Sociomedical Sciences

Each of the Department’s seven tracks offers students a specific set of competencies. Graduates will also achieve both Department-wide (see below) and School-wide MPH competencies.

Upon satisfactory completion of the MPH program in SMS, graduates will be able to

• Describe how major theories, concepts, models, and methods from the fields of medical sociology, medical anthropology, history, and health psychology can be used to address a variety of public health issues;
• Examine public health issues from a social and behavioral sciences perspective:
  • Discuss the relationships of social, cultural, political, economic, and behavioral factors to health and disease outcomes;
  • Explain social, cultural, political, economic, and behavioral determinants of disparities in health status among population sub-groups and related public health responses;
  • Distinguish a population-wide public health perspective from individual and clinical perspectives regarding determinants of health status and related responses; and
  • Identify individual, organizational, and community concerns, assets, resources, and deficits for social and behavioral science interventions.
• Analyze public health issues from the perspective of at least one of the following fields of study:
  • Explain how medical sociology examines the multiple paths by which social class (SES), ethnicity/race, gender, and organizational structure leads to states of good and poor health;
  • Explain how medical anthropology examines the relationship between culture and health as well as the cultural constructions of health and illness;
  • Explain how history examines the relationship among biological, social, political, and economic factors in the creation of health and the political response to health issues; or
  • Explain how health psychology examines behavioral, cognitive and emotional factors and their relationship to health.
• Analyze public health problems by selecting and employing appropriate research methodology from the social and behavioral sciences:
  • Collect appropriate data to understand determinants of health and disease;
  • Apply appropriate social indicators to describe population health;
  • Assess strengths and limitations of various sources of data;
  • Assess strengths and limitations of various approaches to research and
  • Apply evidence-based approaches in the development and evaluation of social and behavioral science interventions.
• Discuss public health research and practice issues from an ethical perspective:
  • Discuss historical and emerging ethical issues;
  • Identify critical stakeholders for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs, policies, and interventions;
  • Discuss principles and requirements for the protection of human subjects in public health research; 
  • Promote standards of personal and organizational integrity, compassion, honesty, and respect for all people;
  • Apply ethical principles to public health program planning, implementation, and evaluation; and
  • Develop public health programs and strategies responsive to the diverse cultural values and traditions of the communities being served.
• Demonstrate proficiency in written, oral and visual communication skills for the purpose of:
  • Communicating research and program findings into action oriented recommendations; and
  • Reporting findings in a manner useful for informing a variety of audiences about health issues.