Course Syllabus

Summer 2026 | AHS-2015-VO01 - Principles of Public Health

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Melanie Meyer
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Danielle Lafleur Brooks

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course provides students with an overview of public health in the United States and globally. Students will be introduced to the five core areas of public health: biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, social behavioral health, and health policy and administration. Additional topics include the historical development of the discipline, determinants of health, population health issues and interventions, and public health careers.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe the historical development of public health as a discipline and current trends within the field.
2. Identify the ten essential services of a public health system and discuss the five core areas of public health and how each contributes to a holistic public health perspective.
3. Explain the basic principles of epidemiology, including rates, risk factors, disease determinants, causation, and public health surveillance.
4. Summarize major trends of morbidity and mortality in the United States and globally, including infectious and non-infectious diseases.
5. Identify determinants of health, particularly social determinants of health, and the impact these have on health disparities.
6. Give examples of public health research methods and how research results are used to inform programs and policies.
7. Analyze the effectiveness of public health strategies, including social and behavioral and policy interventions, to improve population health.
8. Describe challenges to improving population health in a variety of settings including costs of health care, trends in disease and illness, political factors, and population demographics.
9. Create a public health plan to reduce a leading cause of mortality or morbidity within a specific population.
10. Explore the scope and diversity of career opportunities in public health, establish professional goals, and outline steps to achieve those goals through assignments such as informational interviews, job shadows, or other career-exploration activities.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations, along with free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials.

Summer 2026 textbook/book details will be available on 2025-12-01. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

For Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Prohibited: The use of generative AI is not allowed in this course, with the exception of spellcheck, grammar check and similar tools. This course rests in the value of students engaging in the learning process without relying on AI-generated content. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, owning their learning journey from start to finish. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

-Online lecture videos

-Reading assignments

-Group research project and presentation

-Research based fact sheet communication assignment

-Film review

-Class discussions

-Quizzes

Evaluation Criteria

Weekly class discussions (20%)

Quizzes (20%)

Fact Sheet Project (20%)

Climate Change Film Review (20%)

Group Research Presentation (20%)

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Students must participate in weekly discussions to receive attendance credit in this course.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late work is not accepted. If you run into emergency circumstances or any extenuating circumstances, please alert your instructor as exceptions to this policy may be considered.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/student-support/accessibility-services/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.