2013-2014 Graduate Catalog Downloadable PDF (10.71MB)

262 Texas A&MHealth Science CenterSchool of Rural Public HealthThe Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health is the first of its kind inthe nation. The Texas Legislature established the school in 1995 as part of a rural health initiative tobetter address rural health needs in the state. After receiving degree-granting authority for the Masterof Public Health degree in April 1998 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, theSchool of Rural Public Health welcomed its inaugural class in September 1998. In January 1999, theTexas A&M Health Science Center was formed as a separate academic institution within The TexasA&M University System.While still a classic school of public health, the School of Rural Public Health concentrates on thehealth needs of traditionally underserved rural areas. Consistent with its mission, the school offers itsMaster of Public Health degree program to a variety of communities across Texas, including communitiesin Central Texas, East Texas, the Coastal Bend region, and in the Rio Grande Valley. In 2004, theschool was granted full accreditation and added to the elite list of 34 accredited schools of public healthby the Council on Education for Public Health, the sole accrediting body for public health academicprograms and institutions.The school currently offers three master’s degree programs: a Master of Public Health (MPH), withconcentrations in biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management,health promotion and community health sciences; a Master of Health Administration (MHA); and aMaster of Science in Public Health (MSPH), with concentrations in biostatistics, environmental health,epidemiology, health policy and management, occupational health, and health promotion and communityhealth sciences. All MPH, MHA and MSPH students spend a semester equivalent working in arural public health setting as a part of a requisite practicum. MSPH students also complete an originalresearch project as a part of a required thesis.The school also offers three doctoral degree programs: a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) inhealth services research, a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) with a concentration in epidemiology andenvironmental health, and a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) with a concentration in health promotionand community health sciences.Please direct questions regarding the School of Rural Public Health program to: Texas A&MHealth Science Center School of Rural Public Health, 163 SRPH Admin. Building, College Station,TX 77843-1266, (979) 458-4054, SRPH-OSA@tamhsc.edu or visit their website atsrph.tamhsc.edu.Department of Environmental and Occupational Healthsrph.tamhsc.edu/environmental-health(PHEO)600. Principles of Environmental and Occupational Health. Credit 3. Overview of nature and magnitudeof environmental and occupational disease; sources of exposure, methods of monitoring andmodeling exposure; review of target organs and potential effects of specific chemicals; discussion ofworkplace hazards and monitoring programs.601. Principles of Basic Medical Sciences. Credit 5. Review of cellular and biochemical functions inhuman body; technologies for probing cellular functions and structures; plasma membrane, internalmembranes and intracellular organelles; gene function; cell metabolism; cell motility and cytoskeleton.Prerequisites: undergraduate biology and biochemistry or equivalent. Cross-listed with MSCI 601.605. Chemical Hazard Risk Assessment. Credit 3. Chemical and biological methods for testing hazardouschemicals and complex mixtures; chemical analysis; microbial bioassays; developmental toxicity;enzyme induction; mammalian cell culture. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross-listed withVAPH 605.610. Basic Environmental Toxicology. Credit 3. Examines basic concepts of toxicology in environmentaland occupational surroundings. Distribution, absorption, metabolism and elimination of toxicants arediscussed. Mechanisms of injury for various classes of toxicants following exposure to toxic chemicals areexplored at the systemic, organ and cellular level. Prerequisites: PHEO 630 or permission of instructor.611. Environmental Health Assessment. Credit 3. This course will review methods to evaluate the publichealth implications of exposures to environmental contamination. These methods are used to determinewhether people have been, are being, or may be exposed to hazardous substances and if so,whether that exposure is harmful, or potentially harmful, and should therefore be stopped or reduced.Students will gain insight into the variety of tasks associated with the environmental health assessmentprocess. Prerequisites: PHEO 600 and PHEB 600.