The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health (Coursera)

The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health (Coursera)

The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

The second module brings key public health tools to life -- including use of data, communications, and policy - through discussions with experienced professionals who have used these tools to save lives. The third module includes a "Carpool Karaoke"-style trip through Baltimore County, Maryland with NACCHO President Dr. Umair Shah to see and hear real public health workers talking about how they serve their communities.

Learners will come away from this course with a deeper understanding of the public health field and a greater enthusiasm for their own work in public health.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Pride: The Success of Public Health
In this module, we’ll hear from three public health heroes about some incredible accomplishments that have saved millions of lives in the United States and around the world.

WEEK 2
Power: The Tools of Public Health
In this module, we’ll discuss examples of how public health saves lives with data, messaging, and policy changes.

WEEK 3
People: Public Health in our Communities
In this module, Harris County Health Officer Dr. Umair Shah drives “carpool karaoke”- style around Baltimore County, Maryland to hear from real health department workers about their work.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Introduction to Dental Medicine (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Introduction to Dental Medicine (Coursera)

The mouth is the window into human health. This course provides an overview of dental medicine to engage, educate, excite and assist you in improving the oral health of your patients and members of your community. We will review topics in dental medicine including scope of the field, what to expect in function, and some of the many ways that dysfunction may present for different patients.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Foundations of Healthcare Systems Engineering (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Foundations of Healthcare Systems Engineering (Coursera)

Through dynamic video lectures and practical application questions, you will learn about the Foundations of Healthcare Systems Engineering. In this course you will learn about the current lack of synchronized, efficient, and integrated healthcare systems, which are some of the drivers for improvements to healthcare delivery.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health (Coursera)

Effective communication is a core skill that nearly every health professional will need and use during their careers. Yet, few health professionals receive even basic training in how to design communications to be clear and successful. As “foundational skills,” the content in this course can be applied to both oral and written communication, within and beyond health.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19 (Coursera) Coursera
University of Toronto

Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19 (Coursera)

Never in the history of humanity have so many people been feeling intense anxiety related to COVID-19 and the world it will leave in its wake. The intent of this course is to give you a deeper understanding of the anxiety reaction as it relates to various aspects of our current life, ranging from our consumption of news to the way we talk to our children about this. I will also give you clear strategies for managing and, in fact, turning off the anxiety response at least for short periods.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Public Health Perspectives on Sustainable Diets (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Public Health Perspectives on Sustainable Diets (Coursera)

What we eat and how we produce that food have significant effects on human health and the sustainability of our planet. But what is a ‘sustainable’ diet? A sustainable diet, as defined by the FAO, promotes health and well-being and provides food security for the present population while sustaining human and natural resources for future generations. This short course looks at the urgent need to address the sustainability of our food systems, including better understanding the complex relationship between diet and climate change. We’ll explore current research on dietary shifts needed in high, middle, and low-income countries to achieve both sustainability and food security goals and discuss evidence-based strategies to promote sustainable diets.

Sep 7th 2026
3 Weeks
Air Pollution – a Global Threat to our Health (Coursera) Coursera
University of Copenhagen

Air Pollution – a Global Threat to our Health (Coursera)

We all have to breathe to live. But the air we breathe is polluted both outdoors and indoors. Each year, this pollution costs 7 million lives across the globe – and a lot of suffering. 1 in 8 deaths is due to air pollution. This course will provide you with an introduction to the most recent research in the field of health effects of air pollution as well as a broader understanding of sources and spread of air pollution and what we should do about it.

Sep 7th 2026
3 Weeks
Communicating During Global Emergencies (Coursera) Coursera
Emory University

Communicating During Global Emergencies (Coursera)

In collaboration with the Rollins School of Public Health and the CDC's Division of Global Health Protection, Emergency Response, and Recovery Branch, this course introduces basic concepts and principles of communicating during a global crisis or emergency. It explores why communication during an emergency is different and the importance of adapting emergency messages to the needs of affected populations.

Sep 7th 2026
3 Weeks
Essentials of Global Health (Coursera) Coursera
Yale University

Essentials of Global Health (Coursera)

Essentials of Global Health is a comprehensive introduction to global health. It is meant to introduce you to this topic in well-structured, clear and easy to understand ways. Much of the course will focus on five questions: What do people get sick, disabled and die from; Why do they suffer from these conditions? Which people are most affected? Why should we care about such concerns? What can be done to address key health issues, hopefully at least cost, as fast as possible, and in sustainable ways?

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
La Solución del Conflicto Ético (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

La Solución del Conflicto Ético (Coursera)

En este curso los participantes lograrán identificar y tomar decisiones sobre casos clínicos con conflictos éticos en el área de la salud por medio de la aplicación del razonamiento ético desde una perspectiva universal y considerando los aspectos médicos y éticos, el marco jurídico y la decisión ética.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Hearing Loss (Coursera) Coursera
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Introduction to Hearing Loss (Coursera)

Welcome to Introduction to Hearing Loss. Disorders of the ear range from simple, easily treated entities (such as wax or cerumen impaction) to the highly complex (such as permanent hearing loss). Many of these disorders manifest with similar symptoms and may be difficult to differentiate without a basic understanding of the anatomy of the ear and auditory pathway.

Sep 7th 2026
4 Weeks
Cosmetologia em prol do envelhecimento com saúde e beleza (Coursera) Coursera
Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP

Cosmetologia em prol do envelhecimento com saúde e beleza (Coursera)

Esse curso foi planejado com muito cuidado e dedicação visando trazer conhecimentos clássicos e atuais sobre o processo de envelhecimento, produtos cosméticos e as múltiplas vias de atuação de substancias ativas aplicadas em produtos para prevenção e atenuação dos sinais de envelhecimento da pele.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Everyday Chinese Medicine 2 (Coursera) Coursera
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Everyday Chinese Medicine 2 (Coursera)

This course, Everyday Chinese Medicine II offered by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, aims to show to the public, as well as the healthcare professionals about the basic principles of Chinese medicine. Our primary goal is to empower healthcare choices by promoting awareness and practical application on Chinese medicine diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, and to facilitate interprofessional education between Chinese and conventional clinicians.

Sep 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks