Community and Public Health Promotion BS and Minor Program Specifics

Here we provide information on course requirements, course descriptions and an Academic Rhode Map for each program, a semester-by-semester plan to help you toward graduation in four years.

Course Requirements

Course Descriptions

Academic Rhode Map for Public Health Promotion BS

Upon completion of this program, students will have the skills needed to:

• develop and execute data collection and needs assessment strategies to effectively measure health statuses of individuals and groups
• demonstrate functional knowledge critical to community and population-based health promotion programs
• design and implement individual and/or community and population-based health promotion programs based on theoretical frameworks, needs assessment results and evidence-informed practices
• design and deliver community and population health promotion programs that address health equity
• develop evaluation plans for community and population-based health promotion programs

W​hy or in what ways is writing important to your discipline/field/profession?

Writing is foundational in community and public health promotion. It is used to communicate from professionals to individuals and groups at both the local and population levels, as well as between professionals. It also allows professionals to meet the responsibilities and competencies stipulated by accrediting and licensing entities such as the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

Which courses are designated as satisfying the Writing in the Discipline (WID) requirement by your department? Why these courses?

The Community and Public Health Promotion (CPHP) Program has designated the following courses as satisfying the WID requirement:

• HPE 202: Community/Public Health and Health Promotion
• HPE 303: Research in Community and Public Health
• HPE 426: Internship in Community and Public Health

HPE 202 is typically taken in year one. It is required both for the major and for admission into the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development (FSHED). This course has been designated as a WID course because its writing requirements are designed to serve as a foundation for assignments in subsequent courses in the major. Students must practice and show competence in writing skills that will be applied in their community and public health professions and to be accepted into the FSHED. HPE 202 provides writing opportunities to build these skills.

HPE 303 is a required course for the major, typically taken in year three. It has been designated as a WID course because in it students write a comprehensive research and argumentation paper that directly builds upon the skills from HPE 202 and prepares them to meet writing expectations in their practicum and internship courses (HPE 419, 426 and 429), as well as in their field.

Because HPE 426 is the culminating course of the program and requires students to show comprehensive evidence of their consolidated writing skills, we have selected this course to be the final WID class for CPHP majors. Taken during the final semester, in HPE 426 students write a capstone report that incorporates multiple formats used in the discipline, including formats not practiced in other WID courses. Students must be in the field in order to complete this assignment. 

What forms or genres of writing will students learn and practice in your department’s WID courses? Why these genres?

In CPHP WID courses, students acquire skills and practice in academic writing, professional writing and reflective writing. Professionals in community and public health promotion write grant and other funding requests, papers for academic journals, policy papers, needs assessments and program evaluation reports, translational writing (interpreting scientific information for the public and for specific demographic groups) and advocacy statements. These genres allow professionals to obtain program funding, disseminate critical health information, implement effective health promotion programs, share research findings and build theory, provide instruction on program implementation and engage in shared advocacy and other actions.

Academic Genres: epidemiological descriptions, literature reviews, research proposals, scientific reports, presentations, posters

Professional Genres: community needs assessments, program designs and descriptions, evaluation reports. promotional materials, employee policies and guidelines, grant proposals, policy proposal and support statements, posters, presentations

Reflective Genres: journals, response papers, philosophy statements, informal writing

Integrating genres within courses and across the program allows students to gain and demonstrate proficiency in content knowledge, professional application of skills, flexibility in audience targeting, and personal growth. 

What kinds of teaching practices will students encounter in your department’s WID courses?

Writing is a reflexive and iterative process. The CPHP program recognizes this and employs best practice teaching models by scaffolding and looping writing assignments. As noted above, there is a focus on skill development across the curriculum: Skills are initially taught in HPE 202, and then reviewed and built upon, first in HPE 303 and then in HPE 426. To do this, we use the following sequence:

• onitiating the writing process in class and/or collaboratively
• starting with low-stakes, informal writing and progressing into more technical high-stakes writing
• working with students on drafts and revisions, using techniques such as “fishbowls,” peer reviews and qualitative comments
• utilizing varied forms of feedback: peer editing, scoring guides, qualitative comments and/or one-on-one consultations

When they’ve satisfied your department’s WID requirement, what should students know and be able to do with writing?

Upon completion of our WID courses, students will have developed the habits of self-reflection and learning through writing. In addition, they will be able to:

• report on assessments of community and health needs
• propose and implement health-related policies and procedures
• evaluate and describe health promotion efforts and their impacts
• advocate for the health of communities and populations, especially in situations of inequity
• demonstrate proficiency in applying theory and content knowledge
• communicate health information to multiple, varied audiences
• submit grant proposals and other funding requests
• convey health information to the public
• compose clear and fair workplace policies and procedures
• communicate professional ethics
• disseminate findings of empirical research and policy outcomes
• further develop practical skills essential for the profession
• use writing both as a form of reflection and as a tool of inquiry

Declaring a minor allows you to explore other areas of interest and make interdisciplinary connections. Minor areas at RIC complement and reinforce all major areas of study. By declaring a minor, you can set yourself apart as a candidate for job, internship and volunteer opportunities.

Minor in Community and Public Health