PUBHLTH-490-samantha.gizerian-2024-10-01-01-02-38

Title of Course PUBLIC HEALTH CAPSTONE

Prefix and Number [PUBHLTH 490]

Semester and Year [Spring 2026]

Number of Credit Hours [3]

Prerequisites [JUNIOR OR SENIOR STANDING]

Course Details

Day and Time: [T/Th]

Meeting Location: [tbd]

 

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor Name: [tbd]

Instructor Contact Information:  [tbd]

Instructor Office Hours: [tbd]

 

TA Name: [tbd]

TA Contact Information: [tbd]

TA Office Hours:  [tbd]

 

Course Description

PUBHLTH 490 satisfies the CAPS requirement for WSU’s University Common Requirements (UCORE), which is designed to help you acquire broad understanding, develop intellectual and civic competencies, and apply knowledge and skills in real world settings. CAPS courses provide a culminating experience asking students to apply skills, concepts, and methods of inquiry from their general education experience and/or experience in the major to develop a culminating project, and to investigate and explore open-ended issues and problems. With these broader goals in mind, PUBHLTH 490 helps you draw on prior learning to demonstrate a depth of knowledge, an ability to apply concepts, and an ability to integrate methods and concepts.

 

Course Materials 

Books: none. 

Other Materials: Readings will be posted on Canvas or will be accessible online through the Washington State University library system.

Fees: n/a

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) [add more lines if necessary]
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:)	Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes	Assessment of the Learning Outcomes
Critically examine a public health issue that disproportionately impacts a specific population (i.e. health disparity)	All paper assignments, final presentation	Grades
Explain the underlying factors that contribute to the disparity	Rough draft, final paper, final presentation	Grades
Locate and synthesize data from multiple scientific and professional sources	Annotated Bibliography, outline	Grades
Demonstrate an understanding of evidence-based best practice as related to the disparity of focus	Rough draft, final paper, presentation	Grades
Organize a research paper	Topic Choice, Outline, rough draft, final paper	Grades
Communicate findings in writing to lay audiences	Rough draft, final paper	Grades
Develop professional presentation	Final presentation	Grades
Understand the ethical implications associated with the issue	Final paper, final presentation	Grades

 

Course Schedule [Please note that a WSU semester is 15 weeks + Thanksgiving/Spring Break. The schedule below does not include the break.]
Dates	Lesson Topic	Assignment	Assessment
Week 1 [dates]	Course introduction	Read Syllabus
Week 2 [dates]	What is a research paper? Understanding the components and expectations	Readings posted on Canvas
Week 3 [dates]	Writing in APA style	Readings posted on Canvas
Week 4 [dates]	Selecting relevant literature	Readings posted on Canvas Topic choice due
Week 5 [dates]	Developing an annotated bibliography	Readings posted on Canvas
Week 6 [dates]	Synthesizing data	Readings posted on Canvas Outline due	Outline
Week 7 [dates]	Framing your research	Readings posted on Canvas
Week 8 [dates]	Organizing data	Readings posted on Canvas Annotated bibliography Due	Annotated Bibliography
Week 9 [dates]	Interpreting data	Readings posted on Canvas
Week 10 [dates]	Developing an abstract	Readings posted on Canvas
Week 11 [dates]	Peer review	Readings posted on Canvas Rough draft Due	Rough draft
Week 12 [dates]	Communicating findings in an oral presentation	Readings posted on Canvas
Week 13 [dates]	Submitting conference abstracts	Readings posted on Canvas
Week 14 [dates]	In-class workshopping for final paper	No readings this week!	Final paper due during finals week
Week 15 [dates]	Professional Presentations	No readings this week!	Presentations

 

 

Expectations for Student Effort 

For each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside of class.  Some weeks will have a higher workload due to the nature of assignments.  Please consult the course schedule and ask your instructor if you have questions.

 

 

Grading [add more lines if necessary]

Assignment Breakdown
Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc)	Points	Percent of Overall Grade
Outline	25	10
Annotated Bibliography	50	20
Rough Draft	50	20
Final Research paper	100	40
Final presentation	25	10

 

Grading Schema
Grade	Percent
A	[>90]
B	[80 – 89]
C	[70 – 79]
D	[60 – 69]
F	[0 – 59]

[Scores will be rounded to the nearest whole percent to assign a letter grade]

 

Attendance and Make-Up Policy 

Students should make all reasonable efforts to attend all class meetings. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor as soon as possible, explain the reason for the absence (and provide documentation, if appropriate), and make up class work missed within a reasonable amount of time, if allowed. Missing class meetings may result in reducing the overall grade in the class.

 

 

Academic Integrity Statement

You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:

-Receive an F in the class

-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards

-Have the right to appeal my decision

-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.

If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.