Students sitting at a long table with laptops

Academics & Programs

The College of Health occupies a unique space within the Lehigh University ecosystem, and it enables us to tap into the expertise from faculty in Lehigh’s four existing colleges. Our alumni enter the world prepared to make an impact in the private sector, nonprofit organizations and government institutions.

Undergraduate

Major Degree Programs

  • Bachelor of Science in Population Health
  • Bachelor of Arts in Community and Global Health

Minor Programs

  • Population Health
  • Global Health
  • Indigenous Peoples Health
  • Maternal & Child Health 
  • Health Policy & Politics
  • Community Health

Experiential Learning - Internships

Access to impactful experiential learning opportunities is one of the cornerstones of the College of Health’s mission. Through partnerships within the college and those developed by Lehigh’s Center for Career and Professional Development, students can choose the experience in health they want to explore. For instance: 

  • Health technology/entrepreneurship: Ben Franklin Technology Partners, an incubator on Lehigh’s campus for tech-based start-ups.
  • Community and global health: Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Office of Health Equity, which addresses health disparities and public health issues.
  • Data analytics: IQVIA, a multinational leader serving industries in health information technology and clinical research.
  • Social enterprise: The Global Good Fund, an organization founded by Lehigh alumna Carrie Rich providing leadership development for social entrepreneurs, including those in the healthcare sector.

All students majoring in the College have the opportunity to apply for a paid internship, funded experiential learning, and/or study abroad experience. We encourage students to seek paid internships but also want to make unpaid internship experiences, common in the nonprofit sector, accessible to COH students. Go HERE and enter "COH" into the search engine to find out more and to apply!

Experiential Learning-Study Abroad

The College of Health works closely with Lehigh's Office of International Affairs to connect students with international experiences, whether that be through traditional semester abroad programs, international internships, or global opportunities on Lehigh's campus.

For students interested in finding out more about study abroad opportunities, please go HERE to make an appointment with Katy Rene, assistant director of Study Abroad.

Graduate

Full-time and part-time programs are available with in-person and remote options.  For additional information, contact Dr. Fathima Wakeel, director of graduate programs.  

Certificates 

  • Population Health
  • Global Population Health

 Masters Programs 

  • Master of Public Health (MPH)
  • Master in Population Health 
  • MBA/MPH
  • Flex MBA with Public Health Concentration

Doctor of Philosophy

  • Population Health 

4+1 accelerated programs (Undergraduate/Graduate Degree)

  • Master of Population Health
  • Master of Public Health (MPH)
  • Master of Engineering in Health Systems Engineering

Course Offerings

Fall 2022

BSTA 005 | Statistical Literacy in Health  
Section: 010 | TR 3:00-4:15p | CRN: 45644 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Tom McAndrew 
This course is designed to introduce students with a fear of all things mathematical to the importance of statistics in health research. Students will learn how to read and understand basic statistical concepts used in health research and in popular discussions about health in the media. Students will also learn how to present statistical health data in a way that people without a statistical background can understand it.

BSTA 101 | Population Health Data Science II    
Section: 010 | TR 12:10-1:25p | CRN: 44737 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Tom McAndrew   
Students will expand their statistics and machine learning toolkit by learning how to compare univariate distributions, build traditional regression models for continuous and binary data, explore supervised learning methods such as: Tree-based learning, KNN/Collaborative filtering, and Feed forward Neural networks, and understand how to manipulate, ask, and answer questions from big datasets. Students will be expected to propose a population health project mid-semester, and apply and present techniques they learned in class. May be taken in conjunction with BSTA 103.

BSTA 103 | Population Health Data Science II Algorithms Lab 
Section: 060 |F 10:45a-1:25p | CRN: 44750 |1 credit
Instructor: Professor Tom McAndrew 
Students will apply regression and machine learning models learned in BSTA101 Population Health Data Science II to health datasets using Python3. Datasets that students will study include: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, influenza-like illness and confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Health Interview Survey. Lab is to be taken concurrently with lecture (BSTA 101 Population Health Data Science II)  

BSTA 103 | Population Health Data Science II Algorithms Lab         
Section: 061 | F 1:35-4:15p | CRN: 44751 | 1 credit
Instructor: Professor Tom McAndrew  
Students will apply regression and machine learning models learned in BSTA101 Population Health Data Science II to health datasets using Python3. Datasets that students will study include: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, influenza-like illness and confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Health Interview Survey. Lab is to be taken concurrently with lecture (BSTA101 Population Health Data Science II)

BSTA 307 | Applied Machine Learning for Health Sciences   
Section: 010 | W 7:15-9:55p | CRN: 45645 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Bilal Khan   
Machine learning uses interdisciplinary techniques to create automated systems that can sift through large amounts of data at high speed to make predictions and decisions with minimal human intervention. Machine learning is increasingly pervasive and impactful in public health and precision medicine. This class will provide students with a broad cross-section of practical machine learning skills while giving them an appreciation of how machine learning is being applied in the context of public health research today. 

BSTA 308 | Advanced R Programming  
Section: 010 | MW 1:35-2:50p | CRN: 45646 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor John Hughes           
R language syntax and structure. R programming techniques. Emphasis on structured design for medium to large programs. R package development fundamentals. Capstone development project.

BSTA 402 | Health Data and Computational Science
Section: 010 | M 4:25-7:05p | CRN: 45103 | 3 credits (On Campus)  
Section: 011 | M 4:25-7:05p | CRN: 45652 | 3 credits (Remote)
Instructor: Professor John Hughes  
Students will learn the fundamentals of probability theory, univariate statistics, statistical computing/programming/visualization, supervised and machine learning. We will focus on theoretical concepts and on writing code in Python to apply what we learn in class to real-life population health examples such as: health policy, infectious disease, clinical trials, and data collected from national databases. A mix of traditional and experiential learning applied to real-life population health data will equip students with statistical tools to answer pressing population health problems.

CGH 001 | Community Health  
Section: 010 | MW 12:10-1:25p | CRN: 44733 | 3 credits
Instructor: Staff   
The interdisciplinary field of community health focuses on improving the health of communities through health promotion and disease prevention, education, policy development, and community empowerment. This course provides students with an overview of theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of community health with a focus on working in diverse communities. Students will gain an understanding of how community-level health issues relate to broader contextual issues within the community and externally.

CGH 004 |  Introduction to Global Health 
Section: 010 | MW 10:45a-12:00p | CRN: 44739 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Eduardo Gomez   
In this course, students will receive an introduction to global population health. We begin with an analysis of the rise of the international community in addressing population health needs, and the international norms guiding healthcare delivery systems. We will also focus on healthcare delivery systems, innovations, and policy reforms in response to healthcare needs in several developing nations. Finally, students will understand the political, social, and more recent commercial determinants of population health in these countries.

CGH 007 | Seven Dimensions of Health & Wellness 
Section: 010 | TR 9:20-10:35a | CRN: 44818 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Christine Daley    
Much has been discussed in the public sphere about happiness and how an individual can achieve peak happiness. This course delves more holistically into health and wellness, moving beyond individual happiness and towards a multi-level understanding of how interactions with others and the environment impact the self. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, students will learn the seven dimensions of health and wellness, including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, cultural, environmental, and community, and how they interact to create healthy people and communities. 

CGH 021 | Culture and Health 
Section: 010 | TR 1:35-2:50p | CRN: 44734 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Ryan Goeckner   
This course will introduce students to the complex and dynamic relationship between culture and health in Western and non-Western populations, communities, and societies. Cross-cultural institutions such as economics, politics, kinship, religion, and language, and their roles in sickness and illness will be discussed. The relationship between traditional and modern healing systems will also be analyzed.

CGH 104 | Sociocultural & Political Determinants of Health  
Section: 010 | MW 9:20-10:35a | CRN: 45104 | 4 credits
Instructor: Staff   
This course will look at cultural, social, and political institutions, as well as other components of culture, society, and social structure, that affect health and the health outcomes at the individual and community-levels. Topics to be analyzed include cultural traditions, social norms, politics, laws and policies, economics, housing, transportation, and subsistence strategies, just to name a few. Additionally, specific illnesses, sicknesses, and diseases linked to cultural, social, and political institutions in the human experience will be explored.

CGH 106 | Qualitative Methods in Health Research   
Section: 010 | TR 12:10-1:25p | CRN: 45647 | 3 credits
Instructor: Staff           
This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of qualitative data collection and analysis methods used in community and global health research. Students will learn about data collection using participation and observation, interviews, and focus groups. Students will also learn about text analysis and presenting qualitative results. This course is not designed to provide an in-depth examination of these methods or practical experience, but rather an introduction to their uses and how they complement quantitative methods.

CGH 107 | US Healthcare Ecosystem 
Section: 010 | MW 1:35-2:50p | CRN: 45105 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Xinliang (Albert) Liu   
This course examines the structure, functioning, financing, and performance of the U.S. healthcare system. It aims to provide a general overview of the relationships between healthcare consumers, providers, organizations, payers, and regulators. The course will cover the history of the U.S. healthcare system and the political and social environment in which it exists and compare it to systems from other countries.

CGH 322 | Contemporary Indigenous Health  
Section: 010 | TR 3:00-4:15p | CRN: 45106 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Sean Daley   
In this course, students will learn about the health issues Indigenous peoples of the Americas and their communities presently face. Prevalent diseases will be explored, as well as social, economic, and political issues affecting access to treatment and care. Historical and contemporary laws and policies affecting Indigenous health will also be analyzed. Additionally, Indigenous responses to contemporary health concerns will be explored including decolonization, food sovereignty, and cultural reclamation.

CGH 331 | Healthcare Finance  
Section: 010 | MW 10:45a-12:00p | CRN: 45648 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Xinliang (Albert) Liu
This foundation course will introduce students to the key financial management principles, concepts and techniques as applied to health services organizations. This course will cover financial analysis and reporting, revenue sources and reimbursement methods, working capital management, revenue cycle management, and capital budgeting techniques used in the healthcare industry.

CGH 332 |  Aging, Health, and Social Policy 
Section: 010 | T 7:15-9:55p | CRN: 45649 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Michael Gusmano             
This course describes and evaluates the health and social policy consequences of population aging in the U.S. and abroad. The course begins with an exploration of global trends in aging, longevity, and health. Next, we examine cross-national responses to population aging with case studies from higher, middle, and lower income countries. 

EPI 304 | Methods in Epidemiology I 
Section: 110 - Lecture | MW 12:10-1:25p  | CRN: 45107 | 3 credits   
Section: 111 - Recitation | W 3:00-3:50p | CRN: 45407 | 1 credit
Instructor: Staff 
Epidemiology is the field of scientific inquiry concerned with questions about the determinants of disease in the population. This course covers fundamental concepts of epidemiological thinking including study design and analytical methods to address confounding, bias, and effect modification. Students will be introduced to measures of disease frequency and association, sources of bias and how to address them, and concepts in causal inference. Case studies will address health concerns from infectious disease outbreaks to population health surveillance and disease prevention.

EPI 305 | Methods in Epidemiology II  
Section: 110 - Lecture | TR 1:35-2:50p | CRN: 45108 | 3 credits   
Section: 111 - Recitation | R 3:00-3:50p | CRN: 45409 | 1 credit
Instructor: Professor Halcyon Skinner   
To investigate complicated questions in epidemiology, this second course offers a deeper, expanded view of concepts and methods for observational epidemiological studies. Topics include detailed coverage of clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control study variants and analytical methods. Includes the use of multivariable models to adjust for confounding effects and to estimate interaction effects, and applications of machine learning. Deeper concepts in causal inference are examined through the use of directed acyclic graphs.

POPH 001 | Introduction to Population Health  
Section: 010 | TR 10:45a-12:00p | CRN: 43957 | 4 credits
Instructor: Staff 
Despite significant advances in medicine and public health, inequities in health persist. Understanding health on a population level is an approach that seeks to improve the health of the whole population, unravel variations in health outcomes, and to identify effective strategies for reducing or eliminating inequities. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of: 1) how population health defined and measured; and 2) the determinants of population health (from cell to society).

POPH 101 | History of Population Health 
Section: 010 | MW 1:35-2:50p | CRN: 43955 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Eduardo Gomez    
This course introduces students to the development of population health as a convergent science. Students will learn about the evolution of population health interests, normative beliefs in service delivery, and policy at the international and domestic level. The principles, ethical values and services enforced by law will be learned. Students will explore the initiatives, collectively achieved among various sectors, addressing the determinants of health. We conclude by addressing future population health challenges, such as the environment, non-communicable diseases, and inequalities.

POPH 106 | Global Environment and Human Welfare  
Section: 010 | MW 12:10-1:25p | CRN: 43949 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Hyunok Choi    
This course investigates the present understanding of multiple pollution agents and their effects on human health and well-being. The students will examine the history, the emergence, the known risks from exposure to specific pollutants through multiple media (e.g. air, water, food) with a particular focus on air pollution. Through readings, discussions, and a project, students are expected to cultivate a critical understanding of the risks posed by environmental pollutants on human health and identify knowledge gaps.

POPH 198 | Cancer in the Population 
Section: 010 | TR 9:20-10:35a  | CRN: 45152 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Halcyon Skinner
This introductory course will give a broad overview of how cancer affects the health of the population.

POPH 401 | Population Health Concepts and Methods 
Section: 010 |  W 7:15-9:55p | CRN: 45109 | 3 credits (On campus)  
Section: 011 | W 7:15-9:55p | CRN: 45653 | 3 credits (Remote)
Instructor: Staff  
In this introductory graduate course, students will apply foundational concepts related to the definition and measurement of health and disease as well as the multiple determinants of population health (from cell to society). Students will then apply the fundamental principles of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in order to integrate the multiple determinants of health in population health research and practice. This course will also explore the translation of research findings to programmatic intervention and policy development.

POPH 403 | Biological Basis of Pop Health: Concepts & Methods 
Section: 010 | T 4:25-7:05p | CRN: 45111 | 3 credits (On campus)
Section: 011 | T 4:25-7:05p | CRN: 45654 | 3 credits (Remote)
Instructor: Staff
In this graduate course, students will investigate the biological mechanisms underlying population health outcomes as well as the roles of individual and group susceptibility to disease. Students will also explore and apply the emerging and traditional tools used in genomic, molecular, immunological, and environmental fields. Students will then integrate the biological and societal determinants of health in order to propose programmatic and policy interventions that promote health and prevent disease.

POPH 431 | Environmental Health Sciences: Concepts & Methods 
Section: 010 | W 4:25-7:05p | CRN: 45113 | 3 credits (On Campus)   
Section: 011 | W  4:25-7:05p | | CRN: 45655 | 3 credits (Remote)  
Instructor: Professor Hyunok Choi
This course introduces key concepts and methods, such as exposure science, epidemiology, toxicology, biomarkers/omics, risk assessment, implementation science, and policy, in order to deepen the understanding of the relationship between major emerging environmental issues and human health. Specifically, the students will apply key tools to explain the relationship between global-, regional, and local-scale environmental contributors to human health outcomes.

PUBH 401 | Health Promotion and Education
Section: 010 | M 4:25-7:05p  | CRN: 45114 | 3 credits (On Campus)  
Section: 011 | M 4:25-7:05p | CRN: 45656 | 3 credits (Remote)  
Instructor: Staff
In this course, students will gain a deeper insight into the key conceptual frameworks used in health behavior change, promotion, and education. Students will apply these concepts to specific health behaviors, including tobacco use, alcohol use, substance use, obesity and eating behaviors, physical activity, unintentional injury, workplace injury, violence, and risky sexual behaviors. Students will also explore cross-cutting topics such as behavioral economics, patient and consumer activation, patient communication, cultural competence, risk assessment, chronic conditions and depressive disorders.

Summer 2022

CGH 107 | US Healthcare Ecosystem
Section 010 | TR 4:00p - 6:50p | CRN: 23449 | 3 credits
Instructor: Professor Albert Liu
This course examines the structure, functioning, financing, and performance of the U.S. healthcare system. It aims to provide a general overview of the relationships between healthcare consumers, providers, organizations, payers, and regulators. The course will cover the history of the U.S. healthcare system and the political and social environment in which it exists and compare it to systems from other countries.

EPI 304/404 | Methods in Epidemiology I
Section 010 | TR 4:00p - 5:50p | CRN: 23463 | 4 credits (UG)
Section 010 | TR 4:00p - 5:50p | CRN: 23576 | 3 credits (GR)
Instructor: Professor Hyunok Choi
Epidemiology is the field of scientific inquiry concerned with questions about the determinants of disease in the population. This course covers fundamental concepts of epidemiological thinking including study design and analytical methods to address confounding, bias, and effect modification. Students will be introduced to measures of disease frequency and association, sources of bias and how to address them, and concepts in causal inference. Case studies will address health concerns from infectious disease outbreaks to population health surveillance and disease prevention.

Spring 2022 

BSTA 001 | Population Health Data Science I 3 credits

BSTA 002 | Population Health Data Science I Algorithms Lab | 3 credits

BSTA 395 | Applied Machine Learning for Health Sciences | 3 credits | provisional offering

BSTA 396 | Advanced R Programming | 3 credits | provisional offering

BSTA 397 | Nonparametric Statistics | 3 credits | provisional offering

CGH 101 | Careers in Community and Global Health Studies | 3 credits

CGH 103 | Biological & Environmental Determinants of Health | 3 credits

CGH 105 | Commercial Determinants of Health | 3 credits

CGH 122 | Indigenous Healing Traditions | 3 credits

CGH 395 | Cross-National Comparisons of Health Systems & Policy | 3 credits | provisional offering

CGH 396 | Healthcare Finance | 3 credits | provisional offering

EPI 304 | Methods in Epidemiology I | 4 credits

POPH 002 | Population Health Research Methods & Application | 3 credits

POPH 195 | Health, Government and the Media | 3 credits | provisional offering
 

Fall 2021

BSTA 101 | Population Health Data Science II | 3c.

BSTA 103 | Population Health Data Science II Algorithms Lab | 1c.

CGH 001 | Community Health | 3c.

CGH 004 | Introduction to Global Population Health | 3c.

CGH 007 | 7 Dimensions of Health & Wellness | 3c.

CGH 021 | Culture and Health | 3c.

CGH/POP 197 | What is the US Healthcare Ecosystem? | 3c. | Provisional offering

EPI 196 | Introduction to Why | 3c. | Provisional offering

HIT 010 | Seminar: Design Thinking for Innovation in Health | 1c.

POPH 001 | Introduction to Population Health | 4c.

POPH 003 | Justice, Equity, and Ethics in Population Health | 3c.

POPH 101 | History of Population Health | 3c.

POPH 105 | Introduction to Maternal and Child Population Health | 3c.

POPH 106 | Global Environment and Human Welfare | 3c.

POPH 126 | Population Health and the Media | 3c.

POPH 198 | Cancer in the Population | 3c. | Provisional offering

BIOE 396 | Bioengineering Applications in Machine Learning | 3c. | Provisional offering

Studying at Lehigh

Lehigh blends entrepreneurial thinking, creative inquiry and rigorous academic programs with a vibrant life in and outside the classroom, offering distinctive programs that support, guide, challenge and inspire our students. Lehigh also values the rich impact that service learning opportunities have on students and their development as professionals and global citizens and partners across the university to bring those offerings to College of Health students. From your first steps on campus until you earn your diploma, Lehigh will help you chart your unique path for success, all within an environment that fosters personal growth and development.

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