Spring 2013 - 62790 - PA388K - Advanced Topics in Public Policy

Environmental Health

This course addresses the major topics and methodological approaches in environmental health field.  It provides an overview of topics for a diversity of learners, from advanced undergraduate students to experienced health professionals.  The lecture and fieldwork course components have been designed for junior or senior undergraduates within UT-Austin’s public health major in the College of Natural Sciences (PBH 338 #51160).

The class is also open to graduate students within masters programs in global policy studies, public affairs, or public health; for graduate students there are supplemental course requirements.

This course includes the following requirements:
(a) a required in-class lecture/discussion for three hours each Tuesday evening.
(b) a required in-class quiz ten-minute each week administered after the first class break.
     Each quiz will have 10 questions that are multiple choice, true/false, or matching.
(c) eight required short essays on course lecture topics; each essay should be between 1 and
     3 pages; there are 14 topic options listed on the syllabus.
(d) one research paper (12 to 20 pages) on a topic of the student’s choice, with two drafts.
(e) 6 required field study visits; the visits may be selected from among many (20+) options.
(f) An additional research paper can substitute for any other class requirement.

Each student has the option of participating in six three-hour (approximately) environmental health field study visits, either (a) on various Friday or Saturday afternoons during the spring semester or (b) during lunchtime or other hours during the week. For Friday field visits, the departure from UT usually will be at 1:30 pm. As an alternative to participating in the set of field study trips a student could write a second research paper on a topic.