Course Structure and Academic Framework
The Public Health program at Iihmr University Jaipur is structured over 8 semesters, with a balanced integration of foundational sciences, core public health principles, departmental electives, science electives, and laboratory-based learning experiences.
| Semester | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Structure (L-T-P-C) | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | PHS-101 | Introduction to Public Health | 3-0-0-3 | - |
| I | BIO-101 | Human Anatomy and Physiology | 4-0-0-4 | - |
| I | CHE-101 | General Chemistry | 3-0-0-3 | - |
| I | MAT-101 | Mathematics for Health Sciences | 3-0-0-3 | - |
| I | PHY-101 | Physics for Health Sciences | 3-0-0-3 | - |
| I | SOC-101 | Introduction to Social Sciences | 3-0-0-3 | - |
| I | PHS-102 | Basic Statistics for Health Sciences | 3-0-0-3 | - |
| II | PHS-201 | Epidemiological Methods | 3-0-0-3 | PHS-102 |
| II | BIO-201 | Microbiology and Immunology | 4-0-0-4 | BIO-101 |
| II | CHE-201 | Organic Chemistry | 3-0-0-3 | CHE-101 |
| II | MAT-201 | Advanced Mathematics for Health Sciences | 3-0-0-3 | MAT-101 |
| II | PHY-201 | Biophysics | 3-0-0-3 | PHY-101 |
| II | SOC-201 | Social Determinants of Health | 3-0-0-3 | SOC-101 |
| III | PHS-301 | Health Information Systems | 3-0-0-3 | PHS-201 |
| III | BIO-301 | Pathology and Pathogenic Microorganisms | 4-0-0-4 | BIO-201 |
| III | CHE-301 | Physical Chemistry | 3-0-0-3 | CHE-201 |
| III | MAT-301 | Probability and Statistical Inference | 3-0-0-3 | MAT-201 |
| III | PHY-301 | Quantitative Biology | 3-0-0-3 | PHY-201 |
| III | SOC-301 | Cultural and Behavioral Aspects of Health | 3-0-0-3 | SOC-201 |
| IV | PHS-401 | Environmental Health Hazards | 3-0-0-3 | PHS-301 |
| IV | BIO-401 | Genetics and Molecular Biology | 4-0-0-4 | BIO-301 |
| IV | CHE-401 | Chemistry of Natural Products | 3-0-0-3 | CHE-301 |
| IV | MAT-401 | Mathematical Modeling in Health Sciences | 3-0-0-3 | MAT-301 |
| IV | PHY-401 | Biostatistics and Data Analysis | 3-0-0-3 | PHY-301 |
| IV | SOC-401 | Health Policy and Governance | 3-0-0-3 | SOC-301 |
| V | PHS-501 | Community Health Program Design | 3-0-0-3 | PHS-401 |
| V | BIO-501 | Human Physiology and Cell Biology | 4-0-0-4 | BIO-401 |
| V | CHE-501 | Chemical Analysis Techniques | 3-0-0-3 | CHE-401 |
| V | MAT-501 | Applied Statistics for Public Health | 3-0-0-3 | MAT-401 |
| V | PHY-501 | Health Informatics and Technology | 3-0-0-3 | PHY-401 |
| V | SOC-501 | Public Health Ethics and Social Justice | 3-0-0-3 | SOC-401 |
| VI | PHS-601 | Maternal and Child Health | 3-0-0-3 | PHS-501 |
| VI | BIO-601 | Immunology and Vaccinology | 4-0-0-4 | BIO-501 |
| VI | CHE-601 | Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry | 3-0-0-3 | CHE-501 |
| VI | MAT-601 | Survival Analysis in Public Health | 3-0-0-3 | MAT-501 |
| VI | PHY-601 | Digital Health Technologies | 3-0-0-3 | PHY-501 |
| VI | SOC-601 | Global Health Challenges and Responses | 3-0-0-3 | SOC-501 |
| VII | PHS-701 | Infectious Disease Epidemiology | 3-0-0-3 | PHS-601 |
| VII | BIO-701 | Pathogenesis and Treatment of Diseases | 4-0-0-4 | BIO-601 |
| VII | CHE-701 | Environmental Chemistry | 3-0-0-3 | CHE-601 |
| VII | MAT-701 | Machine Learning in Health Data Analysis | 3-0-0-3 | MAT-601 |
| VII | PHY-701 | Healthcare Informatics and EHR Systems | 3-0-0-3 | PHY-601 |
| VII | SOC-701 | Health Equity and Human Rights | 3-0-0-3 | SOC-601 |
| VIII | PHS-801 | Capstone Project in Public Health | 6-0-0-6 | PHS-701 |
| VIII | BIO-801 | Advanced Biomedical Research | 4-0-0-4 | BIO-701 |
| VIII | CHE-801 | Advanced Environmental Toxicology | 3-0-0-3 | CHE-701 |
| VIII | MAT-801 | Advanced Statistical Modeling for Public Health | 3-0-0-3 | MAT-701 |
| VIII | PHY-801 | Public Health Informatics and Data Visualization | 3-0-0-3 | PHY-701 |
| VIII | SOC-801 | Research Ethics and Regulatory Compliance | 3-0-0-3 | SOC-701 |
Advanced Departmental Electives
Departmental electives are offered in the third year onwards, allowing students to specialize in areas of personal interest and career relevance. These courses provide advanced knowledge and practical skills needed for specialized practice or further academic research.
Maternal and Child Health: This elective delves into the complexities of maternal and child health outcomes, focusing on preconception care, safe delivery practices, immunization schedules, nutrition support, and early childhood development. Students explore case studies from different cultural contexts and evaluate interventions aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.
Infectious Disease Epidemiology: This course equips students with the tools to investigate and control infectious diseases at local, national, and global levels. Topics include outbreak investigation techniques, disease modeling, vaccine development processes, surveillance systems, and emerging threats like antimicrobial resistance and pandemic preparedness.
Environmental Health Hazards: Students learn about physical, chemical, and biological agents that pose risks to human health in various environments. The course covers air quality assessment, water safety standards, hazardous waste management, occupational exposure controls, and climate change impacts on health outcomes.
Health Information Systems: This elective introduces students to the design, implementation, and evaluation of health information systems used for clinical decision-making, public health surveillance, and administrative purposes. Students gain hands-on experience with electronic health records (EHRs), data mining techniques, and interoperability standards.
Global Health Challenges: This course explores contemporary global health issues such as infectious disease outbreaks, food insecurity, maternal mortality, child labor, and human rights violations. Students analyze policy responses from international organizations, governments, and civil society groups.
Public Health Ethics: Ethical dilemmas in public health practice are examined through real-world scenarios involving resource allocation, individual versus community rights, confidentiality issues, and informed consent. Students develop frameworks for resolving ethical conflicts while respecting cultural values and human dignity.
Health Economics and Financing: This course teaches students how to assess the economic value of health interventions, evaluate healthcare delivery models, and design sustainable financing mechanisms for public health programs. Students analyze budgeting strategies, cost-effectiveness analyses, and risk pooling approaches.
Digital Health Technologies: Students learn about emerging technologies in healthcare such as telemedicine, mobile health applications, wearable devices, artificial intelligence in diagnostics, and blockchain-based health records. The course emphasizes both the potential benefits and limitations of these innovations.
Disaster Preparedness and Response: This elective prepares students to manage health emergencies caused by natural or man-made disasters. Students study emergency management protocols, triage systems, coordination strategies, and post-disaster recovery efforts in various contexts including urban and rural settings.
Nutrition and Food Security: The relationship between diet, food availability, and population health is analyzed through this course. Students examine malnutrition patterns, dietary guidelines, food distribution networks, and sustainable agriculture practices that promote healthy eating behaviors.
Project-Based Learning Philosophy
The Public Health program at Iihmr University Jaipur emphasizes project-based learning as a cornerstone of academic excellence. This approach integrates theory with practice, encouraging students to apply their knowledge to solve real-world public health challenges.
Mini-projects begin in the third year and continue through the fourth year. These projects are designed to develop critical thinking, research skills, collaboration abilities, and communication competencies essential for professional success in public health careers.
Each mini-project is assigned a faculty mentor who provides guidance throughout the process. Students are expected to engage with stakeholders from government agencies, NGOs, or community organizations to ensure relevance and impact of their work.
The final-year thesis or capstone project allows students to conduct an in-depth investigation into a topic of personal interest within public health. This project integrates all aspects of their learning experience and culminates in a formal presentation to faculty and industry professionals.
Students select projects based on their interests, career goals, and available resources. They are encouraged to propose innovative solutions to existing public health problems or contribute original insights through rigorous research methodologies.