Not all SBS courses are offered every year; therefore the descriptions will not always appear in the UCSF course catalog. Below are our course descriptions and the quarters in which they are generally offered in the years they are available.
206 Corporate Influences on Health & Health Care (2 - 3 units) Fall
Course examines the positive and negative contributions of corporate entities to health, health care and health policy within the US and globally, focusing on developing critical thinking and policy analysis skills related to system-level structural-economic factors that influence health. Includes content from research and theoretical literature related to corporate personhood, rights, responsibilities and accountability and its application to health policy and ethics discourse.
207 Sociology of Health & Medicine (5 units) Fall
Course introduces the student to classical perspectives in medical sociology and development of a critical perspective in the field to serve as a foundation for independent and advanced study in medical sociology.
208 Constructionist & Interactionist Persp. on Health & Illness (5 units) Winter
Course examines the relationship of social class, ethnic identification, group membership, family structure, occupation, and lifestyle to health and illness, and therapeutic interaction of lay persons and health professionals.
210 Proseminar in Health Policy (1 units) Fall, Winter
Seminar to extend knowledge of the varied scope of health policy research and analysis. The focus will be on specific policy research, analysis and implementation strategies.
212A Sociological Theory: Classical (5 units) Fall
Course examines and evaluates classical and recent contributions to sociological theory. The main objective is the generation of a critical capacity with respect to received theory in both its formal and substantive varieties.
212B Sociological Theory: Contemporary (5 units) Winter
Course examines and evaluates contemporary contributions to sociological theory. The main objective is the generation of a critical capacity with respect to received theory in both its formal and substantive varieties.
212C Sociological Theory: Symbolic Interactionism (5 units) Spring
Course consists of readings and discussions on interactionist theory in sociology, with emphasis on the origins and development of the Chicago School of Sociology, as well as an examination of the link between philosophy of pragmatism and interactionism.
215 Dissertation Proposal Seminar (1 units) Spring
This course provides a positive and interactive forum where students writing their dissertation proposals can meet to discuss their proposals, their progress, and any challenges they may experience along the way. Meetings are student centered and focus on skills helpful in completing the dissertation proposal in a timely manner.
221 Qualifying Examination (1 - 8 units)
Course will offer preparation for the specialty area qualifying examination and/or prepare the student to successfully advance to candidacy status.
223 Perspectives on Public Policy (3 units) Spring
Course offers systematic overview of health policy in American government, its scope, dynamics, and conceptual and practical dilemmas. Students will become acquainted with major issues involved in formulating, financing, implementing, and assessing patterns of decision (i.e., policy) established by government.
235 Tobacco Control Policy Issues (1 - 3 units) Winter
Focuses on developing students’ understanding of key issues in and evolution of tobacco control policies in the US and globally. Lectures and readings in the history of tobacco control, policies to address tobacco use and addiction. Prepares students to engage in weekly discussions and prepare case studies of tobacco control policies. Will help students draw lessons from tobacco control policy development and implementation that are applicable to other health policy arenas.
236 Race/Class Factors in Hlth Care Delivery (3 units) Fall
Course examines racial and class membership impact on access to health care services, variations in the quality of those services, and how professional and subprofessional roles in the health care system are organized along racial and class lines.
237 Proposal Preparation Seminar (1 units) Winter
This course provides a positive and reflexive forum where students pursuing the S285 qualitative methods course can meet to discuss their proposals, progress and challenges. Meetings are student-centered and focus on skills helpful in developing a successful pilot project proposal and preparing for the qualitative research ethics course. This seminar will facilitate a supportive and informative environment for student-to-student discussion.
S238 Feminist Theory (3 units) Winter
Course provides in-depth overview and examination of 20th-century feminist theories from sociology, anthropology, and interdisciplinary perspectives. Emphasis is on current contributions and debates, with attention to relations between feminist theories and issues for research in women's health and healing.
246 Communications & Policy Leadership (3 units) Fall
Course focuses on developing students' skills in various types of policy-relevant communications and leadership across different policy and public health venues.
248 Group Independent Study (1 - 4 units)
Groups of two or more students select special problems to investigate on a collaborative basis. These studies may be conducted through readings, the collection or analysis of empirical data, or the development of conceptual analysis or of methodologies.
249 Individual Independent Study (1 - 4 units)
Students select special problems to investigate on an individual or collaborative basis. These studies may be conducted through readings, the collection or analysis of empirical data, or the development of conceptual analysis or of methodologies.
251 Professional Development Seminar (1 units) Fall
This course seeks to unveil the hidden curriculum of academia. Students will prepare for careers in Sociology through direct instruction on the core professional areas, with an emphasis on the practical skills of publishing, attending conferences, grant writing, teaching, networking, and navigating the job market.
260 Policy and Politics of Health (5 units) Spring
Course examines health care policy and politics in terms of historical and contemporary issues related to access, quality, and cost. Organizational, financing, and labor market issues are included, along with strategies for social change.
272 Dissertation Writing Seminar (1 - 2 units) Winter
Course addresses logic of research design and execution for students. Clarification of research question, delineation of work plan, and orientation to relevant theoretical literature or empirical data available.
284 Health Care Economics (4 units) Winter
Course examines basic economic theory as applied to the health care sector. This will include the structure of health care service and labor markets and the analysis of critical economic and cost issues relevant to public policy.
285A Qualitative Methods I (5 units) Fall
Course reviews many of the types of qualitative research methods, emphasizing assumptions, approaches. Focus on design, entree, ethics, data-gathering techniques (interviewing, observing), data recording and management. Introduction to data analysis. 2-part course, concluding with 285B. Cross-listed with NURSING 285A
285B Qualitative Methods II (5 units) Winter
Course compares and contrasts modes of qualitative analysis. Examines issues in establishing plausibility, credibility, adequacy. Intensive data analysis and examination of the problems of presentation of findings with focus on questions of authority and preparation of text. 2-part course, beginning with SOCIOLOGY 285A. Cross-listed with NURSING 285B.
289A Advanced Quantitative Research Methods I (4 units) Fall
Course addresses theoretical basis of advanced quantitative methods. Fundamental issues of causality and design issues pertinent to causality are addressed using randomized clinical trials and models for experimental designs. Methods of sampling and issues in data collection and measurement are explored.
289B Advanced Quantitative Research Methods II (5 units) Winter
The second course in a two-quarter series provides a pratical understanding of the statistical procedures including logistic regression, repeated measures, survival analysis, latent variables and structural equation modeling, and cost effectiveness analysis. Attention is given to how and when to use each, how to diagnose and adjust to violations of the functional form and other assumptions of these procedures, and how to interpret computer output.
292 Innovation & Critical Perspectives in Social Sciences (1 units) Fall, Winter
This course complements the Innovation and Critical Perspectives in Social Sciences Speaker Series and seeks to expose students to cutting-edge research in the discipline. The course consists of attending research presentations by internal and external researchers and facilitating and participating in discussions of the presented research.
299 Dissertation (0 units)
Prerequisite(s): Advancement to candidacy and permission of the graduate adviser.
Restrictions: Students must be ATC to enroll
For graduate students engaged in writing the dissertation for the PhD degree.