Impact Lives

MPH 6003 Ethical and Political Issues

Credits: 
4

Discover how to balance human rights and health care needs in our rapidly expanding world.

Format: Online
Duration: 8 weeks

Law. Ethics. Human rights. Although they often overlap, there can be conflict between what is legal and what is ethical. Incorporating human rights in policy decisions about public health, particularly in global and international health, is one of today's greatest challenges.

In this course, you and your fellow classmates will identify, articulate and analyze ethical issues, including relevant legal cases associated with the Affordable Care Act of 2010. You will gain an understanding of the legal basis for public health practice and learn how to formulate ethical arguments that can affect outcomes. You'll also explore how emerging technologies and increased levels of personal health information are opening up areas of ethical deliberation.

What You'll Learn in MPH 6003

This course applies basic principles of ethical analysis (e.g. the Public Health Code of Ethics, the human rights framework, other moral theories) to issues of public health practice and policy.

Along with thought-provoking weekly discussions with classmates and your professor, you'll create your own personal code of ethics, examining your own values and how they relate to your views on health care. You will also analyze studies on genomics, infectious diseases and the environment.

Course Topics

Throughout this course, weekly topics may include but are not limited to:

  • Introduction to Principles and History of Public Health Ethics
  • Relationships Among Public Health Law, Ethics, and Human Rights
  • The Role of Evidence in Ethical Analyses
  • The Role of Stakeholders in Ethical Analysis
  • Tools for Ethical Analysis
  • Genomics
  • Infectious Disease
  • The Environment

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of MPH 6003, you will be able to:

  • Apply basic principles of ethical analysis to issues of public health practice and policy.
  • Identify, articulate and analyze ethical issues arising from public health issues and interventions.
  • Formulate critical and well-reasoned ethical arguments.
  • Distinguish between population and individual ethical considerations in relation to the benefits, costs and burdens of public health programs.
  • Explain the legal basis for public health practice.

Request More Information

To learn more about the online Master of Public Health curriculum from Benedictine University, including Ethical and Political Issues, call (866) 295-3104 to speak with a program manager or request more information.