COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Science in Population Health Nursing program at the University at Albany is a 42-credit graduate degree designed to prepare nurses to improve health outcomes at the community and population level by addressing complex public health challenges and social determinants of health. The program emphasizes developing advanced skills in population and community needs assessment, epidemiology, biostatistics, systems thinking, and health planning, enabling students to understand how social, environmental, and behavioral factors influence health. A strong feature of the program is its integration of academic learning with hands-on clinical experience in public and population health settings, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge directly to real-world healthcare environments. The curriculum is divided into several structured components. The nursing core courses, totaling 9 credits, include Foundations of Advanced-Level Nursing, Nursing Research Methods, and Health Care Policy & Systems Leadership, which build a foundation in advanced nursing practice, research methodology, and leadership within healthcare systems. The population health core courses, also 9 credits, focus on analytical and research-based skills through Principles of Statistical Inference, Principles and Methods of Epidemiology I, and Principles of Public Health, equipping students to interpret health data and understand disease patterns in populations. A major portion of the program, 15 credits, is dedicated to population health practice courses, including Public/Population Health Nursing I, II, and III, each of which incorporates clinical experiences that provide direct engagement with communities and healthcare systems. Additionally, students complete a 9-credit concentration in health disparities, selecting from courses such as Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health, Health Communication and Health Disparities, Health Disparities and Vulnerable Populations, and Program Development in Health Promotion. This concentration strengthens students’ ability to address inequities in healthcare, develop culturally competent interventions, and implement strategies to reduce health disparities. Overall, the program prepares graduates to take leadership roles in public health nursing, working in diverse settings such as health departments, schools, community organizations, and other population-focused healthcare systems.