and hiking and is an avid fan of the local sports teams.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado Mesa University in Kinesiology and Health Promotion in 2017. and a Master’s degree in Health Administration from MSU Denver in 2021. His thesis focused on what factors affected Colorado’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution strategy.
He previously served as a Community Relations Coordinator for Keystone Health and Wellness and now works for Children’s Hospital of Colorado as a Physician Relations Representative.
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Email usPhone: 303-615-1234
Office Location:
Jordan Student Success Building
3rd Floor – #330
Auraria Campus
Mailing Address:
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Innovative and Lifelong Learning
P.O. Box 173362
Campus Box 6
Denver, CO 80217-3362